INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts defense started this season struggling. It couldn't stop the run, couldn't keep teams out of the end zone, couldn't get off the field. Now the script has flipped. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's group is playing stouter, holding teams — even the high-scoring Detroit Lions — largely in check long enough to give Indy a chance to win, and it's the Colts offense that has struggled. “They are playing their tails off. You don’t want them on the field a bunch and as an offense you want to be able to play complementary football,” running back Jonathan Taylor said after Sunday's 24-6 loss. “I would say specifically on offense, it sucks when you can’t help your defense out when they are fighting their tails off all game.” Indy's defense held up its end of the bargain by limiting the Lions (10-1) to 14 first-half points and allowing just 24, matching Detroit's lowest output since Week 3. The problem: Even when the Colts (5-7) did get Detroit off the field, they couldn't sustain drives or score touchdowns. Again. Anthony Richardson provided the bulk of the ground game by rushing 10 times for 61 yards, mostly early. Taylor managed just 35 yards on 11 carries and a season-high 10 penalties constantly forced the Colts to dig out from deep deficits. Part of that was by design. “We knew Jonathan Taylor was going to be the guy we needed to shut down,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We did that. The quarterback runs. It got us on a couple but overall, we did what we needed to do, and we kept them out of that game." Part of it could be because of an injury-battered offensive line that has started three rookies each of the past two weeks and finished the previous game with the same three rookies. Whatever the fix, Indy needs a good solution. There is good news for Indy is that its schedule now gets substantially more manageable. After losing four of five, all to teams in playoff position and three to division leaders, Indy faces only one team with a winning record in its final five games. The most recent time the Colts played a team with a losing mark, Richardson rallied them past the New York Jets 28-27. But Colts coach Shane Steichen knows that's not the answer. The Colts must get this offense righted now. “We’ve got to get that figured out. We’ve got to get him going on the ground,” Steichen said when asked about Taylor, who has 92 yards on his past 35 carries. “We’ll look at the offensive line. We’ll look at everything." Pass rush. Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner's presence certainly has been felt since he returned from a sprained ankle Oct. 27. In those past five games, the Colts have had 14 sacks, including three of Jared Goff on Sunday. Penalties. The Colts have had one of the cleanest operations in the league most of this season. Sunday was an anomaly, but one that can't merely be written off. WR Michael Pittman Jr. The five-year veteran is one of the league's toughest guys, but playing through a back injury appeared to take its toll on Pittman's productivity. Since sitting out in Week 10, Pittman has 11 receptions for 142 yards including six for 96 yards, his second-highest total of the season, Sunday. Tight ends. Each week the Colts want their tight ends to make an impact. And each week, they seem to fail. It happened again Sunday when Drew Ogletree dropped a TD pass that would have given Indy a 10-7 lead. Instead, Indy settled for a field goal and a 7-6 deficit. Through 12 games, Indy's tight ends have a total of 26 catches, 299 yards and two TDs. That's just not good enough in a league where versatile, productive tight ends increasingly signal success. Pittman and WR Josh Downs both returned to the game after leaving briefly with shoulder injuries. WR Ashton Dulin did not return after hurting his foot in the second half. But the bigger questions come on the offensive line. LT Bernhard Raimann (knee) was inactive Sunday, and rookie center Tanor Bortolini entered the concussion protocol Monday. Bortolini was one of three rookie starters the past two weeks, replacing Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly who is on injured reserve. 55.88 — Indy has scored touchdowns on 55.88% of its red zone trips this season. While it puts it near the middle of the NFL, it's cost the Colts multiple wins. Richardson needs to rebound from this latest 11 of 28 performance and show he can lead the Colts to victories week after week. He'll get plenty of chances over the season's final month, starting with next week's game at the New England Patriots. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflBishop Gorman football seeks to end ‘mission’ with another state titleUNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Jackie Johnson III led Fordham with 29 points and Joshua Rivera hit the game-winning 3-pointer with eight seconds left as the Rams knocked off Bryant 86-84 on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Jackie Johnson III led Fordham with 29 points and Joshua Rivera hit the game-winning 3-pointer with eight seconds left as the Rams knocked off Bryant 86-84 on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Jackie Johnson III led Fordham with 29 points and Joshua Rivera hit the game-winning 3-pointer with eight seconds left as the Rams knocked off Bryant 86-84 on Saturday. Johnson added four steals for the Rams (7-5). Rivera scored 17 points and added five rebounds. Japhet Medor shot 5 for 12 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to finish with 17 points. The Bulldogs (6-7) were led in scoring by Kvonn Cramer, who finished with 23 points. Bryant also got 21 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals from Earl Timberlake. Barry Evans had 10 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Medor scored 12 second-half points for Fordham. Up next for Fordham is a matchup Saturday with Albany (NY) at home. Bryant visits Towson on Sunday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisementwild casino australia 。

Berlin confirmed plans to reform its legal framework make it a clear criminal offence to “facilitate the smuggling of migrants to the UK” as part of the agreement, the Home Office said. The Home Office said the move would give German prosecutors more tools to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous small boats. Both countries will also commit to exchange information that may help to remove migrant-smuggling content from social media platforms and tackle end-to-end routes of criminal smuggling networks as part of the deal. It comes ahead of the UK and Germany hosting the so-called Calais Group in London, which sees ministers and police from the two countries, alongside France, Belgium and the Netherlands, gather to discuss migration in Europe. Delegates are expected to agree a detailed plan to tackle people-smuggling gangs in 2025 at the meeting on Tuesday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long organised criminal gangs have been exploiting vulnerable people, undermining border security in the UK and across Europe while putting thousands of lives at risk. “We are clear that this cannot go on. “Germany is already a key partner in our efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling, but there is always more we can do together. “Our new joint action plan with deliver a strengthened partnership with Germany, boosting our respective