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Oliver Glasner declared Crystal Palace are on the right path after they finally broke their away duck with a 1-0 win at Ipswich. Jean-Philippe Mateta struck in the second half with the only real piece of quality in a nervy encounter between two struggling teams. It is now two wins and three draws from the last six matches for Glasner’s side, whose winter revival is gathering pace nicely following a sticky start to the campaign. “I feel very happy, we’re all very pleased with the result, it was not the best performance but the result was more important,” said the Eagles boss. “Most of the time we controlled the game and we scored an amazing goal, a fantastic finish from JP. “We had more chances to decide the game but we couldn’t, but I think the win was well deserved. “We didn’t give them any chances from open play and with a clean sheet you can always take the win. “It’s a big win. Now it’s not time to sit back and relax but to keep going. In four days we face Manchester City. We stay humble. There are still many things to improve but we are on the right path.” Ipswich looked the likelier to score as a low-key first half drew to a close and were denied by a point-blank save by Dean Henderson from Harry Clarke’s near-post header. Shortly after the interval Wes Burns got clear down the right and lifted an inviting cross towards Liam Delap, whose header was straight at Henderson. However, from out of nowhere Palace conjured up a lightning counter-attack to go ahead on the hour. Eberechi Eze led the charge before feeding Mateta, who surged forward with a couple of stepovers before brushing off the attention of Jacob Greaves and finishing superbly past Arijanet Muric. It was the French forward’s sixth goal of the season, and his first away from Selhurst Park. Back came Ipswich with Leif Davis fizzing in another cross for Delap, who somehow mistimed his jump and completely missed the ball from six yards. As time ticked down Greaves looped a header against the far post, with the rebound just eluding substitute Ali-Al Hamadi. “Frustrating night,” said Town boss Kieran McKenna. “It was a tight first half, we weren’t fantastic in terms of the flow of the game and didn’t create as many opportunities as we wanted. But having said that neither did our opponents. “In the second half we conceded a really poor goal and that proved decisive. We can do better than we did tonight.” We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.

Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in ‘Baby Driver,’ dies after falling from moving vehicleNew bushfire warning for another Australian state as weary firefighters in Victoria battle the worst conditions since Black Summer Bushfire has been burning in Victoria for over a week Temperatures plunged as winds arrived on Thursday Extreme fire danger in another Aussie state on Friday READ MORE: Thousands told to evacuate now as bushfires sweep Victoria By WILLIAM TON FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 14:32 EST, 26 December 2024 | Updated: 14:32 EST, 26 December 2024 e-mail View comments A cool change has eased conditions for firefighters battling an out-of-control blaze in Victoria's Grampians following the worst bushfire conditions since 2019's Black Summer - as residents in parts of NSW are put on high alert. Temperatures plunged on Thursday as gusty westerly winds swept over the blazes in the state's west that have raged for more than a week and scorched more than 70,000 hectares of bushland. While Victoria will get some reprieve with a cool change, the hot, dry and windy conditions will push into parts of central northeastern NSW, bringing extreme fire danger on Friday . Total fire bans have been declared for the Hunter, Greater Sydney , North Western and Northern Slopes regions. Despite cooler conditions on Friday, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll warned dangerous fire conditions were set to continue on Saturday. The mercury reached the high 30s or higher for much of Victoria on Thursday as extreme fire risks resulted in the entire state being declared a total fire ban. Authorities issued a flurry of warnings to evacuate or seek shelter as the afternoon wind change took hold and fanned the flames in unpredictable directions. The cool change had since slowed the spread of the fires as temperatures plunged, humidity rose and a small amount of rain fell, Victoria State Control Centre spokesman Luke Hegarty said. A cool change has eased conditions for firefighters battling an out-of-control blaze (pictured) in Victoria's Grampians following the worst bushfire conditions since 2019's Black Summer A helicopter is seen on the way to fight the fires in the Grampians National Park However, six emergency warnings remained in place as of 3am (AEDT) Friday. Hegarty said in a late-night update that although authorities expected raging blazes to ease, 'we are not yet out of the woods with these fires'. The update came after authorities warned homes were likely to be destroyed by the blaze as Victoria faced the worst bushfire conditions since Black Summer, with flames expected to rage for weeks . The Grampians fire was significant and was likely to burn for weeks even with 600 personnel on the ground fighting it, Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said. '(It is) very difficult terrain and very dry in there. The conditions are such that it will be extremely difficult to put out,' he said. The blaze has caused significant damage to the environment, fencing, outbuildings and sheds and resulted in stock losses, Mr Nugent said. 'I wouldn't be surprised at some point if we do have residential losses,' he said. Thousands of people were without power on Thursday night as extreme heat and strong winds wreaked havoc on power lines, Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said. 'As the strong winds intensify, the risks of more localised outages will increase from tonight into tomorrow,' she said on Thursday. Sydney Share or comment on this article: New bushfire warning for another Australian state as weary firefighters in Victoria battle the worst conditions since Black Summer e-mail Add comment

New York, NY (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to remove fluoride from U.S. water, as Israel did a decade ago under the stewardship of Yael German. (RFK Jr. by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images; German via Flash 90) TEL AVIV -- Ilana Decker, who moved from Israel to New York three years ago, says she doesn't agree often with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Arguing, as he does, that the government should not make health mandates, she said, makes her "sound like an anti-vaxxer, which I'm not." But there is one issue, she said, where she and Kennedy do line up: The man whom Donald Trump has picked as the next secretary of health and human services has publicly floated ending the decades-long policy of encouraging cities to inject fluoride into the American water supply. Decker supports the change -- and she's speaking from personal experience: Her former home, Israel, stopped fluoridating its water a decade ago. "I hate to align with RFK Jr. in any way, shape, or form, but I really do agree that it should not be in the water," she said. Citing concerns about the risk to children, she even switched her 4-year-old to fluoride-free toothpaste, though she didn't rule out its use fully. "I have a deep distrust in the government taking away individual health choices "for our own good,"" Decker said. "I can use toothpaste with fluoride, but I can't decide to not drink the water coming out of my faucet." The nomination of Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist and harsh critic of government health agencies, has cast a spotlight on debates over the role the government should play in public health -- and over the degree to which mounting distrust in science should guide policy-making. Fluoridation offers a case study in those debates. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoridation in water has been shown to reduce cavities in children and adults by about 25% over a lifetime, with the organization dubbing it "one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century." Anti-fluoride demonstrators displayed banners and handed out pamphlets outside the Department of Public Health in Sydney, Australia, in 1966. (Frank Albert Charles Burke/Fairfax Media via Getty Images) Critics of fluoridation point to studies showing that very high levels of the mineral -- beyond what is normally present in fluoridated water -- are associated with developmental problems in children; they also cite an array of conspiracy theories, including that the government is seeking to control citizens through fluoride use. Kennedy has called fluoride "an industrial waste" and "dangerous neurotoxin" and said that he would seek to end fluoridation on "day one" after taking office. (Water is managed locally, so the federal government can only advise and incentivize changes.) As with vaccines, he has said the use of fluoride should be up to individuals, not the government. "I think fluoride is on its way out," he said on NBC News shortly after Trump's election last month. "I think the faster that it goes out, the better." Those same debates lay at the root of the decision in 2013 by Israel's health minister to end water fluoridation. Now, Israel's policy change could act as a case study for how defluoridation could affect Americans. And the discourse is ongoing, with Israeli public health experts and some parents agitating for fluoride to be reinserted in the water -- citing worsening dental outcomes for children -- at the very moment when the United States may move in the opposite direction. "The success of water fluoridation serves as a beacon for public health in general, and by extension, opposition to it should serve as a warning," said Shlomo Zusman, who served as Israel's chief dental officer for over two decades and was a vocal critic of the 2014 policy change. He said modern water purification methods mean that fluoridation is far from the only way the modern water supply is altered. In addition, he noted that because 75% of Israel's potable water is desalinated, it has no natural fluoride levels at all. "The idea that water without added fluoride is "natural," as if it comes straight from a spring, is mistaken - there's no such thing, it's all manipulated," he said. Referring to a story in the Bible, he added, "The days of Rachel pumping water from the well are long gone." Israel began mandating fluoridation in nearly all municipalities decades ago, following the first local American fluoridation efforts. An Israeli Health Ministry webpage calls fluoridation "the most efficient, safest, simplest, cheapest, and most equal measure, by a significant margin, among all methods for preventing dental diseases in the general public." But in 2013, the health minister, Yael German, pledged to stop requiring fluoridation the following year, citing unnamed doctors who she said had personally told her that fluoridation presents risks to pregnant women, people with thyroid problems and the elderly. Like Kennedy and his followers, she also cited the importance of individual choice. "All things considered, and balancing all the interests, I feel that continued massive fluoridation of 100% of the water was an incorrect act," German wrote to an association of pediatricians that was one of several groups to publicly oppose her plan. "And many even believe it infringes on fundamental rights and freedom of choice." The government that succeeded German's term in office pledged to reintroduce fluoride -- prompting legal action from German -- but it has not been mandated again in Israel. Since discontinuing fluoride in tap water, Israeli dentists have observed a significant rise in children's cavities and have urged its reinstatement, even as some parents remain firmly against the idea. A study published in September found a significant increase in dental restorations and crowns among Israeli children ages 3 to 5, attributing the rise to fluoride's absence. The researchers, from the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, concluded that the results provided "further proof of the need to restore community water fluoridation in Israel." Another study, published in January 2022, analyzed six years of data from dental clinics affiliated with a national Israeli healthcare network, showing that children ages 3 to 12 required nearly double the number of restorative treatments compared to before fluoridation ended. Researchers emphasized that even Israel's expansion of free dental care for all children failed to offset the worsening dental health. With fluoridation the subject of widespread misinformation as well as ongoing research, Israel is not the only place to adjust its approach over time. Juneau, Alaska, saw pediatric dental health worsen after eliminating fluoride in 2007, according to a study that examined the cost and frequency of dental treatment for poor children. So did the Canadian city of Calgary, which recorded higher rates of cavity-related treatments under general anesthesia among children after it stopped adding fluoride to its water in 2011. Calgary has now decided to resume fluoridation. But dozens of municipalities across the United States have moved away from fluoride use in recent years, including some whose voters made the choice on Election Day last month. Signs sprung up on roadsides urging a no vote on a referendum asking residents in seven Maine towns if they want to continue adding fluoride to drinking water in 2016. (Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images) Most of Europe, meanwhile, has either dropped fluoridation or never introduced it in drinking water. Many of those countries offer fluoridated salt and milk, mitigating the potential costs of not including the mineral in water. Not everyone in Israel is convinced that reintroducing fluoride is a good idea. In one Israeli mothers' group on Facebook, several women posited that the country's cavity epidemic has less to do with the absence of fluoride in water and more to do with poor hygiene habits and children's consumption of sweets and sugary snacks. "Kids subsisting on white bread and chocolate spread isn't helping," wrote one, naming a popular Israeli snack. Another, who identified herself as a teacher with 25 years of experience, agreed that there has been a significant decline in nutrition. "I can say with 100% certainty that children's diets have deteriorated immensely and it just so happens to coincide with the removal of fluoride," she said. Sweets for sale at Carmel Market (Shuk Ha"Carmel) in Tel Aviv, Dec. 30, 2022. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Several cited a recent study from the National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program that suggests that high levels of fluoride exposure may be linked to lower IQ in children. The report does not question the dental health benefits of fluoride. The program reviewed more than 500 studies over nearly a decade and concluded with "moderate confidence" that fluoride exposure at concentrations above 1.5 parts per million is associated with reduced cognitive development in children. But the study, which drew criticism from the American Academy of Pediatrics, also noted that that number was far above the recommended fluoride level in U.S. drinking water of 0.7 parts per million. Another study from May of this year found that prenatal exposure to fluoride was linked to behavioral problems, with children of mothers in areas with higher fluoride concentrations showing symptoms of autism, anxiety and other disorders by age 3, though the authors stopped short of establishing causation. Zusman dismissed many of the concerns about health risks as a fad. "There was a time when they claimed fluoridation caused hip fractures, then cancer, and later stunted growth in boys" caused by osteosarcoma, he said. "Now the fashion is ADHD and IQ, so they blame fluoridation on that." He said that just like parents who oppose fluoridation, the issue is personal to him, too. "Believe me, if there were serious, professional studies showing harm, I'd be the first to say, stop fluoridating the water," he said. "I have eight grandchildren to think of." Keep Jewish Stories in Focus. JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting. Support JTA This story is provided as a service of the Institute for Nonprofit News’ On the Ground news wire. The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is a network of more than 475 independent, nonprofit newsrooms serving communities throughout the US, Canada, and globally. On the Ground is a service of INN, which aggregates the best of its members’ elections and political content, and provides it free for republication. Read more about INN here: https://inn.org/ . Please coordinate with dkolben@70facesmedia.org should you want to publish photos for this piece. This content cannot be modified, apart from rewriting the headline. To view the original version, visit: https://www.jta.org/2024/12/24/israel/rfk-jr-wants-fluoride-out-of-drinking-water-israel-has-a-decade-of-lessons-to-offerLevis throws 2 TD passes to help Titans outlast Texans 32-27Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts, But Are They Cost-Effective?

None30 Thoughtful Gifts for Moms Who Deserve the WorldA judge has once again rejected Musk’s multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what?

Tel Aviv: Israel said that the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found after he was killed in what it described as a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” The UAE’s Interior Ministry later said authorities arrested three suspects involved in the killing of Zvi Kogan. Three people have been arrested following the alleged murder of Israeli-Moldovan rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates. Credit: x.com/Chabad The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel “will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death.” Israeli authorities did not say how they determined the killing of Kogan was a terror attack and offered no additional details. Kogan, 28, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who went missing on Thursday, ran a kosher grocery store in the futuristic city of Dubai, where Israelis have flocked for commerce and tourism since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in the 2020 Abraham Accords. The agreement has held through more than a year of soaring regional tensions unleashed by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack into southern Israel. But Israel’s devastating retaliatory offensive in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon, after months of fighting with the Hezbollah militant group, have stoked anger among Emiratis, Arab nationals and others living in the the UAE. Iran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, has also been threatening to retaliate against Israel after a wave of airstrikes Israel carried out in October in response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack. A man walks past Rimon Market, a Kosher grocery store managed by the late Rabbi Zvi Kogan, in Dubai. Credit: AP The Emirati government did not respond to a request for comment. However, senior Emirati diplomat Anwer Gargash wrote on the social platform X in Arabic that “the UAE will remain a home of safety, an oasis of stability, a society of tolerance and coexistence and a beacon of development, pride and advancement.” Earlier, the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged Kogan’s disappearance but pointedly did not acknowledge he held Israeli citizenship, referring to him only as being Moldovan. The Emirati Interior Ministry described Kogan as being “missing and out of contact.” “Specialised authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report,” the Interior Ministry said. The ministry later said that three “perpetrators” had been arrested “in record time” without giving additional details. Netanyahu told a regular Cabinet meeting later Sunday that he was “deeply shocked” by Kogan’s disappearance and death. He said he appreciated the cooperation of the UAE in the investigation and that ties between the two countries would continue to be strengthened. Israel’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, condemned the killing and thanked Emirati authorities for “their swift action.” He said he trusts they “will work tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice.” Israel also again warned against all nonessential travel to the Emirates after Kogan’s killing. “There is concern that there is still a threat against Israelis and Jews in the area,” a government warning issued Sunday said. Kogan was an emissary of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of ultra-Orthodox Judaism based in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighbourhood in New York City. It said he was last seen in Dubai. The UAE has a burgeoning Jewish community, with synagogues and businesses catering to kosher diners. The Rimon Market, a kosher grocery store that Kogan managed on Dubai’s busy Al Wasl Road, was shut Sunday. As the wars have roiled the region, the store has been the target of online protests by supporters of the Palestinians. Mezuzahs on the front and back doors of the market appeared to have been ripped off when an Associated Press journalist stopped by on Sunday. Kogan’s wife, Rivky, is a US citizen who lived with him in the UAE. She is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The UAE is an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and is also home to Abu Dhabi. Local Jewish officials in the UAE declined to comment. While the Israeli statement did not mention Iran, Iranian intelligence services have carried out past kidnappings in the UAE. Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations in the UAE and keeps tabs on the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living across the country. Iran is suspected of kidnapping and later killing British Iranian national Abbas Yazdi in Dubai in 2013, though Tehran has denied involvement. Iran also kidnapped Iranian German national Jamshid Sharmahd in 2020 from Dubai, taking him back to Tehran, where he was executed in October. APChelsea’s surprise defeat at home to Fulham earlier in the day had been an unexpected gift for Arne Slot’s side and they drove home their advantage by outclassing the struggling Foxes. Having overcome the early setback of conceding to Jordan Ayew, with even the travelling fans expressing their surprise they were winning away after taking just five points on the road this season, the home team had too much quality. That was personified by the excellent Cody Gakpo, whose eighth goal in his last 14 appearances produced the equaliser in first-half added time with the Netherlands international unlucky to have a second ruled out for offside by VAR. Further goals from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah, with his 19th of the season, stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 22 matches. For Leicester, who had slipped into the bottom three after Wolves’ win over Manchester United, it is now one win from the last 10 in the league and Ruud van Nistelrooy has plenty of work to do, although he was not helped here by the absence of leading scorer Jamie Vardy through injury. It looked liked Liverpool meant business from the off with Salah’s volley from Gakpo’s far-post cross just being kept out by Jakub Stolarczyk, making his league debut after former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward was omitted from the squad having struggled in the defeat to Wolves. But if the hosts thought that had set the tone they were badly mistaken after being opened up with such simplicity in only the sixth minute. Stephy Mavididi broke down the left and his low cross picked out Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson far too easily, with his shot deflecting off Virgil van Dijk to take it just out of Alisson Becker’s reach. With a surprise lead to cling to Leicester knew they had to quell the storm heading their way and they began by trying to take as much time out of the game as they could, much to Anfield’s frustration. It took a further 18 minutes for Liverpool to threaten with Gakpo cutting in from the left to fire over, a precursor for what was to follow just before half-time. That was the prompt for the attacks to rain down on the Foxes goal, with Salah’s shot looping up off Victor Kristiansen and landing on the roof of the net and Robertson heading against a post. Gakpo’s inclination to come in off the left was proving a problem for the visitors, doing their utmost to resist the pressure, but when Salah curled a shot onto the crossbar on the stroke of half-time it appeared they had survived. However, Gakpo once again drifted in off the flank to collect an Alexis Mac Allister pass before curling what is fast becoming his trademark effort over Stolarczyk and inside the far post. Early the second half Darwin Nunez fired over Ryan Gravenberch’s cross before Jones side-footed home Mac Allister’s cross after an intricate passing move inside the penalty area involving Nunez, Salah and the Argentina international. Leicester’s ambition remained limited but Patson Daka should have done better from a two-on-one counter attack with Mavididi but completely missed his kick with the goal looming. Nunez forced a save out of the goalkeeper before Gakpo blasted home what he thought was his second only for VAR to rule Nunez was offside in the build-up. But Liverpool’s third was eventually delivered by the left foot of Salah, who curled the ball outside Kristiansen, inside Jannick Vestergaard and past Stolarczyk inside the far post.

Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Superannuation funds are on track to deliver their best performance in three years as soaring equities at home and abroad push returns firmly into the double digits as 2024 draws to a close. US stocks in particular helped fuel Australians’ retirement savings , with the continuing market frenzy to cash in on artificial intelligence companies and a sharemarket rally fuelled by Donald Trump’s presidential election win sending returns north of 20 per cent for the year. Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Introducing your Newsfeed Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Latest In Tax & super Fetching latest articles Most Viewed In Policy

Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in ‘Baby Driver,’ dies after falling from moving vehicleOliver Glasner declared Crystal Palace are on the right path after they finally broke their away duck with a 1-0 win at Ipswich. Jean-Philippe Mateta struck in the second half with the only real piece of quality in a nervy encounter between two struggling teams. It is now two wins and three draws from the last six matches for Glasner’s side, whose winter revival is gathering pace nicely following a sticky start to the campaign. “I feel very happy, we’re all very pleased with the result, it was not the best performance but the result was more important,” said the Eagles boss. “Most of the time we controlled the game and we scored an amazing goal, a fantastic finish from JP. “We had more chances to decide the game but we couldn’t, but I think the win was well deserved. “We didn’t give them any chances from open play and with a clean sheet you can always take the win. “It’s a big win. Now it’s not time to sit back and relax but to keep going. In four days we face Manchester City. We stay humble. There are still many things to improve but we are on the right path.” Ipswich looked the likelier to score as a low-key first half drew to a close and were denied by a point-blank save by Dean Henderson from Harry Clarke’s near-post header. Shortly after the interval Wes Burns got clear down the right and lifted an inviting cross towards Liam Delap, whose header was straight at Henderson. However, from out of nowhere Palace conjured up a lightning counter-attack to go ahead on the hour. Eberechi Eze led the charge before feeding Mateta, who surged forward with a couple of stepovers before brushing off the attention of Jacob Greaves and finishing superbly past Arijanet Muric. It was the French forward’s sixth goal of the season, and his first away from Selhurst Park. Back came Ipswich with Leif Davis fizzing in another cross for Delap, who somehow mistimed his jump and completely missed the ball from six yards. As time ticked down Greaves looped a header against the far post, with the rebound just eluding substitute Ali-Al Hamadi. “Frustrating night,” said Town boss Kieran McKenna. “It was a tight first half, we weren’t fantastic in terms of the flow of the game and didn’t create as many opportunities as we wanted. But having said that neither did our opponents. “In the second half we conceded a really poor goal and that proved decisive. We can do better than we did tonight.” We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.Premier League leaders Liverpool ruthlessly exploited another slip by their title rivals to move seven points clear with a match in hand after a 3-1 win over Leicester. Chelsea’s surprise defeat at home to Fulham earlier in the day had been an unexpected gift for Arne Slot’s side and they drove home their advantage by outclassing the struggling Foxes. Having overcome the early setback of conceding to Jordan Ayew, with even the travelling fans expressing their surprise they were winning away after taking just five points on the road this season, the home team had too much quality. That was personified by the excellent Cody Gakpo, whose eighth goal in his last 14 appearances produced the equaliser in first-half added time with the Netherlands international unlucky to have a second ruled out for offside by VAR. Further goals from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah, with his 19th of the season, stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 22 matches. For Leicester, who had slipped into the bottom three after Wolves’ win over Manchester United, it is now one win from the last 10 in the league and Ruud van Nistelrooy has plenty of work to do, although he was not helped here by the absence of leading scorer Jamie Vardy through injury. It looked liked Liverpool meant business from the off with