bet365 188 Assets verification committee not to witch-hunt — Edo govtBeirut: Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital Damascus and with the government forced to deny rumours that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country. The lightning rebel advance suggests that Assad’s government could fall within the next week, US and other Western officials said. A giant portrait of Syrian president Bashar Assad sets on a building, as empty streets seen in Damascus, Syria, on Saturday. Credit: AP Since the rebels’ sweep into Aleppo a week ago, government defences have crumbled at a dizzying speed as insurgents seized a string of major cities and rose up in places where the rebellion had long seemed over. The twin threats to the strategically vital city of Homs and the capital, Damascus, now pose an existential danger to the Assad dynasty’s five-decade reign over Syria and the continued influence there of its main regional backer, Iran. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of the southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only four of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Homs, Latakia and Tartus. People arrive at the Jordanian side of the border as others wait in their cars, after a ban on crossings into Syria, on December 7, 2024 in Jaber, Jordan. Credit: Getty Images The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition”. Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people”. In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Loading Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told the Associated Press, and those still open had run out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle [in Damascus] or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018 when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a years-long siege. The UN said it was moving non-critical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: Backed by Russia and Iran – both of which are bogged down in separate conflicts. Credit: Saudi Press Agency/AP Assad rumours Syria’s state media denied social media rumours that President Assad had left the country, saying he was performing his duties in Damascus. Assad has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the US should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a UN resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with UN-supervised elections. A Syrian opposition fighter holds a rocket launcher in front of the provincial government office. Credit: AP Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit on Saturday to discuss the situation. No details were immediately available. The insurgents’ march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. An insurgent commander, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaeda, ditching hardline officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani. Credit: Al Jazeera Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began on November 27, during which rebel fighters captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city. Opposition activists said insurgents entered Palmyra on Friday, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites, that had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra, including the main Baath City, activists said. Loading The Syrian Observatory said government troops had withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and were sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle loomed. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian Army said in a statement that it had carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists”. The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area”, apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticised Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there was a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. AP, Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. World politics Syria Bashar al-Assad Syria United Nations Most Viewed in World Loading

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The team looking for a missing Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole has determined that an abandoned coal mine is too unstable for people to safely search underground, authorities said Wednesday while still expressing hope Elizabeth Pollard will be found alive. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Emergency crews and others have been trying to find Pollard, 64, for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near what is thought to be a freshly opened sinkhole above the long closed, crumbling mine. Authorities said in a noon update that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and is not stable. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," said Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” Trooper Cliff Greenfield said crews were still actively searching for Pollard. “We are hopeful that she’s found alive,” Greenfield said. Searchers were using electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. Search dogs may also be used. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. On Wednesday afternoon, machinery was removing material from the area around the hole while police and other government vehicles blocked a clear view of the scene. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers had been using water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk “for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers have also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment, to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was being tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. “We cannot judge as to what’s going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void,” Graham said. “And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort.” Bacha said they were “hoping that there’s a void that she could still be in.” Pollard's family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Her son, Axel Hayes, said Pollard is a happy woman who likes going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. His mother worked for many years at Walmart but recently was not employed, he said. “I’m just hoping right now that she’s still with us and she’s able to come back to us,” he said. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. “Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky, right?” Limani said Wednesday. “We need a little bit of luck on our side. We need a little bit of God’s good blessing on our side.” Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl “nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Netanyahu says he supports proposed ceasefire with Lebanon's Hezbollah

‘Sitting with their head in their hands’: farm equipment suppliers fear for impact of budget

In today's Daily Fix:CD Project's long-in-development The Witcher 4 game is now in "full-scale production," which the company has described as the most intense phase of game development. No other details around the game have been revealed, so we're left with just a couple of teaser images. CDPR's other projects, including another Witcher game and a new Cyberpunk entry, are still in development. In other news, Xbox is killing off the Xbox Avatars with the shutdown of the Avatar Editor app. Basically, no one was using them, and if you happened to have purchased any avatar accessories via the online store recently, you may be entitled to a refund. And finally, Amazon has released a teaser for the Concord-centric episode of Secret Level. The game may be no more, but it will live on in at least one more piece of media.The US provided no evidence that China manipulates TikTok content inside the country, court says

WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. It passed by a vote of 281-140 and next moves to the Senate, where lawmakers sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen Jan. 26, 2020, from the air in Washington. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. "No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "This bill goes a long way to fixing that." The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a "tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. "We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it," Wicker said. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., speaks with reporters Nov. 21 on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. "These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives," Smith said. "And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar service members' children from having access to that." Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted on the ban and said the provision "taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation." Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, "I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates." Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, "and yet, here it is in this bill." Branden Marty, a Navy veteran who served for 13 years, said the loss of health coverage for transgender medical treatments could prompt some with valuable experience to leave the military, affecting national security because "we already struggle from a recruiting and retention standpoint." He also said the bill could regularly force service members into difficult choices financially. "It will be tough for a lot of them because of out-of-pocket expenses, especially enlisted members who we know already struggle with food insecurity," said Marty, the father of a transgender teenager. "They don't get paid very much, so they're going to be making a lot of choices on a day-to-day, tactical level." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responds to reporters Dec. 6 during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team did not tell Democrats how to vote on the bill. "There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well," Jeffries said. Overall, 81 Democrats voted for the bill and 124 against it. On the Republican side, 200 voted for the bill and 16 against it. "It's disappointing to see 124 of my Democrat colleagues vote against our brave men and women in uniform over policies that have nothing to do with their intended mission," Johnson, R-La., said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. Rising threats from debt collectors against members of the U.S. armed forces are undermining national security, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog that protects consumer rights. To manage the impact of financial stress on individual performance, the Defense Department dedicates precious resources to improving financial literacy, so service members know the dangers of notorious no-credit-check loans. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities,” said Andrew Cohen, the director of financial readiness in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. But debt collectors are gaining ground. Last quarter, debt collection complaints by U.S. military service members increased 24% , and attempts to collect on “debts not owed” surged 40%. Complaints by service members against debt collectors for deceptive practices ballooned from 1,360 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 1,833 in the first quarter of 2024. “There’s a connection between the financial readiness and the readiness of a service member to perform their duty,” said Jim Rice, Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Laws exist to protect the mission readiness of U.S. troops from being compromised by threats and intimidation, but debt collectors appear to be violating them at an alarming pace. “If they’re threatening to call your commander or get your security clearance revoked, that’s illegal,” says Deborah Olvera, financial readiness manager at Wounded Warriors Project, and a military spouse who’s been harassed herself by a collection agency that tried to extort money from her for a debt she didn’t owe. But after she requested the name of the original creditor, she never heard from them again. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities.” —Andrew Cohen, Director of Financial Readiness at the Pentagon Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, it’s illegal for debt collectors to threaten to contact your boss or have you arrested because it violates your financial privacy. The FDCPA also prohibits debt collectors from making false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of a debt, even for borrowers with bad credit scores. But according to the data, debt collectors are increasingly ignoring those rules. “Debt collection continues to be one of the top consumer complaint categories,” said a spokesperson at the Federal Trade Commission. The commission released a report earlier this year revealing that consumers were scammed $10 billion in 2023, a new benchmark for fraud losses. In his book Debt: The First 5,000 Years, David Graeber argues that debt often creates a relationship that can feel more oppressive than systems of hierarchy, like slavery or caste systems because it starts by presuming equality between the debtor and the creditor. When the debtor falls into arrears, that equality is then destroyed. This sense of betrayal and the subsequent imbalance of power leads to widespread resentment toward lenders. Photo Credit: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock The debt collector reportedly harassing military service members most was Resurgent Capital Services, a subsidiary of collection giant Sherman Financial Group. The company tacks on accrued interest and junk fees and tries to collect on debts purchased for pennies on the dollar from cable companies, hospitals, and credit card companies, among others. Sherman Financial Group is run by billionaire Benjamin Navarro, who has a reported net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. Sherman Financial also owns subprime lender Credit One Bank and LVNV Funding, which outsource collections to Resurgent Capital. According to CFPB data, the second worst offender is CL Holdings, the parent company of debt-buyer Jefferson Capital Systems. The company has also been named in numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau for alleged violations of the FDCPA, such as failing to properly validate debts or update credit reports with accurate information. Under the leadership of CEO David Burton, Jefferson Capital Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CompuCredit Corporation, which markets subprime credit cards under the names Aspire, Majestic, and others. The third most referenced debt collector is publicly traded Portfolio Recovery Associates [NASDAQ: PRAA], which was forced to pay $27 million in penalties for making false representations about debts, initiating lawsuits without proper documentation, and other violations. Portfolio Recovery Associates is run by CEO Vikram Atal. Fourth place for alleged worst offender goes to Encore Capital Group [NASDAQ ECPG], which was required to pay $42 million