fish high in mercury

fish high in mercury This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets. European stocks are set to open in negative territory Thursday, with French markets in focus after Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government was toppled in a vote of no confidence Wednesday. A majority of lawmakers from both the left-wing New Popular Front alliance and the far-right National Rally supported a no-confidence motion in the country's lower house yesterday evening. Motions had been tabled by both the left- and right-wing blocs Monday after Barnier, who has been in power for only three months, used special constitutional powers to force a social security budget bill through Parliament without a vote. The move angered opposition parties and, last night, deputies on the left and right ousted the government. Barnier is expected to resign Thursday, but he could remain in charge of a caretaker government while President Emmanuel Macron searches for a replacement. Elsewhere overnight, Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed after Wall Street stock benchmarks notched record highs yesterday. U.S. stock futures were broadly unchanged on Wednesday night. There are no major earnings or data releases in Europe Thursday. Bitcoin tops $100,000 for the first time ever The price of bitcoin soared past the long-awaited $100,000 benchmark for the first time ever late Wednesday evening. The flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by more than 7% at $102,879.60, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier, it rose as high as $103,844.05. The move came hours after President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to nominate Paul Atkins as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The same day, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said bitcoin was "just like gold only it's virtual, it's digital," speaking at the DealBook conference . For more on bitcoin's historic milestone read our full story here . — Tanaya Macheel CNBC Pro: 'It is key to remain invested,' Julius Baer portfolio manager says. Here's how she's investing The persistent uncertainty in financial markets has raised questions on portfolio construction and how to invest across asset classes as 2025 nears. One long-term investor is now playing the market by staying invested and being well-diversified. "We believe it is key to remain invested and view any potential corrections as technical and temporary opportunities to get into the market," Julius Baer International's portfolio manager Aneka Beneby said. She also revealed how and what she is allocating to in the lead up to the new year. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner European markets: Here are the opening calls European markets are expected to open lower Thursday. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 17 points lower at 8,342, Germany's DAX down 7 points at 20,225, France's CAC down 28 points at 7,275 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 82 points at 33,747, according to data from IG. There are no major earnings or data releases in Europe Thursday. — Holly EllyattTop 10 Best Companies Offering Intellectual Property Services in India 2025Ukraine must be placed in the “strongest possible position for negotiations” to end the war with Russia, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister insisted the UK will back Ukraine “for as long as it takes” as he made a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, but for the first time acknowledged the conflict could move towards a negotiated end. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks suggested he is open to a possible ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv and its European allies meanwhile fear the advent of Donald Trump’s return to the White House could result in American aid being halted. President-elect Trump has said he would prefer to move towards a peace deal, and has claimed he could end the conflict on “day one” of his time in power. As he attempts to strike up a good relationship with the incoming president, Sir Keir revealed he had told Mr Trump the UK “will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come”. In his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister said there is “no question it is right we support Ukraine”, as the UK’s aid to Kyiv is “deeply in our self-interest”. Allowing Russia to win the war would mean “other autocrats would believe they can follow Putin’s example,” he warned. Sir Keir added: “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes. “To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their own future.” Mr Zelensky told Sky News over the weekend he would be open to speaking with Mr Putin, but branded the Russian president a “terrorist”. He also suggested Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia. In a banquet speech focused on foreign affairs, the Prime Minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest the UK must choose between its allies, adding: “I reject it utterly. “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose. “The national interest demands that we work with both.” Sir Keir said the UK and the US were “intertwined” when it came to commerce, technology and security. The Prime Minister added: “That’s why, when President Trump graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower, I told him that we will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come.” He also repeated his commitment to “rebuild our ties with Europe” and insisted he was right to try to build closer links with China. “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t simply look the other way. We need to engage. To co-operate, to compete and to challenge on growth, on security concerns, on climate as well as addressing our differences in a full and frank way on issues like Hong Kong, human rights, and sanctions on our parliamentarians,” he added. The Prime Minister said he wants Britain’s role in the world to be that of “a constant and responsible actor in turbulent times”. He added: “To be the soundest ally and to be determined, always, in everything we do. “Every exchange we have with other nations, every agreement we enter into to deliver for the British people and show, beyond doubt, that Britain is back.” Ahead of Sir Keir’s speech, Lord Mayor Alastair King urged the Prime Minister and his Government to loosen regulations on the City of London to help it maintain its competitive edge. In an echo of Sir Keir’s commitment to drive the UK’s economic growth, the Lord Mayor said: “The idealist will dream of growth, but the pragmatist understands that our most effective machinery to drive growth is here in the City, in the hands of some of the brightest and most committed people that you will find anywhere in the world.”

LOS ANGELES , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The SmallRig Awards kicked off the Global Filmmaker Talk series last night with a preview screening of Miguel Gomes' Grand Tour , co-presented by the Los Angeles screening series Acropolis Cinema. Grand Tour , which earned Miguel Gomes the Best Director prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, was screened at the Culver Theater in historic Culver City . The screening was followed by an engaging conversation with director Miguel Gomes and Acropolis Cinema founder Jordan Cronk , focusing on the nonfiction techniques Gomes employed in the film. This marked Miguel Gomes' first-ever appearance in Los Angeles . The event attracted a vibrant audience of cinephiles, emerging filmmakers, film critics, industry professionals, and Oscar voters, as Grand Tour is also Portugal's official selection for the Academy Awards. SmallRig Awards, launched this year by SmallRig—renowned for its affordable, compact, and versatile rigs for filmmakers, journalists, and photographers—aims to discover impactful films and videos addressing global social issues. Winners will receive significant cash prizes and the opportunity to secure financial backing from SmallRig for future projects. From now until December 31 , the SmallRig Awards is accepting entries of fiction or documentary films and videos under 40 minutes in length, featuring compelling stories that shed light on worldwide challenges, including but not limited to: Participants will compete for 22 awards, with cash prizes ranging from $800 to $12,000 . The award categories include: With the slogan "See It. Change It.," the SmallRig Awards are designed to encourage young filmmakers with limited resources to think creatively about how films of modest scale and budget can engage with universal issues through a variety of tools and storytelling techniques. "The SmallRig Awards are for socially conscious filmmakers," says SmallRig founder Zhou Yang . "We believe that images are very powerful. They allow people, behavior, and important moments to be seen." He continues: "While we support films that call for action on global issues and aim to create positive change, our focus is more on addressing issues constructively rather than taking a critical or activist approach." As for eligibility, Zhang points out that "the award isn't limited to films alone. It's also open to other types of works, such as journalistic videos or even PSA videos. We hope applicants will join us in making change happen." The jury panel will be led by Ruby Yang , Academy Award-winning filmmaker of The Blood of Yingzhou District (2006). Yang has also been honored with an Emmy, the DuPont-Columbia Journalism Award, FilmAid Asia's Humanitarian Award, the Global Health Council Media Award, and two IDA Pare Lorentz Award nominations. The jury will assess entries based on storytelling technique, production quality, and artistic creativity. For more information about the Smallrig Awards and submission guidelines, visit the official awards website at https://www.smallrig.com/activity/SmallRigAwards . Submissions can be made directly on the website or on Filmfreeway at https://filmfreeway.com/SmallRigAwards . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smallrig-awards-launches-the-global-filmmaker-talk-series-with-2024-cannes-best-director-miguel-gomes-302323241.html SOURCE Smallrig

quid Game was a huge success when it was released back in 2021, becoming the most watched series in 94 countries, with a first season that ended on a cliffhanger. The second season premiered just a few hours ago, and Anyone who has seen the series will know that it is set in are the order of the day. T1 appears in Squid Game 2 , which premiered yesterday with a great impact in terms of audiences. The series, in addition to arousing a lot of interest in millions of users, has also left us with some very curious images in relation to esports, The Korean giant, current world champion, has a great impact on the whole Korean society, being the most followed eSports team in the country. The logo appears in the series for just a couple of seconds, but that was enough for the fan community to notice and , while the protagonist is in a car talking to what appears to be the 'boss' of the games. T1's weight in South Korea There is no doubt that T1 is, based on titles, the most important organization in the industry, a weight that seems to multiply every year with more titles. In addition, , the 'king of esports', Faker. With their fifth World Championship, , being the only five-time world champion team.

Serbian authorities spyware on the phones of dozens of journalists and activists, Amnesty International said in a on Monday. In the document entitled “A Digital Prison: Surveillance and the suppression of civil society in Serbia,” the non-governmental organization cited digital forensic evidence and testimonies from activists who said they were hacked in recent months. This news comes as the Serbian government has allegedly been civil society, journalists, and environmental activists in response to growing anti-government sentiment, which recently has manifested in . According to the data presented in the report, the software was in most cases installed during police interrogations, arrest, or even informal conversations when the smart phones of the surveilled were confiscated. Serbian authorities allegedly used technologically advanced commercial spyware, such as and , which are specifically developed for law enforcement agencies to extract data from phones by circumventing passcodes. However, authorities allegedly also employed a previously unknown software called NoviSpy, which might be home-grown and can be used to extract sensitive data as well as to remote-control the microphone and camera on many Android devices. While the Serbian government has not responded to the findings of the research, Cellebrite vowed to investigate any use that would be violating human rights. While spyware is commonly developed for law enforcement to monitor organized crime, it has been increasingly used by governments to on their critics. In the EU, and have both been accused of purchasing and using this software to spy on journalists and activists. Under European Human Rights Law, every interference with the that is not necessary and proportionate is illegal, especially when it comes to sensitive data detailing personal information. Supreme Court upheld wartime detention of Japanese-Americans On December 18, 1944, the US Supreme Court decided , upholding the wartime relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps.Read , issued by President Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, under which the internments were authorized. View , collected by the University of Utah Library. International Migrants Day December 18 is , marking the 1990 adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.Children of the wealthy and connected get special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools. Georgetown’s then-president, for example, listed a prospective student on his “president’s list” after meeting her and her wealthy father at an Idaho conference known as “summer camp for billionaires,” according to Tuesday court filings in the price-fixing lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court in 2022. Although it’s always been assumed that such favoritism exists, the filings offer a rare peek at the often secret deliberations of university heads and admissions officials. They show how schools admit otherwise unqualified wealthy children because their parents have connections and could possibly donate large sums down the line, raising questions about fairness. Stuart Schmill, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote in a 2018 email that the university admitted four out of six applicants recommended by then-board chairman Robert Millard, including two who “we would really not have otherwise admitted.” The two others were not admitted because they were “not in the ball park, or the push from him was not as strong.” In the email, Schmill said Millard was careful to play down his influence on admissions decisions, but he said the chair also sent notes on all six students and later met with Schmill to share insight “into who he thought was more of a priority.” The filings are the latest salvo in a lawsuit that claims that 17 of the nation’s most prestigious colleges colluded to reduce the competition for prospective students and drive down the amount of financial aid they would offer, all while giving special preference to the children of wealthy donors. “That illegal collusion resulted in the defendants providing far less aid to students than would have been provided in a free market,” said Robert Gilbert, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Since the lawsuit was filed, 10 of the schools have reached settlements to pay out a total of $284 million, including payments of up to $2,000 to current or former students whose financial aid might have been shortchanged over a period of more than two decades. They are Brown, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt and Yale. Johns Hopkins is working on a settlement and the six schools still fighting the lawsuit are the California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Georgetown, MIT, Notre Dame and the University of Pennsylvania. MIT called the lawsuit and the claims about admissions favoritism baseless. “MIT has no history of wealth favoritism in its admissions; quite the opposite,” university spokesperson Kimberly Allen said. “After years of discovery in which millions of documents were produced that provide an overwhelming record of independence in our admissions process, plaintiffs could cite just a single instance in which the recommendation of a board member helped sway the decisions for two undergraduate applicants." In a statement, Penn also said the case is meritless that the evidence shows that it doesn't favor students whose families have donated or pledged money to the Ivy League school. “Plaintiffs’ whole case is an attempt to embarrass the University about its purported admission practices on issues totally unrelated to this case," the school said. Notre Dame officials also called the case baseless. “We are confident that every student admitted to Notre Dame is fully qualified and ready to succeed,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. The South Bend, Indiana, school, though, did apparently admit wealthy students with subpar academic backgrounds. According to the new