quick hit casino slot games free BEIRUT — Israel's military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 31 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials claimed they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city's largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Bulldozers remove the rubble of a destroyed building Monday that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. Foreign ministers from the world’s leading industrialized nations also expressed cautious optimism Monday about possible progress on a ceasefire. “Knock on wood,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said as he opened the Group of Seven meeting outside Rome. “We are perhaps close to a ceasefire in Lebanon," he said. "Let's hope it's true and that there's no backing down at the last-minute.” A ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon was foremost on the agenda of the G7 meeting in Fiuggi, outside Rome, that gathered ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, in the last G7 encounter of the Biden administration. For the first time, the G7 ministers were joined by their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League. Thick smoke, flames and debris erupt Monday from an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Tayouneh, Beirut, Lebanon. Meanwhile, massive explosions lit up Lebanon's skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut's southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatiyeh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon's Health Ministry said Monday that 26 people were killed in southern Lebanon, four in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel province and one in Choueifat, a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs that was not subjected to evacuation warnings on Monday. The deaths brought the total toll to 3,768 killed in Lebanon throughout 13 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah and nearly two months since Israel launched its ground invasion. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians, and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel claims to have killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. Destroyed buildings stand Monday in the area of a village in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel. Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding ceasefire negotiations. The country's deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because "we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire." Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country's ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were "close to a deal." "It can happen within days," he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. A member of the Israeli security forces inspects an impact site Sunday after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an area in Rinatya, outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel. After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. "Nothing is done until everything is done," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force. Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel demands the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government says such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country's sovereignty. On paper, being more sustainable and eco-friendly while shopping sounds great—so why don't more people do it? There is growing consumer consciousness about the environmental impact of where people choose to shop and the sustainability of the products they buy. According to McKinsey, over 60% of individuals surveyed in 2020 said they would be willing to pay more for a product that is packaged in an eco-friendly way. Since 2019, products marketed as being environmentally sustainable have seen a 28% growth in revenue compared to 20% for products with no such marketing, a 2023 McKinsey and NielsenIQ report found. Much of this is thanks to the preferences and attitudes of Gen Z, who, on average, care more than their older counterparts about being informed shoppers. The younger generation also has more social justice and environmental awareness altogether. Shoppers are willing to spend around 9.7% more on a product they know is sourced or manufactured sustainably, with 46% saying they would do so explicitly because they want to reduce their environmental footprint, according to a 2024 PwC report. Sustainable practices consumers look for from companies include production methods, packaging, and water conservation. But despite the growing consciousness around being more environmentally responsible, consumer actions don't always align with their values. In psychology, this is defined as the "say-do gap": the phenomenon wherein people openly express concern and intention around an issue, but fail to take tangible action to make a change. According to the Harvard Business Review in 2019, most consumers (65%) say they want to buy from brands that promote sustainability, but only 1 in 4 follow through. So why don't people actually shop sustainably, despite how much they express a preference for eco-friendly products—and how can we close the gap? The RealReal examined reports from the Harvard Business Review and other sources to explore why some shoppers want to buy sustainably but struggle to follow through. This lack of action isn't due to a lack of caring—in many cases, it's hard to know how to be a sustainable consumer and other factors are often outside of shoppers' control. But the more people shop sustainably, the easier and more accessible that market will be for everyone—making it much easier for folks to buy aligned with their values. There are many obstacles preventing shoppers from upholding eco-friendly habits as much as they may want to—but not all of these barriers are necessarily real, or accurately understood. Shopping sustainably simply isn't convenient or accessible for many. Those who live in apartment buildings are 50% less likely to recycle , according to Ipsos. Reasons for this can vary from lack of space to buildings being excluded altogether because of recycling contamination issues. Many believe that sustainable products are too expensive or of a lower quality. The former is often true, which does create a hurdle for many: The manufacturing processes and materials for sustainable products are pricey. For instance, organic cotton requires an intensive production process free of certain chemicals or pesticides; by definition, true eco-friendly products can't be mass-produced, further upping their price tag. Using recycled materials for packaging, or obtaining an eco certification, can also be expensive. However, although the narrative of eco-friendly products being more expensive is true, there is often more of an effort to use better quality materials that last longer than their noneco-friendly counterparts. This could end up saving consumers money in the long run: By paying more upfront, they can get more wear out of sustainable fashion, for instance. There is also undeniable political rhetoric surrounding eco-friendly products—however, despite many Conservative politicians decrying