in consumer refunds and a $10 million penalty for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Encore collects under its subsidiary Midland Credit Management Group. These debt collectors all operate under a veritable shell game of company and brand names, almost none of which are disclosed on their websites, sending consumers on a wild goose chase to try and figure out how they’re related to each other. But despite their attempts to hide their tracks behind a smoke screen of subsidiaries, a leopard can’t change its spots, and the CFPB complaint database makes it harder for them to try. Photo Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock Although widely considered a consumer-friendly state, complaints spiked most in California, which saw a 188% increase in complaints filed from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. California is home to 157,367 military personnel, making it the most populous state for active-duty service members. The second-largest increase in debt collection complaints was in Texas, which saw a 66% jump from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. The U.S. Department of Defense reports 111,005 service members stationed in the Lone Star State, which is the third-most populous state for active-duty military. The rising trends do not correlate to the number of military personnel by state. Complaints against debt collectors in Virginia, the second most populous state with 126,145 active duty personnel, decreased by 29% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. And complaints filed quarter-over-quarter in North Carolina, the fifth most populous state with 91,077 military personnel, decreased by 3% in the same period. The third largest percentage increase in debt collection complaints was from service members stationed in Maryland, where alleged harassment reports jumped 112% from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. Maryland ranks number 12 with just 28,059 active duty service members. Fourth place goes to Ohio – the 28th most populous active-duty state – where complaints doubled, followed by Arizona – the 15th most populous military state – where complaints were up 70% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. Photo Credit: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock In 2007, Congress passed the Military Lending Act to cap the cost of credit to a 36% annual percentage rate, inclusive of junk fees and late charges, for active duty military service members. That rate is still considerably higher than average credit card rates, which range from 8% for borrowers with excellent credit scores to as high as 36% for borrowers with bad credit. But lenders still get hauled into court for violating the MLA. Don Hankey, the billionaire subprime auto lender who funded Donald Trump’s $175 million appeal bond , is among those violators. His company, Westlake Financial, which markets high-interest car loans for bad credit, has been sued twice by the Department of Justice for harassing military service members. In 2017, the DoJ alleged Hankey’s Westlake Financial illegally repossessed at least 70 vehicles owned by military service members. Westlake Financial paid $700,000 to settle the charges. In 2022, Westlake Financial paid $250,000 for allegedly cheating U.S. troops out of interest rates they were legally entitled to. Westlake Financial continues to receive complaints from military service members alleging abusive debt collection practices on its no-credit-check loans. A steady year-over-year increase in the number of complaints filed against Westlake Financial continued from 2020 to 2023. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data shows a 13% increase in the number of complaints against the company from 2020 to 2021, a 28% increase from 2021 to 2022, and a torrential 119% surge from 2022 to 2023. The numbers suggest systemic complaint-handling processes and inadequate customer service resources. Photo Credit: Cynthia Shirk / Shutterstock On May 16, 2024, a deceptively named predatory lending industry front group dubbed the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) lost a legal attempt to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In an effort to deprive Americans of essential consumer protections, the lobby group argued that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure was unconstitutional. But the Supreme Court denied its claim. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court held that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure is indeed constitutional. That means the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cannot be defunded, but it does not mean the agency cannot be defanged. The New York Times suggested that Hankey’s incentive to finance Trump’s $175 million bond could have been a reciprocity pledge to neuter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if Trump wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election. If Trump wins a second term, he could replace Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Rohit Chopra, an American consumer advocate, with a predatory lending advocate. In 2020, the Trump Administration secured a Supreme Court ruling that made it easier for the president to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The ruling struck down previous restrictions on when a president can fire the bureau’s director. Like other federal agencies, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has also been confronted for overstepping its bounds, pushing too far, and acting unfairly against entities it regulates. Photo Credit: Lux Blue / Shutterstock Seasonality and rising interest rates do not explain the increase in debt collection complaints from service members. The surge in complaints is not tied to predictable seasonal fluctuations or changes in interest rates. The increase in debt collection complaints by service members may point to underlying systemic issues, such as aggressive and predatory debt collection practices that exploit the unique financial vulnerabilities of service members, who face frequent relocations and deployments. Debt Complaints by Service Members The 24% spike in debt collection complaints exhibits no correlation to fluctuations in interest rates. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Pandemic stimulus checks were also not a factor. COVID-19 relief benefit checks went through three major rounds during the pandemic. The final round of Economic Impact Payments went out in March 2021 . To better understand the rising trend of debt collection complaints, we calculated the increase in the total number of complaints and the percentage increase quarter-over-quarter. For example, New Jersey has the second largest percentage increase in complaints quarter-over-quarter, but the total number of complaints increased by just 16. The data for this study was sourced from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database. The dataset specifically targeted complaints filed by U.S. military service members, identified using the tag “Servicemember” within Q4 2023 and Q1 2024. Readers can find the detailed research methodology underlying this news story in the accompanying section here . For complete results, see U.S. Troops Face Mounting Threats from Predatory Debt Collectors on BadCredit.org . Homelessness reached record levels in 2023, as rents and home prices continued to rise in most of the U.S. One group was particularly impacted: people who have served in the U.S. military. "This time last year, we knew the nation was facing a deadly public health crisis," Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said in a statement about the 2023 numbers. He said the latest homelessness estimates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development "confirms the depth of the crisis." At least 35,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness in 2023, according to HUD. While that's about half of what it was in 2009—when the organization began collecting data—things have plateaued in recent years despite active efforts to get that number to zero. Although they make up just 6.6% of the total homeless population, veterans are more likely to be at risk of homelessness than Americans overall. Of every 10,000 Americans, 20 were experiencing homelessness. Of veterans living in the United States, that number jumps to 22, HUD data shows. Complicated by bureaucracy, family dynamics, and prejudice, the path from serving in the military to homelessness is a long one. According to a 2022 study by Yale School of Medicine researchers, homelessness typically occurs within four years of leaving the military, as veterans must contend with the harsh reality of finding a job in a world where employers struggle to see how skills on the battlefield transfer to a corporate environment. These days, veterans also deal with historically high rent and home prices, which causes many to rely on family generosity while figuring out a game plan. Stacker examined academic studies, analyzed government data, and spoke with members of the Biden administration, experts, and former members of the armed forces to see the struggles members of the military face when leaving the armed forces. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers transition assistance to the roughly 250,000 service members who leave each year. However, those programs can be burdensome and complex to navigate, especially for those who don't have a plan for post-military life. Only a small portion of veterans have jobs lined up when they leave, according to 2019 Pew Research. Many also choose to live with relatives until they get on their feet, which can be longer than anticipated. Some former service members are unsure what kind of career they'd like to pursue and may have to get further education or training, Carl Castro, director of the Military and Veteran Programs at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, told Stacker. "It takes years for that kind of transition," Castro said. Many have trouble finding a job after leaving the service, even if they are qualified. Some employers carry misconceptions about those who have served. A 2020 analysis from the journal Human Resource Management Review found that some veterans face hiring discrimination due to negative stereotypes that lead hiring managers to write them off as a poor culture fit. Underemployment, or working low-wage jobs below their skill level, is also an issue. While the unemployment rate for veterans was 3% in March 2024, a study released by Penn State at the end of 2023 found three years after leaving the service, 61% of veterans said they were underemployed because of perceived skill mismatches . This phenomenon can have long-term economic effects, and eventually, that frustration can boil over, strain relationships, and potentially lead to housing instability. Working, especially a low-wage job, is not protection against homelessness. A 2021 study from the University of Chicago found half of people living in homeless shelters and 2 in 5 unsheltered people were employed, full or part-time. High rents make it difficult to save up, even when applying for a VA loan—a mortgage backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs that typically has more favorable terms. While the VA does not require a downpayment, some lenders, who ultimately provide the loan, do. They're not entirely risk-free either, and veterans can still lose their homes if they are unable to keep up with their mortgages. In November 2023, the VA put a six-month pause on foreclosures when an NPR investigation found thousands of veterans were in danger of losing their homes after a COVID forbearance program ended. Biden officials pointed to high rents and the end of COVID-era housing restrictions like eviction moratoriums to explain the spike in Americans experiencing homelessness. In the last year, homelessness rose 12%—to more than 650,000 people—the highest level since data began being collected in 2007. Overall, more than half of people experiencing homelessness in 2023 live in states with high living costs. Most were in California, followed by New York and Florida. Western states, including Montana and Utah, experienced massive population growth during the pandemic, becoming hubs for remote workers who drove home prices and rents even further. For veterans, housing costs certainly play a role, but those who leave the military also face systemic barriers. "It's worrying there are people that continue to fall through the cracks," said Jeanette Yih Harvie, a research associate at Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Just under a quarter of adults experiencing homelessness have a severe mental illness , according to 2022 HUD survey data. They are also likely to have chronic illnesses but are unable to maintain preventative care, which only exacerbates these problems. Veterans facing homelessness are more likely to have experienced trauma , either before or after joining the military, according to Yale researchers who analyzed the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Childhood trauma was among the most significant commonalities among vets who become homeless. Substance use disorder is also widespread and can indicate an undiagnosed mental illness . Racial and ethnic disparities are at play, too. A 2023 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that Hispanic and Black veterans were more likely to screen positive for PTSD, and Hispanic veterans were more likely to report having suicidal ideation. Overall, access to mental health care has improved in the last decade or so. In December 2023, the VA announced it would open nine additional counseling centers. However, the stigma of getting help remains, especially after years of being conditioned to be self-reliant and pull oneself up by their bootstraps. That help, in the form of public policy, is slowly working to catch up to the need. In 2023, the Biden administration invested millions into research programs and studies on suicide prevention by the VA office in addition to a proposed $16 billion to improve quality and lower-cost mental health care services for veterans. And, in February of this year, HUD and the VA announced they would give up to $14 million in vouchers to public housing agencies for veterans experiencing homelessness. The program would also offer case management and other services. Still, with a culture that pushes people to keep going, it can be challenging for servicemembers to take advantage of these opportunities, Harvie said. "When you've been doing that for the last 15 or 20 years, it's difficult to stop and say, 'I'm the person that needs help.'" Story editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! 