jj fish funds s5 casino withdrawal Stephen Lewis After the election, a headline above a political commentary column in The New York Times caught my attention. Not for politics, but for one word. That headline said, “Voters to Elites: Do You See Me Now?” The word that interests me is “elites,” the plural of “elite” as a noun when applied to a class of people. So, let’s take a closer look because something a little odd seems to be happening. As an adjective, “elite” refers to the best of something, and that comes, not surprisingly from its source in French. Not surprising because so much of English does track back to the French who conquered England in 1066 and ruled that country for an extended period during which that language mixed with our original Germanic roots. OK. So, the word is a French derivative, meaning to select something, or more clearly to select the best of something. The meaning persists in the word as an adjective describing somebody, someplace, or something. An elite football quarterback is one considered to be the best at that position. And so forth. In this regard, the word’s connotative value is clearly positive. Whatever is being called “elite” is being singled out as among the best of other similar things. But as in the headline that prompted this column, the clarity of the word as a noun becomes less clear. Let’s begin with the denotive level of meaning at which a word points to a group. This is perhaps the most basic level of communication. When English speakers hear the word “table,” they can picture an object with a flat top, supported by legs or some sort of column, that serves the purpose of being a place onto which things can be put. That’s a lot of words for a simple concept, I know, but it is central to what I’m talking about. If we can all agree what the denotative meaning of “table’ is, it seems to me we cannot say the same thing about the denotative value of “elites” in the headline. What we can surmise from the rest of the headline is that the word “elites” references the losers of the election. As a matter of political science, one can argue that to explain the results of an election involving millions of voters spread over our huge country is at the very least, a tad over simplistic. Or even to lay the blame for defeat on a group, or subgroup of the electorate is a serious stretch. Moving to the connotative level of meaning, that which describes the positive, neutral, or negative attitude toward what is being denoted, things get interesting in another way. Simply put, “elite” as an adjective describing a noun, or as a noun itself, has a strongly positive connotative value. I will pause to admit that when we add an “ism’ to the word to create “elitism,” we are talking about something different because that word suggests snobbishness and is negative connotatively. We’re closing toward my point, which is to notice how a word that carries a strongly positive connotative value is turned on its head when it is applied to voters. It seems that the negative vibe of “elitism’ has shifted onto the figurative backs of the losers in the election. They lost not because they are elite in some other way in their lives but because as a class of voters they exhibit elitist disdain for the non-elite. And that is what the headline with which I began indicates. The losers did not have the wrong policy prescriptions, but because they are seen as thinking that as elites their views should prevail. And thus were rejected.

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler birdied every hole but the par 3s on the front nine at Albany Golf Club on Friday and finished his bogey-free round with an 8-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge. Two months off did nothing to slow the world's No. 1 player. Scheffler already has eight victories this year and is in position to get another before the end of the year. Scheffler was at 13-under 131, two ahead of Akshay Bhatia (66) and Justin Thomas (67), both of whom had to save par on the 18th hole to stay in range going into the weekend. Scheffler started with a lob wedge to 2 feet for birdie and never slowed until after he went out in 29 to seize control of the holiday tournament against a 20-man field. Scheffler cooled slightly on the back nine, except it didn't feel that way to him. "Front nine, just things were going my way. Back nine, maybe not as much," Scheffler said. "A couple shots could end up closer to the hole, a couple putts go in, just little things." Asked if he felt any frustration he didn't take it lower — he once shot 59 at the TPC Boston during the FedEx Cup playoffs — Scheffler sounded bemused. "I think in this game I think a lot of all y'all are looking for perfection out of us," he said. "Today I shot 8 under on the golf course, not something I hang my head about. A lot of good things out there — clean card, bogey-free, eight birdies. Overall, I think I'm pretty pleased." Thomas felt his 67 was stress-free, particularly the way he was driving the ball. The wind laid down again, rare for the Bahamas, though it is expected to pick up on the weekend. Thomas wasn't concerned to see Scheffler get off to a hot start, especially with three par 5s on the front nine and a short par 4 that at worst leaves a flip wedge to the green. "You literally can birdie every hole as soft as the greens are," Thomas said. "He's a great player, a great wedge player, and you have a lot of birdie holes to start. I'm honestly surprised he only shot 8 under. It's a sneaky course because if you fall asleep on some shots, you can get out of position. But if you're on and focused and really in control of everything — like these last two days with no wind — you can just make so many birdies." Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley had a 67 and was four shots behind. No matter how benign the conditions, it wasn't always easy. Cameron Young, who opened with a 64 for a two-shot lead, followed with a 75 despite making five birdies. That included a double bogey on the final hole when his approach tumbled down the bank into the rocks framing the lake that goes all the way down the 18th hole. Patrick Cantlay was trying to keep pace playing alongside Scheffler, but he had three bogeys over the final seven holes and fell seven shots behind with a 71. The tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, is unofficial but offers world ranking points to all but the bottom three players because of the small field. It's the weakest field in 25 years, but Scheffler at No. 1 gives it enough cachet. He is the first player since Woods in 2009 to start and finish a year at No. 1 in the world. And even after a layoff — giving him time to tinker with a new putting stroke — it looks like it might be a while before anyone changes that. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Famer Jim McNally and late Buffalo Bills running backs coach Elijah Pitts are recipients of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Awards of Excellence, it was announced Tuesday. Offensive line coach Jim McNally, shown in the locker room at his alma mater, the University at Buffalo, in 2005. It’s a career accomplishment created by the football shrine in 2022 to recognize significant contributors to the game in “behind-the-scenes” roles. In addition to assistant coaches, Awards of Excellence are given annually to selected public relations personnel, athletic trainers, equipment managers and film/video directors. McNally and Pitts are joined as coaching honorees by Dick Hoak, longtime running backs coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lewis wears many different hats in the Bills’ secondary. McNally, 81, played and coached at the University at Buffalo and then spent 43 seasons in the NFL, becoming a legend among offensive line coaches. McNally entered the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1980. He stayed there until 1994, reaching two Super Bowls and mentoring future Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz for all 13 of his seasons. Known by friends and colleagues as "Mouse," McNally had stints with the Carolina Panthers (1995-98), the New York Giants (1999-2003) and the Bills (2004-07). Then he served as a consultant with New Orleans for two years, the New York Jets for two years and then the Bengals for a dozen years before his “second retirement” in 2023. “I think it is satisfying partly because most of the people who’ve gotten recognized on the offensive line have been on Super Bowl winners,” McNally said from his home in Orchard Park. “I was on four Super Bowl teams, three with the Bengals and one with the Giants, and the teams didn’t win. So I think it has something to say about my contribution to the football world, whether it’s high school coaches, college coaches.” Besides his famed work for NFL teams, McNally has given coaching clinics across the country for decades, spreading his knowledge and serving as somewhat of a goodwill ambassador for offensive line play at all levels. He still spreads his knowledge with posts on O-line techniques on the social media platform X, where he has 23,000 followers. There will be a dinner in late June in Canton, Ohio, to honor the Awards of Excellence recipients. Pitts, who died at age 60 in 1998, was a five-time NFL champion as a running back for the Green Bay Packers. He served 24 years as an NFL assistant coach, starting under head coach Chuck Knox with the Rams in 1974. Pitts moved with Knox to the Bills from 1978 to 1980, then coached Hall of Famer Earl Campbell with the Oilers for two years. Pitts worked under Marv Levy as Bills running backs coach from 1985 to 1997. He was assistant head coach from 1992 to 1997. Pitts played a big role in mentoring Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas. Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox! Bills/NFL writer {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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Cybersecurity Trends And Priorities To Watch For 2025WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and issue a categorical pardon for his son, Hunter , just weeks before his scheduled sentencing on gun and tax convictions was a surprise that wasn't all that surprising. Not to those who had witnessed the president’s shared anguish over his two sons after the boys survived a car crash that killed Biden's first wife and a daughter more than a half-century ago. Or to those who heard the president regularly lament the death of his older son, Beau , from cancer or voice concerns — largely in private — about Hunter’s sobriety and health after years of deep addiction. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president — who had pledged to restore a fractured public’s trust in the nation’s institutions and respect for the rule of law — has raised new questions about his already teetering legacy. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado's Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wrote in a post on X. He added that while he could sympathize with Hunter Biden’s struggles, “no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.” Biden aides and allies had been resigned to the prospect of the president using his extraordinary power in the waning days of his presidency to ensure his son wouldn't see time behind bars, especially after Donald Trump ’s win. The president's supporters have long viewed Biden's commitment to his family as an asset overall, even if Hunter's personal conduct and tangled business dealings were seen as a persistent liability. But the pardon comes as Biden has become increasingly isolated since the loss to Trump by Vice President Kamala Harris , who jumped in to the race after the president’s catastrophic debate against Trump in June forced his exit from the election. He is still struggling to resolve thorny foreign policy issues in the Middle East and Europe. And he must reckon with his decision to seek reelection despite his advanced age, which helped return the Oval Office to Trump, a man he had warned time and again was a threat to democratic norms. Trump has gleefully planned to undo Biden’s signature achievements on climate change and reverse the Democrat's efforts to reinvigorate the country’s alliances, all while standing poised to take credit for a strengthening economy and billions in infrastructure investments that are in the pipeline for the coming years. And now, Biden has handed the Republican a pretext to carry through with sweeping plans to upend the Department of Justice as the Republican vows to seek retribution against supposed adversaries. “This pardon is just deflating for those of us who’ve been out there for a few years yelling about what a threat Trump is,” Republican Joe Walsh, a vocal Trump critic, said on MSNBC. “‘Nobody’s above the law,’ we’ve been screaming. Well, Joe Biden just made clear his son Hunter is above the law.” Jean-Pierre said Monday from Air Force One that the president wrestled with the decision but ultimately felt his son’s case had been tainted by politics, though she tried to thread the needle — insisting he had faith in the Justice Department. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” she said. But Trump has already made very clear his intent to disrupt federal law enforcement with his initial nomination of outspoken critics like former Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general and Kash Patel to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , who nominally still has more than two years left in his term. (Gaetz ended up quickly withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations.) Reacting to the pardon, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement: “That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people." In a social media post, the president-elect himself called the pardon “such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice.” “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” Trump asked. He was referring to those convicted in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters aiming to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. Biden and his spokespeople had repeatedly and flatly ruled out the president granting his son a pardon. In June, Biden told reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.” In July, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: “It's still a no. It will be a no. It is a no. And I don’t have anything else to add. Will he pardon his son? No." In November, days after Trump's victory, Jean-Pierre reiterated that message: “Our answer stands, which is no." Neither Biden nor the White House explained the shift in the president's thinking, and it was his broken promise as much as his act of clemency that was a lightning rod. He is hardly the first president to pardon a family member or friend entangled in political dealings. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges after he had served his sentence roughly a decade earlier. In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner , the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner, as well as multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Yet Biden held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns — trying to draw a deliberate contrast with Trump, who tested the bounds of his authority like few predecessors. Inside the White House, the timing of the pardon was surprising to some who believed Biden would put it off as long as possible, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. It came just after Biden spent extended time over the past week with Hunter and other family members on Nantucket in Massachusetts, a family tradition for Thanksgiving. “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further,” Biden said in a statement announcing the pardon. Some in the administration have privately expressed anguish that the substance of Biden’s statement, including his claim of an unfair politically-tinged prosecution of his son resembled complaints Trump — who faced now-abandoned indictments over his role in trying to subvert the 2020 election — has been making for years about the Justice Department. Biden said the charges in his son's cases "came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.” Many legal experts agreed that the charges against the younger Biden were somewhat unusual, but the facts of the offenses were hardly in dispute, as Hunter wrote about his gun purchase while addicted to illegal drugs in his memoir and ultimately pleaded guilty to the tax charges. The pardon too was unusual, coming before Hunter Biden was even sentences and covering not just the gun and tax offenses against his son, but also anything else he might have done going back to the start of 2014. It's a move that could limit the ability of the Trump Justice Department to investigate the younger Biden's unsavory foreign business dealings, or to find new ground on which to bring criminal charges related to that time period. Biden, in his statement, asked for consideration: “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision." Associated Press Writer Aamer Madhani in Washington and Will Weissert aboard Air Force One contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!New Orleans police arrest man accused of killing paradegoers during multiple mass shootings

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Employees work at an excavator assembly line of a Develon subsidiary in Yantai, east China’s Shandong Province on Dec 26, 2023. – Xinhua photo BEIJING (Nov 23): A little-known road called Kaixuan in Jining, east China’s Shandong Province, has become an undeniable presence on the world’s leading cross-border B2B e-commerce platform, Alibaba. It not only witnesses the transformation of Jining from a traditional coal resource hub to a manufacturing powerhouse but also how cross-border e-commerce has changed the fate of factories along this road. Stretching approximately 2.5km from southwest to northeast, the road, whose name means triumph in Chinese, can be walked in about half an hour. However, a dozen machinery manufacturing companies gathered on both sides of the road, actively seeking to go global through Alibaba. For Han Guangfei, general manager of Jining SAAO Machinery Company Ltd, a “resident” of Kaixuan Road that specialises in small and medium-sized road construction machinery, the recently concluded annual “Double 11” online shopping spree was more of a reminder that his business is not limited to just one day. While others are busy stocking up on discounted daily necessities, he is focused on quality control and preparing the inventory of road rollers, setting his sights on overseas markets. “Either go global or be left behind,” said Han. “Most of the machinery factories you can see along the Kaixuan Road are doing business on Alibaba.” SAAO mainly produces various types of road rollers and graders. It earned its reputation in the industry by sponsoring all the lighting machinery equipment in the 2023 Chinese sci-fi blockbuster “The Wandering Earth II.” Han believes traditional manufacturing equipment must explore overseas markets to achieve sustainable development. In 2018, SAAO’s foreign trade orders accounted for only 20 per cent of its business. Han’s decision to go global online has become a game changer for the company, while SAAO’s store on Alibaba.com, the cross-border B2B platform owned by China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba, was in full operation in 2019. “Since then, the foreign orders have flocked in, but we have seen a surge in overseas orders through Alibaba since 2021 when foreign countries strove to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic with an infrastructure-building wave,” said Han. “In the first half of this year, our order transaction volume on Alibaba increased by 50 per cent year on year, while foreign trade amounts to 60 per cent of its overall business, and the figure is expected to rise to 70 per cent by the end of this year,” he added. SAAO’s overseas expansion is reflected in the official economic data released by the Chinese authorities. According to the China Construction Machinery Industry Association, in the first half of 2024, China’s construction machinery import and export trade exceeded US$27.13 billion, up 3.13 per cent year on year. Among them, exports amounted to nearly US$25.84 billion, up 3.38 per cent year on year. People visit the booth of Alibaba.com during the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province on Oct 15, 2024. – Xinhua photo Alibaba also sees more machinery manufacturers like SAAO rapidly expanding their presence in the overseas market. Its data shows that among the top 10 industries with the highest growth of online transactions on Alibaba.com in the first half of 2024, half are related to machinery equipment and construction materials, with star products in the construction machinery industry, such as excavators, loaders, and drilling rigs, having seen transaction growth rates exceeding 50 per cent. Many enterprises from Jining, one of China’s six major construction machinery industry bases with over 900 such enterprises, are also flocking to Alibaba. Since April this year, the number of new merchants from Jining joining Alibaba has increased by 76.2 per cent year on year. “Jining has already been a brand itself on Alibaba. Foreign buyers searching for road-building machinery know well what they can get from the enterprises tagged with Jining,” said Guo Zhengkui, the regional head of Alibaba.com in Jining. Guo said that the rapid growth of online machinery exports began in 2023 when markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East embarked on a wave of infrastructure construction. This created a huge demand for China’s construction machinery, which has a competitive advantage in terms of quality and cost-effectiveness. “Chinese companies going global is not easy. First of all, you have to face the most cutthroat competition domestically, which is why once you survive that round and become a winner here, you are pretty much the most competitive product internationally,” he said. Guo noted that the strong performance of Jining’s mainstream product – small excavators – has been transformative to Chinese construction machinery enterprises for its multifaceted role in farming. Previously, Chinese machinery was traditionally used for infrastructure building in the European and American markets. But now, the convenience of online procurement has prompted many foreign farms and gardens to purchase small excavators through Alibaba, said Guo, bringing breakthroughs to Chinese machinery enterprises with a richer product line. Guo’s view is shared by Liu Mingtao, general manager of Hengwang Group, a major excavator and bulldozer producer based in Jining. “The overseas demand is overwhelming now. If new customers come to place orders, they may not necessarily be able to get them,” said Liu. In 2013, Hengwang officially opened its store on Alibaba.com and the annual sales growth on the platform has already exceeded 80 per cent this year. So far, it accounts for about 70 per cent of the company’s overall foreign trade turnover. “Twelve years ago, 99.9 per cent of my business mates didn’t know what I was doing; five years ago, 10 per cent of them started coming to me for advice; now, 90 per cent want to know how to do cross-border e-commerce,” said Liu. “This year, we see fresh blood has joined us, and many of them are second-generation entrepreneurs in the industry,” he said. Expansion of overseas warehouse Besides growing overseas demand, another driving force behind the booming machinery business is the large number of overseas warehouses sprouting across the globe, which makes Chinese cross-border e-commerce much easier. According to official data, China has over 1,000 cross-border e-commerce industrial parks and over 2,500 overseas warehouses covering over 30 million square metres. However, they are not merely warehouses for goods storage. By integrating storage, logistics, and after-sales support with digital and intelligent technologies, they are helping the country’s over 120,000 cross-border e-commerce entities bring their products to all corners of the world. This warehousing and logistics method has greatly improved logistics efficiency and customer experience. It also helps businesses respond actively to order peaks and reduce logistics costs. To promote cross-border e-commerce, the Chinese government released a guideline in June on advancing the construction of overseas warehouses. The guideline specified measures in financial support, infrastructure construction, and services. Cross-border e-commerce, in collaboration with new foreign trade infrastructure like overseas warehouses, helps build new advantages in international economic cooperation and has become a dynamic force in China’s foreign trade development, it noted. People watch an excavator stunt show at the 2023 East Asia Marine Expo in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province on June 28, 2023. – Xinhua photo Hengwang has built 13 warehouses in major export destinations such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Liu said that such warehouses not only store complete machines but also spare parts for timely after-sales service and technical support. “Overseas warehouses do not always operate at full capacity but adjust inventory dynamically according to customer demand.” SAAO has also taken action. Han plans to deploy overseas warehouses in Central Asian countries after setting up warehouses in Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, as his business is expanding from Europe and America to the region. Staff members of Kilimall work at a warehouse in Mlolongo, Kenya on Nov 10, 2023. – Xinhua photo Exploration never stops Liu calls himself a “road warrior” after spending more than 200 days abroad last year, shuttling between Europe, America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He discovered more business opportunities as Hengwang transformed from a small and medium-sized machinery equipment producer to a large equipment maker. “Being early is crucial. We are developing new products, such as 125-tonne large excavators that can compete with famous brand Caterpillar of the United States and Japan’s Komatsu,” Liu said. SAAO also invested more in the overseas market. It purchased more machines including a second laser cutting machine worth 1.5 million yuan and supplemented its workforce in various links of the entire foreign trade business chain, from technicians, assemblers, salespeople, and procurement personnel. In addition, SAAO has developed green machinery that uses new energy and does not have engine noise pollution. “Currently, the demand for environmentally friendly machinery is increasing year by year, and its shipment volume has accounted for nearly 10 per cent of our overall volume,” said Han. “Only those who never stop exploring and innovating can thrive on the Road of Triumph,” he said. – XinhuaYoung America’s Foundation (YAF) alumnus and former president of George Washington University (GWU)’s YAF chapter, Sergio Gor, has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Presidential Personnel Office, the organization said. “As a YAF student activist, Sergio was instrumental in building a strong foundation for conservative activism on the GWU campus,” the organization said in a Tuesday press release. “Under his guidance, the chapter fought key battles to protect free speech, intellectual diversity, and bring important conservative speakers to campus.” The conservative student organization cited Gor’s involvement in helping YAF bring speakers — including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro — to GWU’s campus. “Sergio’s remarkable achievements have clearly not gone unnoticed,” YAF continued. “This appointment is a proud moment for all of us at Young America’s Foundation, who have supported him along his journey.” {The organization added that Gor’s appointment to Trump’s Presidential Personnel Office “also highlights the incredible impact that YAF is making by shaping the next generation of conservative leaders.” “We are confident that his service to President-elect Donald Trump will significantly contribute to our nation’s future,” YAF said. In July, Scott Walker, former Wisconsin Gov. (R) and YAF President, told Breitbart News that most students are aligned with conservative values but “the radicalization of college campuses” makes it difficult for them to speak up. In a separate interview at the July conference, YAF National Chairwoman Jasmyn Jordan told Breitbart News that non-conservative students have begun disassociating with the political left due to how extreme they have gotten in recent years on college campuses. Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo , and on Instagram .Latest mock draft has the Colts giving Anthony Richardson what he needs most in the 2025 NFL Draft