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A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul Donald Trump's health team picks include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling an agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans’ health, from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to be Trump's health secretary is anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He says his task is to “reorganize” federal health agencies. They employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans’ daily lives. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Israeli strikes in central Beirut kill at least 20 as diplomats push for a cease-fire BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 20 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon’s capital continue without warning. Diplomats are scrambling to broker a cease-fire but say obstacles still remain. The current proposal calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon in the months of fighting that have turned into all-out war. Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Election reform advocates had hoped for a big year at the ballot box. That's because a historic number of states were considering initiatives for ranked choice voting or to end partisan primaries. Instead, voters dealt them big losses in the November elections. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota all rejected proposed changes to their voting systems. In Alaska, a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting appears to have narrowly fallen short. The losses in many states came even though election reform supporters raised more than $100 million, easily outpacing opponents. Supporters say they aren't giving up but plan to retool their efforts. The week that upped the stakes of the Ukraine war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation. US reels from rain, snow as second round of bad weather approaches for Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. is reeling from snow and rain while preparing for another bout of bad weather ahead of Thanksgiving that could disrupt holiday travel. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia are also starting the weekend with heavy precipitation. Meanwhile thousands remain without power in the Seattle area after a “bomb cyclone” storm system roared ashore the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight Most people taking popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight have shed significant pounds. But obesity experts say that roughly 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not see robust results with the new medications. The response to the drugs varies from person to person and can depend on genetics, hormones and differences in how the brain regulates energy. Undiagnosed medical conditions and some drugs can prevent weight loss. Experts say it can take experimentation to help so-called nonresponders find results. Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 37 people PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A senior Pakistani police officer says fighting between armed sectarian groups in the country's restive northwest has killed at least 37 people. The overnight violence was the latest to rock Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and comes days after a deadly gun ambush killed 42 people. The officer said Saturday that armed men torched shops, houses and government property overnight. Gunfire is ongoing between rival tribes. Although Sunnis and Shiites generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, tensions remain in some areas, especially Kurram. Hydrate. Make lists. Leave yourself time. And other tips for reducing holiday travel stress Travel, especially during the holiday season, can be stressful. But following some tips from the pros as you prepare for a trip can make for a smoother, less anxious experience. One expert traveler suggests making a list a week before you go of things you need to do and pack. Cross off each item as you complete it during the week. Another tip is to carry your comfort zone with you. That could mean noise-canceling headphones, playlists meant to soothe airport travelers, entertainment and snacks from home. Carry a change of clothes and a phone charger in case of delays. Stay hydrated. Leave extra time. And know your airline's rules. Downloading the airline's app can help with that. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August.One told The Sun a choir sang inside the church as Liam's nearest and dearest "struggled to come to terms with" their "unfathomable" loss. The newspaper added those closest to Liam gave readings focused on the singer's famous generosity, which saw him give away huge chunks of his fortune to sick children in the years leading up to his death. A friend told the publication: "The service was beautiful but for everyone inside the church, the loss of Liam is still unfathomable. "A choir performed during the service and Liam's personality shone through in all of the details. "The readings given during the service were incredibly personal and painted a picture of what Liam was really like. "He was kind, generous and put everyone else first. The service was centred on this. "Liam as a son, a brother and a father. The man that he was behind closed doors. The man who went out of his way to help others. The fact he is no longer with us is still incomprehensible." Liam died on 16 October after he fell 45ft from the third-floor balcony of his suite at the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires where he had been on holiday. Floral tributes at his funeral included one of a set of bowling pins being knocked over - in reference to his lifelong love of the sport. There was also a wreath spelling out 'Daddy' left at the church from his son Bear, seven, who Liam had with his 41-year-old singer ex Cheryl. Flowers were also left at a shrine in Liam's home city of Wolverhampton.Anxiety about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high on list of American's concerns Limiting your news consumption may help ease stress and anxiety More than before, Americans surveyed say they'll make mental health resolutions for 2025 FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Should you cut back on doom scrolling in 2025? Worries about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high among many people's lists of worries at the end of 2024, according to a poll that is part of American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly opinion poll series. The survey included 2200 U.S. adults. Reducing news consumption may be beneficial for your mental health , experts say. "If current events seem overwhelming it may be time to limit your news consumption,” Dr. Marketa Wills , medical director of the APA, said. “While we like to stay informed, the news can also impact our mental health, and being mindful of that impact is important," Wells said in a news release. According to the APA's research, American adults have remained most anxious about the economy and gun violence throughout 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, more than 1/3 of Americans surveyed (33%) say they will make mental health-related New Year’s resolutions, which is a 5% increase from last year. In fact, the increase is the highest result the APA has collected since it began asking the question in 2021. As usual, many people report that they will pledge to be more physically active in 2025; other resolutions focus on participating in mentally healthy activities. Spend more time in nature (46%) Meditation (44%) Focus on spirituality (37%) Take a social media break (30%) Journaling (29%) “A new year brings with it new opportunities but also renewed concerns about the very important issues that impact our lives,” Wills said, adding that “any time of the year, mental health matters. Staying mindful of how we’re doing while taking active steps to care for ourselves is a terrific resolution.” More information The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has more on stress and anxiety management. SOURCE: American Psychiatric Association (APA), news release, Dec. 13, 2024; APA, press release, Dec. 18, 2024 If you make resolutions, consider starting or re-starting a practice that will nurture your mental health, such as meditating or taking a break from social media.