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Caprock Group LLC raised its holdings in Monster Beverage Co. ( NASDAQ:MNST – Free Report ) by 5.5% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 14,057 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 733 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC’s holdings in Monster Beverage were worth $733,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 4.1% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,209,122 shares of the company’s stock valued at $664,469,000 after purchasing an additional 440,962 shares in the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Monster Beverage by 93.9% during the 2nd quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 7,477,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,519,000 after purchasing an additional 3,620,436 shares in the last quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Monster Beverage by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 3,174,103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $158,546,000 after purchasing an additional 275,209 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in Monster Beverage by 1,148.0% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 2,596,888 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,480,000 after purchasing an additional 2,388,798 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DSM Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Monster Beverage by 13.7% during the second quarter. DSM Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,225,726 shares of the company’s stock worth $111,175,000 after buying an additional 268,198 shares during the last quarter. 72.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Monster Beverage Stock Up 0.1 % NASDAQ MNST opened at $54.06 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $52.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $51.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 3.13 and a quick ratio of 2.51. The firm has a market cap of $52.57 billion, a PE ratio of 34.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.74. Monster Beverage Co. has a one year low of $43.32 and a one year high of $61.22. Analysts Set New Price Targets View Our Latest Analysis on Monster Beverage Monster Beverage Profile ( Free Report ) Monster Beverage Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in development, marketing, sale, and distribution of energy drink beverages and concentrates in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Monster Energy Drinks, Strategic Brands, Alcohol Brands, and Other. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MNST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Monster Beverage Co. ( NASDAQ:MNST – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Monster Beverage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Monster Beverage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Amazon Has Cut Prices on The New Surface Pro to a Record Low, Our Favorite Windows Tablet

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — “As a meeting place, Ventana Sur was fantastic, the sales agent presence was good, focused on companies which really do buy, and the organization was impecable, run by highly dedicated and nice people,” said Antonio Saura, at Madrid-based sales agency Latido Films. Most other attendees would buy into that. Transferred for the first time since its launch in 2009 from its traditional Buenos Aires base to the heart of Uruguay’s Montevideo, this week’s Ventana Sur proved an upbeat affair, highlighting a clutch of titles likely to make A-List festival selection, plus some of the Latin America’s movers and shakers in the region and beyond, and the latest trends in an ever evolving regional industry. Following seven takeaways from Ventana Sur, Latin America’s weightiest film-TV market, co-hosted by the Cannes Festival’s Marché du Film, Uruguay’s ACAU agency and Argentina’s INCAA. Ventana Sur Hits: “Vainilla” “Vainilla” had many fans and some very big fans. “It’s the best work in progress I’ve ever seen,” glowed distributor Antoine Zeind at Quebec’’s A-Z Films. Backed by Stacey Penskie’s Redrum, a co-executive producer on “Narcos: Mexico” and producer on Rodrigo Prieto’s “Pedro Paramo.,” the stylish portrait of a family of seven women battling convention and eviction in late ‘80s Mexico, swept most of the board at Primer Corte on Friday, bagging five prizes, including the key Cine+ Award from Canal+, key for distribution in France. Ventana Sur Hits: “The Condor Daughter” David Puttnam said recently at the Seville Festival that the films he was interested in connected with audiences, but also had ideas and social relevance. “The Condor’s Daughter,” the latest from Bolivian multi-hyphenate Alvaro Olmos, a driving force in Andean cinema, looks to have all three in its intimate tale of a Quechua mother and daughter set against the sweep of history of mass emigration from the high Andes to big cities. Raising questions of multi-layered identity in convulsive times, the Copia Final standout looks to have several sales agents circling it. Fede Alvarez and Having Fun The major lesson from Fede Alvarez’s Ventana Sur masterclass wasn’t just what he said but how his said it. Looking back at his childhood, when he ripped it up making super hero movies for a dime, he spent much of the time laughing. Likewise when he showed photos of his first visit to Hollywood, to the Chinese Theater. Luckily his audience spent much of the time laughing along with him. Attempting to explain “how the hell” – a favorite phrase – an Uruguayan got to write and direct “Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe” and “Alien: Romulus,” he delivered one answer in the sense that he had so much fun filmmaking. Without passion, and a sense of fun in the broadest sense of the word, few creators can bring out of the best of themselves. Uruguay Uruguay has lately been gaining visibility through its own cinema and the possibilities of shooting here. Ventana Sur raised the ante, bringing the international market to experience first hand our landscapes and architecture, human capital and intangibles in other sectors,” says producer Agustina Chiarino (“The Heiresses,” “Monos,” “Don’t You Let Me Go.” Uruguay already welcomes multiple big shoots – one reason why The Mediapro Studio bought Cimarrón in 2022 – but there are far worse ways to demonstrate Uruguayan big shoot capacity than organising Latin America’s biggest high-level film market hand in hand with the Marché du Film, the world biggest film market. The fact the event has gone off without any major hitch is a significant achievement for Uruguay. Co-Production: Latin America’s Main Way Forward More than anything else, for sales agents Ventana Sur is an acquisitions market, observes Laurent Daniélou at Paris-based Loco Films. For producers attending the market, Ventana Sur has become a massive co-production forum as Latin America and Spain look to power-up bigger or more talent-driven titles which can cut through the crowd. Brazil, for which co-production has become a Holy Grail, can now dangle once more a minority co-production fund to fire up first partnerships with international partners. Productions are ever more sophisticated. Presented at Ventana Sur, animated feature “Small Town,” boasted two directors – stop motion maestros Walter Tournier and Cesar Cabral – and five producers from Brazil, Uruguay and Spain. Breakout Female Director Debuts Women directors are still a long way from parity in Latin America. The safety trickle of arresting debuts from female creators continues, however. Based in part on her own experience, “Vainilla,” for instance, marks the first feature from Mexican actor-turned-writer-director Maya Hermosillo. At