Salah’s volley from Gakpo’s far-post cross just being kept out by Jakub Stolarczyk, making his league debut after former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward was omitted from the squad having struggled in the defeat to Wolves. But if the hosts thought that had set the tone they were badly mistaken after being opened up with such simplicity in only the sixth minute. Stephy Mavididi broke down the left and his low cross picked out Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson far too easily, with his shot deflecting off Virgil van Dijk to take it just out of Alisson Becker’s reach. With a surprise lead to cling to Leicester knew they had to quell the storm heading their way and they began by trying to take as much time out of the game as they could, much to Anfield’s frustration. It took a further 18 minutes for Liverpool to threaten with Gakpo cutting in from the left to fire over, a precursor for what was to follow just before half-time. That was the prompt for the attacks to rain down on the Foxes goal, with Salah’s shot looping up off Victor Kristiansen and landing on the roof of the net and Robertson heading against a post. Gakpo’s inclination to come in off the left was proving a problem for the visitors, doing their utmost to resist the pressure, but when Salah curled a shot onto the crossbar on the stroke of half-time it appeared they had survived. However, Gakpo once again drifted in off the flank to collect an Alexis Mac Allister pass before curling what is fast becoming his trademark effort over Stolarczyk and inside the far post. Early the second half Darwin Nunez fired over Ryan Gravenberch’s cross before Jones side-footed home Mac Allister’s cross after an intricate passing move inside the penalty area involving Nunez, Salah and the Argentina international. Leicester’s ambition remained limited but Patson Daka should have done better from a two-on-one counter attack with Mavididi but completely missed his kick with the goal looming. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/IqmAsKylLR — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2024 Nunez forced a save out of the goalkeeper before Gakpo blasted home what he thought was his second only for VAR to rule Nunez was offside in the build-up. But Liverpool’s third was eventually delivered by the left foot of Salah, who curled the ball outside Kristiansen, inside Jannick Vestergaard and past Stolarczyk inside the far post.

Every president makes their mark on the White House in some way. They extend, rebuild or renew. First Ladies order new China sets or redesign the grounds. And when Joe Biden checks out on Jan. 20, the staff have to begin a rapid makeover. Unusually, however, the new White House residents have been there before–and the staff will be bringing back their creature comforts. Which is why, the Daily Mail reports, President-elect Donald Trump ’s Resolute Desk will have a vital feature re-installed: the Diet Coke button. The small red button, mounted in a wooden box with the presidential seal, sits in front of the Resolute Desk’s array of phones and was a frequent power flex for the 45th president when he conducted interviews in the Oval Office. One press and a butler brings in a chilled glass of his favorite drink. The White House staff will also rearrange furniture and the Oval Office’s collection of art, particularly presidential portraits. Biden removed Trump’s portrait of the populist Andrew Jackson and replaced it with Benjamin Franklin and also added a bust of the labor organizer César Chávez. An Azerbaijan Airlines plane which crashed in a fireball in Kazakhastan was “likely shot down by a Russian military air defense system,” an aviation security firm has said. The plane was en route to Grozny, in Chechnya, when it was diverted almost 300 miles to the east after the pilot declared an emergency. Instead of landing at Aktau in Kazakhstan, it came down almost two miles short of the runway and exploded in flames, killing 38 passengers and crew. Twenty nine people survived. Although the airline said it was diverted because of fog, UK-based Osprey , said there appeared to have been Ukrainian drones attacking Grozny at the time. A second security firm boss, Justin Crump of UK-based Sibylline, told the BBC that the damage to the plane was consistent with an air defense missile strike. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are both allies of Putin, while Chechnya is a Russian autonomous republic run by a bloodthirsty warlord who is one of Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin’s closest associates. The Kremlin has declined to speculate on the cause of the crash. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Martin Scorsese. Bill and Hillary. Martha Steward. These are just some of the people we are unlikely to meet in person, but at least we can get up close and personal with them by taking their MasterClass online courses —and at a major discount for a limited time. The expert-led platform has a robust library of educational classes on far-ranging topics: science , music, arts , personal empowerment, and more. The classes are taught by industry experts and household names, including Gordon Ramsey, Mariah Carey, David Lynch, Jeff Koons, and many more. Right now, you can score up to 50 percent off on MasterClass subscriptions just in time for last-minute holiday gifting. You do have to take a short quiz to get to the deal, but honestly, it’s worth the 60 seconds. Honestly, whether you waited until the last minute or not, you’ll be gifting the dad in your life with intelligent, cultured content and giving them the opportunity to learn something new from someone famous. The up-and-coming actor Hudson Meeks has died aged 16, days after falling from a moving vehicle in his Alabama hometown, according to his official Instagram page. The teenager, famous for his Baby Driver role as the child version of the hit film’s title character, was first injured on Dec. 19 in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills. He was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead two days later from “blunt force injuries.” News of the accident didn’t emerge until Wednesday after a since-edited statement was posted to his Instagram page. “His 16 years on this earth were far too short, but he accomplished so much and significantly impacted everyone he met,” the statement read, according to The Hollywood Reporter . It remains unclear how Meeks fell from the vehicle, but the case is being probed by police. In addition to his 2017 role on Baby Driver , Meeks also notched credits on the network series MacGyver and Found , and also featured in the 2024 film The School Duel . An obituary said he was a sophomore member of his high school football team and was a superfan of The Simpsons , having binged all 36 seasons. A post shared by Hudson Meek (@hudsonmeek) Chinese student s in the United States are being advised not to return home for the holidays amid uncertainty over whether it could become more difficult for them to get back into the country once Donald Trump moves into the White House. China ’s Consulate General in Chicago wrote on its website that students should “try to reduce unnecessary cross-border travel.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington is also reminding students about security concerns coming into the U.S. During the president-elect’s first term, Chinese students faced tougher restrictions with 1,000 having visas revoked in 2020 over concerns that their scientific study posed security risks, according to the Wall Street Journal . Several colleges, including UPenn and Cornell University, have also highlighted the issue of holiday travel with their foreign students. Meanwhile, the number of Americans studying in China has dropped dramatically since the pandemic, from 11,000 pre-COVID to just 469 in academic-credit courses in China in the 2022-23 year, wrote the Journal. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. 2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur . It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black , vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini. Netflix is celebrating the holidays with the release of the first teaser trailer for Happy Gilmore 2 . Starring Adam Sandler, the highly-anticipated flick is a sequel to the ‘90s golf comedy, Happy Gilmore , that followed Sandler’s character as he tried to win a golf tournament to raise enough money for his grandmother’s house. For its second round on the golf course, Happy Gilmore 2 packs on a star-studded ensemble including artists Eminem and Bad Bunny, as well as Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce who opens the teaser with a cheeky, “It’s good to have you back, Mr. Gilmore.” Elsewhere in the teaser, Christopher McDonald returns as Sandler’s nemesis in the film, Shooter McGavin, much to the delight of fans. While Netflix hasn’t announced the exact date for the sequel’s release, it’s so far slated to premiere sometime in 2025. Have a HAPPY New Year with HAPPY GILMORE 2. Coming to Netflix in 2025. pic.twitter.com/aY7JVz2r5X Luigi Mangione ’s first Christmas behind bars likely involves a festive meal. In an interview with People magazine, prison consultant Sam Mangel disclosed that Mangione will be given a meal of Cornish hen and green beans. Although the consultant isn’t working with Mangione, he previously worked for other clients like Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. Along with his Christmas meal, Mangel also said that Mangione is sleeping on a mattress that’s “2-inches thick at best” with a “little bump in the end for a pillow.” If Mangione is in protective custody, he’ll spend Christmas day alone in his cell, however if he’s been moved to a different unit with other inmates, he’ll be allowed an hour-long visit from family. It’s unclear what unit Mangione is in while he’s in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center. The 26-year-old was arrested Dec. 9 in Pennsylvania for his alleged involvement in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York. He faces charges in both states, as well as federal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to his murder charges in New York. Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off a slimmer build in a Christmas day tweet in which he declared himself, “Ozempic Santa.” In the photo shared with the tweet, Musk strikes a modelesque pose in front of a Christmas tree while dressed as Santa Claus. In follow up tweets, Musk suggested that his smaller frame was the result of a weight loss drug. Musk added, “Like Cocaine Bear, but Santa and Ozempic!” In another tweet, he added, “Technically, Mounjaro, but that doesn’t have the same ring to it.” His post was quickly retweeted and co-signed in the dark corners of #DarkMAGA, with unhinged MAGA politico wannabe Valentina Gomez commenting, “African Santa*” under his post. Musk is only the latest political player who has been pawing for the public’s attention during the holidays. Musk’s bff President-elect Donald Trump also posted his way through the afternoon with troll worthy claims against China, Canada, and “the Radical Left Lunatics.” Ozempic Santa pic.twitter.com/7YECSNpWoz The Kardashian-Jenner clan opted for a more “low-key” Christmas eve party this year. Although the family is known for their annual star-studded bash, this year they rang in Christmas by celebrating at home with some card games and Legos. Kim also posted a video to her Instagram Stories of their guests' parting gift—a tequila bottle from her sister Kendall’s brand 818. “We’re doing a really low-key Christmas Eve party this year,” Kim told Vogue at the opening of her SKIMS flagship store in New York. “Just because we have a lot of construction going on, so we’re doing a really family intimate one that I’m really excited about.” She added they were still planning on “dressing up to the nines” because that’s “what we do.” Managing your period shouldn’t feel like a full-time job—you already have one of those. That’s why Knix’s leakproof period underwear is an incredibly thoughtful holiday gift for yourself or someone special. What makes Knix underwear special is the unique gusset. Built into the underwear’s crotch section, the gusset is a liner that—depending on the style chosen—absorbs up to five tampons worth of liquid. Knix offers more than just underwear, too. You’ll also find supportive wireless bras, silhouette-accentuating bodysuits, and ultra-comfy PJs (perfect for those tough, crampy days). Right now, you can score up to 60 percent off sitewide, including shapewear, leakproof underwear, loungewear, activewear, and more during its epic end-of-the-year sale . This is one of Knix’s biggest sales of the year, so if you’ve been wanting to try the brand or restock some of your favorite items, now’s the time to get shopping. A “stressed” Amazon driver in Massachusetts has fessed up after they ditched dozens of undelivered packages in the woods just days before Christmas, police said. The employee, who has not been identified, came clean after police stumbled across 80 discarded packages in a wooded area of Lakeville around 2 a.m. Sunday, USA Today reported . The driver told cops that they had left the packages “because they were stressed.” No charges will be filed against the driver, who said they plan to report the incident to their supervisor. “I am proud of the way our Lakeville Police officers handled and investigated this matter. At this time, we are not seeking criminal charges and are considering this a human resources matter for Amazon,” Police Chief Matthew Perkins said. It may have been the most expensive pizza pie ever sold, but all for a good cause. Dave Portnoy, the president of Barstool Sports, saved a Baltimore pizza shop from closing down on Christmas Day by gifting its owner $60,000 to keep its doors open for a year. The polarizing media mogul stopped by TinyBrickOven in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Charm City to test out a slice as part of his wildly popular One Bite Pizza Reviews series. In the nearly 6-and-a-half-minute video, which is posted on Portnoy’s @stoolpresidente social accounts and his YouTube page, TinyBrickOven’s upbeat, enthusiastic owner tells Portnoy that, because the shop hasn’t been able to attain a liquor license, it hasn’t been making enough money and will close down. Barstool Pizza Review - TinyBrickOven (Baltimore, MD) pic.twitter.com/hDqhclD45D After being impressed by the pizza—he scored it a 7.9—and the shop’s commitment to paying it forward by supporting veterans, Portnoy asks how much money it would take to keep doors open for another year: “If there’s somebody super rich right in front of your face who’s in the pizza business, and by serendipity he’s like, ‘What do you need to stay open for a year?’ you gotta give him some figure, because otherwise he’s gonna walk away.” They eventually land on $60,000, which Portnoy pledges to give before Christmas.peshkov/iStock via Getty Images Note: I have covered Primega Group Holdings or "Primega" ( NASDAQ: PGHL ) previously, so investors should view this as an update to my earlier article on the company. Primega Group Overview: Two months ago, I initiated coverage Massively Outperform in Any Market Value Investor's Edge provides the world's best energy, shipping, and offshore market research. Even during turbulent market conditions, our long-only models have outperformed the S&P 500 by more than 30% YTD. We also offer income-focused coverage geared towards investors who prefer lower-risk firms with steady dividend payouts. Our 8-year track record proves the ability of our analyst team to outperform across all market conditions. Join VIE now to access our latest top picks and model portfolios. I am mostly a trader engaging in both long and short bets intraday and occasionally over the short- to medium term. My historical focus has been mostly on tech stocks but over the past couple of years I have also started broad coverage of the offshore drilling and supply industry as well as the shipping industry in general (tankers, containers, drybulk). In addition, I am having a close eye on the still nascent fuel cell industry. I am located in Germany and have worked quite some time as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers before becoming a daytrader almost 20 years ago. During this time, I managed to successfully maneuver the burst of the dotcom bubble and the aftermath of the world trade center attacks as well as the subprime crisis. Despite not being a native speaker, I always try to deliver high quality research to followers and the entire Seeking Alpha community. Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

The World Health Organization’s director-general said airstrikes on Yemen’s main airport occurred as he was about to board a flight in the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport as well as power stations and ports. One of the U.N. plane’s crew was wounded, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X, but he and his WHO colleagues were safe. He said the strikes hit the airport's air traffic control tower, departure lounge and runway. Israel's strikes on Thursday follow several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel, and last week, Israeli jets bombed Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people. The Houthis have also been targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israel's bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. The Hamas-led militant attack on Israel in October 2023 resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people. Around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza , although only two-thirds are believed to still be alive. Here’s the latest: UNITED NATIONS — The head of the U.N. health agency says he and his team were about to board a flight in Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa when the airport came under aerial bombardment. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the airport as well as power stations and ports in Houthi-controlled areas. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters (yards) from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X. He said one of the U.N. plane’s crew was injured but he and his WHO colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.” Tedros said the U.N. team was in Yemen to negotiate the release of U.N. staff detained by the Houthis and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in the country, which faces one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. JERUSALEM — Houthi rebels in Yemen said Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeted the rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, following several days of Houthi launches that set off air-raid sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports at Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib along with power stations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech on Wednesday that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned.” The Iran-backed Houthis’ media outlet reported the strikes in a Telegram post, but gave no immediate details. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv . Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. QAMISHLI, Syria — Thousands of people in northeastern Syria attended a funeral Thursday for six fighters from a Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed force who were killed in ongoing clashes with Turkish-backed militias. The Turkish-backed groups are launching attacks to take the Arab cities west of the Euphrates River that are under the control of the Kurdish group . The Turkish-supported groups helped overthrow Bashar al-Assad’s rule of Syria, and have since kept pushing eastward against the Kurdish groups. “We thought that Syria today has entered a new stage after the fall and escape of Assad. We thought that we got rid of all of this, but this attack on us changed everything and those who came in are taking orders from Turkey,” said Nihayet Hassan, the uncle of a killed fighter. The fighters were killed during attacks on Tishreen Dam near the strategic city of Manbij in recent days. The bodies were returned to the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria where the U.S.-backed group, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, has a strong presence. Ankara sees the SDF as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey classifies as a terrorist organization. Turkish-backed armed groups backed by Turkish jets have for years attacked positions where the SDF are present across northern Syria, in a bid to create a buffer zone free from the group along the Turkish border. “It is obvious that Turkey’s issue is with the Kurds. It is not about an organization, or the PKK, no, their target are the Kurds,” said Ahmad Ammo, a Qamishli resident who attended the funeral. The U.S. has about 2,000 soldiers in eastern Syria to help fight the Islamic State group and protect critical oil fields there. BEIRUT — The Lebanese military said Thursday that Israeli troops encroached on areas of southern Lebanon, violating a ceasefire agreement that ended the war between Israel and the Hezbollah group. The U.S.-brokered ceasefire that went into effect a month ago called for Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops to leave southern Lebanon over a 60-day period as Lebanese army soldiers gradually deploy in the country south of the Litani River. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the reported incident. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli bulldozers are setting up dirt barricades that would close off the road between Wadi Slouqi and Wadi Hujeir. Lebanon’s military said it brought reinforcements into the areas entered by Israeli troops. NNA said the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, sent a patrol unit to an area near the southern town of Qantara where Israeli forces are present. UNIFIL in a statement expressed its “concern at continuing destruction by the IDF (Israeli military) in residential areas, agricultural land, and road networks in south Lebanon.” Lebanese army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun traveled to Saudi Arabia earlier Thursday as part of ongoing efforts by the cash-strapped military to find financial support to deploy in larger numbers. The Lebanese military and government have complained about Israeli strikes and overflights in the country to a new monitoring committee headed by the U.S. that also includes France. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight, the Health Ministry said Thursday. The Israeli army said it had targeted a group of militants. The strike hit a car outside the Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in the central part of the territory. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. The military said it targeted a group of fighters from Islamic Jihad, a militant group allied with Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel ignited the war. Associated Press video showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings still visible on the back doors. The Committee to Protect Journalists says over 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel has not allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. This post has been corrected to show that the name of the local news outlet is Al-Quds Today, not the Quds News Network. BEIJING — China has pledged two more shipments of humanitarian aid to Gaza, in an indication of support for the Palestinian Authority, state media reported Thursday. The agreement was overseen in Cairo by Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang and Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Diab al-Louh. “To ease the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, the Chinese government has continued to provide assistance to Palestine,” Liao was quoted as saying. The types and quantities of aid to be delivered via Egypt were not given, but China has previously shipped food and medicine to Gaza. China has longstanding ties with the Palestinian Authority but has also sought to strengthen economic and political relations with Israel. Al-Louh “voiced appreciation for China’s consistent and firm support for the just cause of the Palestinian people and for raising this issue on international occasions," state media said. UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday at Israel’s request to discuss recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Israel’s U.N. Mission said Wednesday the meeting will take place at 10 a.m. Monday. Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said he expects the council will condemn the Houthi attacks. He urged the council “to enforce international law and hold Iran, the Houthis’ patron, accountable.” Alluding to Israeli retaliation for the attacks, Danon said ”It seems that the Houthis have not yet understood what happens to those who try to harm the state of Israel.”

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate" granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office.SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks were struggling a week ago, coming off their bye having lost five of their last six games. That included a gut-punch overtime defeat at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 3. The outlook for the last-place Seahawks (5-5) was beginning to look grim. They suddenly have renewed optimism this week after an uplifting victory over the San Francisco 49ers that snapped a six-game losing streak against their arch-rival that dated to 2021. Seattle will play the first-place Arizona Cardinals (6-4) on Sunday for a share of the NFC West lead. How quickly things change in the NFL. “We’ve earned the opportunity to be fighting for the lead in the division going into the home stretch,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “So that’s the way we’re treating it. It’s very much like a playoff mindset for us at this point.” The win over the 49ers, which was capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by quarterback Geno Smith with 18 seconds left, put the Seahawks in a much better place mentally than they’d been in over the previous six weeks. They're hoping it's just the start of something even bigger. “It can just spark something that you’ve been looking for this whole year,” wide receiver DK Metcalf said. “I know we started off very hot with the first three games, but, you know, when adversity hit, it’s all about how you respond. I think we responded the right way, and it’s going to carry us throughout the rest of the season.” While the Seahawks are feeling better this week, the Cardinals have plenty of reason to feel optimistic, too. After starting the season 2-4, Arizona has won four straight to put itself in first place in the NFC West. The Cardinals have a defense that is making big strides under the leadership of veteran safety Budda Baker and a top-five running game behind the dual threat of running back James Conner, who has 697 yards rushing, and quarterback Kyler Murray, who seems to be hitting his stride in his sixth NFL season. Murray has 2,058 yards passing with 12 touchdowns, and has rushed for 371 yards and four scores. Second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon has been impressed with Murray’s improved decision-making as Murray has thrown just three interceptions through 10 games. “There’s times that he probably wants to try to thread it a little bit, but understands when to pick and choose his spots,” Gannon said. “I think he’s done a phenomenal job with that and there are a lot of times throughout the game where you could say we like to put it in the quarterback’s hands, and you trust him to make the right decision for that point in the game.” Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will see a familiar face on the other sideline Sunday in rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., who was Smith-Njigba’s college teammate at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022. The pair each caught three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ wild win over Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl, with Smith-Njigba having 347 yards receiving on what was a 573-passing yard day for C.J. Stroud, now the quarterback of the Houston Texans. “Late his freshman year, he really just stood out,” Smith-Njigba said of Harrison. “You could just see the growth and kind of who he is becoming. ... He’s passed a lot of people’s expectations, of course, but I knew he was going to be elite later on freshman year.” Murray is coming off one of the best games of his career after completing 22 of 24 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown against the Jets two weeks ago. He also ran for 21 yards and two TDs. Murray currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL in quarterback rating behind Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. That has put him in the MVP conversation, particularly since Arizona has won four straight games. “I don’t play the game for the validation of others," Murray said. "But as a player, of course, sometimes the recognition and the words being said feel good. But it doesn’t satisfy me.” The most surprising part of Arizona’s four-game winning streak is the rapid improvement of the defense, which has allowed just 9 and 6 points, respectively, over the past two games. No touchdowns have been allowed – just five field goals. It’s just the second time over the past 30 years that the franchise has allowed 10 points or less over back-to-back games. Baker, a Bellevue native and former University of Washington football star, is the unquestioned leader of the bunch – he already has 100 tackles over 10 games - but the team also has a strong core of linebackers in Kyzir White, Mack Wilson and Zaven Collins. Metcalf and Baker have gone up against each other many times before, most famously when Metcalf ran Baker down on an interception return in 2020. “You really can’t prepare for a guy like that because his engine never stops,” Metcalf said. “He’s always going to be around the ball. He’s always going to affect the game with just his play effort and play style. ... Just got to try to minimize his playmaking ability as much as we can on offense.” AP Sports Writer David Brandt in Phoenix, Arizona, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl