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sports article When Inter Miami were dumped out of Major League Soccer's playoffs in the first round, their former Spain international full-back Jordi Alba questioned the fairness of the post-season format. Miami had topped the Eastern Conference and the overall regular season standings with a record points tally a performance which earned them the 'Supporters' Shield'. But there would be no title battle against the best in the West for Lionel Messi and Company after they contrived to lose two matches in their best-of-three series against an Atlanta United team which finished ninth in the East and 20th in the overall standings. "I think this format is a bit unfair. It has been done for many years but I think it should be the champion of one conference against the champion of the other, to make it as fair as possible," Alba said. Alba's comments prompted much debate among MLS fans and plenty of accusations of sour grapes but they did serve to highlight that this year's playoffs, if not MLS's playoffs in general, would certainly not be a battle of the best versus best. Defending champions Columbus Crew, who finished second in the Supporters' Shield race, were also eliminated in the first round, adding to the sense that the knockout phase of the season is very much a competition of its own. So on Saturday, after the international break disrupted the flow of the post-season, the Conference semi-finals, will see a "Hudson River Derby" between two New York teams who couldn't finish in the top 10 in the regular season. New York City, Manchester City's sister club, have home-field advantage after finishing in 13th spot while the New York Red Bulls travel from New Jersey, having ended up in 16th place. The 'home field' isn't actually NYCFC's usual home of Yankee Stadium, which is being used for a college football game, but Citi Field, home of New York's other baseball club, the Mets. Later on Saturday, in the Western Conference, 2022 MLS Cup winners and last year's beaten finalists, Los Angeles FC, are at home to the Seattle Sounders. That fixture feels much more like the kind of playoff game that was expected -- LAFC finished top of the West while Seattle were fourth. LAFC faces the Sounders for the fourth time in an elimination match over the last 13 months, having defeated Seattle in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals, the 2024 Leagues Cup quarterfinal and the 2024 US Open Cup semifinal. Each of those matches was hosted by Seattle. LAFC, with former France stars in goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and striker Olivier Giroud, enter the encounter unbeaten in their last 10 meetings with the Sounders, with their last loss to Seattle coming in a 2-0 defeat in 2021. On Sunday, surprise package Atlanta, with their 40-year-old goalkeeper Brad Guzan having impressed so many with his heroics against Miami, will return to Florida to take on Orlando City, who finished fourth in the East. Atlanta won at Orlando on the last day of the regular campaign, a victory that allowed them to sneak into the wildcard round but which also completed a home and away double for the Georgia side. "Obviously, in Major League Soccer, anything can happen," said Orlando coach Oscar Pareja. "Our responsibility is to play one game at a time. This one, we're going to be ready for sure," he added. The weekend rounds off with Los Angeles Galaxy hosting Minnesota United who, under former Manchester United assistant coach Eric Ramsay, came through a best-of-three series against higher-ranked Real Salt Lake. The Galaxy start as favourites but, as this season has shown in abundance, that counts for little. "We know they are a top team at this level with top individual players who are very difficult to beat at home but...I feel that if we are a good version of what we have been over the last 10-12 games... I certainly won't be painting it as a one sided game," said Ramsay. sev/jsHouthis 'Shoot' U.S. F-18 Jet, 'Force Warship USS Truman To Back-pedal' In Red Sea | Watch

Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order. A judge in an Ottawa courtroom Friday said the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that King was guilty on one count each of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief and counselling others to obstruct police. He was also found guilty of two counts of disobeying a court order. The Alberta resident was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one count of obstructing police himself. King could be facing up to 10 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on Jan. 16. The Crown is seeking “significant” incarceration time in a penitentiary while the defence wants King to be sentenced to time served and a period of probation. King’s attorney Natasha Calvinho said right now she is focused on the sentencing hearing and will determine if any other action, such as an appeal, will be pursued at a later date. Calvinho said she and her client are disappointed with the ruling, but she said it was well reasoned. “I think what the more important takeaway here, and what we’ve been saying from the very beginning, Mr. King was acquitted of all charges related to inciting any form of violence, specifically intimidation of Ottawa residents,” Calvinho said outside the courthouse. “So yes, he was convicted, a couple counts of mischief for his social media posts, as the judge found, and will continue to fight another day.” The maximum sentence for mischief in this instance is 10 years. In January 2022 the convoy attracted thousands of demonstrators to Parliament Hill in protest against public-health restrictions, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the federal government. The event gridlocked downtown streets around Parliament Hill, with area residents complaining about the fumes from diesel engines running non-stop, and unrelenting noise from constant honking of horns and music