sustainable products, members of all generations are increasingly choosing to prioritize shopping sustainably regardless of their political affiliation, according to research from NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business . This finding shows a trend toward seeing sustainability as a nonpartisan subject everyone can benefit from, no matter where they lie on the political spectrum. Some might think eco-friendly clothing, in particular, is not fashion-forward; after all, many of the top clothing retailers in the world partake in fast fashion. However, brands are increasingly being recognized as 'cool' and 'trendy' for supporting environmentally ethical practices, particularly as younger generations prioritize sustainability, as noted before. Many increasingly popular online stores are taking advantage of this paradigm shift by offering secondhand shopping options that are not only fashionable, but also more affordable, like ThredUp or Poshmark. Additionally, many legacy large-name brands are hopping on the sustainability movement and are gaining appreciation from loyal customers. Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly program partners with third-party certification bodies to make it easier for shoppers to identify eco-friendly products as they browse the website. H&M's newly launched H&M Rewear program debuts a resale platform that allows the resale of all clothing brands—not just their own. Similarly, Patagonia's Worn Wear program allows shoppers to trade in and buy used gear and clothing. The federal government is also working to close this gap. The Environmental Protection Agency's Safer Choice program is attempting to make sustainable shopping easier for consumers and companies alike. It includes a directory of certified products, a list of safer chemicals to look out for on labels, a "Safer Choice" label that products can earn to denote they are eco-friendly, and resources for manufacturers looking to adopt more sustainable practices. Most of all, though, the biggest way shoppers can shift toward sustainable shopping is through their behaviors and attitudes amongst their peers and communities. Studies show that humans largely care what others think of their actions; the more shoppers make environmentally conscious shopping the norm, the more others will follow suit. From an economic perspective, the more consumers shop eco-friendly, the more affordable and accessible these products will become, too: Sustainable products are currently more expensive because they are not in high demand. Once demand rises, production rates and prices can lower, making these products more accessible for all. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. This story originally appeared on The RealReal and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

The American Athletic Conference is the only Football Bowl Subdivision league whose championship game matchup is set: Army vs. Tulane. The final week of the regular season will determine pairings for the other eight conferences. Here's a look at the possible matchups in the Power Four and Group of Five. All championship games are Dec. 7 except in the AAC, Conference USA and Mountain West, which will be played Dec. 6. SMU vs. Miami or Clemson. Miami is in if it beats Syracuse. Clemson is in if Miami loses. Oregon vs. Ohio State, Penn State or Indiana. Ohio State is in if it beats Michigan or if Penn State and Indiana lose this week. Penn State is in if it beats Maryland and Ohio State loses. Indiana is in if it beats Purdue and Ohio State and Penn State lose. Arizona State vs. Iowa State if both win this week. Multiple scenarios including BYU, Colorado and other teams exist otherwise. Georgia vs. winner of Texas-Texas A&M game. Army vs. Tulane. Jacksonville State vs. Liberty, Western Kentucky or Sam Houston. Liberty is in with a win over Sam Houston. WKU is in with a win over Jacksonville State and a Liberty loss. Sam Houston is in with a win over Liberty and a Jacksonville State win. Miami, Bowling Green and Ohio are tied for first place and control their destinies. Miami-Bowling Green winner is in, as is Ohio if it beats Ball State. Other scenarios exist that include those teams and Buffalo. Boise State vs. UNLV or Colorado State. If UNLV and CSU both win or lose their final regular-season games, the tie would be broken by either College Football Playoff rankings or results-based computer metrics. Louisiana-Lafayette at Marshall if both win their games this week. Other scenarios exist if one or both lose. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballFinal regular-season games loom large in determining conference championship matchups

Soccer-Title-chasing Inter claim 2-0 home win over Como

More than 18,000 people in Mexico have registered online to run for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships in the country's contentious new selection process, but a random drawing in the end will determine who gets on the ballot, officials said Monday. The ruling party pushed through a constitutional reform in September to make all federal judges stand for election, replacing the system where court employees and lawyers mainly move up through the ranks. Current court employees and their supporters have staged dozens of demonstrations against the reforms, calling them part of a ruling-party campaign to weaken checks and balances and eliminate independent regulatory and oversight bodies. Now, candidates for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships need only a law degree, a grade point average of 3.2, “five years of professional experience” and five letters of recommendation from neighbors or friends. That, and some luck in the final drawing. Officials rejected criticism that has called the process rushed or amateurish for the often highly technical posts that can hear cases including intellectual property, organized crime and Constitutional law. “The results have been spectacular,” said Arturo Zaldivar, a top advisor to President Claudia Sheinbaum. According to the plan, evaluation committees will have just over a month to review thousands of resumes and whittle the field to about 10 candidates or less for each for the 881 judgeships and nine seats on the Supreme Court. Then 1,793 names chosen at random from those selected will appear on the ballot on June 1. Critics warn that many who land on the ballot will be unknowns who perhaps have never argued a case in the courts they seek to run. “You don’t elect a doctor or a surgeon for an operation based on their popularity, you elect them based on their technical expertise, their ability, their knowledge,” said Sergio Méndez Silva, the legal coordinator for the civic group Foundation for Justice. “That also applies for a judge.” With candidates now having to run election campaigns, critics warn there's a chance drug cartels or political parties could finance them to get friendly judges onto the bench. There are also concerns that the evaluation committees deciding who makes the cut for the selection to appear on ballots may not be impartial. Most committee members were appointed by the legislative or executive branches, controlled by the ruling Morena party. Some critics argue that the current justice system, which is riddled with nepotism, corruption and a lack of accountability, needs to be changed. “We need a justice system that gives results,” said Martínez Garza, an academic and former head of the human rights commission in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon who has registered to run for a Supreme Court seat. Trials in Mexico can last for years, and the ruling party has added to the growing list of crimes for which bail is not allowed, meaning that a large percentage of the prison population is people awaiting trial.‘Smishing’ and other scams could kill your holiday joy, Postal Service warns