Ventana Sur’s new Latam Series Market, the Netflix Award for Latin American Women Directors, a $5,000 cash prize, went to one of the section’s highlights, “Call Gloria!” (“Llamá Gloria!”), from Argentina’s Malenus Filmus, for a series expansion of her 19-minute short turning on an ebullient suicide helpline responder and a suicidal actress. Two Proyecta awards went to “Grass,” by Argentine writer-turned-director Ivana Galdeano, another to “I Thought I Was Swimming,” the feature debut of Uruguay’s Catalina Torres, a subtler portrait of LGBTQ passion in older age. More Buzz Titles Backed by Enfant & Poulet, a rising value on Mexico’s auteur genre scene, behind Tribeca winner “Huesera” and the anticipated “No Me Sigas,” from “Anything’s Possible” writer Ximena García Lecuona, Damiana Acuña Terminel’s “Lux Noctis” – another standout patently first feature from a female director – swept Blood Window Lab prizes. One of four titles among Animation! prize winners, securing a pitch at La Liga Annecy MIFA showcase, is “Baptism” the feature film debut of Chile’s Covarrubias who scored an Academy Award-nomination for best animated short in 2022 for “Beast.” Among titles screening at Ventana Sur was “La guitarra flamenca de Jerai Cortés,” the visually stunning but also moving feature debut of Antón Álvarez, better known as singer-songwriter C. Tangana. The Deals A score or more of deals Announced by Variety in the Run-Up and Duration of Ventana Sur: *“Emilia Pérez” star Adriana Paz is headlining ‘The Huntress,’ from Sundance winner Suzanne Andrews Correa, Mexico’s Záfiro Cinema and U.S. outfit The Population. *”Blancanieves” star Macarena Garcia will lead an all-star Spanish cast of Ventana Sur Proyecta title “Perseidas,” also including “Patria” lead Elena Irureta, “Flowers” Itziar Aizpuru and ‘The Last Night at Tremore Beach’ headliner Ana Polvorosa. *The cities of São Paulo, Montevideo announced at Ventana Sur a pioneering framework deal across multiple fronts, taking in truing and distribution, and channeled via Spcine and Montevideo Audiovisual. *Disney+ Latin America has hooked Chilean boxing pic “Dancing in the Ring,” committing to a theatrical release. *Chile’s Oscar-nominated “Bestia” director Hugo Covarrubias is prepping debut feature “Baptism,” teaming with co-writer Alejandra Moffat (“Chile ’76”) and Cociña and León producer Lucas Engel (“Los Huesos,” “My Tender Matador,” “Dry Martina”). *Highly active at Veatana Sur, Latido has boarded Walter Tournier and Cesar Cabral’s “Small Town,” a sign of building co-production between Latin America and Spain. *It has also sold top titles “They Will Be Dust,” “A Whale,” “Night Silence,” “Raqqa: Spy vs. Spy” and “Justicia Artificial” in key territories. *In the first of a series of announcements, Paul Hudson’s active Outsider Pictures has snagged North American rights to three International Oscar entries: Costa Rica’s “Memories of a Burning Body,” Spain’s “Saturn Return” and Switzerland’s “Queens.” *Newly launched Argentine Frondosa Foundation is teaming with Brazil’s Projeto Paradiso on a female screenwriter mentorship program. *Chile’s Alfredo Castro, Paulina Garcia and Luis Gnecco are joining voice cast of animated feature “Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope,” as EP Sebastian Freund’s Rizco Content Sales nabs international streaming rights. *Aria Covamonas’ buzzy animated feature debut ‘The Great History of Western Philosophy’ has been acquired by Miyu Distribution. *France’s Chakalaka Films has joined Colombian period drama “In All My Journeys I Am Returning,” selected for Ventana Sur’s Primer Corte. *Laurent Daniélou’s Loco Films has nabbed world rights to “Seeds of the Desert,” Colombia’s answer to “Mad Max.” *Latido acquired Eva Libertad’s “Sorda,” adapted from the director’s 2023 Goya-nominated short. *Spain’s Batiak Films, Elora Post House have boarded immigration horror feature ‘Tenants,’ in Ventana Sur’s Proyecta. *Dori Media’s hit drama “In Treatment” is returning to Brazil’s Globoplay for a sixth season. *France’s Srab Films is set to produce Colombian family drama “Name and Surname,” part of Ventana Sur’s Proyecta lineup. *Outsider Pictures has scooped U.S. Rights to Scandi Dramas “Stormskerry Maja,” “The Missile,” plotting a spring theatrical run. *Pacifica Grey has snapped up “Beloved Tropic” starring Berlinale Silver Bear winner Paulina Garcia. *Leading LGBTQ+ distributor TLA Releasing has pounced on U.K. and North American rights to Mexican gay romance drama “Dying Briefly” by Juan Briseño. *Argentine horror flick “The Witch Game,” dubbed in English using AI, has been acquired by Miracle Media for North America, U.K.Wolverine Stock Leaps to 52-Week High of $24.1 Amidst Soaring Annual Gains

MPs vote to approve Tobacco and Vapes Bill in 368-majority landslide

The Louisville Cardinals host a ranked team for the second time this week when the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils pay a visit on Sunday, and the Cardinals hope for a better outcome in the teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Louisville (5-3) has lost two straight, including an 86-63 thrashing at home by No. 23 Ole Miss in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday. The visiting Rebels shot 56.7 percent and dominated inside with a 48-26 edge on points in the paint. Tuesday's game was the first for coach Pat Kelsey's team without Kasean Pryor, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Oklahoma in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. The 6-foot-10 senior wing, a transfer from South Florida, was a key player early on for Louisville, averaging 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and blocking eight shots in seven games. Pryor is the latest Cardinals player to go down with an injury. Before the season started, the school announced center Aly Khalifa and guard Kobe Rodgers would redshirt due to injuries. Then just two games into the season, Aboubacar Traore broke his arm and Koren Johnson injured his shoulder. Traore is expected back this season, but Johnson announced earlier this week that he would also redshirt this season and undergo surgery. Besides the injuries, the Cardinals are also struggling to hit 3-point shots, a key facet to Kelsey's offense. Louisville entered Saturday 340th nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 27.3 percent and seventh nationally averaging 31.6 attempts per game. Despite the woes, Kelsey told reporters after the Ole Miss loss that he doesn't plan to change his offense, adding that he believes in his players. "The percentages even themselves out," he said. "This has happened before. I just don't want our guys to lose confidence, because I really, really believe in them. They'll bounce back and be better on Sunday." The Blue Devils (6-2) won their SEC/ACC Challenge game on Wednesday, beating No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in Durham. Duke overcame a 13-2 deficit to get the Quadrant 1 victory on its resume. Coach Jon Scheyer's team shot 50 percent from the field and committed just four turnovers. It was just the 14th time in program history the Blue Devils had four or fewer turnovers in a game. Freshman Cooper Flagg, a preseason All-American and a contender for national player of the year awards, leads the Blue Devils in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg), assists (4.1 apg) and blocked shots (1.4 per game). He scored 22, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists in the win against the Tigers, but it was another freshman who stole the show. Isaiah Evans came off the bench to score 18 points and hit 6 of 8 3-point shots. The guard averages 9.4 points per game but has only played in five games and has yet to play more than 17 minutes in a contest. Scheyer told reporters after the win that Evans provided a "special moment" when his team needed a lift. "To have that amazing courage to come into this game and do what he did -- I'm not sure if I've ever been a part of something like that in my years here," Scheyer said. --Field Level MediaThe Louisville Cardinals host a ranked team for the second time this week when the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils pay a visit on Sunday, and the Cardinals hope for a better outcome in the teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Louisville (5-3) has lost two straight, including an 86-63 thrashing at home by No. 23 Ole Miss in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday. The visiting Rebels shot 56.7 percent and dominated inside with a 48-26 edge on points in the paint. Tuesday's game was the first for coach Pat Kelsey's team without Kasean Pryor, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Oklahoma in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. The 6-foot-10 senior wing, a transfer from South Florida, was a key player early on for Louisville, averaging 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and blocking eight shots in seven games. Pryor is the latest Cardinals player to go down with an injury. Before the season started, the school announced center Aly Khalifa and guard Kobe Rodgers would redshirt due to injuries. Then just two games into the season, Aboubacar Traore broke his arm and Koren Johnson injured his shoulder. Traore is expected back this season, but Johnson announced earlier this week that he would also redshirt this season and undergo surgery. Besides the injuries, the Cardinals are also struggling to hit 3-point shots, a key facet to Kelsey's offense. Louisville entered Saturday 340th nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 27.3 percent and seventh nationally averaging 31.6 attempts per game. Despite the woes, Kelsey told reporters after the Ole Miss loss that he doesn't plan to change his offense, adding that he believes in his players. "The percentages even themselves out," he said. "This has happened before. I just don't want our guys to lose confidence, because I really, really believe in them. They'll bounce back and be better on Sunday." The Blue Devils (6-2) won their SEC/ACC Challenge game on Wednesday, beating No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in Durham. Duke overcame a 13-2 deficit to get the Quadrant 1 victory on its resume. Coach Jon Scheyer's team shot 50 percent from the field and committed just four turnovers. It was just the 14th time in program history the Blue Devils had four or fewer turnovers in a game. Freshman Cooper Flagg, a preseason All-American and a contender for national player of the year awards, leads the Blue Devils in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg), assists (4.1 apg) and blocked shots (1.4 per game). He scored 22, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists in the win against the Tigers, but it was another freshman who stole the show. Isaiah Evans came off the bench to score 18 points and hit 6 of 8 3-point shots. The guard averages 9.4 points per game but has only played in five games and has yet to play more than 17 minutes in a contest. Scheyer told reporters after the win that Evans provided a "special moment" when his team needed a lift. "To have that amazing courage to come into this game and do what he did -- I'm not sure if I've ever been a part of something like that in my years here," Scheyer said. --Field Level MediaOregon reinstates plan to cut 90% of fossil fuel emissions by 2050

He’s really blubbering. A dolphin living in isolation in the Baltic Sea seems to be talking to himself, according to new research in the journal “Bioacoustics.” The marine mammal , nicknamed Delle by locals near the island of Funen in Denmark, has been sighted in solitary confinement around the area since 2019. Researchers began to use underwater recording devices on Delle, a bottlenose dolphin who lives out of the social species’ typical range, to see how his solo presence affected porpoises near the harbor. However, contrary to the notion that Delle would be quiet under the circumstances, “we found the dolphin to be highly vocal,” according to the paper. “I thought we might pick up a few distant whistles or something along those lines,” biologist and University of Southern Denmark researcher Olga Filatova told Live Science . “I certainly didn’t anticipate recording thousands of different sounds.” Just over three months, from December 2022 to February 2023, 10,833 different sounds were detected. Several noises — like whistles, clicking and burst pulsing — are associated with communication. “Bottlenose dolphins have what are known as signature whistles, believed to be unique to each individual, much like a name,” Filatova said. “If we hadn’t known that Delle was alone, we might have concluded that a group of at least three dolphins was engaged in various social interactions.” The team even thought Delle was trying to speak with a local paddleboarder, but that was ruled out — as was the idea he was sending an SOS to any potential pods in the region. Filatova likened Delle’s cries potentially to that of “much like how we sometimes laugh when we read something funny, even if no one else is around to hear.”Valve is back with another feature update for its PC gaming store and client Steam. This time, It is adding granular settings for users to choose when and how exactly can games download updates. This is part of the brand-new Steam Client Beta update that went live today. Currently in the live build, Steam will measure users' previous interactions with games to judge whether a brand-new updates needs immediate downloading, or keep it for later. There are existing options to set download times and speed limits, but these have not been deemed enough: "While this default behavior works in most cases, there are times when you need more control of when updates are applied. Some users might want to delay updating a 200GB game until they are ready to play it again in a few months, especially if they are on metered connections or have monthly bandwidth caps. For others who play the same game every night, they might want updates downloaded as soon as they are available. The process of automatic updates itself can be changed in the beta client now. The Downloads section in the app's settings page can be used to change the default behavior to "let Steam decide when to update the game" or "wait to update until the game is launched." Next, going to any game's properties in the beta client will reveal the new Automatic Updates section that applies changes just to that title. The four available options here are: set it to use the chosen Global Setting, wait until the user launches the game to update, let Steam decide (depending on user history), and give priority to download any update to it immediately, skipping any other restrictions. Once Valve decides the feature is ready to ship, it will move to the main client from beta at a later date. For those who can't wait, they can switch to the Steam Beta Client by heading to the app's Settings > Interface section and changing the Client Beta Participation dropdown to the latest version available.