border security as we work to fix the foundations, and ultimately saving lives.” Nancy Faeser, German federal minister of the interior said: “We are now stepping up our joint action to fight the brutal activities of international smugglers. “This is at the core of our joint action plan that we have agreed in London. “I am very grateful to my British counterpart Yvette Cooper that we were able to reach this important agreement. “It will help us end the inhumane activities of criminal migrant smuggling organisations. “By cramming people into inflatable boats under threats of violence and sending them across the Channel, these organisations put human lives at risk. “Many of these crimes are planned in Germany. “Together, we are now countering this unscrupulous business with even more resolve. “This includes maintaining a high investigative pressure, exchanging information between our security authorities as best as possible, and persistently investigating financial flows to identify the criminals operating behind the scenes.”By Abby Badach Doyle, NerdWallet It won’t be impossible to buy a house in 2025 — just be prepared to play on hard mode. According to a November 2024 report from ICE Mortgage Technology, the monthly principal and interest payment on an average-priced home is $2,385. While that’s not the highest it’s ever been, it’s still a sharp increase — nearly 80% — from just three years ago. In November 2021, when mortgage rates averaged 3%, the monthly principal and interest on an average-priced home was $1,327 per month. So here’s the key to buying in 2025: Look ahead, not back. Regret won’t help you budget for today’s new normal. And with this year’s election also in the rearview mirror, so is some uncertainty among buyers and sellers that historically slows the market during every presidential election cycle. “People have just been kind of sitting waiting to see what’s going to happen,” says Courtney Johnson Rose, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an industry group for Black real estate agents. “I’m hopeful that the new year will bring more attention to real estate, more excitement to real estate, and more opportunities for first-time home owners to get in the game.” Preparing to buy a house is a lot like dressing for the weather. It’s easier when the outlook is sunny — but with some planning, you can gear up to face any condition. Here’s what housing market experts are forecasting for the upcoming year. First, home prices: We’ll likely see more modest growth in 2025, a change from skyrocketing prices in recent years. After 16 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases, the median existing-home sales price hit $407,200 in October, according to the National Association of Realtors. In 2025, with more supply trickling in to temper price increases, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun forecasts a median existing-home sales price of $410,700, up just 2% over this year. Next, housing inventory: Demand still outpaces supply. While we don’t expect a return to a buyer’s market, competition should be less cutthroat. Realtor.com forecasts a balanced market in 2025 with an average 4.1-month supply of homes for sale, up from an average 3.7-month supply so far in 2024. That would make 2025 the friendliest market for buyers since 2016, which had an average 4.4-month supply. Finally, mortgage rates: After topping 8% in October 2023, the 30-year mortgage rate has slowly eased into the 6.5%-7% range this year. Rate cuts from the Federal Reserve have helped nudge that downward. Despite earlier optimism, forecasters’ latest consensus is for rates to effectively plateau above 6% throughout 2025. That said, every year has its wild cards. In 2025, it’s still uncertain how President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-led Congress might shake up regulations and tax policies that affect the U.S. housing market. National forecasts don’t analyze what matters most: Your personal cash flow. To get ready to buy, first meet with a financial advisor or use an online calculator to determine how much house you can afford . You can also get free or low-cost advice from a housing counselor sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Next, look into down payment and closing cost assistance from state housing finance agencies, local governments, nonprofits and mortgage lenders. Your employer or labor union might offer assistance, too. First-time buyers with income below their area median have the most options, but repeat or higher-income borrowers can qualify for some programs as well. “I think that there’s a lot of free money being left out there,” Rose says. Your not-so-secret weapon for buying in 2025 just might be an experienced buyer’s agent. “Anybody can write a contract,” says Sharon Parker, associate broker with Tate & Foss Sotheby’s International Realty in Rye, New Hampshire. “But you need somebody who’s seen the market, the ups and downs, who knows how to get creative because every transaction is different.” Following a settlement with the NAR , buyers can now negotiate their agent’s compensation up front. (Previously, home sellers took on that task.) While new norms are still shaking out, Rose says she hasn’t seen too much drama since the change took effect in August. “So as long as buyers remember that we have to talk about this in the beginning of our relationship, everything typically works out fine,” she says. Finally, it’s time to shop for a mortgage. To get the best interest rate, get a quote with at least three different lenders. You could also delegate the shopping to a mortgage broker, who can compare quotes and even negotiate a lower rate on your behalf. Though brokers charge a fee, their access to more mortgage options and lower rates can often mean net savings overall. With a mortgage preapproval in hand, it’s go time. And you don’t have to wait until spring: If you’re ready to buy now, buyers have less competition and more negotiating power from December through February, so you could snag a deal. “The people who are selling and the people who are buying in the off season are very serious,” Parker says. “They’re not just lookie-loos.” However, lower inventory means fewer choices for buyers. So start your search prepared to compromise — a “good enough” house will still help you build equity. If a down payment or monthly mortgage payment is financially out of reach, there’s no shame in postponing your search to pad your savings. And owning a home isn’t the right lifestyle choice for everyone, with the ongoing commitment of money and time. But once you’re ready to buy — whether for the first time, or to upgrade or downsize — avoid the trap of waiting for a dip in mortgage rates. “Nobody can predict what the market, or the world, is going to do,” Parker says. “There is no better time than right now.” Mortgage rates will always fluctuate, and if they drop significantly, you can refinance. For first-time buyers, homeownership is a major financial glow-up — and the sooner you jump in, the longer you’ll have to build home equity. “Time value of money is really, really critical when it comes to real estate,” Rose says. “So I would always encourage somebody to buy as soon as you can and get the clock ticking.” More From NerdWallet Abby Badach Doyle writes for NerdWallet. Email: abadachdoyle@nerdwallet.com. The article Buying a House in 2025: Your How-To Guide originally appeared on NerdWallet .

India, take a deeptech breathBerlin confirmed plans to reform its legal framework make it a clear criminal offence to “facilitate the smuggling of migrants to the UK” as part of the agreement, the Home Office said. The Home Office said the move would give German prosecutors more tools to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous small boats. Both countries will also commit to exchange information that may help to remove migrant-smuggling content from social media platforms and tackle end-to-end routes of criminal smuggling networks as part of the deal. It comes ahead of the UK and Germany hosting the so-called Calais Group in London, which sees ministers and police from the two countries, alongside France, Belgium and the Netherlands, gather to discuss migration in Europe. Delegates are expected to agree a detailed plan to tackle people-smuggling gangs in 2025 at the meeting on Tuesday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long organised criminal gangs have been exploiting vulnerable people, undermining border security in the UK and across Europe while putting thousands of lives at risk. “We are clear that this cannot go on. “Germany is already a key partner in our efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling, but there is always more we can do together. “Our new joint action plan with deliver a strengthened partnership with Germany, boosting our respective border security as we work to fix the foundations, and ultimately saving lives.” Nancy Faeser, German federal minister of the interior said: “We are now stepping up our joint action to fight the brutal activities of international smugglers. “This is at the core of our joint action plan that we have agreed in London. “I am very grateful to my British counterpart Yvette Cooper that we were able to reach this important agreement. “It will help us end the inhumane activities of criminal migrant smuggling organisations. “By cramming people into inflatable boats under threats of violence and sending them across the Channel, these organisations put human lives at risk. “Many of these crimes are planned in Germany. “Together, we are now countering this unscrupulous business with even more resolve. “This includes maintaining a high investigative pressure, exchanging information between our security authorities as best as possible, and persistently investigating financial flows to identify the criminals operating behind the scenes.”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts defense started this season struggling. It couldn't stop the run, couldn't keep teams out of the end zone, couldn't get off the field. Now the script has flipped. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's group is playing stouter, holding teams — even the high-scoring Detroit Lions — largely in check long enough to give Indy a chance to win, and it's the Colts offense that has struggled. “They are playing their tails off. You don’t want them on the field a bunch and as an offense you want to be able to play complementary football,” running back Jonathan Taylor said after Sunday's 24-6 loss. “I would say specifically on offense, it sucks when you can’t help your defense out when they are fighting their tails off all game.” Indy's defense held up its end of the bargain by limiting the Lions (10-1) to 14 first-half points and allowing just 24, matching Detroit's lowest output since Week 3. The problem: Even when the Colts (5-7) did get Detroit off the field, they couldn't sustain drives or score touchdowns. Again. Anthony Richardson provided the bulk of the ground game by rushing 10 times for 61 yards, mostly early. Taylor managed just 35 yards on 11 carries and a season-high 10 penalties constantly forced the Colts to dig out from deep deficits. Part of that was by design. “We knew Jonathan Taylor was going to be the guy we needed to shut down,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We did that. The quarterback runs. It got us on a couple but overall, we did what we needed to do, and we kept them out of that game." Part of it could be because of an injury-battered offensive line that has started three rookies each of the past two weeks and finished the previous game with the same three rookies. Whatever the fix, Indy needs a good solution. There is good news for Indy is that its schedule now gets substantially more manageable. After losing four of five, all to teams in playoff position and three to division leaders, Indy faces only one team with a winning record in its final five games. The most recent time the Colts played a team with a losing mark, Richardson rallied them past the New York Jets 28-27. But Colts coach Shane Steichen knows that's not the answer. The Colts must get this offense righted now. “We’ve got to get that figured out. We’ve got to get him going on the ground,” Steichen said when asked about Taylor, who has 92 yards on his past 35 carries. “We’ll look at the offensive line. We’ll look at everything." Pass rush. Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner's presence certainly has been felt since he returned from a sprained ankle Oct. 27. In those past five games, the Colts have had 14 sacks, including three of Jared Goff on Sunday. Penalties. The Colts have had one of the cleanest operations in the league most of this season. Sunday was an anomaly, but one that can't merely be written off. WR Michael Pittman Jr. The five-year veteran is one of the league's toughest guys, but playing through a back injury appeared to take its toll on Pittman's productivity. Since sitting out in Week 10, Pittman has 11 receptions for 142 yards including six for 96 yards, his second-highest total of the season, Sunday. Tight ends. Each week the Colts want their tight ends to make an impact. And each week, they seem to fail. It happened again Sunday when Drew Ogletree dropped a TD pass that would have given Indy a 10-7 lead. Instead, Indy settled for a field goal and a 7-6 deficit. Through 12 games, Indy's tight ends have a total of 26 catches, 299 yards and two TDs. That's just not good enough in a league where versatile, productive tight ends increasingly signal success. Pittman and WR Josh Downs both returned to the game after leaving briefly with shoulder injuries. WR Ashton Dulin did not return after hurting his foot in the second half. But the bigger questions come on the offensive line. LT Bernhard Raimann (knee) was inactive Sunday, and rookie center Tanor Bortolini entered the concussion protocol Monday. Bortolini was one of three rookie starters the past two weeks, replacing Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly who is on injured reserve. 55.88 — Indy has scored touchdowns on 55.88% of its red zone trips this season. While it puts it near the middle of the NFL, it's cost the Colts multiple wins. Richardson needs to rebound from this latest 11 of 28 performance and show he can lead the Colts to victories week after week. He'll get plenty of chances over the season's final month, starting with next week's game at the New England Patriots. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflJapan to boost nuclear power as electricity demand risesBy Abby Badach Doyle, NerdWallet It won’t be impossible to buy a house in 2025 — just be prepared to play on hard mode. According to a November 2024 report from ICE Mortgage Technology, the monthly principal and interest payment on an average-priced home is $2,385. While that’s not the highest it’s ever been, it’s still a sharp increase — nearly 80% — from just three years ago. In November 2021, when mortgage rates averaged 3%, the monthly principal and interest on an average-priced home was $1,327 per month. So here’s the key to buying in 2025: Look ahead, not back. Regret won’t help you budget for today’s new normal. And with this year’s election also in the rearview mirror, so is some uncertainty among buyers and sellers that historically slows the market during every presidential election cycle. “People have just been kind of sitting waiting to see what’s going to happen,” says Courtney Johnson Rose, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an industry group for Black real estate agents. “I’m hopeful that the new year will bring more attention to real estate, more excitement to real estate, and more opportunities for first-time home owners to get in the game.” Check the forecast Preparing to buy a house is a lot like dressing for the weather. It’s easier when the outlook is sunny — but with some planning, you can gear up to face any condition. Here’s what housing market experts are forecasting for the upcoming year. Related Articles Real estate | Homeowners insurance company to pull out of California condo, rental markets Real estate | Marin Transit approves $3.7M contract for bus lot with solar canopy Real estate | California insurance crisis: Which Bay Area communities have lost the most coverage Real estate | California vs. Trump: How will the economic sequel go? Real estate | Farmers to write more California home insurance policies ahead of planned reforms First, home prices: We’ll likely see more modest growth in 2025, a change from skyrocketing prices in recent years. After 16 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases, the median existing-home sales price hit $407,200 in October, according to the National Association of Realtors. In 2025, with more supply trickling in to temper price increases, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun forecasts a median existing-home sales price of $410,700, up just 2% over this year. Next, housing inventory: Demand still outpaces supply. While we don’t expect a return to a buyer’s market, competition should be less cutthroat. Realtor.com forecasts a balanced market in 2025 with an average 4.1-month supply of homes for sale, up from an average 3.7-month supply so far in 2024. That would make 2025 the friendliest market for buyers since 2016, which had an average 4.4-month supply. Finally, mortgage rates: After topping 8% in October 2023, the 30-year mortgage rate has slowly eased into the 6.5%-7% range this year. Rate cuts from the Federal Reserve have helped nudge that downward. Despite earlier optimism, forecasters’ latest consensus is for rates to effectively plateau above 6% throughout 2025. That said, every year has its wild cards. In 2025, it’s still uncertain how President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-led Congress might shake up regulations and tax policies that affect the U.S. housing market. Set a budget National forecasts don’t analyze what matters most: Your personal cash flow. To get ready to buy, first meet with a financial advisor or use an online calculator to determine how much house you can afford . You can also get free or low-cost advice from a housing counselor sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Next, look into down payment and closing cost assistance from state housing finance agencies, local governments, nonprofits and mortgage lenders. Your employer or labor union might offer assistance, too. First-time buyers with income below their area median have the most options, but repeat or higher-income borrowers can qualify for some programs as well. “I think that there’s a lot of free money being left out there,” Rose says. Find a buyer’s agent Your not-so-secret weapon for buying in 2025 just might be an experienced buyer’s agent. “Anybody can write a contract,” says Sharon Parker, associate broker with Tate & Foss Sotheby’s International Realty in Rye, New Hampshire. “But you need somebody who’s seen the market, the ups and downs, who knows how to get creative because every transaction is different.” Following a settlement with the NAR , buyers can now negotiate their agent’s compensation up front. (Previously, home sellers took on that task.) While new norms are still shaking out, Rose says she hasn’t seen too much drama since the change took effect in August. “So as long as buyers remember that we have to talk about this in the beginning of our relationship, everything typically works out fine,” she says. Shop and negotiate Finally, it’s time to shop for a mortgage. To get the best interest rate, get a quote with at least three different lenders. You could also delegate the shopping to a mortgage broker, who can compare quotes and even negotiate a lower rate on your behalf. Though brokers charge a fee, their access to more mortgage options and lower rates can often mean net savings overall. With a mortgage preapproval in hand, it’s go time. And you don’t have to wait until spring: If you’re ready to buy now, buyers have less competition and more negotiating power from December through February, so you could snag a deal. “The people who are selling and the people who are buying in the off season are very serious,” Parker says. “They’re not just lookie-loos.” However, lower inventory means fewer choices for buyers. So start your search prepared to compromise — a “good enough” house will still help you build equity. Should you buy a house in 2025? If a down payment or monthly mortgage payment is financially out of reach, there’s no shame in postponing your search to pad your savings. And owning a home isn’t the right lifestyle choice for everyone, with the ongoing commitment of money and time. But once you’re ready to buy — whether for the first time, or to upgrade or downsize — avoid the trap of waiting for a dip in mortgage rates. “Nobody can predict what the market, or the world, is going to do,” Parker says. “There is no better time than right now.” Mortgage rates will always fluctuate, and if they drop significantly, you can refinance. For first-time buyers, homeownership is a major financial glow-up — and the sooner you jump in, the longer you’ll have to build home equity. “Time value of money is really, really critical when it comes to real estate,” Rose says. “So I would always encourage somebody to buy as soon as you can and get the clock ticking.” More From NerdWallet Abby Badach Doyle writes for NerdWallet. Email: abadachdoyle@nerdwallet.com. The article Buying a House in 2025: Your How-To Guide originally appeared on NerdWallet .

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index moved lower Monday, led by losses in technology and utilities stocks, while U.S. stock markets were also down. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 66.38 points at 25,625.42. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 240.59 points at 44,401.93. The S&P 500 index was down 37.42 points at 6,052.85, while the Nasdaq composite was down 123.08 points at 19,736.69. “It started pretty positive in the morning. It's just been slowly, slowly grinding down ever since,” said Michael Currie, senior investment adviser at TD Wealth. Some of the market direction Monday was driven by two separate news stories out of China, he said. “The (Chinese) central bank says they're starting to buy gold again, and they're looking to loosen their monetary policy a bit. So that helped oil a lot, helped gold a lot,” said Currie. China also said it’s investigating semiconductor giant Nvidia over suspected violations of anti-monopoly laws, which sent the company’s stock lower. Nvidia’s share price was down 2.6 per cent Monday at US$138.81. Otherwise, “it’s all about interest rates today,” said Currie. In the U.S., investors are awaiting the latest update on inflation later in the week. However, given that the slowing job market is more of a concern for the U.S. Federal Reserve at this point, the data is unlikely to change what investors currently expect from the Fed next week, said Currie: a quarter-percentage-point cut. “Unless there's something really crazy out of the inflation numbers, there’s no reason to expect anything different is going to happen next week,” he said. In Canada, where the central bank is gearing up for a rate decision Wednesday, a larger half-point cut is more likely, he said. Expectations for a bigger cut rose after last week’s jobs report, which saw the unemployment rate jump to 6.8 per cent in November. “The more we're cutting rates, especially the accelerated rate compared to the States, the more that just keeps beating up our dollar,” said Currie. He expects more buzz in the coming months about the divergence between interest rates in Canada and the U.S. as the loonie continues to weaken. “We're seeing it already, and as the gap gets bigger, it'll become more of a story.” However, Currie noted the TSX briefly touched an all-time high earlier in the day. “Basically since the US election, it's just been a non-stop rally,” he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 70.77 cents US compared with 70.74 cents US on Friday. The January crude oil contract was up US$1.17 at US$68.37 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up 11 cents at US$3.18 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was up US$26.20 at US$2,685.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was up eight cents at US$4.28 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press‘Time to Jump Ship,’ Says Investor About MicroStrategy Stock - TipRanksBuying a house in 2025: your how-to guide

Murray State beats Loyola Chicago 71-68 for 7th place at the Diamond Head ClassicMarshall withdraws from Independence Bowl matchup against ArmyTips for gathering with relatives whose politics are different over the holidays

Bengal Minister’s ‘minority’ remarks create controversyUkraine must be in strong position for negotiations, Starmer saysWhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app from Meta, has been working on a lot of new features recently. However, at the same time, the platform has been gearing up to release an update that will drop support for some older iPhone models. WhatsApp to stop working on older iPhones As noted by , the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iPhone introduces a message alert for some older iPhone models. More specifically, an update to be released in May 2025 will drop support for operating system versions prior to iOS 15.1. Currently, WhatsApp works with iOS 12 and later. “Update to the latest version of iOS to continue using WhatsApp. WhatsApp will stop supporting this version of iOS after 5 May 2025. Please go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update to get the latest iOS version,” the message reads. In other words, this means that WhatsApp will stop working on the following iPhones: WhatsApp still doesn’t have an official iPad app, . In this case, next year’s update will drop support for the first generation iPad Air, as well as the iPad mini 2 and 3. The current beta for iPad also requires iPadOS 12 or later. Developers usually drop support for older versions of iOS so that they can focus on supporting the latest versions with new and improved technologies. Furthermore, , only 9% of all iPhones are still running a version prior to iOS 16. If you have a newer iPhone or iPad that for some reason still runs old software, make sure you update its software to keep using WhatsApp. However, if you have one of the devices listed above, you’ll probably have to buy a new phone. . Read also WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app from Meta, has been working on a lot of new features recently. However, at the same time, the platform has been gearing up to release an update that will drop support for some older iPhone models. WhatsApp to stop working on older iPhones As noted by , the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iPhone introduces a message alert for some older iPhone models. More specifically, an update to be released in May 2025 will drop support for operating system versions prior to iOS 15.1. Currently, WhatsApp works with iOS 12 and later. “Update to the latest version of iOS to continue using WhatsApp. WhatsApp will stop supporting this version of iOS after 5 May 2025. Please go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update to get the latest iOS version,” the message reads. In other words, this means that WhatsApp will stop working on the following iPhones: WhatsApp still doesn’t have an official iPad app, . In this case, next year’s update will drop support for the first generation iPad Air, as well as the iPad mini 2 and 3. The current beta for iPad also requires iPadOS 12 or later. Developers usually drop support for older versions of iOS so that they can focus on supporting the latest versions with new and improved technologies. Furthermore, , only 9% of all iPhones are still running a version prior to iOS 16. If you have a newer iPhone or iPad that for some reason still runs old software, make sure you update its software to keep using WhatsApp. However, if you have one of the devices listed above, you’ll probably have to buy a new phone. . Read alsoMADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Republicans have filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to resolve a discrepancy between state and federal law about what date the state's presidential electors must meet to cast Wisconsin's 10 Electoral College votes for President-elect Donald Trump. State law calls for the electors to meet on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, which this year is Dec. 16. But federal law requires the meeting to be the first Tuesday following the second Wednesday, which is Dec. 17 this year. The Wisconsin Republican Party asked in the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court seeking an order that the electors follow federal law and cast their votes on Dec. 17. The lawsuit argues that the state law requirement is unconstitutional, unenforceable and therefore should be declared void. “If the presidential electors do not follow federal law for when they must cast their votes, then those votes could be contested,” the lawsuit contends. The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature, recognizing the conflict, attempted to bring the state into compliance with federal law with a bill last session. The Senate passed it 31-1, but it never got a vote in the Assembly. The lawsuit was filed against Gov. Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kail and Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe. Spokespeople for all of them declined to comment. The new day for electors to meet was included in a federal law passed with bipartisan support in 2022 that overhauled the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election in response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. The law updated an 1800s-era law that governs, along with the U.S. Constitution, how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners. The law clarifies that the vice president’s role presiding over the count is only ceremonial and that he or she cannot change the results. It also sets out that each state can only send one certified set of electors after Trump’s allies had unsuccessfully tried to put together alternate slates of illegitimate pro-Trump electors in Wisconsin and other swing states where President Joe Biden won. Fifteen states had updated their laws to come into compliance with the new federal law by mid-October, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Melania Trump announces first big hire for second stint as first ladyWASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him and is headed back to the White House. FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith’s team emphasized that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Smith's team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated, and had vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. But it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of using “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. ___ Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this story. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Bengaluru: GenAI: No returns Generative AI (GenAI) has shown immense potential since OpenAI’s ChatGPT gained over 100 million users within two months of its launch in December 2022. Unlike traditional machine learning (ML), which predicts data patterns, GenAI’s foundational models and large language models (LLMs) learn the structure of various data types—text, images, proteins, DNA, etc.—to create new content through prompts in natural languages like English or Hindi. Companies are fine-tuning tools like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Gemini, and DALL-E 2 to cut costs in customer service, content creation, and more. However, most businesses remain cautious, testing these tools rather than deploying them at scale. Challenges include hallucinations (generating false information and presenting it confidently as accurate), biases, intellectual property violations, high energy consumption, and uncertain returns on investment. Goldman Sachs’ April report, GenAI: Too Much Spend, Too Little Benefit?, questioned the $1 trillion investment in AI infrastructure without clear benefits. Similarly, Gartner’s July report predicts that 30% of GenAI projects will be discontinued by 2025 due to poor data quality and escalating costs, which range from $5 million to $20 million. In India, the AI market is expected to grow by 25-35% annually over the next three-four years, according to Nasscom and EY’s 2024 AI Adoption Index. While 75% of Indian organizations have AI strategies at the proof-of-concept (PoC) stage, only 40% are ready to move to production. GenAI adoption is slow, particularly in legacy sectors such as energy, utilities, and manufacturing, according to the report. While banking and financial services (BFSI), retail, and CPG (consumer packaged goods) are in the PoC stages, manufacturing and telecom have moved beyond PoCs to collaborate with industry disruptors. The report insists that to transition from AI-ready to AI-first, large enterprises should focus on data standardization, strategic partnerships, and balanced AI use. Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), on their part, should emphasize agile PoC processes, partnerships with tech SMEs, and strong leadership commitment to overcome barriers. To be sure, advances in LLMs’ reasoning capabilities, such as those demonstrated by OpenAI’s o1 and o3 models and Gemini 2.0, do impress. And ‘Agentic AI’ models are capable of autonomous decision-making and action to achieve specific goals. But in asking whether these models are heralding artificial general intelligence (AGI), we must first agree on what it means to “reason" like a human, which is more in the domain of philosophy than technology. Further, real-world performance often diverges from LLM demonstrations. For instance, a September Stanford study found no evidence that LLMs can generate novel, expert-level research ideas, highlighting their current limitations. Missing smartness in cities On the face of it, India’s Smart Cities Mission, launched on 25 June 2015, is a grand success. Going by government figures, more than 90% of over 8,000 multi-sectoral projects worth 1.6 trillion, across 100 cities have been completed. Seventeen cities have achieved 100% project completion, while 34 cities have crossed 90%, and 24 have completed over 75%. Key accomplishments include operational integrated command and control centres in all cities, installation of 83,000 CCTV cameras, monitoring of 9,900 km of water supply through supervisory control and data acquisition systems, and deployment of 5.2 million solar/LED (light-emitting diode) streetlights. The mission has also delivered 4,700 km of smart roads, 49,300 dwelling units, 1,300 public spaces, and 199 PPP projects worth 9,200 crore, says the government. But if controlling air pollution, reducing chaotic traffic jams, building more public transport, and providing good quality water are part of the deliverables of Smart Cities, then India has done a woeful job. Globally, too, smart city projects have struggled with data privacy concerns, with a survey showing that 45% of urban residents are hesitant to share personal data for city optimization. The lack of standardized regulations further complicated collaboration between public and private sectors, leading to delays and increased costs. “The global landscape of smart cities continues to change but at a slower pace than in recent years," notes the International Institute for Management Development Smart City Index 2024, which was published in partnership with the Singapore University of Technology and Design. While Zurich, Oslo, Canberra, Geneva and Singapore were ranked the top 5 smart cities, in that order, not a single Indian city figured in the Top 100. New Delhi Municipal Council, which was included as a smart city in 2016, was ranked 106, followed by Mumbai (107), Bengaluru(109), and Hyderabad (111). But there’s still hope. Data from the first smart cities mission is now being used to speed up processes and launch Smart City 2.0. Whatever data Smart City 1.0 is producing in 100 smart cities will come to the data exchange, called Urban India Data Exchange, which is fully funded by the ministry of housing and urban affairs. Further, in August, India approved 12 new industrial smart cities and other infrastructure projects. These cities are aimed at strengthening India’s domestic manufacturing ecosystem, attracting foreign investments, and boosting job creation. Metaverse needs more than AI Tuvalu, a Pacific nation threatened by rising sea levels due to climate change, has turned to the metaverse to preserve its culture, landscapes, and legal identity. Alongside building sea walls and reclaiming land, the government is creating a digital replica of the country. Often referred to as a ‘digital twin’, the metaverse is a 3D representation of real-world assets, offering immersive experiences through technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). Despite the decades-old origins of these technologies, experts, including research and advisory firm Emergen Research, predict it could take 5-10 years for the metaverse to evolve into a cohesive, widely used platform. In the meantime, numerous private and open platforms, such as Sandbox and Decentraland, are emerging, with data portal Statista projecting metaverse revenue will reach $490 billion by 2030. The metaverse is already being explored in creative ways, such as Colombia hosting a court hearing within it. Businesses worldwide, including Indian companies, are embracing the metaverse. Automakers Maruti Suzuki and MG Motors use it for 3D visualization, allowing clients to virtually customize vehicles. Companies such as Tanishq, Tata Tea, and MakeMyTrip have also entered this space. Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG, emphasizes that the industrial metaverse relies on digital twins, software-defined automation, and AI. Meanwhile, tech giants Google and Apple have introduced concepts such as “ambient computing" and “spatial computing", highlighting diverse interpretations of the metaverse. Mark Zuckerberg remains optimistic about the metaverse’s potential despite Meta’s Reality Labs incurring a $4.4 billion operating loss in Q3 2023. Meta continues investing heavily in projects such as AI-powered glasses (Ray-Ban Meta), which integrate vision and language understanding. These glasses aim to simplify tasks like translating foreign languages or generating photo captions, potentially without needing a phone or app. Meta’s innovations also include holographic AR glasses, Orion, and its latest mixed-reality headset, Quest 3S. However, challenges persist. VR and AR headsets remain expensive, bulky, and energy-intensive, with VR devices reportedly consuming three times the energy of standard gaming consoles. Interoperability between metaverse platforms is limited, and privacy and security concerns are significant. Critics also question the metaverse’s sustainability due to its energy demands. The rollout of 5G and advancements in edge computing is expected to address some issues by enabling faster data processing and supporting the metaverse’s computational requirements. The metaverse represents immense potential but requires overcoming significant technical, economic, and sustainability hurdles to fulfil its vision. Web3, NFTs take a backseat In 2021, the term ‘Web3’ entered public consciousness, driving a surge in cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) activity. Venture capitalists invested over $30 billion in Web3 startups globally, while Indian blockchain startups raised $600 million, a 15-fold increase from 2020. Web3 is built on blockchain and related technologies such as decentralized finance (DeFi), decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), cryptocurrencies, and NFTs, offering users digital ownership. Notable examples include Amitabh Bachchan’s NFT of Madhushala and digital artist Pak’s Merge, which sold for $91.8 million in 2021. Collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) further cemented NFTs’ exclusivity, trading limited-edition digital art on Ethereum’s blockchain. But despite daily NFT trades worth millions, mainstream media attention has waned. Cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, have faced significant volatility. Events like Donald Trump’s presidency and policy endorsements boosted Bitcoin, as did the approval of US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs. Yet, Bitcoin’s value dropped 10% in late 2024, reflecting its susceptibility to regulatory decisions and global economics. India’s approach to Web3 remains cautious. While the technology behind cryptocurrencies—blockchain—has potential, government policies have created hurdles. Gains from virtual digital assets (VDAs) like Bitcoin and Dogecoin are taxed at 30%, without the ability to offset losses or carry them forward. Transactions exceeding specified thresholds incur 1% tax deducted at source. Losses from NFTs cannot be adjusted against crypto gains, highlighting regulatory restrictions. The Indian crypto space has also faced controversies, such as the WazirX-Binance ownership dispute, adding to investor uncertainty. Meanwhile, global incidents such as the Mt. Gox crypto exchange collapse further damaged cryptos’ reputation. Challenges like regulatory crackdowns, taxation, and price volatility cloud Web3’s prospects. However, its potential remains vast, with blockchain technology driving innovations in digital ownership and decentralized ecosystems. Quantum leap years away Governments, tech companies, and venture capitalists are investing billions in quantum computing, driven by the promise of revolutionizing industries and commercial and military advantages for global dominance. Quantum systems promise breakthroughs in cryptography, drug discovery, and logistics optimization with their incredible processing speeds. But they need to become stable before being deployed for everyday use. Hence, Google’s quantum computing chip, named Willow, made waves this month for its ability to reduce system errors despite adding qubits (quantum bits) and solving in under five minutes a computation that would take a supercomputer 10 septillion years (1 with 25 zeros), more than the age of the universe, to finish. Two normal computer bits can exist in four possible states—00, 01, 10, or 11. But they can represent only one of these at any given time. A quantum computer allows two quantum bits (qubits) to represent the four states at the same time due to ‘superposition’ and ‘entanglement’ properties, akin to running four computers. A quantum computer’s power grows exponentially with more qubits but it also induces errors, making the system resemble your normal computer. Stable quantum computers could accelerate AI model creation by performing parallel computations that classical systems cannot do. Google’s Willow claims to reduce errors when scaling. By doing so, it has indeed brought the world a step closer to running a more stable quantum computer. But the next challenge, as Google itself puts it, is “to demonstrate a first ‘useful, beyond-classical’ computation on today’s quantum chips that is relevant to a real-world application". With its National Quantum Mission, India plans to develop quantum computers with 50-100 qubits in about five years and accelerate it to 1,000 qubits and beyond in eight years. However, the focus will also be on developing quantum error correction to make quantum computers stable and functional for everyday use, and building quantum algorithms for practical applications. India currently has a six-qubit quantum computer built by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation Young Scientists Laboratory for Quantum Technologies and Tata Consultancy Service. IT services company Wipro believes enterprises will gear up for the Quantum Era with quantum computing as a service (QCaaS). The immediate priority for global enterprises will be to prepare for post-quantum cryptography, it cautions. The biopharma and chemical industries will be early adopters of quantum computing with applications in molecular modelling, predictive analytics, and drug design. Enterprises will also need to consider regulatory guidelines and ethical practices evolving around this cutting-edge technology. That said, despite the progress, stable quantum computers may see the light of day only by 2030.

Cabinet ministers have been warned they must find more savings in their departments as the Chancellor said “every pound” of Government spending will be scrutinised in a major budget review. Secretaries of State are being told that any outgoings which are not contributing towards one of Labour’s “priorities” must be cut as Rachel Reeves vows to wield “an iron fist against waste.” In letters sent by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, departments will be told to brace for “difficult” spending decisions in order to restore trust in the Government’s handling of the public finances. Every pound of departmental spending will be face a “line-by-line review” involving external finance experts from banks and think tanks in order to ensure it represents value for money, the Treasury said. The Chancellor will on Tuesday launch the next round of Government spending, and is expected to warn departments that they “cannot operate in a business-as-usual way when reviewing their budgets for the coming years”. She will insist that areas focused on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “plan for change”, which includes targets to improve living standards across the country and build 1.5 million homes, must be prioritised. Ms Reeves said: “By totally rewiring how the Government spends money we will be able to deliver our plan for change and focus on what matters for working people. “The previous government allowed millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to go to waste on poor value for money projects. We will not tolerate it; I said I would have an iron grip on the public finances and that means taking an iron fist against waste. “By reforming our public services, we will ensure they are up to scratch for modern day demands, saving money and delivering better services for people across the country. That’s why we will inspect every pound of Government spend, so that it goes to the right places and we put an end to all waste.” Under the Treasury’s plans, departments will ensure budgets are scrutinised by “challenge panels” of external experts including former senior management of Lloyd’s Banking Group, Barclays Bank and the Co-operative Group. These panels, which will also involve think tanks, academics and the private sector, will advise on which spending “is or isn’t necessary”, the ministry said. The Treasury said work has already begun, with an evaluation of the £6.5 million spent on a scheme that placed social workers in schools finding “no evidence of positive impact on social care outcomes”. “Departments will be advised that where spending is not contributing to a priority, it should be stopped,” it said. “Although some of these decisions will be difficult, the Chancellor is clear that the public must have trust in the Government that it is rooting out waste and that their taxes are being spent on their priorities.” Ms Reeves had already announced efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments in her autumn budget as she seeks to put the public finances on a firmer footing. In a speech in east London, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden hinted at a further squeeze. “At the Budget the Chancellor demanded efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments – and there will be more to come,” he said. “As we launch the next phase of the spending review at its heart must be reform of the state in order to do a better job for the public.”Ministers warned of cuts as ‘every pound’ of spending to face review

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 2, 2024-- Immunome, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: IMNM), a biotechnology company focused on developing first-in-class and best-in-class targeted cancer therapies, announced today that on December 2, 2024, the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) granted inducement awards consisting of non-statutory stock options to purchase 210,500 shares of common stock to 15 new employees under the Company’s 2024 Inducement Plan. The Compensation Committee approved the stock options as an inducement material to such employees’ employment in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). Each stock option has an exercise price per share equal to $14.08 per share, the Company’s closing sales price on December 2, 2024, and will vest over four years, with 25% of the underlying shares vesting on the one-year anniversary of the applicable vesting commencement date and the balance of the underlying shares vesting monthly thereafter over 36 months, subject to the new employees’ continued service relationship with the Company through the applicable vesting dates. The stock options are subject to the terms and conditions of the Company’s 2024 Inducement Plan and the terms and conditions of an applicable stock option agreement covering the grant. About Immunome Immunome is a clinical-stage targeted oncology company committed to developing first-in-class and best-in-class targeted therapies designed to improve outcomes for cancer patients. We are advancing an innovative portfolio of therapeutics, drawing on leadership that previously played key roles in the design, development and commercialization of cutting-edge targeted cancer therapies, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). In addition to a portfolio of discovery-stage ADCs, our pipeline includes AL102, a gamma secretase inhibitor currently in a Phase 3 trial for treatment of desmoid tumors, as well as IM-1021, a ROR1 ADC, and IM-3050, a FAP-targeted radioligand, both of which are the subject of INDs expected to be submitted by the first quarter of 2025. For more information, visit www.immunome.com . Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not purely historical in nature are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include Immunome’s expectations regarding progress of its pipeline and timeline for regulatory filings; and other statements regarding forecasts for the future. These forward-looking statements are based on Immunome’s current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect; consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in Immunome’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on November 13, 2024, and in Immunome’s other filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, Immunome assumes no obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statements included in this press release. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202157049/en/ CONTACT: Investor Contact Max Rosett Chief Financial Officer investors@immunome.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL CLINICAL TRIALS ONCOLOGY SOURCE: Immunome, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/02/2024 06:26 PM/DISC: 12/02/2024 06:26 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202157049/en

A water taxi travels on the Fraser River past cargo containers stacked at Fraser Surrey Docks below houses on a hill, in Surrey, B.C., on Nov. 4. DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press Daniel Schwanen is senior vice-president at the C.D. Howe Institute. Ari Van Assche is a fellow-in-residence with the institute and co-director of the International Institute for Economic Diplomacy at HEC Montréal. They are the authors of the institute’s recent report “The Reconfiguration of Global Supply Chains.” The supply chains serving Canadian markets cannot seem to catch a break. Over the past five years, they have been battered by global economic uncertainties, due diligence legislations and domestic logistical bottlenecks. Now, with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump vowing to impose a 25-per-cent tariff on all imports from Canada as soon as he takes office, and our government poised to retaliate , these supply chain troubles are bound to persist. While countries such as the United States and Australia have already adopted national supply chain strategies to enhance the security and resilience of their supply chains, Canada remains behind. This lag is concerning and demands swift action. Our government must recognize the urgent need for a comprehensive supply chain strategy that recognizes the vital role of efficient supply chains in this country’s prosperity, de-risks chokepoints that may disrupt the supply of essential goods to Canadian markets and fortifies our position within the critical supply chains that serve our major trading partners. Canada’s supply chain woes have emerged from multiple fronts. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly exposed how breakdowns in distant parts of the supply chain can quickly lead to crippling goods shortages in the Canadian market. Geopolitical tensions, such as the U.S.-China trade war and Mr. Trump’s promise to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico have further complicated supply chain dynamics, compelling businesses to adapt and reconfigure their operations – sometimes through friendshoring and reshoring – to maintain efficiency and competitiveness. Domestically, infrastructure issues and due diligence legislations have compounded these supply chain challenges. Canada’s vast geography and reliance on a limited number of transportation corridors make the country particularly susceptible to disruptions. Rail blockades, port strikes and extreme weather events have all contributed to significant supply chain disruptions that have increased costs for Canadian businesses. Additionally, due diligence laws, such as Canada’s modern slavery act, while necessary, have added further complexity, mandating companies to take concrete steps to “know their suppliers” to prevent human rights and environmental violations within their supply chains. In the face of such persistent challenges, it is imperative for Canada to develop a comprehensive supply chain strategy that can strengthen the efficiency and resiliency of its supply chains. The stakes are high – Canada’s prosperity depends on it. Well-functioning supply chains are key for tackling issues such as affordability, productivity and security, which are essential for improving the standard of living for all Canadians. The cornerstone of Canada’s supply chain strategy must be to invest in and support the formation of open, diverse, reliable and socially responsible international supply chains. For most products, the globalized nature of supply chains is a boon for our prosperity. To further streamline them, we must take concrete actions to facilitate trade both within and across Canadian borders, invest in our aging transportation infrastructure and develop robust traceability standards that can improve our firms’ global supply chain mapping capabilities. De-risking supply chains is vital in strategic industries that are central to our economic stability. To safeguard these sectors from supply chain disruptions, Canada must present an integrated, data-driven approach to its supply chain strategy. The strategy needs to identify those strategic sectors that are vital to our national interests, monitor potential chokepoints within their associated supply chains and determine the preferred risk mitigation strategies. This could include diversifying our supplier base, investing in domestic production capabilities and forging stronger international partnerships. Canada’s supply chain strategy must employ a similar data-driven approach to pinpoint our strongpoints within the critical supply chains that support our major trading partners. By understanding the importance of Canadian products in the supply chains that serve the U.S., China and others such as critical minerals, energy resources, medical technology and automotive components, we can better withstand tariff pledges and shape our strategic engagements with these nations. Investing in these strongpoints not only boosts our economic resilience but also strengthens our position in the global market. Bottom-line: Canada’s supply chains are at a crossroads. They face challenges that are significant, but not insurmountable. By adopting a comprehensive supply chain strategy, the Canadian government can turn these challenges into opportunities. This proactive approach would not only stabilize the current trade environment but also position our country as a resilient and competitive player in the global market. The time for action is now, and with the right strategy Canada can boost its chances for a prosperous economic future.S&P/TSX composite down Monday, U.S. markets also move lower

What Data Does a VPN Actually Hide?Buccaneers are back to .500 and in position to control their playoff hopes down the stretch TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay’s bid for a fourth straight NFC South title and fifth consecutive playoff berth is gaining momentum. Fred Goodall, The Associated Press Dec 2, 2024 3:24 PM Dec 2, 2024 3:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones) TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay’s bid for a fourth straight NFC South title and fifth consecutive playoff berth is gaining momentum. Back-to-back wins over a pair of last-place teams , combined with Atlanta’s three-game losing streak, have propelled the Bucs (6-6) to a tie atop the division. Although the Falcons (6-6) hold a tiebreaker after sweeping the season series between the teams, Tampa Bay can control its own destiny by finishing strong against a less than imposing schedule. The Bucs, who are back in the thick of the race after beating the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers, figure to be favored in four of their five remaining games. “Every week, we said it’s a playoff game, we got to take care of us. It’s not going to be easy. As it was (Sunday), it’s going to be a dog fight every week,” coach Todd Bowles said after Sunday’s 26-23 overtime win at Carolina. “We got to clean up some things, we know that, but it's hard to win in this league,” the coach said of the mistake-filled victory that lifted the Bucs back to .500. “We’ll take a win any way we can get it.” After facing Las Vegas (2-10) this week, the Bucs will finish with road games against the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) and Dallas Cowboys (5-7), followed by home dates vs. Carolina (3-9) and the New Orleans Saints (4-8). What’s working Kicker Chase McLaughlin has been one of team’s most consistent performers, converting 21 of 23 field goal attempts. He was 4 of 5 against the Panthers, including 51-yarder to force overtime on the final play of regulation. He missed from 55 yards in OT before winning it with a 30-yard field goal on Tampa Bay’s next possession. What needs help Just when it appeared the defense was beginning to trend in the right direction, Carolina's Bryce Young threw for 298 yards without an interception against the Bucs in one of his better outings of the season. “In the first half, he did it with his feet and the second half he did it with his arm,” Bowles said. Stock up Running back Bucky Irving rushed for a career-best 152 yards and finished with 185 from scrimmage against Carolina, making him the first rookie since Miles Sanders in 2019 to have consecutive games with 150-plus yards from scrimmage. Stock down A week after playing well offensively and defensively in a 23-point rout of the New York Giants, the Bucs were sloppy against the Panthers. In addition to throwing two interceptions, Mayfield was sacked four times. Tampa Bay was penalized seven times for 54 yards, and the defense was only able to sack Young once. Injuries Mayfield (sore leg), linebacker K.J. Britt (sprained ankle) and safety Mike Edwards (hamstring) will be on the injury report this week. Bowles said he’s not sure what Mayfield's practice status will be when the team reconvenes Wednesday, however he expects the quarterback to play Sunday. Key numbers 37 and 101 — Wide receiver Mike Evans had another big day against Carolina, posting the 37th 100-yard receiving performance of his career — fifth among active players. He also moved ahead of Hall of Famers Steve Largent and Tim Brown for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time list for TD receptions with 101. Next steps The Buccaneers host Las Vegas in Tampa Bay's first home game in a month and the third consecutive outing against a last-place team. The Raiders (2-10) have lost eight in a row. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Fred Goodall, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) NFL Inactive Report Dec 2, 2024 3:52 PM Rams finally ran the ball well in New Orleans, and it kept them in the playoff race Dec 2, 2024 3:37 PM Justin Tucker's erratic season isn't getting any better, and it's hurting Baltimore's outlook Dec 2, 2024 3:32 PMMarshall withdraws from Independence Bowl matchup against Army