The Dow fell sharply on Friday, dropping more than 500 points as tech giants within the so-called “Magnificent Seven” saw significant declines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 542 points, or 1.25%, by Friday afternoon, erasing much of the market’s gains from the holiday-shortened week. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 slipped 1.6% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.3%. Additionally, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.58%. The tech sector faced widespread selling pressure, with the “Magnificent Seven” mega-cap stocks trading in the red. Amazon ( AMZN -2.21% ) slid 2.2%, Apple ( AAPL -1.82% ) lost 2%, Tesla ( TSLA -4.56% ) dropped 4.8%, Microsoft ( MSFT -2.41% ) fell 2.4%, Alphabet ( GOOGL -2.30% ), the parent company of Google, declined 2.5%, and Meta Platforms ( META -1.90% ) shed 2%. Investors continued to offload AI stocks on Friday, locking in profits during the holiday season. Shares of Super Micro Computer ( SMCI -5.96% ), Palantir ( PLTR -4.24% ), and Nvidia ( NVDA -2.92% ) — another Magnificent Seven stock — fell sharply, dropping by 5.5%, 3%, and 4.4% respectively. 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.Returning All-Stars and swimmers to keep on your radar, 2024-25
Indian Origin Healthcare Group Padiyath Healthcare has earmarked investment worth $100 million in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. This disclosure was made by Padiyath Healthcare chairman Dr. Hazeeb Rahman Padiyath, during an address by visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Abuja, yesterday. According to Padiyath, the investments when completed will enable Nigerians access world class hospitals at affordable cost. He disclosed that already the company is set to commission a world-class hospital, in Abuja as part of the long term investment drive of the India company, in the country. According to him the first one is the “Padiyath Mayfields Hospitals”, a 300-bed tertiary care hospital which is being constructed in Suncity estates, Galadimawa, Abuja,” adding that “When commissioned it will be Nigeria’s largest private sector hospital”. He told the visiting India PM that the “hospital brings in advanced diagnostic equipments like 3T MRI. 256 Slice CT Scan Machine which will be the first of its kind in western Africa along with Cardiac cathlab, 24 Super speciality centers of excellence, 25 bedded Intensive care unit, Operation theatre in emergency department itself in addition to the Operation Theater complex in the 3rd floor which can be lifesaving in times of emergency”. He said the project will be ready for unveiling by February 2025. The India investor disclosed that the second Hospital Padiyath Cancare Hospitals which will also be domiciled in Abuja will be a 200-bed hospital world class cancer institute. “This center will be a full-fledged cancer hospital with equipment like Pet Scan, Linear accelerator & Gamma knife,” Dr. Padiyath said. The Group Padiyath healthcare is a true Indian multinational healthcare provider with operations in India, middle east & Africa, the company boss said. The Africa expansions are spearheaded by Dr. Padiyath. It is part of his vision to provide quality affordable healthcare across Africa maintaining the principles of Padiyath Healthcare which says “Technology -Technique -Touch.”
US lawmakers concluded a two-year investigation Monday into the Covid-19 outbreak that killed 1.1 million Americans -- backing the theory that the virus likely leaked from a Chinese laboratory. A 520-page report from the Republican-controlled House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic looked at the federal and state-level response, as well as the pandemic's origins and vaccination efforts. "This work will help the United States, and the world, predict the next pandemic, prepare for the next pandemic, protect ourselves from the next pandemic, and hopefully prevent the next pandemic," panel chairman Brad Wenstrup said in a letter to Congress. US federal agencies, the World Health Organization and scientists across the planet have arrived at different conclusions about the most likely origin of Covid-19, and no consensus has emerged. Most believe it to have spread from animals in China, but a US intelligence analysis said last year that the virus may have been genetically engineered and escaped from a virology lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where human cases first emerged. The congressional panel was persuaded by the lab leak theory after meeting 25 times, conducting more than 30 transcribed interviews and reviewing more than one million pages of documents. The investigation included two days of interviews behind closed doors with Anthony Fauci, the government scientist who became the nation's most trusted expert in the chaotic early days of the 2020 outbreak. Fauci's clashes with former and incoming president Donald Trump over the response sparked fury on the right, and he now lives with security protection following death threats against his family. More from this section Republicans accuse the 83-year-old immunologist of helping to set off the worst pandemic in a century by approving funding passed on to Chinese scientists they accuse of manufacturing the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Among its headline conclusions, the report said the National Institutes of Health had indeed funded contentious "gain-of-function" research -- which seeks to enhance viruses as a way of finding ways to combat them -- at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Fauci angrily denied covering up the origins of Covid-19 before the panel in June, arguing that it would be "molecularly impossible" for the bat viruses studied at the lab to be turned into the virus that caused the pandemic. But the panel's report said SARS-CoV-2 "likely emerged because of a laboratory or research related accident." The probe found that lockdowns "did more harm than good" and that mask mandates were "ineffective at controlling the spread of Covid-19," contradicting other research showing that masking in public does reduce transmission rates. Social distancing guidelines also came under criticism, although travel restrictions were deemed to have saved lives. Investigators found that Trump's Operation Warp Speed -- the publicly-funded project to develop Covid vaccines -- was a "tremendous success" but that school closures would have an "enduring impact" on US children. ft/jgc
ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at atlantatrackclub.org . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on etix.com . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!
When it comes to creating Christmas spirit , Macaulay Culkin is always thirsty for more. To make the season bright for their sons—3-year-old Dakota and his 2-year-old brother whose name hasn't been shared—Culkin and fiancée Brenda Song "go all out at Christmas in our house," the actor admitted in an exclusive interview with E! News. "Because right now they're at the magic age where they believe and we want to nurture that belief." So the Home Alone star cooks up the holiday ham and together they string up the lights and lean hard into playing Santa. Speaking of... "I told them that I'm at Santa's workshop fixing toys, because that's what I do for them at home," Culkin shared of how he explained the two weeks he'd be away screening his holiday classic for fans across the United States. "I'm so good that Santa Claus called me up to the North Pole. They're totally fine with that." Particularly if he can put in a good word with the big guy. Eldest son Dakota "wants a Spider-Man truck, he wants a truck from New York City and he wants more presents," Culkin detailed. "And my youngest heard exactly what he said. He goes, 'I want a garbage truck. I want garbage bins and I want more presents.' It's like they're wishing for more wishes. I'm like, ' You guys are certainly my sons .'" Other than his handyman work, Culkin's chief holiday responsiblity is stuffing the stockings that were hung by the chimney with care. "I guess the best word would be maestro, maybe master, of stockings," the 44-year-old shared. "I nail the stockings every year. I'm just about to get on top of my stocking game as we speak." The key, he explained, is having enough varied interests that Amazon knows where your head is at before you even log on. He knows he's done his best work when Song, 36, is like, "'Where'd you get that?'" he shared of picking out treasures like a Zoltar fortune-telling machine similar to the one featured in Big . "It was like, 'I don't even know. I think it's from Switzerland?' It's because I have such kooky taste, that my recommendations do half the work for me." And this year he has another ace up his sleeve, thanks to the work he did with Uber Eats to advertise their Holiday Hub, which on Dec. 7 will be offering a troupe of on-demand Uber Carolers for those in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and Washington, D.C., in addition to delivering last-minute gifts or even trees. "I think I have it in my contract that they have to send carolers to my house," he joked. "So I'm calling the neighbors. 'Everyone come by, I got some free carolers courtesy of Uber Eats.'" Not that he didn't work for his highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese supper, filming an ad chock full of "wink and nods" to his time spent as Home Alone 's intrepid elementary schooler Kevin . While he was never trying to make his appearance in the 1990 and 1992 films disappear, "It was a bit burdensome," he acknowledged. But after becoming a father he sees his kids in all the children who find joy in watching "the little guy getting one over on the bad guys." Nowadays, he said, "I'm embracing it and at the same time, I guess the best way to put it is taking the piss out of it, too, having fun with it. It's very rare when you have something that encompasses an important day and I'm a part of that. It's more fun to embrace it than to fight it." So, yes, Home Alone is basically required viewing in the Culkin-Song household . "Oh, heck yeah! Are you kidding me?" he responded when asked if his toddlers had seen his work . Dakota actually "think he's Kevin," Culkin shared. "I'm like, 'Do you remember going down the stairs on the sled?' He's like, ‘Mmhmm, yep. Sure do.' I'm like, ‘Do you remember when he had yellow hair?' And he's like, ‘Uh-huh, yep.'" Though the preschooler's favorite bit is the same as his dad's. "You know when the Wet Bandits show up and I pretend there's a party there?" Culkin recounted. "There's a Michael Jordan thing on the train set and there's music playing and I'm doing the whole thing with the strings moving the mannequins. Originally, I was supposed to play the piano and things like that. It was way over complicated and they pretty much just said, 'Hey, we're going to tie some strings to you. Be a goof.' I'm like, 'You're in my wheelhouse now.'" He already had fond memories of filming that scene when he watched with a then-18-month-old Dakota. "He got up and just started doing the googly dance thing," Culkin recalled, referencing the moment when his character swings his fists up and down. "And so I got up and started doing the dance with him. I already enjoyed doing it, but now it means something else." And when his kids realize it's actually Dad that was eating junk and watching rubbish, said Culkin, "It's gonna blow their minds." 'Tis the season to enjoy another viewing of the holiday classic. So we're going to give you to the count of 10 to get your ugly, yella, no-good keister onto your couch for another viewing. But first, we're reading through all of the film's private stuff below. You better not come out and pound us! 1. John Hughes ' creation was born from his own parental anxiety. In an oral history compiled for Chicago Magazine in 2015, his son, James Hughes , revealed the legendary filmmaker jotted the idea down in a notebook on Aug. 8, 1989 just ahead of the family's first trip to Europe. "Two weeks later, after returning home," James wrote, "he revisited the premise: What if one of the kids had been accidentally left behind?" Inspired, the creator of The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink crafted the initial draft in just nine days "capped by an eight-hour, 44-page dash to the finale," he shared. "Before finishing, he'd expressed concerns in the marginalia of his journal that he was working too slowly." 2. Macaulay Culkin is not among those who consider his star-making flick appointment viewing at the holidays. "I can't watch it the same way other people do," he explained to Ellen DeGeneres in 2018 of changing the channel when the blockbuster comes on his TV. Though in certain situations, he has made an exception. "You get like a new girlfriend and she's flipping through the channels and then there's Home Alone and she's like, 'Ehh, you wanna watch it?'" he described on The Tonight Show that same year. "I have indulged that and most of the time I'm just muttering my lines under my breath." It's a bit strange, he allowed, but "Whatever gets her motor running, I guess." Perhaps that was part of his motivation for reprising his gig for a must-watch 2018 Google ad that shows what Kevin would be like as a technologically-equipped adult? 3. Or quipping "Hey @Disney, call me!" when news broke in 2019 that the studio was planning to reimagine the '90s classic. The result: Home Sweet Home Alone . 4. The film may have had a whole different look if Chevy Chase wasn't kind of a jerk. Director Chris Columbus was set to helm the comic's 1989 hit National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation , he shared with Chicago Magazine , but when he and Chase went out for an initial get-to-know-each-other dinner, "To be completely honest, Chevy treated me like dirt." A second outing didn't fare much better and soon Columbus found himself calling producer Hughes and bowing out of the project. "About two weeks later, I got two scripts at my in-laws' house in River Forest," Columbus recalled. "One was Home Alone , with a note from John asking if I wanted to direct. I thought, Wow, this guy is really supporting me when no one else in Hollywood was going to. John was my savior." 5. Though the picture came this close to not getting made at all. Due to a budget dispute between Warner Bros. and the production team, the film was put up for grabs. That's when Joe Roth , chairman at 20th Century Fox at the time, had lunch with Hughes' agent and discovered they were squabbling over $700,000. "He told me Home Alone was costing $14.7 million and Warners would only pay $14 million," remembered Roth. "I said, 'What's the idea?' He told me. I said, 'OK, if you can get it out of there, I'll make it.' Seemed like a no-brainer. Didn't cost much. I didn't have a Thanksgiving movie. I liked the idea. I loved the people involved." Good call: The film went on to gross more than $476 million. 6. Culkin pretty much had the lead role in the bag. Having directed him the previous year in Uncle Buck with John Candy , Hughes was certain the then-9-year-old was their guy, "but I owed it to myself as director to see other child actors," explained Columbus. "John said, 'OK, take your time, do what you need to do.'" More than 200 auditions later, Columbus saw Culkin "and you immediately knew this was the kid. I knew subconsciously that John knew that was going to happen, but it was really sweet of him to give me that sort of freedom." 7. Inept burglars Marv ( Daniel Stern ) and Harry ( Joe Pesci ) bonded long before becoming the Wet Bandits. "Everyone assumed we were thrown together for the first time on Home Alone , but we'd made each other giggle on the set in another movie years before that we were both cut out of: I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can ," Stern shared with Chicago . "We played people in a mental institution. Joe walked around all the time with this rolled-up tube of architectural drawings. That was his character. And during one of the takes, there's a Ping-Pong table in the middle of the room, and Joe takes his tube of paper and puts it up to his nose and snorts the line of Ping-Pong balls. I fell on the floor laughing. I became his friend right then." 8. And Stern reallllly wanted this part. "The script struck a chord in me. I hadn't gotten a chance to express that kind of physical comedy since I was a kid," he explained. "I thought, I can hit a f--king home run with this. I went to an audition for Chris. I wanted it so bad. When I left, I thought, I could do that better. It was the only time in my life I called and said, 'Can I come back?' Chris told me later he was already gonna cast me, but he saw me audition again." 9. Off-camera Pesci and Stern were not the murderous big horse's asses they were made out to be. "I'm a big softy when it comes to kids and I loved hanging out with Mac," Stern admitted in a 2015 Christmas Eve Reddit session . When shooting the film's 1992 follow-up, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York , his son Henry (now a state senator in California!) and daughters Sophie and Ella "visited me much more than on the first one... and we all had a great time taking Mac to Central Park, playing tag and catch. In any way, I think my character was much more of a softy than Joe's." Makes sense considering reports that Pesci purposely avoided Culkin on set so he'd be more terrified of his character. 10. But the stunts were all too real, including the still-to-this-day-creepy tarantula to the face. Despite the ick factor, Stern said it was one of his favorites to shoot. "Not only was it really fun and funny to do but it was a personal challenge to overcome my fear of having something that ICKY and deadly crawling on my face," he wrote. "It was even freakier because I had to do that scream, which meant my mouth was wide open too—and I was afraid the little bastard might take a detour down my throat!" No wonder he said his bellow "came from a place in my soul that I've never before touched and never hope to again!" 11. The stunt guys got the brunt of it, though. "Literally, three or four times while shooting Home Alone and Home Alone 2 , I thought those guys were dead," Columbus admitted to Chicago . "There was no CGI. It was kind of terrifying to watch. Only after they got up and came to the monitor to watch playback did we actually laugh." Agreed Stern, "The stuntmen were the unsung heroes of the show. Whenever people tell me moments they like, I say, 'Oh, that was Leon [ Delaney ].'" 12. The sound team truly flexed the muscles with each pratfall, relying on a frozen roast beef to double as the sound of a body slamming onto the ground and a soldering iron on chicken skin to imitate flesh burning. 13. Somehow, though, it was Culkin who ended up with a scar. "In the first Home Alone , they hung me up on a coat hook, and Pesci says, 'I'm gonna bite all your fingers off, one at a time,'" he recalled in a 2004 interview with website Rule Forty Two. "And during one of the rehearsals, he bit me, and it broke the skin." 14. Chris Farley almost counted the flick as his film debut. Actor Ken Hudson Campbell , who nabbed the role of the church Santa, recalled seeing the comic legend at his audition. "Apparently, he was out all night and had just been dropped off after a night of shenanigans, shall we say," Campbell recounted of the early call. "Chris went first. It didn't go very well. He walked in and walked right out. I felt I went in and hit what I wanted to hit. A few weeks later, I got the call." 15. Other near-misses include Robert De Niro and Jon Lovitz , who both turned down the role of Harry, and Kelsey Grammer , who passed on Uncle Frank. Look what you did, you little jerks! 16. The owners of the famed Winnetka, Ill. house—some 16 miles outside of Chicago—actually lived there during filming. Though production rented Cynthia and John Abendshien an apartment for what they said would be a four- or five-week shoot, the location manager "explained that, under the contract, if they needed to knock down a wall when we weren't home, they could do it," Cynthia told Chicago . "So she told us it was best if we remained on the premises." For five-and-a-half months, the family of three holed up in their four-room master bedroom suite. "We put a hot plate up there to cook," said John. "We didn't have to cook that much, because we had full access to the food truck that the crew used, which our daughter, who was 6 at the time, loved." Fortunately most of the house-destroying interiors were shot at a local high school that was closed down for the shoot. 17. Residents of the North Shore neighborhood have grown used to the fans that drive down their suburban street to gawp at the $1.585 million Georgian stunner. "Most people who live on the street love it, and think it's a lot of fun," longtime local Ann Smith told the Chicago Tribune in 2019. "It was a big deal having the movie filmed here, and it's still a big deal. Any time I'm walking by that house, I see someone out in front, taking pictures." 18. Call it the ones where Friends ' producers thought they could pull one over on viewers. In 2016, an eagle-eyed fan at 22 Vision uncovered a connection between the holiday flick and the beloved NBC comedy— splicing together footage that proved Monica and Chandler's new house in the New York City suburbs was actually the McCallister's giant Illinois pad. 19. Chicago weather pulled through in the stretch. To create the snowy look of the film, the crew relied on snow machines and semi trucks filled with shaved ice. But when they captured the moment Kate McCallister ( Catherine O'Hara ) finally arrived home, "It was gorgeous, real snow," recalled location manager Jacolyn Bucksbaum . "The biggest snowstorm in years, and it was Valentine's Day. Mother Nature really helped us out with that one." 20. The family's mad dash to their Paris flight was actually captured on location at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. "We had to move fast," Columbus shared. "We only had two or three takes of the entire family running down the terminal. That was nail-biting." 21. Of course ad-libbing was encouraged on set. There's a reason John Candy was a fixture in '80s and '90s fare, after all. On set for just a day to shoot his bit part as Polka King Gus Polinski ("He did it as a favor to John," noted Columbus), "I swear we worked for 21 hours straight, improvising," said O'Hara. "Candy would start a bit. John Hughes would start a bit, and Candy would pick up on it, and we would just go with it. It was all in the moment. We'd start a ridiculous conversation and go as far as we could. Chris told me later how we couldn't use most of it. He laughed and said, 'You're supposed to be looking for your kid, and you're just having a good time with these guys in a truck.'" 22. Candy wasn't the only quick thinker. Culkin reportedly came up with his threat to Marv and Harry: "Do you guys give up or are you thirsty for more?" 23. Little known fact about Buzz's girlfriend (woof): She was actually the art director's son made up to look like an unattractive young girl, actor Devin Ratray revealed to Yahoo! : "The producers decided that it would be a little bit unkind to put a girl in that role of just being funny-looking." 24. The snippets of the movie within the movie, mock-noir Angels with Filthy Souls , was written entirely by Hughes down to the "Keep the change, ya filthy animal," line. Local actor Ralph Foody was tapped to play the role of a 1940s screen star. "To this day, people are still fooled by Ralph's performance," said Columbus. "They think that's an old movie." And the original script included a fun callback to Angels , with Marv and Harry watching the flick in prison and realizing how completely they'd been duped. 25. Three-plus decades on, the movie still resonates with audiences worldwide. "Anywhere I go, I'm the Home Alone dude," Stern told Chicago . "In 2003, I went to visit troops in Iraq. I was at a base camp, and they wanted to take me into Baghdad, to a jewelry store that they'd secured. They said I could buy earrings for my wife. I was like, 'What? All right.' So we go in these cars into Baghdad, and as I'm walking into the jewelry store, we get surrounded by kids going, 'Marv! Marv!' Like 16 Iraqi kids in the middle of a war zone in Baghdad still recognized me from Home Alone . That movie is everywhere ."
DA target: More Kadiwa stores outside NCR
Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here’s a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect: California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use. Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so. New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. A Florida law bans children under 14 accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But enforcement is being delayed because of a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February. A new Tennessee law also to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge. Several new California measures aimed at are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create . In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents if their . The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies passed by several districts. Many states have passed laws since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents , copayments or other cost-sharing requirements. A new Minnesota law prohibits guns with “binary triggers” that allow for more rapid fire, causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released. In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards. Kentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use . To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana. Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases. The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour. Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. In Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe. In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone cause an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law. Montana is the only state that hasn’t , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Tenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay , thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizona’s nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation. Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs. Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward. An Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate. “I think it’s very important that people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens,” Young said.Mac Engel: Jake Paul’s PR statement denying fight with Mike Tyson was rigged misses the issue
US Announces Additional Military Assistance To Ukraine Worth $725 Mn
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