Jude Bellingham felt like 'scapegoat' after EurosCOLUMBUS, Ohio -- Indiana coach Curt Cignetti didn't think he needed to say it. Following Saturday's 38-15 loss at Ohio State , do his upstart Hoosiers still belong in the 12-team playoff? "Is that a serious question?" Cignetti responded defiantly. "I'm not even going to answer that one. The answer's so obvious." Cignetti then smiled and nodded yes with a wink before exiting the postgame podium. Tuesday will reveal whether the playoff selection committee agrees. Indiana's potential inclusion - or exclusion - figures to be the most controversial playoff storyline ahead of the final week of the regular season. Before traveling to Columbus, the fifth-ranked Hoosiers (10-1) had been one of the most dominant teams in the country, reaching double-digit wins for the first time in program history. They also became the first team since 1998 to start 8-0 without trailing once. All but one of the Hoosiers' wins came by at least two touchdowns. But the Hoosiers, who face 1-10 instate rival Purdue next weekend, will finish without a Top 25 win. Indiana's strength of schedule ranked just 106th coming into the Ohio State game. The Hoosiers scored a touchdown on their opening drive to take their first lead over Ohio State in five years. But the Buckeyes rolled the rest of the way, holding Indiana to just 53 yards in the first half, its lowest total in a first half in 10 years, according to ESPN Research. Ohio State led 31-7 before the teams traded meaningless touchdowns in the final 2 minutes. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke , who was second nationally in QBR (88.1), completed just 8-of-18 passes for 68 yards while taking five sacks. "We couldn't protect the quarterback," Cignetti said. "Every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened. ... it was like a nightmare." Special teams proved to be nightmarish for the Hoosiers, as well. Just before halftime, Indiana punter James Evans mishandled the snap and was tackled at the Hoosiers 7-yard line. The Buckeyes punched the ball in the end zone three plays later to take a 14-7 lead into half. Then, following an Indiana three-and-out to begin the third quarter, Ohio State's Caleb Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown to ignite the onslaught. Indiana fell to 1-71 all time against AP Top 5 opponents, according to ESPN Research. "We didn't handle the noise very well," Cignetti said of playing in Ohio Stadium. "We didn't play our best game today. But I think a big part of that was because of them." The Hoosiers did get some help later Saturday afternoon. Florida knocked off Ole Miss 24-17, effectively removing the ninth-ranked Rebels (8-3) from the playoff conversation. But both the Big 12 and ACC could have multiple teams vying for playoff consideration. Still, Rourke said he believes Indiana's overall body of work should show that the Hoosiers are worthy of an at-large playoff bid. "I hope so. We trust ourselves against anybody," said Rourke, adding that he hopes to get a rematch with Ohio State "at some point" in the playoffs. "Next week is a big game," Rourke said. "We've got to go handle Purdue, and then move on take one game at a time."

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed diversifying the ownership structure of clearing corporations (CCs), which are currently wholly owned by stock exchanges. The regulator has suggested changes to ensure fair ownership distribution while minimizing disruption to the capital markets. Under existing rules, CCs are not allowed to list publicly, unlike their parent stock exchanges. However, since CCs are wholly owned by stock exchanges, they are indirectly subjected to market pressures. Recognizing this issue, Sebi has outlined several approaches in a consultation paper to address ownership structures in a way that ensures fairness for all stakeholders. One proposal involves distributing 49 percent of the CCs' shareholding to the shareholders of the parent stock exchange on a proportional basis. The remaining 51 percent would initially stay with the parent exchange. Over the next five years, the parent exchange would reduce its holding to 15 percent or lower by selling shares to other exchanges. This approach would ensure that CCs remain majority-owned by exchanges in line with Sebi’s Stock Exchange and Clearing Corporation (SECC) norms. An alternative proposal recommends transferring the entire shareholding of a CC to the existing shareholders of the parent exchange. These shareholders would then have the freedom to trade their shares in the CC independently. This method would completely separate the CC from its parent exchange, creating an independent entity while ensuring fairness for the shareholders of the parent exchange. Sebi has emphasized that CCs will remain prohibited from public listing, regardless of the ownership restructuring approach adopted. According to Jyoti Prakash Gadia, Managing Director of Resurgent India, these proposals reflect the need for CCs to operate independently and free from any conflict of interest or bias toward their parent stock exchanges. He noted that as capital markets expand rapidly, it is essential for CCs to function without undue influence and ensure a level playing field. In addition to ownership diversification, Sebi has proposed that CCs operate as profit-making public utilities. This would require reinvesting profits into technology, infrastructure, and risk management systems to enhance efficiency and stability. Furthermore, CCs should maintain reasonable fee structures to avoid imposing additional costs on investors. Sebi has also suggested encouraging the creation of multi-asset CCs while maintaining a system of multiple clearing corporations. This diversification is aimed at reducing dependency on a single CC and improving systemic resilience. To gather industry feedback, Sebi has invited public comments on the proposed reforms, with a deadline of December 13. These measures reflect Sebi’s efforts to enhance the independence, efficiency, and resilience of clearing corporations, which play a critical role in the stability of India’s capital markets. (This article is a reworked version of a PTI feed.)