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Cowboys win wild one vs. Commanders to halt five-game slideEveryone in US politics has an opinion on why the Democrats lost the election, and finger-pointing within the party is rife. As the debate rages, will be speaking to various experts about what the party got wrong – and how it can bounce back. This week, he meets , the veteran political strategist who helped get Bill Clinton elected twice

MLB NOTESMadigan CHICAGO — Hours of secretly recorded videos and phone calls have offered a rare glimpse into how the longest-serving legislative leader in American history operated behind closed doors. As the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan stretches into its third month, testimony has covered his multiple alleged schemes, from kickbacks involving the state's largest utility company to Chinatown developments benefiting his private tax firm. Jurors have heard from a congresswoman, former state legislators and the government's star witness: a former Chicago alderman who secretly wore a wire. Here's a closer look at the ongoing trial. The charges Madigan, who was speaker for over three decades, is charged in a 23-count indictment for bribery, racketeering, wire fraud and other crimes. Prosecutors allege he exploited his unmatched influence not only as the Illinois House speaker but also as head of the state's Democratic Party for personal gain and to amass even more power. A tax attorney, he's also accused of benefiting from private work that was illegally steered to his law firm. The trial has shown how Madigan worked, with the lines between his political and personal roles intertwined. For instance, meetings often took place at his downtown law office, whether they were for political or legal work. Elected officials or his political advisors were often present alongside business contacts. Even in meetings about tax work, he was called "the speaker," the recordings show. In one 2014 meeting secretly recorded by a businessman also working undercover, a City Council member introduced Madigan to hotel developers for a Chinatown project. Madigan pitched his firm's business. "We're not interested in a quick killing here. We're interested in a long-term relationship," Madigan said. "In terms of the quality of representation that you get from this law firm, we don't take a second seat to anybody. " Afterward, the alderman told a businessman: "If he works with the speaker, he will get anything he needs for that hotel." Star witness One of the most-anticipated parts of the trial has been the testimony of former Chicago Alderman Danny Solis. A council member for 23 years, Solis led the powerful zoning committee. Solis As Madigan sought business for his tax firm, Solis met with Madigan over projects in the alderman's ward, which then included Chinatown and the trendy West Loop neighborhood near downtown. But unknown to everyone — including his family — Solis was working for federal agents, recording meetings and phone calls. "It was critical that the undercover work I was doing remain secret," Solis, 75, testified in court. He told jurors that federal agents approached him in June 2016 and he agreed to cooperate to avoid prison for admitted wrongdoing including bribery. However, Solis could be a problematic witness. He faced massive financial issues, marital problems after an affair and ethical lapses, including accepting favors from a developer who arranged for Solis to get Viagra and massages "that turned sexual." He also testified he acted on requests from federal agents, including proposing that Madigan appoint him to a board after he left office. Defense attorneys called Solis unreliable and blasted his financial wrongdoing, including misspending campaign funds for a trip to Puerto Rico, his son's school tuition and a car. Former Chicago Alderman Daniel Solis leaves Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after another day of testimony in the corruption trial of former Speaker Michael Madigan in Chicago on Dec. 3, 2024. "As an alderman and as chair of the zoning committee, you committed many crimes, is that correct?" Madigan attorney Daniel Collins asked Solis during cross examination. "Yes," Solis said. Other witnesses have included U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinksi, who testified about Madigan's influence in 2018 while she worked as an adviser for Gov. JB Pritzker. The recordings Some of the Solis videos are shaky and it's unclear how he recorded them. There's extended footage of ceilings and office walls. Many calls are short. But they show how Madigan, who famously didn't have a cellphone or email address, operated. In January 2018, Madigan called up Solis and asked about a proposed West Loop apartment building. "Is that going to go ahead? You know why I'm interested," Madigan says. Solis asks if Madigan knew the developers. "No, but I'd like to," he says. Solis told jurors that Madigan's influence would be helpful to him, so he provided introductions. "I wanted to curry political favor with Mr. Madigan," Solis told jurors. The schemes A sweeping investigation of public corruption in Illinois has already produced convictions of other elected officials and Madigan's former chief of staff. Among other schemes, Madigan is accused of using his influence to pass legislation favorable to electric utility ComEd. In return, ComEd allegedly offered Madigan loyalists kickbacks, contracts and jobs where they did little or no work. "When Madigan saw an opportunity to enrich himself, he took it," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker told jurors. Defense attorneys have painted Madigan as a devoted public servant, calling him "incorruptible." McClain Madigan, who has has "adamantly" denied wrongdoing in the past, hasn't spoken publicly during the trial. He spends the proceedings watching witnesses and jurors intently, often taking notes. Family members including his daughter, former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, have attended court. Also standing trial with Madigan is longtime confidant Michael McClain, 76, who already has been found guilty in a separate, related case. Last year, federal jurors convicted McClain and three others of the bribery conspiracy involving ComEd. The trial is expected to extend into mid-January. "Illinois needs to quickly and dramatically ramp up our efforts to approve and build new housing, and to give more affordable options to working families," Gov. JB Pritzker said during a news conference to announce new housing initiatives on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.None

Brock Purdy participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers but the San Francisco starting quarterback was not on the field for the majority of the workout, casting doubt over his availability to play Sunday at Green Bay. Purdy is dealing with a right shoulder injury and the 49ers are also potentially without left tackle Trent Williams and Nick Bosa due to injuries. Bosa was listed as out of Thursday's practice with an oblique injury. Williams also didn't suit up Thursday. He played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable. Purdy's typical Thursday post-practice media session was scrapped until Friday as the 49ers did not make any quarterback available. Kyle Allen would step in for Purdy as the starter if he can't play against the Packers. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level MediaLIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 12, 2024-- McGrath RentCorp (“McGrath” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: MGRC), a leading business-to-business rental company in North America, today announced the Board of Directors’ declaration of a quarterly cash dividend of $0.475 per common share for the quarter ending December 31, 2024. The dividend will be payable on January 31, 2025 to all shareholders of record on January 17, 2025. The year 2025 marks 33 consecutive years that McGrath RentCorp has raised its dividend to shareholders. ABOUT MCGRATH: McGrath RentCorp (Nasdaq: MGRC) is a leading business-to-business rental company in North America with a strong record of profitable business growth. Founded in 1979, McGrath’s operations are centered on modular solutions through its Mobile Modular and Mobile Modular Portable Storage businesses. In addition, its TRS-RenTelco business offers electronic test equipment rental solutions. The Company’s rental product offerings and services are part of the circular supply economy, helping customers work more efficiently, and sustainably manage their environmental footprint. With over 40 years of experience, McGrath’s success is driven by a focus on exceptional customer experiences. This focus has underpinned the Company’s long-term financial success and supported over 30 consecutive years of annual dividend increases to shareholders, a rare distinction among publicly listed companies. McGrath is headquartered in Livermore, California. Additional information about McGrath and its businesses is available at mgrc.com and investors.mgrc.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212717160/en/ CONTACT: Keith E. Pratt EVP & Chief Financial Officer 925-606-9200 KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY ENGINEERING OTHER TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING MACHINERY HARDWARE OTHER CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY SOURCE: McGrath RentCorp Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/12/2024 04:01 PM/DISC: 12/12/2024 04:00 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212717160/en

The risk of railway strikes causing major disruptions to New Year's Eve celebrations was exaggerated by the NSW premier, the head of the state's rail union has said. Amid concerns for Sydney's world-famous New Year's Eve party , the NSW Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) dropped eight major work bans late on Monday, casting the last-minute changes as necessary to help ward off actions to "effectively crush" its bargaining strategy. They include distance limits for drivers and various signalling bans that had forced more than 680 cancellations over the weekend. Cancelled trains, a call for free travel and a warning about NYE fireworks Following a Fair Work Commission (FWC) hearing on Tuesday, NSW RTBU branch secretary Toby Warnes took aim at the state government's recent rhetoric. "We have always said it was a stunt by Premier (Chris) Minns and his friends in the big business community. There was never going to be any rail shutdown or major disruptions on New Year's Eve and now there certainly won't be," Warnes said. "We trust people can now safely assume the fireworks will go ahead. They were never not going to go ahead, but we understand people were uncertain of that because of the government's rhetoric over the past three weeks." In a subsequent social media post, the union criticised what it called a "government scare campaign that there would be 'no fireworks'". The union has also agreed to drop a solidarity action and one other by the Electrical Trades Union to ensure public safety over the holidays. 'Services will now run as planned' NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen has said she is pleased with the union's decision. "Christmas, New Year and the Sydney Test are too important to the state, and I am pleased to report they are now safe as the union has withdrawn their industrial action," she said. "The holiday period is now safe for passengers and, for businesses. They can plan and provide confidence that we can have staff get to work safely and families can travel around the CBD with confidence, get in and out for the New Year's Eve fireworks. "New Year's Eve train services will now run as planned." Pub and bar operators, a casino and the NSW Labor government had planned to argue at Tuesday's FWC hearing that train driver work bans planned for New Year's would cause significant harm to third parties and potentially endanger life. Organisers say Sydney's NYE fireworks are watched by another 400 million people globally, with an economic impact estimated at $280 million. 23/12/2024 01:27 Play New Year's Eve is also the busiest day on Australia's largest rail network, with rare all-night running shuttling people across the state. Earlier, NSW Police warned of "grave concerns" for safety if the one million people expected to line Sydney Harbour on New Year's Eve struggled to leave after the midnight fireworks. Some 3,200 services run about every five minutes throughout the day, with crunch time coming in the hour after midnight as the masses try to leave together. "While it's frustrating to have to adjust our planned actions, our ability to pivot and respond strategically is crucial in the face of these dishonest and immoral manoeuvres," Warnes told union members on Monday night. "Withdrawing a small amount of our actions was not a backdown — it was a strategic step to defeat their legal argument," the union said in a social media post on Tuesday morning. Union and government still at odds The union and government remain poles apart after seven months of pay negotiations. Unions continue to demand four annual wage increases of eight per cent but Minns says that's unaffordable and can't happen while he is denying nurses a similarly costly claim. The government has offered 11 per cent across three years, including superannuation increases. Work bans recommenced on Thursday after a court dismissed a government bid to have them made unlawful. The saga could drag on for several more months. The Fair Work Commission cannot be asked to settle the substantive dispute — pay and conditions — until February.

KILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she suffered an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas won the Big 12 title in 2023 on its way out the door to the Southeastern Conference. It was still swinging open when Arizona State waltzed in and won the league title in its debut season. And now the old Big 12 champs meet the new Big 12 champs on the path toward a potential national title. The fifth-seeded Longhorns and fourth-seeded Sun Devils play News Years Day in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff . Both had their doubters they could get here. Texas (12-2) still had to prove is was “ready” for the SEC. Arizona State (11-2) was picked to finish last in the Big 12. But the Sun Devils quickly started winning and having fun in some new road environments in college towns smaller than some of their stops in the more cosmopolitan old Pac-12. All-American running back Cam Skattebo led the barnstorming tour. “We were not used to getting tortillas thrown at us at Texas Tech. You're not used to some of these environments," Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday. “When you're in the Pac-12, you're playing in Seattle, you're playing in L.A., you're playing in Salt Lake City. We got to face a lot more small college town football with really, really great environments. ... It was definitely fun to join a new league," Dillingham said. And Dillingham laid down some Texas roots. The Sun Devils are recruiting Texas players out of high school, and the current roster has six transfers who started their college careers in burnt orange in Austin. “The guys we’ve gotten from Texas and coach (Steve Sarkisian's) program have been unbelievable,” Dillingham said. “We know what we’re getting when we’re getting a guy from that program, and that’s a guy who has worked really hard, competed and been pushed. Those are the things that we like to bring in.” Safety Xavion Alford was named All-Big 12 . Defensive end Prince Dorbah is another Sun Devils starter. Defensive lineman Zac Swanson, who has two sacks this season, is another former Longhorn who said he relished a chance to beat his former team. Recruited by Texas out of Phoenix, Swanson was a reserve in 2022 and 2023 behind future NFL draft picks T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. “That's a team who kicked me out and said I'd never I was never going to be good enough to play there,” Swanson said last week. “That's something that has been on my agenda for a while.” Dillingham joked he'd like to get more Texas transfers this week. Sarkisian simply noted that he wished he'd signed Skattebo, a Californian who transferred from Sacramento State after the 2022 season. “I was unaware, so kudos to them. They found him, he's a heckuva player,” said Sarkisian, who also is a California native. Sarkisian said he was impressed by the Sun Devil's first-year success in the Big 12. “We were in that Big 12, what, for 27 years? We won four. This is their first year in and they won a Big 12 Championship. It’s a really hard thing to do,” Sarkisian said. “They’re playing with a ton of confidence right now. The last two months, I think they’re playing as good a football as anybody in the country.” Despite wining that last Big 12 title and a playoff appearance in 2023, Texas still faced skeptics that the Longhorns would take their lumps in the SEC this year. Texas was more than ready for the league and the Longhorns made it to the SEC championship game. Their only two losses have been to Georgia, the No. 2 seed in the playoff. Sarkisian still remembers his 5-7 Texas debut in 2021. The program wasn't ready for the SEC and the playoff back then, but it certainly is now. Texas is the only one of last year's four playoff teams to make the expanded 12-team field this year. “There’s a lot to be proud of, but mostly I’m proud of our veterans, our leaders, our seniors, because those guys went from 5-7 in year one, they went through 8-5 in year two, and they didn’t jump ship. They hung in there with us. They believed in what they were doing,” Sarkisian said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Finalists revealed in the GP of the Year AwardCOLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Game turned into The Fight. As Michigan celebrated a 13-10 win over No. 2-ranked Ohio State , some Wolverines players made their way to midfield in an attempt to plant a Block M flag. Predictably, chaos ensued and a fight broke out. An on-field view of the Michigan flag plant and the altercation with Ohio State that followed ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/If9Ng7ecW0 Amid the chaos, players from both teams were hit with pepper spray by police. Clips emerged on social media of Michigan players squinting and trying to clear their eyes . Eventually, Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer got his hands on the Michigan flag and ripped it from the pole. It still was a lengthy delay before the teams could be separated. Police ended up forming a wall between them. The aftermath pic.twitter.com/OHz4vaUo1W For Michigan, it’s a fourth straight win the rivalry. Running back Kalel Mullings was interviewed by FOX right after the brawl. “For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game,” Mullings said . “That’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, some people gotta — they gotta learn how to lose, man. You can’t be fighting and stuff just because you lost a game. We had 60 minutes, four quarters to do all that fighting. And now they want to talk and fight. That’s wrong. That’s just bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People gotta be better.” BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks , where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks. Latest Michigan football news: What Ohio State’s Ryan Day said after his fourth straight loss to Michigan Watch Michigan-Ohio State postgame fight; players hit with pepper spray Michigan has officially broken the Ohio State football program Kalel Mullings on postgame Michigan-Ohio State fight: ‘Gotta learn how to lose’ Michigan stuns No. 2 Ohio State for fourth straight win in rivalry

NoneFinal regular-season games loom large in determining conference championship matchupsCalifornia taxpayers are voting with their feet and taking their families elsewhere

Jon Ossoff first ran for office seven years ago with a promise to get under Donald Trump’s skin. As he seeks another U.S. Senate term, and the president-elect prepares a return to office, the Georgia Democrat is stressing his ability to work across party lines. Ossoff told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that he is “actively seeking opportunities” to find common ground with Trump and other Republicans. But he said he won’t hesitate to oppose Trump if he flouts Georgia’s interests. “I sincerely hope that for Georgia the incoming administration can deliver and succeed for our state’s benefit,” Ossoff said. “And I’ll actively look for opportunities to continue the bipartisan work that I’ve done for the last four years.” Ossoff is sticking to a playbook he embraced after his 2021 runoff defeat of Republican David Perdue, one of a pair of Democratic runoff victories in Georgia that flipped control of the Senate. He’s voted reliably with President Joe Biden and other Democrats on major policies since taking office, but he’s also emphasized bipartisanship and consensus-building when possible, such as over infrastructure spending and immigration policy debates. His approach echoes that of many other Democrats grappling with how to counter the returning president after he recaptured Georgia and scored a decisive national victory. Many emphasize a willingness to compromise on key issues rather than all-out defiance. But Ossoff is waging a reelection campaign in a remade political landscape. Four years after Biden flipped Georgia for the first time in decades — and voters elected Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to the Senate — the GOP is again ascendant after Trump’s decisive win. Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon said Ossoff’s “almost unanimous lockstep voting” with Biden, and recent support for failed measures to block U.S. sales of ammunition to Israel, will come back to haunt Democrats. (Ossoff said he hoped the vote pressures Israel to take more steps to save civilian lives.) “His stated bipartisanship is a costume,” McKoon said. “And the mask has now slipped off for all Georgians to see.” ‘A political problem’ McKoon’s line of attack is a preview of the incoming fire against Ossoff in 2026, when he is certain to be a top GOP target. National Republicans are working already to recruit Gov. Brian Kemp or another formidable contender to join the race. Ossoff said he’s unafraid to punch back, particularly over Trump’s vow to repeal Democratic-backed green energy incentives that helped fuel Georgia’s growing electric-vehicle industry. It passed despite staunch GOP opposition, including complaints from Kemp it created an unequal playing field. “There are risks to Georgia’s economic development,” Ossoff said, framing the debate as a choice “between the president-elect’s promises to repeal manufacturing incentives that have supercharged Georgia’s economic development on the one hand and our state’s interests on the other.” He added, “Congress will have to conduct vigorous oversight and guard against potential overreach, misconduct or abuse.” But he also acknowledged Democratic shortfalls. Even as Ossoff criticized Trump for working to scuttle a bipartisan border security measure this year, he said there was a “substantive policy failure” by the Biden administration to address illegal immigration. “The Biden administration’s administrative failures at the southern border were both a substantive failure and also, clearly, a political problem,” he said. Ossoff’s approach hardly resembles his stance on Trump in 2017, when he ran unsuccessfully for a GOP-held U.S. House seat with a “ make Trump furious ” mantra that he ultimately abandoned in favor of more robust outreach to swing voters and Republicans. That coalition helped him oust Perdue in a close 2021 runoff. But that tenuous alliance unraveled in November when a resurgent Trump cut into Democratic strongholds across Georgia and turned GOP bastions a brighter shade of red. Now Trump is set to reenter the White House with a firm grip on the GOP and a unified Congress, while Democrats struggle over how to oppose the returning president. Ossoff has said little about the soul-searching over the party’s direction — when asked about ongoing internal debate, he said he’s “looking for opportunities to get things done in Georgia” — while working behind the scenes to assert control of the state Democratic infrastructure. And analysts say Ossoff’s shrewd to follow a strategy of targeted bipartisanship instead of outright opposition ahead of a midterm race in 2026 that could again hinge on swing voters. “He has no choice but to work with who the public has elected if he is going to be an effective senator for the state of Georgia,” University of Georgia political scientist Audrey Haynes said. “I don’t know what other path he has to reelection victory,” said Jeff Auerbach, a political scientist at Oxford College of Emory University. “He’ll have to win the same swing voters that helped elect him four years ago. He’s threading a needle, but that’s the only option he has.” Here are excerpts from the interview: On his strategy of working with the returning president: “I sincerely hope that for Georgia the incoming administration can deliver and succeed for our state’s benefit. And I’ll actively look for opportunities to continue the bipartisan work that I’ve done for the last four years in my constituents’ interest ... “I’ve been one of the most bipartisan members of the Senate. I’ve built deep and productive partnerships with Republican colleagues. I’ve led vigorous bipartisan oversight investigations. ... I’m going to continue that approach with Congress in the new administration.” On lessons learned from the election results: “You’ve reported for years that I’ve criticized the Democratic Party on immigration policy. And you reported I thought it was a craven capitulation to election-year politics for Republicans in Congress not to pass a bipartisan border security measure last year. The outgoing administration’s failures at the border weighed heavily on the outcome of the election, and more importantly, were a substantive policy failure.” On whether he is optimistic about working with Trump: “I am actively seeking opportunities to work together in Georgia’s interest. My obligation is to the state, no matter who is in the White House, no matter who has power in Congress, and I’ll actively seek those opportunities to find common ground and get things done for Georgia.” ©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.For just one more day, Best Buy is slashing $100 off the new Asus ROG Ally X gaming handheld PC. Best Buy was the only vendor that discounted the Ally X for all of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and according to the product page, this deal is going to expire in one day. If you're shopping for the absolute best gaming handheld PC on the market , this is your last chance to pick one up below market price for the rest of the year. $100 Off the New Asus ROG Ally X In our Asus ROG Ally X review , gaming guru Jacqueline Thomas wrote that "the Asus ROG Ally X is simply the best handheld gaming PC on the market right now (knocking the Legion Go off its throne). With more and faster memory and double the battery as the original Ally, the Ally X will run any modern game without dying in an hour and a half." Like the Ally, the Ally X runs off the Windows 11 operating system. The benefit of this OS compared to the Steam Deck's proprietary Steam OS client is that you can install pretty much any Windows-based game launcher, including Battle.net, Xbox Games Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, and of course Steam itself. That makes it more attractive to gamers who like to play games that aren't normally available on Steam and are harder to load onto the Steam Deck, like Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Minecraft, and more. Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.Mutual of America Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in CenterPoint Energy, Inc. ( NYSE:CNP – Free Report ) by 0.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 80,239 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 434 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in CenterPoint Energy were worth $2,361,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of CNP. Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new stake in CenterPoint Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy during the second quarter worth $33,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy during the second quarter worth $36,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in CenterPoint Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in CenterPoint Energy by 459.0% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,554 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 1,276 shares during the period. 91.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have issued reports on CNP shares. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of CenterPoint Energy in a report on Monday, August 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded CenterPoint Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $32.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of CenterPoint Energy from $28.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of CenterPoint Energy from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of CenterPoint Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $30.00. CenterPoint Energy Stock Up 0.6 % CenterPoint Energy stock opened at $31.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The company’s 50-day moving average is $29.71 and its 200-day moving average is $29.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.81 billion, a PE ratio of 21.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.92. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $25.41 and a fifty-two week high of $32.34. CenterPoint Energy ( NYSE:CNP – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.31. CenterPoint Energy had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 11.25%. The firm had revenue of $1.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.40 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that CenterPoint Energy, Inc. will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current year. CenterPoint Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.63%. This is a boost from CenterPoint Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. CenterPoint Energy’s payout ratio is 55.63%. About CenterPoint Energy ( Free Report ) CenterPoint Energy, Inc operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Electric and Natural Gas. The Electric segment includes electric transmission and distribution services to electric customers and electric generation assets, as well as optimizes assets in the wholesale power market. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CNP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CenterPoint Energy, Inc. ( NYSE:CNP – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for CenterPoint Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CenterPoint Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

The Chanticleers evened their season record at 6-6 with the win and finished 3-5 in the Sun Belt East. The loss leaves Georgia State (3-9) with just one win in eight conference games. Vasko threw 10 yards to Senika McKie for the game's first score midway through the first quarter, but the Panthers got a Liam Rickman 28-yard field goal and a 19-yard touchdown run by Freddie Brock to take a 10-7 second-quarter lead. Vasko threw his second TD pass, this one a five-yard strike to Zach Courtney to take the lead and Kade Hensley booted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to put Coastal Carolina up 17-10 at halftime. Christian Washington ran 18-yards for a touchdown to open up a 24-10 lead four minutes into the third quarter. Vasko hit McKie for their second touchdown, this one from 31-yards out and Vasko ran 10 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to make it 38-10 with under 10 minutes to play. Vasko was 13 of 17 passing for 200 yards and carried 13 times for another 68. Washington carried 20 times for 124 yards. McKie caught five passes for 81 yards Georgia State amassed 428 yards of offense, but the Panthers turned the ball over six times. Christian Veilleux completed 15 of 26 passes for 205 yards but was picked off four times and fumbled. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballIsrael launches new strikes on Lebanon as leaders draw closer to ceasefire with Hezbollah

MIAMI — Miami-Dade Commissioners are set to vote on a resolution to eliminate single-use plastics and Styrofoam at county-owned venues like Miami International Airport, PortMiami, parks and office buildings — and instead sell aluminum bottles or cans or serve food on washable ceramic or compostable plates. The resolution marks the latest chapter in a longstanding battle between the state and local governments over attempts to ban single-use plastics, with some hoping that successful implementation would inspire private businesses to voluntarily follow the county’s lead in reducing plastics proven harmful to the health of humans and the environment. “I don’t want to go into any county-owned facility and see single-use plastics when there is a viable, cost-effective alternative,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who championed the proposal. The resolution, which could face a vote as early as Wednesday, would make exceptions for grab-and-go snacks or candy bars. Despite their light weight, the plastic products that industries produce in the U.S. each year weigh 35.7 million tons. In the U.S., only 5 percent of all plastics are recycled, according to the Department of Energy, and recycling rates have dropped over the years. The rest ends up in incinerators or landfills, pollutes storm drains, rivers and oceans, and breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces that have been found in breast milk, human brains, lungs and testicles. Better options While the county’s waste management master plan considers a new and controversial incinerator necessary – the amount of waste produced is expected to grow from roughly 2.5 million tons this year to 2.9 million tons by 2028 – experts and activists say that burning trash isn’t the only option. “The trick is reducing and diverting waste,” said Dave Doebler, co-founder of VolunteerCleanup, which has helped remove 800,000 pounds of trash from beaches and parks in South Florida since 2013. Simply put, Doebler said, “the less volume we have to deal with, the less we need to incinerate or throw in a landfill.” And the less that can end up in Biscayne Bay or as toxins in our own bodies. Microplastics have been linked to cancer and infertility and might even play a role in obesity, recent studies show, though their impact is most apparent on Florida’s coast, which not only draws millions of tourists, but sees plastics from across the world washed up. As petrochemicals derived from oil or gas, plastics account for 3.4 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers project that plastic waste in the ocean could amount to about 600 million tons within the next six years – about 150 times the weight of the planet’s total blue whale population combined. Dozens of volunteers gather regularly around Miami-Dade to try to make a difference by combing beaches and parks for plastic bottles and bags. Most of them are designed for just a few minutes of usage and can’t be recycled even if they were thrown in a recycling bin. “People are not aware of how it could affect not just us individuals, but the animals that live here,” said Gabriella Wright, a 16-year-old who has passed up sleepovers and hangouts with friends since she was six to instead gather trash. Though Wright has inspired her friends and family to be more mindful and reduce the amount of plastic they use — for example, by getting reusable water bottles — policies that support such waste-reduction efforts are urgently needed, activists say. State pushback on bans While 12 states, including Maine, Delaware and California, have already imposed some form of plastic bag ban, Florida’s state legislators took a different route in 2008 when they passed a preemption that restricts the right of local governments to regulate plastics, including “containers, wrappings, or disposable bags.” Several local governments, from Surfside to Palm Beach, nevertheless passed plastic bans, citing the will of its residents, but quickly repealed or rescinded these regulations after the Florida Retail Federation (FRF), a lobbying group representing influential retail giants like Publix and Walmart, threatened them with lawsuits. Coral Gables lost a lengthy legal battle to FRF when the state’s Supreme Court declined to hear its appeal over a Styrofoam food container ban in 2020. Miami Beach and Broward County have passed similar resolutions as the one Miami-Dade will be voting on. Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature considered further protecting plastics, which are derived from fossil fuels like oil and gas, with a bill that would have stopped local governments from passing measures restricting its use under public contracts. That bill, however, quickly died after environmental groups’ protests, paving the way for Miami-Dade’s measure. More than 17,000 people have so far emailed the commission in support of the resolution. Statewide, 93 percent of people surveyed by the Department of Environmental protection in 2021 favored regulation of single-use plastics. A total of 82 percent said they’d support it even if it meant an additional fee. Industry warns commission Opposition is again coming from FRF, which sent a letter to the commission that warns of “a significant financial hit” and “unintended consequences that may arise, particularly in terms of negatively impacting small businesses that rely on sales of items packaged in, or utilize, plastic or polystyrene.” FRF did not respond to the Herald’s request to specify how their members would be hurt. Efforts should be focused on improving recycling of plastics, the letter says. But the plastic industry itself has failed to create workable recycling for decades, and has internally expressed doubts that it would ever be possible to do so in an “economically viable” way since at least the mid-70s. In September, California’s state attorney filed a lawsuit accusing ExxonMobil of deceiving the public over the alleged recyclability of plastics for decades. Publix, by far the single-biggest contributor to FRF’s political committee and a major powerhouse in Tallahassee, said it has reduced plastic bag usage by 9.7 billion since 2007 by coaching staff on “proper bagging techniques” and installing bins designated for recycling single-use plastics. Publix declined several requests for an interview and did not reply to a request to elaborate on the data. The Miami-Dade resolution doesn’t limit product types, quantities or their prices, and is limited to future contracts only. “We’re not trying to tell you how to run your household. But we are saying, ‘This is how we want to run our household and our business’,” Higgins said. She believes that Miami Dade, the largest county in Florida, should lead by example. “We can, through our contracting, inspire companies to change the product portfolio, to make more in aluminum and less in plastic,” she said. Who profits? Businesses across the county, including Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins, have already shown that reducing plastics can work. William Elgar, the director of Zoo Miami, said that his team also decided to tackle its own plastics issue during the pandemic, around the time the zoo opened its Sea Turtle Hospital that has so far removed plastics from some 30 sea turtles. Across the premises, vending machines are now stacked with aluminum water bottles and cans with electrolyte drinks, which helped the zoo cut 340,000 bottles of plastic just last year. “If you think about it, that’s 340,000 bottles and cups less that could get into our oceans, that could get into our water works, our streams, and cause microfilaments and plastic to get everywhere,” Elgar said. The switch hasn’t hurt revenues, Elgar said, in part because the aluminum trash is bought by companies that can recycle it indefinitely. Activists, however, say that recycling isn’t in the best interest of the companies producing plastics, nor in the oil companies’, which are banking on the increase of plastic production as the use of fossil fuels for transportation or heating decline. “If we’re truly going to address or slow down climate change or avert the worst impacts of climate change, we also are going to have to address the emissions that are coming from plastics and petrochemicals, which are expected to rise,” said Renee Sharp, a policy expert at the National Resource Defense Council. Along with other petrochemicals like fertilizer and synthetic fabrics, the International Energy Agency projects that plastics will account for roughly half of the growth in oil demand by 2050. Activists have called plastics the oil industry’s “Plan B.” The only entity that would ultimately be hurt by a ban is the oil and plastics industries, said the Sierra Club’s Ken Russell, a former Miami city commissioner. “It does not hurt the end user, the retail tenant, or, of course, the customer,” Russell said, “and so the real pushback comes from the industry that creates, in this case, the plastics and the Styrofoam.”