court filings, Don Bishop, who was then associate vice president for enrollment at Notre Dame, bluntly wrote about the “special interest” admits in a 2012 email, saying that year's crop had poorer academic records than the previous year's. The 2012 group included 38 applicants who were given a “very low” academic rating, Bishop wrote. He said those students represented “massive allowances to the power of the family connections and funding history,” adding that “we allowed their high gifting or potential gifting to influence our choices more this year than last year.” The final line of his email: “Sure hope the wealthy next year raise a few more smart kids!” Some of the examples pointed to in this week's court filings showed that just being able to pay full tuition would give students an advantage. During a deposition, a former Vanderbilt admissions director said that in some cases, a student would get an edge on the waitlist if they didn’t need financial aid. The 17 schools were part of a decades-old group that got permission from Congress to come up with a shared approach to awarding financial aid. Such an arrangement might otherwise violate antitrust laws, but Congress allowed it as long as the colleges all had need-blind admissions policies, meaning they wouldn't consider a student’s financial situation when deciding who gets in. The lawsuit argues that many colleges claimed to be need-blind but routinely favored the children of alumni and donors. In doing so, the suit says, the colleges violated the Congressional exemption and tainted the entire organization. The group dissolved in recent years when the provision allowing the collaboration expired. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .Maura Higgins has put an end to the swirling dating rumours linking her with Pete Wicks. On tonight's episode of I'm A Celebrity, the Love Island favourite cleared the air while chatting with campmate GK Barry. As they washed their clothes in the creek, Maura recalled being quizzed by the media about her relationship status with Pete, to which she firmly replied: "You know more than me! No, I'm single. People can date and not be in a relationship and take things slow." She also expressed her views on involving the press early on, questioning: "What's the point in getting them involved too soon, when you just don't know where it's gonna go, you know?" Grace shared her own experiences of keeping her relationship with footballer Ella Rutherford under wraps, prompting Maura to reveal that she and Pete had already been caught by paparazzi. She admitted: "Well we've already been papped, tongues down each other's necks and we had no idea!" This isn't the first time Maura has spoken about her personal life on the show; in Sunday night's episode, she disclosed that she was seeing someone before heading to Australia, clarifying, "I am but I was seeing someone before I came in, but I'm not in a relationship." When Dean McCullough inquired if her romantic interest was also a public figure, she confirmed: "Yeah." Speculation about Maura and Pete began in August after they were seen looking close in London, and again in October at the National Television Awards, fuelling further speculation about their relationship. Both have repeatedly denied the rumours, insisting they are just friends. Pete has been publicly supporting Maura on social media during her time on the show, posting stories with encouraging messages of support. Maura joined the jungle a week into the show alongside fellow latecomer Reverend Richard Coles, and they were sent to the jungle junkyard. They had to trick the main camp into believing they were living in poor conditions, but in reality, they had access to luxuries including a fridge, a double bed and a gas cooker. I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! airs every night at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX.

By TRÂN NGUYỄN SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven’t provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks’ 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There’s not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story.” Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.Nominates Bentina Chisolm Terry and Leland Weaver to Join Board of Directors Two Long-Tenured Directors to Retire at Upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders "On behalf of the entire Board, I extend my gratitude to Lydia and Shirley for their contributions to Mueller and many years of service on the Board. Lydia's and Shirley's leadership, wisdom and expertise during their service have been enormously valuable to the Company and our management team as we have executed on our strategy to create value for shareholders. We also thank Brian Slobodow and Niclas Ytterdahl for their service,” said Stephen C. Van Arsdell, Non-Executive Chair of the Board. Mr. Van Arsdell continued, "Today's announcement reflects our strong governance as we continue to drive value creation across our business. The continuing evolution of the Board is a testament to our commitment to bringing new viewpoints to the boardroom while continuing to benefit from the guidance and experience of our more tenured directors. With the addition of Bentina and Leland, who most recently joined us as Board Observers, we are on course to complete our board refreshment plan next year. We are confident that each of our new directors will bring significant value to our diverse Board.” The Board's slate for the Annual Meeting is comprised of Christian A. Garcia, Thomas J. Hansen, Brian C. Healy, Christine Ortiz, Jeffery S. Sharritts, Bentina Chisolm Terry, Stephen C. Van Arsdell, Leland G. Weaver, and Marietta Edmunds Zakas. Following the Annual Meeting, the Board will comprise nine directors, eight of whom are independent and eight of whom will have been elected in the last six years. About Bentina Chisolm Terry Ms. Bentina Chisolm Terry currently serves as the President and CEO of Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, providing mission-critical LTE wireless and dark fiber networks and services to Southern Company electric utilities and external customers. She is an accomplished senior executive with more than 25 years of experience leading across a range of functions in the utility industry and a strong track record of driving growth and innovation. Prior to Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, Ms. Terry served as Senior Vice President of Customer Strategy and Solutions at Georgia Power. She joined Georgia Power in 2001, holding roles of increasing responsibility across multiple departments. Ms. Terry has led multiple environmental initiatives and has been responsible for health and safety. During her time serving as General Counsel for Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Ms. Terry led the Company to receiving the most significant rate increase in its history, ensuring continued service reliability and infrastructure upgrades. Ms. Terry received her Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan. About Leland Weaver Mr. Leland Weaver currently serves as the President of DuPont Water & Protection. He is an accomplished senior executive with extensive experience across various industries and global markets. As President of the DuPont Water & Protection business, a global business with $6 billion in revenue, Mr. Weaver oversees 34 manufacturing sites and 7,000 employees, as well as the strategy to deliver sustainable, technology-based products and solutions for water, shelter, and safety. He previously held leadership roles within Dupont's investor relations and business strategy arm. Mr. Weaver has deep experience in both operational and manufacturing as well as growth strategy and transformation, managing relationships with institutional investors, and playing a pivotal role in significant corporate transformation initiatives, including the spin-off of DuPont's Nutrition & Biosciences business and its merger with International Flavors and Fragrances. Mr. Weaver has a strong track record of building high-performance teams, managing large-scale operations, and driving significant financial growth. Mr. Weaver received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Alabama and his master's degree in business from the University of Pennsylvania. About Mueller Water Products, Inc. Mueller Water Products, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water in North America. Our broad product and service portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, pipe connection and repair products, metering products, leak detection, pipe condition assessment, pressure management products, and software that provides critical water system data. We help municipalities increase operational efficiencies, improve customer service and prioritize capital spending, demonstrating why Mueller Water Products is Where Intelligence Meets Infrastructure ® . Visit us at www.muellerwaterproducts.com. Mueller refers to one or more of Mueller Water Products, Inc. (MWP), a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries. MWP and each of its subsidiaries are legally separate and independent entities when providing products and services. MWP does not provide products or services to third parties. MWP and each of its subsidiaries are liable only for their own acts and omissions and not those of each other. Investor Relations Contact: Whit Kincaid 770-206-4116 [email protected] Media Contact: Jenny Barabas 470-806-5771 [email protected]

The 25-year-old Sweden international took his goal tally for the season to 12 in the 3-0 Boxing Day win over Aston Villa at St James’ Park, 10 of them in his last 10 Premier League games, after a challenging start to the new campaign. Isak managed 25 goals in a black and white shirt last season to further justify the club record £63million the club paid to bring him to Tyneside from Real Sociedad during the summer of 2022, but as delighted as he is with his big-money signing, head coach Howe is confident there is even more to come. Asked where the former AIK Solna frontman currently ranks in world football, he said: “My biggest thing with Alex is I am evaluating his game on a daily and weekly basis and I just want to try to push him for more. “Everyone else can say where he is in the pecking order of world football. His game is in a good place at the moment. “My job is to not sit back and appreciate that, my job is to try and find areas he can improve, push him towards that and never stop pushing him. He has all the ingredients in there. Football never stops evolving and changing and he has to evolve with it. “There is a lot more to come from him. Our job is to help him deliver that. “Of course the main responsibility is for Alex to keep his focus, ignore the plaudits and keep helping the team, not be selfish. It is about Newcastle and he plays his part.” It is no coincidence that Newcastle have prospered as Isak has rediscovered his best form, and they will head for Manchester United – where they have won only once in the top flight since 1972 – on Monday evening looking for a fifth successive win in all competitions. He has scored in each of the last five league games having grown into the mantle of the Magpies’ main man, a role performed with such distinction in the past by the likes of Jackie Milburn, Malcolm Macdonald and Alan Shearer, and he has done so with the minimum of fuss. Asked about his character, Howe said: “He is calm, cool – he is what you see on the pitch. “He doesn’t get overly emotional, which for a striker is a great quality because that coolness you see and calmness in front of goal is part of his personality, part of what he is. He seems to have an extra half a second when other players don’t. “With Alex, the beauty of his attitude is that he wants to improve. We give him information and he is responsive. He is not a closed shop. “He is in no way thinking he has arrived at a certain place. He knows he has to keep adding to his game. The challenge is great for him to keep scoring freely as he is now.”A single underwater cable supplies Beaver Island with its power. Storms, which are becoming increasingly frequent and severe with climate change, have knocked out the lights for days. A maritime accident once cut electricity for months in the 600-person island 30 miles off the coast of western Michigan. What if water surrounding Beaver Island could be the key to delivering the small island with more reliable — and clean — power? Backed by a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Michigan are working with island residents to explore converting wave energy into electricity. If they’re successful, naturally occurring waves would make the remote community more resilient to climate change and mitigate climate change-fueling carbon emissions. Remote islands with compromised grid reliability are early candidates for nascent wave energy converters. Once the technology is established and costs drop, the renewable power source is expected to complement solar and wind power in urban coastal communities as well, said Vishnu Vijayasankar, a doctoral candidate leading the university’s efforts. Vicky Fingeroot, a Detroit native, began traveling to Beaver Island in 2006. “I never thought about energy or how we got it when I bought my first piece of property here back then,” she said. It wasn’t until she moved to Beaver Island full time in 2021 and experienced her first power outage that grid reliability crossed her mind. A strong storm took down multiple overhead power lines that carry electricity ashore from the underwater line. More weather was on the way, so plane and ferry services were paused. There was no way on or off the island. The local line worker who knew how to turn on the backup generator was attending an out-of-town funeral. “It was the perfect storm, no pun intended,” said Fingeroot, who was on the board of trustees for one of the island’s two townships. Left without power for several days, her community’s vulnerability was suddenly thrust in front of her. “What about the elderly who need oxygen? What were they going to do? And are there warming centers?” she recalled worrying. When the emergency diesel generator was finally turned on, it powered only the two main business roads on the north end of the island. Many residents on the island’s southern end had to rely on personal propane generators until the lines were repaired. Both diesel and propane generators are polluting technologies. The generator had been installed after an outage in winter 1999 that lasted over three months. The lake froze over, inhibiting service technicians from reaching the underwater power cable, which had been nicked by a tugboat anchor. The island had expressed interest in exploring renewable energy sources then, but the technologies were new and still expensive, said Beth Croswhite, who has lived on the island for over four decades and served in local government. The 2021 outage, an influx of clean-energy funding under the Biden administration and dramatic decreases in the cost of renewables revived conversations about renewable energy. Beaver Island was one of 12 communities selected to reenvision its energy grid with support from the Department of Energy. Much of the focus in the program so far has been on solar power. The community also was approached by researchers at the University of Michigan seeking to explore wave energy as an additional carbon-free power source. In the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, remote communities are exploring tidal energy as well. Tides — changes in water level caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon — are too small in the Great Lakes. But waves, which are caused by strong winds and changes in atmospheric pressure, are abundant in the fall and early winter. Originally from India, Vijayasankar couldn’t believe how much wave activity Lake Michigan had when he first visited in October. “I went (to the shore) during October and there was a crazy amount of waves. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was worried that our device might not be able to withstand Lake Michigan,” he said. At the most basic level, a wave energy converter uses the rise and fall of the water to move a motor. That kinetic energy gets run through a generator that converts it to the electric energy needed to power homes and businesses. Wave energy converters are less common than wind turbines and solar panels, largely because of design challenges. One design makes floating buoys that bob up and down with the crest and trough of the waves. Another depends on the crest of the waves to compress air in a chamber, forcing it up through a turbine that spins. Every model comes with pros and cons regarding myriad issues, including but not limited to storm resiliency, energy generation and marine life safety. In the design phase of the Beaver Island project, anticipated to last two years, the university researchers are hosting dinners and creating a survey to ensure their blueprint is accepted by residents. A preliminary survey showed that residents were most concerned about marine life safety, signaling to Vijayasankar that he should nix designs with exposed turbines. Researchers also will have to address resident concerns about the seasonality of waves. They’re typically stronger during the colder months until the lake freezes over. Wave energy likely will be a complement to the solar power Beaver Island is also exploring, Vijayasankar said. There may be lots of waves on stormy days when the sun isn’t shining, for example. Large-scale batteries — which scientists are racing to perfect — could help store excess wave energy produced by passing storm systems for later use. “The end goal is to make us sustainable, and I don’t see us doing it with one thing. I see us doing it with many things,” Fingeroot said. “This wave energy project, there’s certainly an openness to it.”

If it ain't broke: Many large companies and organizations are often ridiculed for using outdated computers, but not every business requires the latest digital technology. Case in point: a bakery in Indiana has been photographed processing sales using a Commodore 64. This isn't the first time a 21st-century business has been spotted using the top-selling 1982 PC, as the device remains beloved by enthusiasts today. Photos have recently surfaced showing that Hilligoss Bakery in Brownsburg, Indiana, uses a pair of Commodore 64s as cash registers. While running a business on a 42-year-old PC might seem unusual, the device likely has sufficient processing power to ring up orders of donuts. The pictures, originally taken in 2010, recently reappeared on social media. The C64s were also visible in another photo from 2021. Hilligoss Bakery appears to have a strong reputation, boasting a 4.7 rating on Google Maps and a 4.4 on Yelp. Apparently, a Doughnut shop in U.S. is still using a Commodore 64 for business. pic.twitter.com/i7gO90JAZ4 The Commodore 64, released in 1982, apparently remains the best-selling individual PC model of all time, with estimated sales between 10 and 17 million units. Priced at $595 upon release (approximately $1,945 in 2024 dollars), the system featured a 1 MHz CPU and 64KB of RAM, hence its name. While most of the C64's 10,000 software titles were games, it also supported business software, which companies like Hilligoss Bakery continue to use. It's unclear whether the bakery has been using the Commodore 64s since 1982, but it's possible, given that the business has been operating since 1974 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Must read: The Commodore Story: Gone But Not Forgotten This isn't the only instance of businesses clinging to the Commodore 64. The Commodore USA Facebook page highlighted another example in 2016: an auto repair shop in Poland that has used a Commodore 64 to balance driveshafts since at least 1991 – even surviving a flood at one point. In certain cases, using older technology can reduce costs and offer security through obscurity. For instance, Southwest Airlines avoided the infamous CrowdStrike data breach by continuing to use Windows 95. However, maintaining and repairing vintage equipment can pose significant challenges. Fortunately, the enduring popularity of the Commodore 64 ensures that replacements, restorations, and repairs are still possible. Last year, a dedicated modder demonstrated that it's feasible to build a new Commodore 64 from scratch using replacement parts. Additionally, a modern recreation of the device, released in 2019, supports original software and connects to modern displays via HDMI.

JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty has called on President-elect Donald Trump to address long-standing issues within the US air traffic control ( ATC ) system, underscoring the need for urgent staffing improvements and modernization. In a television interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday, Geraghty highlighted the severe shortage of air traffic controllers, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and compounded by retirements. This issue has particularly affected airlines operating in the New York area, including JetBlue. "I wish this administration would focus more on air traffic control," Geraghty said. "That has definitely been a meaningful pressure for JetBlue and other airlines." Air traffic controller shortages Geraghty underlined that the pandemic caused a backlog of air traffic controllers that is still putting stress on the aviation industry since it interfered with the employment and training of these professionals. In 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that the agency hired a record 1,811 controllers, the most in over 10 years, as part of its attempts to address the shortage, but Geraghty said the system is still under tremendous strain. In order to reduce delays in air traffic operations, she also emphasized the necessity of improved resource allocation, ongoing recruiting, and technology advancements. Geraghty said in the interview : "I'd love to see more hiring. I'd love to see more technology and ultimately improving the amount of the delays that come out of the air traffic control system in New York in particular, which is the hardest hit." However, Geraghty remains optimistic. She noted that, despite the ongoing challenges, the FAA is making progress in addressing the staffing shortage and investing in technological improvements. She has not yet met with members of the incoming administration but expressed hope that the new government would prioritize modernizing the nation's air traffic control infrastructure. GAO audit reveals FAA’s struggling systems The call for reform comes at a time when the FAA is under increasing scrutiny. On December 12, 2024, the General Accounting Office (GAO) published a fresh audit that challenges the agency's present capabilities. According to the GAO's conclusions , the safety and effectiveness of air travel in the United States are in danger because many of the FAA's fundamental systems are still antiquated and unsustainable. The audit found that 17 of the FAA's 131 systems are very problematic, and 51 of them are deemed unsustainable. If not fixed soon, these systems—many of which are essential to communication and aviation safety—run the risk of failing. Among the most pressing issues highlighted in the audit is the aging infrastructure of the ATC system, including the reliance on legacy technologies such as copper wiring for data transmission. Skies Magazine reported among other issues, the GAO pointed out that the FAA has no plans to upgrade any of its systems, including three that are 30 years old, and has not planned to modify several of them for at least ten years. Among these is the Notice Air Missions ( notam s) system, which gives aircrews on over 50,000 flights daily real-time weather, traffic, and safety information. In January 2023, issues led to a two-hour suspension of all leaving aircraft, which caused approximately 10,000 flights to be delayed and over 1,300 flights to be canceled. The FAA has 64 ongoing investments aimed at modernizing outdated systems, but as the GAO notes, these efforts have been slow-moving and inconsistent. Of particular concern is the agency's failure to prioritize the replacement of the most critical systems, which could pose risks to air traffic safety if not addressed soon. Industry concerns Industry leaders, including Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have also expressed concern over the FAA’s slow progress. Ambrosi told Skies Magazine that pilots and air traffic controllers are often forced to rely on outdated equipment, undermining the potential of newer technologies designed to improve flight safety. ATC staff shortage is currently affecting many airports across the US. “The capabilities that have been implemented with NextGen have increased situational awareness and provided tools to help pilots make safe decisions through performance-based navigation, data, communication and ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast),” he noted.

NoneSaturday Night Live has lined up its last trio of hosts for 2024. After a season full of nostalgic bits, political bites, and even some emotional moments, Season 50’s first stretch will conclude with three back-to-back-to-back episodes in December. Here’s what to know about how to tune in for the last three episodes of the year.0 Yes! Saturday Night Live is new this weekend, on Saturday (December 7), with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal hosting and Shaboozey as musical guest. This marks Shaboozey’s first stint on SNL . After this week’s episode, two more consecutive shows have been announced. On December 14, Chris Rock will host for the fourth time, with Gracie Abrams as the musical guest of the week, making her SNL debut in support of her new album The Secret of Us . Then, on December 21, for the holiday episode, Martin Short will host for the third time, and Hozier will take the stage as musical guest, his second stint on the show in support of his new album Unreal Unearth . Saturday Night Live airs on Saturday evenings at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Episodes are also available to stream Peacock , which boasts a sprawling library of all 49 seasons. SNL kicked off its 50th season early in October. Here’s a list of the episodes so far. The show will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an NBC special airing Sunday, February 16. Find out everything to know about that right here . More Headlines:

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The 25-year-old Sweden international took his goal tally for the season to 12 in the 3-0 Boxing Day win over Aston Villa at St James’ Park, 10 of them in his last 10 Premier League games, after a challenging start to the new campaign. Isak managed 25 goals in a black and white shirt last season to further justify the club record £63million the club paid to bring him to Tyneside from Real Sociedad during the summer of 2022, but as delighted as he is with his big-money signing, head coach Howe is confident there is even more to come. Asked where the former AIK Solna frontman currently ranks in world football, he said: “My biggest thing with Alex is I am evaluating his game on a daily and weekly basis and I just want to try to push him for more. “Everyone else can say where he is in the pecking order of world football. His game is in a good place at the moment. “My job is to not sit back and appreciate that, my job is to try and find areas he can improve, push him towards that and never stop pushing him. He has all the ingredients in there. Football never stops evolving and changing and he has to evolve with it. “There is a lot more to come from him. Our job is to help him deliver that. “Of course the main responsibility is for Alex to keep his focus, ignore the plaudits and keep helping the team, not be selfish. It is about Newcastle and he plays his part.” It is no coincidence that Newcastle have prospered as Isak has rediscovered his best form, and they will head for Manchester United – where they have won only once in the top flight since 1972 – on Monday evening looking for a fifth successive win in all competitions. He has scored in each of the last five league games having grown into the mantle of the Magpies’ main man, a role performed with such distinction in the past by the likes of Jackie Milburn, Malcolm Macdonald and Alan Shearer, and he has done so with the minimum of fuss. Asked about his character, Howe said: “He is calm, cool – he is what you see on the pitch. “He doesn’t get overly emotional, which for a striker is a great quality because that coolness you see and calmness in front of goal is part of his personality, part of what he is. He seems to have an extra half a second when other players don’t. “With Alex, the beauty of his attitude is that he wants to improve. We give him information and he is responsive. He is not a closed shop. “He is in no way thinking he has arrived at a certain place. He knows he has to keep adding to his game. The challenge is great for him to keep scoring freely as he is now.”Is ‘SNL’ New This Weekend? Here’s Everything to Know