ORONO — Even the presence of a Pro Football Hall of Famer couldn’t spark the University of Maine football team Saturday afternoon against rival UNH. Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss was at Alfond Stadium on Saturday, as his son Montigo Moss was honored with the rest of Maine’s seniors prior to kickoff. On a cold, windy and rainy afternoon, UNH earned its third straight win in this rivalry, 27-9. The Black Bears finish the season 5-7. The improvement made by the Black Bears this season was obvious. Coming off back-to-back season in which they went 2-9, Maine won five games, including victories over Albany and Villanova when each were nationally ranked. Newcomer Carter Peevy, a graduate transfer, had a strong season, showing himself to be a quarterback who makes good decisions when he throws the ball, and one who can gain needed yards with his legs. Moss had the best season of his career. Defensively, Xavier Holmes was a disrupter on the defensive line. Linebacker Christian Thomas improved as the season wore on. Aside from a strong first quarter Saturday afternoon, all that improvement was nowhere to be found. In the first quarter, Moss made a one-handed touchdown catch, getting a foot inbounds in the back of the end zone for the kind of catch that makes his father gush on ESPN. Earlier, Peevy broke off a 29-yard run when the entire UNH defense bit on a fake handoff, setting up the 39-yard field goal by Joey Bryson that gave Maine a 3-0 lead. Maine led 9-0 after a quarter, and it looked like the Black Bears had the formula to fend off their biggest rival and reclaim the Brice-Cowell musket, the trophy awarded annually to the winner of this game. Instead, the musket is going back to the south side of the Picataqua River. The problem, as it often was this season, was consistency. Whatever the Black Bears had working in the first quarter couldn’t be sustained. When asked what needs to happen for Maine to take the next step in improvement, Coach Jordan Stevens was clear. It’s that consistency. “Staying consistent throughout those competitive games. I look back at the Rhode Island game (a 24-14 loss). I look back at the Elon game (a 31-25 loss). And then today. We’re in a position to win and continue to stay competitive,” Stevens said. “In those tight games, of course it’s going to be back and forth, but building that consistent belief, no matter up or down, we continue to play, and we’ll be in the position we want to be in the the end.” With a 9-0 lead in the second quarter, Maine blocked a 49-yard field goal attempt, and took over on the 50 with a chance to increase the lead. The Black Bears went three and out. The Wildcats got the ball back at their own 19, and mounted a 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, scoring with 11 seconds left in the quarter and taking all of Maine’s momentum and stuffing in its own pocket for use in the second half. In the first half, Maine held the Wildcats to 16 yards rushing on 18 carries. Exceptional work. But on UNH’s first play of the third quarter, Caleb Mead broke free for a 57-yard touchdown run, giving the Wildcats the lead for good and snapping Maine’s defensive effort like a broken shoelace. Mead just moved from cornerback to running back last week as UNH battles injuries in the offensive backfield. In the second half Saturday afternoon, when he ran for 97 of his game-high 113 yards, Mead looked like a savvy veteran instead of a senior making a late career position change. “That’s how you win. They were able to run the ball and control a lead in the second half,” Stevens said in his postgame press conference, and you got the feeling he’d already said as much to his team. A running game that was Maine’s offensive strength in the first half of the season went flat down the stretch. As a team, Maine ran for at least 112 yards in six of the first seven games. The Black Bears gained more than 100 yards just twice in the last five games, finishing below 60 yards rushing in each of the other three. Against UNH on Saturday, Maine ran for a season-low 30 yards. It’s no surprise that was reflected in UNH’s massive advantage in time of possession. The Wildcats controlled the ball twice as long as the Black Bears, 39:11 to 20:43. “I got here in January, and we’ve made tremendous strides since I got here. Obviously, we’ve got a lot to improve on,” Peevy said. After the game, UNH Coach Rick Santos said something that many opposing coaches said throughout the season. Maine is a tough place to play. It’s not easy to get to Orono. The weather can be a factor, as it was Saturday afternoon. For many years, the University of Maine’s location has been seen as a negative in recruiting. It’s so far from the population centers. When you step off campus, social opportunities are, to put in kindly, limited. To take the next step, Stevens and his assistants need to turn that into a positive. Remind recruits that opponents do not enjoy coming here. Remind them Orono is a place where they can focus on academics and football. Remind them of the ongoing improvements being made to the school’s athletic facilities, including upcoming renovations to Alfond Stadium. Five wins is an improvement. It’s up to Stevens now to ensure that’s a starting point, not a plateau. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? National Politics | Republican-led states are rolling out plans that could aid Trump’s mass deportation effort Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

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René Bennett | (TNS) Bankrate.com If you’re an iPhone user, you might not realize that you already have access to Apple Cash. It’s a digital cash card that’s built into Apple devices and can be found in the default Wallet app. (Note: You must link an eligible debit card to use this service.) The main function of Apple Cash is to make it easier for Apple device users to send money to one another, including sending money through the iMessage app. But Apple Cash is more than just a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service — it can be used to shop online, in stores or to make in-app purchases. Apple Cash is a convenient way to transfer money between friends and family. Once it’s set up, a user can simply open the iMessage app and send money to a contact through their chat. It’s also useful for those who use Apple Pay, a separate service that allows Apple device users to make contactless payments with any linked card, including an Apple Cash card. Here are some important things to know about setting up and using Apple Cash. Apple Cash is a digital cash card that’s stored in the Wallet app of Apple devices, and it can be used for making P2P payments, as well as purchases through Apple Pay. When you receive money from another Apple Cash user, that money appears in your Apple Cash balance. The balance can then be spent or transferred to a linked bank account or debit card. Sending money to peers with Apple Cash can be done either directly from the digital Apple Cash card (in the Wallet app) or through the iMessage app. You can send or receive anywhere between $1 and $10,000 per message. The money shows up on the recipient’s Apple Cash card instantly, but it may take from one to three days for the balance to be transferred to a bank account. Instant transfers to a bank account are possible, but it comes with a 1.5% fee. There’s also an option to set up Apple Cash Family for children who are under 18 years old. This option limits the amount a child can send to $2,000 per message. Those younger than 18 also cannot add money to their Apple Cash card from a bank account; rather, their balance only grows when they receive money from another Apple Cash user. Apple Cash is a digital card within your Wallet that allows you to spend your Apple Cash online, in stores and in apps as well send and receive money. Apple Pay, however, allows you to make purchases using any credit card or debit card you have stored in your Wallet — including Apple Cash. With Apple Pay, you add credit and debit cards to your Wallet and then have the ability to pay right with your phone (or other Apple product). To set up Apple Cash, you’ll need three things: —A compatible Apple device. —Two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID (this can be done in Settings). —An eligible debit card to load funds onto the Apple Cash card. In the Settings app, you can turn on Apple Cash in the Wallet and Apple Pay section. Tap on the Apple Cash card icon and follow the instructions on the screen. You’ll be asked to agree to the terms and conditions, after which your device will set up Apple Cash for you. The Apple Cash card, once set up, can be found in your device’s Wallet app. If you want to set up Apple Cash Family, you’ll first need to have Family Sharing turned on, which can be done in Settings. The family organizer can add children to Apple Cash in the Family Sharing section of Settings. You’ll need to have a debit card linked to your digital Wallet to add money to an Apple Cash card. You can add a debit card to Wallet in the same place where you set up Apple Cash — the Wallet and Apple Pay section of Settings. Once a debit card is linked to your Wallet, open Wallet and tap on the Apple Cash card. Then, tap the More button (an icon with three dots). This will open a page where you can see your Apple Cash balance, add money and transfer funds to a bank account. Tap Add Money and enter the amount you’d like to add (the minimum is $10). You’ll be asked to confirm which debit card you want to use to fund the Apple Cash balance, and then the money is added to the Apple Cash card. There are two ways to send a payment to someone using Apple Cash: directly from your Wallet or in the iMessage app. Both the sender and recipient need Apple Cash to send or receive money. To send money from Wallet, simply tap the Apple Cash card in Wallet and then tap Send. Type in the contact name or phone number of the recipient. Enter the amount you’d like to send (between $1 and $10,000), then review the payment and confirm it with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. In iMessage, open the conversation with who you’d like to send money to, or start a new one. Tap on the app button, which appears next to the type bar, and then tap on the Apple Cash icon. You’ll be prompted to enter an amount (between $1 and $10,000). Once you’ve reviewed the amount, tap Send and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. The first time money is sent to someone, the recipient will need to accept the payment within seven days for it to go through. After the first instance, payments are automatically accepted. If you’re using Apple Cash to make a purchase either online or in a store, you’ll need to pay using Apple Pay. To request money from your iPhone, open the conversation in the Messages app. Tap the plus icon, followed by Apple Cash. Then, tap Request. Tap the send button to send your payment request. Once the request is sent, the person you sent it to can confirm or change the amount they send to you. You can also request money from your Apple watch. Open your messages app, choose a conversation, tap the plus icon and then choose Apple Cash. Once you enter the amount you are requesting, swipe left on the Send button. Tap Request. As you start to accumulate money on the Apple Cash card, you may want to move it to a debit card or a bank account . This can be done by going to the same place where you added funds to the card, by clicking the icon with three dots next to your digital card. Enter an amount to be transferred, then tap Next. You’ll be asked whether you want to do an instant transfer (for a 1.5% fee) or a transfer in one to three business days for free. After making a selection, the screen will instruct you to set up a bank account if you don’t already have one set up. You’ll confirm the payment, and the transfer is initiated. Instant transfers can only be made to an eligible debit card, not a bank account. Money is sent within 30 minutes when you select instant transfer. —Zelle: If your bank is offers Zelle, it might be a good idea to take advantage of the P2P payment service. Zelle can be accessed directly from your bank’s mobile app, and it allows you to send instant transfers at no extra cost. —Venmo: Anyone can use Venmo, as long as they’ve downloaded the app. Unlike Apple Cash or Zelle, it’s a standalone P2P payment app. Venmo comes with a social element — users can follow each other and add fun emojis to their payments, although they can also keep their account activity private. —PayPal: This P2P payment service is a good option if you want to send money internationally. It also offers a PayPal Debit card, which, like the Apple Cash card, can be used to make purchases online or in stores. —Samsung Pay Cash: Samsung device users can use this option instead of Apple Cash. Similar to Apple Cash, it is a digital wallet that you can access from a Samsung mobile device. However, to take full advantage of Samsung Pay Cash, users will need to undergo an extra registration process to upgrade to a Full Card Account. Apple Cash makes it easy for Apple device users to send money to each other. Users can simply tap the Apple Cash icon in their text messages to send money through iMessage. It can also be used as an extra repository for spending money and can be used for purchases anywhere Apple Pay is accepted. With that said, only Apple device users can send and receive money using Apple Cash, so those looking for a more universal payment service may want to consider other P2P payment apps . ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Expect more affordable housing units as the province spends $150 million for new developments. “I am pleased to announce that the Alberta Affordable Housing Partnership Program is opening for the next round of applications,” said Jason Nixon, Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister. With National Housing Day, the Alberta Government pledge to increase its efforts to address housing affordability in the province. From the start of 2024 up until October, the province saw an estimated $38,000 houses being constructed, which is more compared to last year. “The reality is though that while Alberta is having success we recognize that there are still many struggling to find housing and to meet their needs. Which is why we know there’s more that needs to be done,” said Nixon. Alberta saw an increase in population by about 200,000 last year. One organization stated that while the funding is a start, there’s still a lot more that needs to be done. “We didn’t have a real housing crisis and the government didn’t invest in affordable and community housing over the years the same way. And now we’re here and we’re trying to meet the growing demand, so we are playing catch up,” said Irene Martion-Lindsay, the executive director of Alberta Seniors and Community Housing Association. Martin-Lindsay also says that there has been a growing demand for the adult population needing affordable homes. “This has been happening for a while and it’s really hard for them to be prioritized, but the older adults that aren’t seniors that are in that 55 to 65, they’re really struggling because of the lower-end fixed income,” said Martin-Lindsay. This is not the first time Alberta invested in affordable housing, in 2022 the government put $189 million into supporting units and shelters within 15 communities. The province opens the application for the new housing development this Friday up until January 31, 2025.

Entire nation humiliated as Aussie quits

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Rollins, speaking on the Christian talk show “Family Talk" earlier this year, said Trump was an “amazing boss” and confessed that she thought in 2015, during his first presidential campaign, that he would not last as a candidate in a crowded Republican primary field. “I was the person that said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump is not going to go more than two or three weeks in the Republican primary. This is to up his TV show ratings. And then we’ll get back to normal,’” she said. “Fast forward a couple of years, and I am running his domestic policy agenda.” Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report.Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a report Thursday revealing that the FBI had more than two dozen confidential human sources in the crowd of protesters on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. The 79-page delved into the FBI’s handling of confidential human sources and the bureau’s intelligence collection efforts in the lead-up to the Capitol incursion. There were a total of 26 on the ground on Jan. 6. Of that group, four entered the Capitol and an additional 13 entered the restricted area around the building. “None of these FBI CHSs were authorized to enter the Capitol or a restricted area, or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6,” the report said. “The [Office of Inspector General] determined that many of these 26 CHSs had provided information relevant to the January 6 Electoral Certification before the event and that a few CHSs also provided information about the riot as it occurred.” The OIG also uncovered records indicating one confidential human source who entered the Capitol was reimbursed for his travel expenses for being present at the incursion and later, President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. According to the DOJ IG report, one of the FBI’s confidential human sources who entered the Capitol on January 6 — a crime for which countless people have gone to jail for years — got his travel expenses to DC on J6 reimbursed by the FBI. — Greg Price (@greg_price11) George Washington University law professor reacted to the IG’s report posting on social media platform X that it “may raise more questions than answers. It confirms that confidential sources did indeed enter the Capitol and restricted areas. “The question is whether the presence of these sources were revealed to the defense in the hundreds of prosecutions.” The new IG report on January 6th may raise more questions than answers. It confirms that confidential sources did indeed enter the Capitol and restricted areas. The question is whether the presence of these sources were revealed to the defense in the hundreds of prosecutions... — Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) He further noted, “The IG suggests that they were not engaged in the core criminal conduct prosecuted on that day. Yet, if revealed to the defense, including hundreds who pleaded guilty, defense counsel would not just take the government’s word for what these sources did on that day.” ...The IG suggests that they were not engaged in the core criminal conduct prosecuted on that day. Yet, if revealed to the defense, including hundreds who pleaded guilty, defense counsel would not just take the government’s word for what these sources did on that day... — Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) Turley anticipated that House committees will have additional questions about the role of these FBI sources on Jan. 6. In Jan. 2022, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas then FBI Assistant Executive Director Jill Sanborn during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing regarding how many confidential human sources the FBI had on the ground during the Capitol incursion. “How many FBI agents or confidential informants actively participated in the events of Jan. 6?” Cruz asked. “Sir, I’m sure you can appreciate that I can’t go into the specifics of sources and methods,” Sanborn answered. Cruz then asked the broader question, “Did any FBI agents or confidential informants actively participate in the events of Jan. 6? Yes or no.” “Sir, I can’t answer that,” replied Sanborn. CRUZ: “Did any FBI agents or confidential informants actively participate in the events of January 6th?” “I can’t answer that.” — Townhall.com (@townhallcom) “Did any FBI agents or confidential informants commit crimes of violence on Jan. 6?” Cruz then queried. Sanborn would not say. The senator continued, “Did any FBI agents or FBI informants actively encourage and incite crimes of violence on Jan. 6?” “Sir, I can’t answer that,” Sanborn said. closed his line of questioning saying, “Ms. Sanborn, a lot of Americans are concerned that the federal government deliberately encouraged illegal and violent conduct on Jan. 6.” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission . He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior . Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, in a recent analysis . Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges halted the merger Tuesday night. The FTC had filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms. In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Learn more about how we select deals SAVE $100: As of Dec. 12, the Ultenic T10 Elite robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $269.99 at Ultenic. Use code 2024XMAS at the checkout to bring the price down to $229.50 — $100 off its usual $329.99 price. Ultenic T10 Elite is a solid robot vacuum solution for anyone looking to make household chores less of a chore. With its self-emptying base, this robot vacuum provides 45 days of hands-free cleaning, so you can set it and forget it. Unlike standard vacuums, which require constant attention, the T10 Elite empties its dustbin after every cleaning session, keeping it ready for whatever mess comes next. What sets the T10 Elite apart is its precise laser navigation technology. This feature allows the vacuum to... Christian Wait

MILWAUKEE — Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams left Saturday night's 125-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks late in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury. “I think it has just been diagnosed as a right knee injury,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said after the game. “We’ll continue to get some imaging and evaluations. The most important thing is that all of our prayers are with Grant and hoping the news comes back as good as possible.” Williams was hurt on a drive to the basket with just under four minutes remaining with the Bucks leading 114-101. He finished 2 of 6 with eight points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes.

Southfield, Michigan, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Credit Acceptance Corporation (Nasdaq: CACC) (referred to as the “Company”, “Credit Acceptance”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) announced today that we have increased the amount of Warehouse Facility V (the “Facility”), one of our revolving secured warehouse facilities, from $200.0 million to $250.0 million. We also extended the date on which the Facility will cease to revolve from December 29, 2025 to December 29, 2027. The maturity of the Facility was also extended from December 27, 2027 to December 27, 2029. The interest rate on borrowings under the Facility has decreased from the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 245 basis points to SOFR plus 185 basis points. There were no other material changes to the Facility. As of December 5, 2024, we did not have a balance outstanding under the Facility. Description of Credit Acceptance Corporation We make vehicle ownership possible by providing innovative financing solutions that enable automobile dealers to sell vehicles to consumers regardless of their credit history. Our financing programs are offered through a nationwide network of automobile dealers who benefit from sales of vehicles to consumers who otherwise could not obtain financing; from repeat and referral sales generated by these same customers; and from sales to customers responding to advertisements for our financing programs, but who actually end up qualifying for traditional financing. Without our financing programs, consumers are often unable to purchase vehicles or they purchase unreliable ones. Further, as we report to the three national credit reporting agencies, an important ancillary benefit of our programs is that we provide consumers with an opportunity to improve their lives by improving their credit score and move on to more traditional sources of financing. Credit Acceptance is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CACC. For more information, visit creditacceptance.com . Investor Relations: Douglas W. Busk Chief Treasury Officer (248) 353-2700 Ext. 4432 IR@creditacceptance.comApple Cash: How to use it to send and receive moneyReal Madrid’s big stars turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering Champions League title defense on Tuesday. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win at Italian league leader Atalanta. But Madrid still had to ride its luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage time when handed a golden chance to level the game. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champion in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. “It’s a very important win. Not everyone wins here. We suffered and competed. In the Champions League, you have to suffer,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “It’s still difficult to finish in the top eight, but we have two games left to earn points.” Six-time champion Liverpool leads the way after maintaining its perfect record in Europe this season with a 1-0 win against Girona. Like Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain also picked up a much-needed win, beating Salzburg 3-0 to sit in the last playoff spot in 24th place. Bayer Leverkusen is second after a 1-0 win over Inter Milan, while Aston Villa beat Leipzig 3-2 and is third. The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16. Positions nine to 24 face a playoff to reach the next phase. After three losses in its opening five games of the league phase, the pressure was mounting on Madrid. Questions were also being asked of Mbappe after his uncertain start since his offseason move from PSG. But he produced a moment of class to fire Madrid 1-0 up after 10 minutes at Gewiss Stadium — controlling the ball with his left foot and then finishing low with his right. It was the 25-year-old Mbappe's 50th Champions League goal . Lionel Messi is the only player to have reached that number at a younger age. Mbappe was substituted off before halftime with an apparent physical issue and Charles De Ketelaere leveled the game before the break from the penalty spot. But two goals inside three second-half minutes from Vinicius Junior and Bellingham put Madrid in control. Ademola Lookman's goal made it 3-2, but Madrid survived Retegui's late effort and held on. Mohamed Salah’s 50th Champions League goal maintained Liverpool’s perfect record in the competition this season. The Egypt forward struck a 63rd minute penalty to seal the win in Spain that kept Liverpool atop the 36-team league. But even after a sixth straight win for the Merseyside club, head coach Arne Slot was critical of his players in a game that saw goalkeeper Alisson pull off several saves to keep Girona out. “If you ask me about all the six games, I’m really pleased with all the results, I am really pleased with the five (other) games with the way we played. I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight,” he said. Salah’s goal was his 16th in 22 appearances overall this season. Girona was 30th with just one win from six games. “I almost feel sorry for them because they deserved so much more in this Champions League campaign than the three points they have until now. But we have an incredible goalkeeper,” said Slot, whose team also leads the Premier League. Liverpool’s two remaining games are against Lille at home and PSV Eindhoven away in January. U.S. international Christian Pulisic is the only player to have scored against Liverpool in this season’s Champions League in a 3-1 loss for Milan in September. Bayern Munich routed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 to move into the automatic qualifying positions for the round of 16. Michael Olise scored a wonderful solo goal by dribbling past a host of players for his first of two in the game. Bayern's win came after going 1-0 down inside five minutes to a goal from Brazilian winger Kevin. PSG is not done yet. A miserable start to the league phase saw the French giant pick up just four points from five games as it adjusted tp life without stars like Mbappe, Messi and Neymar, who have all departed in the past two seasons. But victory at Salzburg moved PSG up into the playoff positions. Goncalo Ramos, Nuno Mendes and Desire Doue all scored. Leverkusen is back on a roll after struggling to repeat the success of last season's stunning German league and cup double. It's now six straight wins in all competitions, with Nordi Mukiele's 90th minute goal securing victory against Inter and moving Leverkusen into second on 13 points — five behind Liverpool. Villa, Inter and Brest are all on 13 points as well. Inter dropped to fourth after conceding for the first time in this season's competition. Villa is third after its own resurgence in form. Victory against Leipzig was its third in a row after an eight-game winless run. Brest is one of this season’s surprise packages on its Champions League debut and is fifth after beating PSV Eindhoven 1-0. Sporting Lisbon, in 12th, couldn’t build on taking a third-minute lead at Club Brugge — losing 2-1 in Belgium. Brugge is 14th. Dinamo Zagreb drew 0-0 with Celtic and both teams remain in the playoff positions. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