parties. The federal Liberal government ultimately invoked the Emergencies Act to try and bring an end to the protests, which had expanded to also block several border crossings into the United States. Ottawa Police brought in hundreds of officers from police forces across Canada to force the protest to an end. King’s defence argued that King was peacefully protesting during the three-week demonstration and was not a leader of it. But the Crown alleged he was a protest leader who was instrumental to the disruption the protest caused the city and people who lived and worked nearby. The Crown alleged King co-ordinated the honking, ordering protesters to lay on the horn every 30 minutes for 10 minutes at a time and told people to “hold the line” when he was aware police and the city had asked the protesters to leave. The Crown’s case relied mainly on King’s own videos, which he posted to social media throughout the protest to document the demonstration and communicate with protesters. The court proceedings paused for about 10 minutes when King requested a short “health break” after the first verdicts on the mischief charges were read. Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland described the honking as “malicious conduct” intended to disrupt residents, workers, businesses and others from lawfully enjoying downtown Ottawa. Hackland also said that the videos show King was seen as and accepted the leadership role. He pointed to a quote from King, finding it “hilarious” that residents could not sleep for 10 days as “gleefully” aiding and abetting mischief. This evidence also played a role in determining King’s guilt in disobeying a court order and counselling others to do the same. These charges relate to the original Feb. 7, 2022 injunction against using air and train horns in downtown Ottawa which was launched by residents. The city successfully filed a similar injunction days later. As for counselling others to obstruct police, Hackland found King’s call to “hold the line” was telling people not to move from the protest site despite police orders. The judge said that phrase can be seen as a greeting between supporters of the convoy protest, but said there was no other logical interpretation in the context of King’s videos. In the days before a multi-day police removal operation began, King called on people to link arms and sit down with their backs to police if officers tried to move them. On the intimidation charges, Hackland said that a consistent theme of King’s videos were calls to remain peaceful and non-violent. He said that the target was always the federal government and COVID-19 policies, and specific individuals were not targeted by or through King’s actions. As for an intimidation charge related to blocking highways, Hackland said that finding guilt in this instance would be an “overly broad” interpretation of the Criminal Code as the blockade was done as part of a political protest, which is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. His trial was heard over several weeks between May and July. King still has charges of perjury and obstruction of justice that need to be dealt with which is a separate matter stemming from an April 2022 bail review hearing. Details of the testimony that led to the charges are protected under a publication ban, which exists for all information that arises during a bail hearing.UConn F Alex Karaban (head) won't play vs. BaylorDiscover How This AI Beauty Brand is Shattering Expectations

This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets. European markets are expected to open higher Tuesday, with investors keeping an eye on political upheaval in France this week. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 18 points higher at 8,322, Germany's DAX up 15 points at 19,922, France's CAC up 29 points at 7,245 and Italy's FTSE MIB up 43 points at 33,601, according to data from IG. Data releases Tuesday include U.K. retail sales and Spanish unemployment figures. France's financial markets will be closely watched Tuesday after Prime Minister Michel Barnier turned to special constitutional powers to pass a contested budget bill without a parliamentary vote. Opposition parties on both the left and right say they will back a no-confidence vote to bring Barnier's minority government down. The vote could take place Wednesday. Read more France's prime minister to push through contested budget despite risk of no-confidence vote The French CAC 40 index recorded a choppy session on Monday, starting the day lower before turning positive and then tumbling back into negative territory again. Overnight, Asia-Pacific markets traded higher , tracking gains on Wall Street after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite rose to new records overnight. U.S. stock futures were near flat Monday night. Money Report Trump repeats vow to ‘block' Nippon Steel's bid for U.S. Steel Asian chip stocks mostly rise, shrugging off new U.S. semiconductor export curbs on China Goldman Sachs just refreshed its conviction lists of global stocks, giving 3 over 40% upside Goldman Sachs has refreshed its lists of top global stock picks for December by adding some and removing others. The stocks are featured in the investment bank's "Conviction List - Directors' Cut," which boasts a "curated and active" list of buy-rated stocks. There have also been plenty of additions to the Directors' Cut, including the following three stocks which Goldman gives more than 40% upside potential over the next 12 months. CNBC Pro subscribers can read the full story here . — Amala Balakrishner CNBC Pro: Buy this Canadian dividend growth stock with a 5% yield, Scotiabank says One of Canada's large financial holding companies appears to be an attractive dividend investment opportunity, according to Scotiabank analysts. The investment bank believes the value of the dividend growth is "not reflected" in the stock price and is "underappreciated" by the market. The stock is currently offering investors 5% dividend yield. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite close at new record highs The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both closed at new records on Monday. The broad market benchmark added 0.24% to settle at 6,047.15. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.97%, finishing at 19,403.95. On the other hand, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 128.65 points, or 0.29%, to close at 44,782.00. — Lisa Kailai Han European markets: Here are the opening calls European markets are expected to open higher Tuesday. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 18 points higher at 8,322, Germany's DAX up 15 points at 19,922, France's CAC up 29 points at 7,245 and Italy's FTSE MIB up 43 points at 33,601, according to data from IG. Data releases Tuesday include U.K. retail sales and Spanish unemployment figures. — Holly Ellyatt Also on CNBC S&P 500 futures are little changed after index closes at a record Fed Governor Waller says he is 'leaning toward' a December interest rate cut Markets are getting more comfortable again with the idea of a December rate cut

UConn F Alex Karaban (head) won't play vs. Baylor

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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola denied he has a “personal problem” with Kevin De Bruyne and insisted Tuesday the playmaker's absence from the team in recent weeks was down to his fitness issues. City has not won in seven games in all competitions — its worst run under Guardiola — and De Bruyne has featured only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The Belgium midfielder was injured during City’s Champions League match with Inter Milan on Sept. 18 and hasn't started since. A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why De Bruyne has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump. Richards said on “The Rest is Football” podcast that it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola. Guardiola responded in his news conference ahead of Wednesday's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, saying: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play? “The guy who has the most talent in the final third — I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together? He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year). He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.” Both De Bruyne and Guardiola have spoken since of the pain De Bruyne was in after his injury against Inter and the need to ease him back into action. De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract. “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it too — but he is not 26 or 27 anymore," Guardiola said. “He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature. He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have." AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerTrump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to be ambassador to France

The risk of railway strikes causing major disruptions to New Year's Eve celebrations was exaggerated by the NSW premier, the head of the state's rail union has said. Amid concerns for Sydney's world-famous New Year's Eve party , the NSW Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) dropped eight major work bans late on Monday, casting the last-minute changes as necessary to help ward off actions to "effectively crush" its bargaining strategy. They include distance limits for drivers and various signalling bans that had forced more than 680 cancellations over the weekend. Cancelled trains, a call for free travel and a warning about NYE fireworks Following a Fair Work Commission (FWC) hearing on Tuesday, NSW RTBU branch secretary Toby Warnes took aim at the state government's recent rhetoric. "We have always said it was a stunt by Premier (Chris) Minns and his friends in the big business community. There was never going to be any rail shutdown or major disruptions on New Year's Eve and now there certainly won't be," Warnes said. "We trust people can now safely assume the fireworks will go ahead. They were never not going to go ahead, but we understand people were uncertain of that because of the government's rhetoric over the past three weeks." In a subsequent social media post, the union criticised what it called a "government scare campaign that there would be 'no fireworks'". The union has also agreed to drop a solidarity action and one other by the Electrical Trades Union to ensure public safety over the holidays. 'Services will now run as planned' NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen has said she is pleased with the union's decision. "Christmas, New Year and the Sydney Test are too important to the state, and I am pleased to report they are now safe as the union has withdrawn their industrial action," she said. "The holiday period is now safe for passengers and, for businesses. They can plan and provide confidence that we can have staff get to work safely and families can travel around the CBD with confidence, get in and out for the New Year's Eve fireworks. "New Year's Eve train services will now run as planned." Pub and bar operators, a casino and the NSW Labor government had planned to argue at Tuesday's FWC hearing that train driver work bans planned for New Year's would cause significant harm to third parties and potentially endanger life. Organisers say Sydney's NYE fireworks are watched by another 400 million people globally, with an economic impact estimated at $280 million. 23/12/2024 01:27 Play New Year's Eve is also the busiest day on Australia's largest rail network, with rare all-night running shuttling people across the state. Earlier, NSW Police warned of "grave concerns" for safety if the one million people expected to line Sydney Harbour on New Year's Eve struggled to leave after the midnight fireworks. Some 3,200 services run about every five minutes throughout the day, with crunch time coming in the hour after midnight as the masses try to leave together. "While it's frustrating to have to adjust our planned actions, our ability to pivot and respond strategically is crucial in the face of these dishonest and immoral manoeuvres," Warnes told union members on Monday night. "Withdrawing a small amount of our actions was not a backdown — it was a strategic step to defeat their legal argument," the union said in a social media post on Tuesday morning. Union and government still at odds The union and government remain poles apart after seven months of pay negotiations. Unions continue to demand four annual wage increases of eight per cent but Minns says that's unaffordable and can't happen while he is denying nurses a similarly costly claim. The government has offered 11 per cent across three years, including superannuation increases. Work bans recommenced on Thursday after a court dismissed a government bid to have them made unlawful. The saga could drag on for several more months. The Fair Work Commission cannot be asked to settle the substantive dispute — pay and conditions — until February.UConn F Alex Karaban (head) won't play vs. BaylorCHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 2, 2024-- Accel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: ACEL) and Fairmount Holdings, Inc. today announced the successful closure of their transaction where Accel has acquired the owner of the FanDuel Sportsbook & Racetrack, for total consideration of approximately 3.45 million shares of Accel Class A-1 common stock. The strategic transaction adds a promising single site racetrack and future casino to extend Accel’s convenience gaming expertise to a larger and more concentrated form factor – an adjacency in locals gaming that is complementary to Accel’s steadily growing, route-based footprint. During the year ended December 31, 2023, Fairmount generated $29 million of revenue and modest Adjusted EBITDA from the site’s existing sportsbook, racetrack and 3 OTB locations. Accel plans to invest $85-95 million to fund Phase I and then Phase II casino construction and modest track investments. Accel’s five-year forecast suggests an Adjusted EBITDA potential of $20 to $25 million and over 75% free cash flow conversion – pointing to a compelling cash flow return on capital. The asset will be the cornerstone in a local gaming platform that builds on Accel’s capabilities and strengths as a leading route-based operator. “We are excited to close the acquisition of Fairmount and eager to refresh and revitalize an iconic racing and gaming asset. Our plan and timeline are ambitious and achievable, and we look forward to welcoming investors and visitors to our Phase I casino opening in Q2, 2025,” said Andy Rubenstein, Accel co-founder, President, CEO and Director. Mark, Phelan, Accel’s President of U.S. Gaming added “Over the past few months, our team has been hard at work. We’ve hired a Casino General Manager, received approvals from both the Illinois Gaming Board and Illinois Racing Board and finalized design and development plans for the first phase of the casino.” Compelling Strategic Rationale The transaction has been approved by Accel’s Board of Directors, the Board of Directors and shareholders of Fairmount Holdings. Wells Fargo acted as exclusive financial advisor and Lewis Rice LLC acted as legal counsel to Fairmount Holdings in connection with the transaction. About Accel Accel is a leading distributed gaming operator in the United States and a preferred partner for local business owners in the markets it serves. Accel offers turnkey full-service gaming solutions to authorized non-casino locations such as bars, restaurants, convenience stores, truck stops, and fraternal and veteran establishments across the country. Accel installs, maintains, operates and services gaming terminals and related equipment for its location partners as well as redemption devices, stand-alone ATMs and amusement devices, including jukeboxes, dartboards, pool tables, and other entertainment related equipment. Accel also designs and manufactures gaming terminals and related equipment. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, any statements regarding the proposed acquisition, including statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, investment and expansion plans, projected future results and market opportunities, as well as our estimates of number of gaming terminals, locations, revenues, Adjusted EBITDA and capital expenditures, our ability to generate returns on capital and improve our trading multiple. The words “predict,” “estimated,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “would,” “continue,” and similar expressions or the negatives thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent our current reasonable expectations, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, Accel regarding Fairmount, the acquisition or its anticipated effects or benefits, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or Fairmount’s actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the forward-looking statements, and you should be aware that results and events could differ materially and adversely from those contained in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors including, but not limited to: Accel’s ability to integrate Fairmount’s operations with Accel’s own, to complete the casino development on a timely basis and within budget, and to operate the race track and casino businesses successfully; Accel’s ability to operate in existing markets or expand into new jurisdictions; Accel’s ability to offer new and innovative products and services that fulfill the needs of location partners and create strong and sustained player appeal; Accel’s dependence on relationships with key manufacturers, developers and third parties to obtain gaming terminals, amusement machines, and related supplies, programs, and technologies for its business on acceptable terms; the negative impact on Accel’s future results of operations by the slow growth in demand for gaming terminals and by the slow growth of new gaming jurisdictions; Accel’s heavy dependency on its ability to win, maintain and renew contracts with location partners; unfavorable macroeconomic conditions or decreased discretionary spending due to other factors such as interest rate volatility, persistent inflation, actual or perceived instability in the U.S. and global banking systems, high fuel rates, recessions, epidemics or other public health issues, terrorist activity or threat thereof, civil unrest or other macroeconomic or political uncertainties, that could adversely affect Accel’s business, results of operations, cash flows and financial conditions, Accel’s ability to integrate, develop and operate FanDuel Sportsbook & Racetrack and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in documents filed or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, forward-looking statements, including any projections or analysis, should not be viewed as factual and should not be relied upon as an accurate prediction of future results. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on Accel. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control), or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,2023 filed by Accel with the SEC on February 28, 2024 (the "Form 10-K"), as well as Accel’s other filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, we do not undertake publicly to update or revise these statements, even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed in this or other press releases or future quarterly reports, or company statements will not be realized. In addition, the inclusion of any statement in this press release does not constitute an admission by us that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. In addition, the industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors including those described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Form 10-K, as well as Accel’s other filings with the SEC. These and other factors could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release. Non-GAAP Financial Information This press release includes certain financial information not prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States (“GAAP”), including Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow, and Net Debt. EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Net Debt are non-GAAP financial measures and are key metrics used to monitor ongoing core operations. Management of Accel believes such non-GAAP financial measures enhance the understanding of Accel’s underlying drivers of profitability and trends in Accel’s business and facilitates company-to-company and period-to-period comparisons, because these non-GAAP financial measures exclude the effects of certain non-cash items, represents certain nonrecurring items that are unrelated to core performance, or excludes non-core operations. Management of Accel also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are used by investors, analysts and other interested parties as measures of financial performance. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202466306/en/ CONTACT: Investors Mathew Ellis Chief Financial Officer Accel Entertainment, Inc. 630-972-2235ir@accelentertainment.comMedia Eric Bonach H/Advisors Abernathy 212-371-5999eric.bonach@h-advisors.global KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CASINO/GAMING GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE: Accel Entertainment, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/02/2024 04:30 PM/DISC: 12/02/2024 04:32 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241202466306/en

Pat King found guilty of mischief for role in ‘Freedom Convoy’

How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Tuesday, December 3It seems that Blake Lively was not the only person affected by her experience on the set of the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us. In an explosive lawsuit filed against co-star and director Justin Baldoni , the mother of four details a harrowing experience on set that she alleges led to her and her youngest child contracting COVID, as well as a lack of lactation breaks and invasions of privacy that impacted both her physical and mental health. According to court documents, her and fellow actor Ryan Reynolds ' children "have been traumatized and emotionally uprooted in ways that have substantially impacted their well-being.” Inside Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds ‘soft parenting’ approach after confession It Ends With Us author posts in support of 'honest' Blake Lively after lawsuit The lawsuit, which was filed on December 20, alleges that Baldoni and his business partner Jamey Heath, along with their production company Wayfarer, "failed to implement" proper COVID precautions after an on-set outbreak because their insurance did not cover COVID-related illnesses. The 37-year-old actress claims in the suit that information about potential exposure was "deliberately withheld," leading to her and her infant son contracting the illness. The Gossip Girl star claims that after she and her baby contracted COVID from an on-set exposure, "instead of acknowledging responsibility and committing to safety moving forward, [Baldoni and Heath] expressed upset over production days missed and resulting costs." The court documents also mention issues with the lack of "proper lactation breaks" on set, as well as repeated incidents in which her privacy was invaded while breastfeeding, which led to the actress suffering from emotional and physical distress. According to the lawsuit, Blake, who played Lily Bloom in the movie, often went up to six hours without lactation breaks. "Ms. Lively often had to work while breastfeeding, which she felt comfortable doing so long as she was given the time and space to cover herself. She did this frequently because she was not given breaks to feed her baby." DON'T MISS: Ryan Reynolds 'blocked Justin Baldoni' on social media before bombshell lawsuit Justin Baldoni dropped from agency as Blake Lively lawsuit scandal erupts Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are trying to give kids a 'normal life' The long periods of working without lactating led to the development of "painful mastitis," which she claims caused her pain and distress that continued well after production wrapped. On top of that, the A Simple Favor actress recalls her privacy being consistently violated on set while she breastfed her youngest child. "Ms. Lively did not expect or consent to anyone entering her private spaces while topless, exposed, and vulnerable with her newborn, or during body makeup application or removal. Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath both showed a shocking lack of boundaries by invading her personal space when she was undressed and vulnerable." Blake and Ryan claim that her experience on set and what she claims to be a "hostile work environment" led to her suffering from "grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety" that affected their entire family, including their young children.Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger that would form the world’s third-largest automaker by sales, as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp. also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Automakers in Japan have lagged behind their big rivals in electric vehicles and are trying to cut costs and make up for lost time as newcomers like China’s BYD and EV market leader Tesla devour market share. Honda’s president, Toshihiro Mibe, said Honda and Nissan will attempt to unify their operations under a joint holding company. Honda will lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. They aim to have a formal merger agreement by June and to complete the deal and list the holding company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by August 2026, he said. No dollar value was given and the formal talks are just starting, Mibe said. There are “points that need to be studied and discussed,” he said. “Frankly speaking, the possibility of this not being implemented is not zero.” A merger could result in a behemoth worth more than $50 billion based on the market capitalization of all three automakers. Together, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi would gain scale to compete with Toyota Motor Corp. and with Germany’s Volkswagen AG. Toyota has technology partnerships with Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month, with unconfirmed reports saying Taiwan iPhone maker Foxconn was seeking to tie up with Nissan by buying shares from the Japan’s company’s other alliance partner, Renault SA of France. Nissan’s CEO Makoto Uchida said Foxconn had not directly approach his company. He also acknowledged that Nissan’s situation was “severe.” Even after a merger Toyota, which rolled out 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, would remain the leading Japanese automaker. If they join, the three smaller companies would make about 8 million vehicles. In 2023, Honda made 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million. “We have come to the realization that in order for both parties to be leaders in this mobility transformation, it is necessary to make a more bold change than a collaboration in specific areas,” Mibe said. Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi earlier agreed to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and to jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to electrification. Nissan has struggled following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman Carlos Ghosn in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon. Speaking Monday to reporters in Tokyo via a video link, Ghosn derided the planned merger as a “desperate move.” From Nissan, Honda could get truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn’t have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions, told The Associated Press. Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybrid powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said. But the company said in November that it was slashing 9,000 jobs, or about 6% of its global work force, and reducing its global production capacity by 20% after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million). It recently reshuffled its management and Uchida, its chief executive, took a 50% pay cut while acknowledging responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes , rising costs and other global changes. “We anticipate that if this integration comes to fruition, we will be able to deliver even greater value to a wider customer base,” Uchida said. Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan’s credit outlook to “negative,” citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($9.4 billion). Nissan’s share price also had fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain. On Monday, its Tokyo-traded shares gained 1.6%. They jumped more than 20% after news of the possible merger broke last week. Honda’s shares surged 3.8%. Honda’s net profit slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as its sales suffered in China. The merger reflects an industry-wide trend toward consolidation. At a routine briefing Monday, Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said he would not comment on details of the automakers' plans, but said Japanese companies need to stay competitive in the fast changing market. “As the business environment surrounding the automobile industry largely changes, with competitiveness in storage batteries and software is increasingly important, we expect measures needed to survive international competition will be taken,” Hayashi said. -- Mari Yamaguchi and Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press