To me, even the upper echelons of the UK stock market continue to offer pockets of what I see as deep value. So, I have been looking for once popular blue-chip shares to buy that have seen their valuations tumble. I reckon that could help me build wealth and, perhaps, even retire early! Hard times versus out of time But let me be clear here. I am not looking just for any old FTSE 100 share that has seen its share price stumble. After all, a share may fall for good reason, such as a decline in long-term demand for what it sells. Just look at some of the original constituents of the FTSE 100 index 40 years ago. From Hawker Siddely to English China Clays, some names now belong in the business graveyard. So, I am looking for blue-chip shares that have fallen out of fashion – but I think may still have their best days ahead of them. One share to consider buying One example of such a share I think investors should consider buying is ( ). Since the start of 2024, the FTSE 100 discount retailer has been heavily discounted itself. The share price has fallen 39% over that period, meaning it now stands 9% below where it was five years ago. Why? One clear explanation is weakening profitability. The company’s interim results released earlier this month spelled this out in detail. Revenue grew 3.7% compared to the prior year. But operating profit was down 14.6%. Pre-tax profit tumbled 23.8%. crashed 49.2%. Clearly, B&M management has its work cut out. The interim results announcement was chipper and I would have appreciated more candour on why recent performance has been so disappointing in some ways. I see further risks, including rising container shipping costs hurting B&M’s heavily import-focussed business. Still, I think the company looks cheap to buy at its current share price. It has a proven formula and a unique position in the high street. A weak economy could help push up customer demand. B&M’s European expansion continues apace, potentially offering lots of white space and also economies of scale. Looking to the future An example of a fallen FTSE 100 share I have bought this year is ( ). The share sells for 21% less now than it did five years ago. That reflects a number of concerns, including a planned reduction in the annual growth rate for dividends and falling earnings. Any severe economic downturn could be a further risk to earnings, if policyholders start to pull out funds. Still, the FTSE 100 share continues to plan annual dividend increases – and . If I could compound my diversified portfolio at that level over the next couple of decades and keep making sizeable regular contributions, hopefully I could build a nest egg that lets me retire early even if only by a couple of years.US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, setting another new high above $99,000 overnight. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Australia rejects Elon Musk's claim that it plans to control access to the internet MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian Cabinet minister has rejected X Corp. owner Elon Musk’s allegation that the government intends to control all Australians' access to the internet through legislation that would ban young children from social media. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Friday that Musk’s criticism was “unsurprising” after the government introduced legislation to Parliament that would fine platforms including X up to $133 million for allowing children under 16 to hold social media accounts. The spat continues months of open hostility between the Australian government and the tech billionaire over regulators’ efforts to reduce public harm from social media. Parliament could pass the legislation as soon as next week. Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 has been federally indicted in connection with alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in California. The Texas-based company is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater containing excessive amounts of oil and grease. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment on Thursday. Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. An arraignment date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company said it was cooperating with prosecutors. US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it heads for a winning week Stocks gained ground on Wall Street, keeping the market on track for its fifth gain in a row. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in afternoon trading Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 352 points and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts' estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called of its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. European markets were mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. Apple and Google face UK investigation into mobile browser dominance LONDON (AP) — A British watchdog says Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers. The watchdog's report Friday recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year. The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker’s tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. The CMA’s report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers “the clearest or easiest option.” Apple said it disagreed with the findings. German auto supplier Bosch to cut 5,500 jobs in further sign of carmakers' woes FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany's technology and services company Bosch is cutting its automotive division workforce by as many as 5,500 jobs in the next several years, in another sign of the headwinds hitting the German and global auto industries. The company cited stagnating global auto sales, too much factory capacity in the auto industry compared to sales prospects and a slower than expected transition to electric-powered, software-controlled vehicles. Some 3,500 of the job reductions would come before the end of 2027 and would hit the part of the company that develops driver assistance and automated driving technologies. About half those job reductions would be at locations in Germany. At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 160,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration.