TJX Cos. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsKraft Heinz Co. stock outperforms competitors despite losses on the day
It’s been a long road back to the highest levels of motorsport for Canadian driver Robert Wickens. Six years after he was paralyzed in a violent wreck, Wickens will again be behind the wheel against some of the best drivers in North America. Wickens, from Guelph, Ont., was named the newest driver for DXDT Racing earlier this week, moving the 35-year-old up to IMSA GTD competition for 2025, the highest class on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. His promotion was made possible by a new hand control braking system created by Bosch Electronics, with help from GM Motorsports and Corvette Racing/Pratt Miller. “It’s not going to be easy but I wanted to get to the highest levels of motorsport again because, frankly, that’s where I was when I was injured,” said Wickens, who crashed at Pocono Raceway in 2018 during IndyCar’s ABC Supply 500. “But not only that, I want to prove to myself and other generations of people with disabilities that you can really do anything. “Maybe you’re having a hard time getting back to your place of work after a life-altering accident and — whatever your discipline, it doesn’t even have to be athletics — but I know it’s possible as long as you align yourself with a strong support system.” For Wickens, that’s been his wife Karli Wickens, his family and, in his professional life, organizations like Bosch and GM. Wickens’s crash left him with a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured ribs, a pulmonary contusion, and an indeterminate spinal injury that combined to make him a paraplegic. As he has slowly recovered some movement in his legs, Wickens has eased back into motor racing. He drove the parade lap of the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto, competed in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then in January 2022 it was announced he would drive in the Michelin Pilot Challenge for Bryan Herta Autosport. He and co-driver Mark Wilkins won twice in the Michelin Pilot Challenge’s TCR category with three podiums in 2022. In 2023 the pairing didn’t win, but they reached the podium seven times to earn the TCR championship. All of Wickens’s post-accident cars have been fitted with hand controls. Those conventional systems rely on paddles around the steering wheel that activate pneumatics that then press the foot pedals. Hand controls like that are acceptable for regular road vehicles and even lower levels of motorsports but in the highest classes, like IMSA GTD where cars top out at more than 280 kilometres, the lag between the driver toggling the paddle and the car responding is unacceptably slow. That’s where the Bosch electronic system comes in, with the controls linked directly to the car’s braking system, removing the pneumatics as an intermediary. “When you hit the brakes to slow the car down for each corner that was always a big challenge for me where (with) the Bosch electronic system, the latency is milliseconds not tenths of a second,” said Wickens. “It’s basically as accurate as I would be if I was an able-bodied driver wanting to apply the brake. “Honestly, it’s just better in every facet imaginable. It’s just been a true blessing.” Advances in physical rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries as well as the ongoing development of vehicle technology has made Wickens’s return to competitive motorsport possible. “I’m very fortunate in the timing of my paralysis and my career,” Wickens said Wednesday from Tampa, Fla. “If this was even a decade ago we’d be having a very different conversation today.” The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has four classes of vehicles: two sports prototype categories and two grand tourer classes. GTD is considered the highest of the four classes because each team must have at least a silver or bronze driver and more than one platinum-rated driver on a team is prohibited. “I want to win,” said Wickens. “I think the big thing for me on this journey back was I wanted to race again because I truly felt like I could still win. “I want to raise awareness for spinal cord injury and disability, not by just being a participant, but by being the guy. I want to win races, fight for podiums, win championships, every time I’m sitting in the car.” Wickens said he won’t just be a role model for people living with paralysis or other mobility disabilities, but the technology his car will employ in 2025 will likely become commercially available for use in road vehicles. “Motorsports and the automotive racing industry were founded to be a proving ground for everyday automotive vehicles,” he said. “From there you make road cars and road safety better. “Hopefully we can provide the technology and have regularly available components that can make any race car accessible for anyone that needs hand controls or any other form of disability.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. Follow jchidleyhill.bsky.social on Bluesky.Power Play for Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Ganesh Gopalan, CEO and Co-founder of Gnani.ai, has over 25 years of experience in marketing and technology. Under his leadership, Gnani.ai has emerged as a leader in voice-first conversational AI, delivering transformative solutions for the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) sector. Ganesh shares insights into how generative AI (Gen AI) is reshaping BFSI processes, enhancing customer experience, and improving cybersecurity. Streamlining Loan Approvals and Risk Assessment Ganesh explains how Gen AI optimizes loan approvals by automating decision-making and improving credit scoring. "By using machine learning models and predictive analytics, Gen AI evaluates financial behaviour, payment history, and even non-traditional data like social media activity to generate precise credit scores," he says. This reduces human bias, speeds up approvals, and enables personalized loan offerings. Additionally, AI-driven tools help lenders identify risks more accurately and customize products to match borrower profiles. Enhancing Customer Experience with Personalization Personalisation is at the core of improving customer experience in BFSI. Ganesh emphasizes how Gen AI analyses customer data to tailor financial recommendations. "Our AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants ensure instant, round-the-clock support, making interactions seamless," he adds. Gen AI predicts customer needs using analytics, streamlines processes like onboarding and claims handling, and reduces wait times while adhering to strict data security protocols, ultimately building trust and satisfaction. Fraud Detection Without Disrupting Genuine Transactions Gnani.ai’s innovations also bolster fraud detection capabilities. “Using Gen AI, BFSI institutions can analyse large datasets in real time to spot anomalies and predict fraudulent behaviour,” Ganesh notes. Gnani.ai’s voice biometrics provide an extra security layer by verifying users through unique vocal patterns, preventing identity theft or spoofing. The adaptive learning models continuously evolve to counter new fraud tactics, maintaining a balance between security and user experience. Strengthening Cybersecurity in BFSI Cybersecurity remains a critical challenge, and Ganesh highlights how Gen AI addresses it. "Our AI models detect and predict cyber threats by analysing vast datasets for vulnerabilities like phishing or ransomware,” he says. AI-powered simulations help identify weaknesses, while automated systems mitigate breaches swiftly, minimizing disruptions. By adopting this multi-faceted approach, BFSI institutions achieve robust security and regulatory compliance. Transforming Debt Recovery with Voice AI Gnani.ai’s solutions have significantly improved debt recovery for financial institutions. "We helped a top Indian bank collect over $1 billion last year using our voice-bots, achieving high conversion rates at reduced costs," Ganesh shares. Another leading bank saved over 30% in customer service costs using Gnani.ai’s generative AI voicebots. "Our voice biometrics ensure secure conversations, addressing privacy concerns," he adds. With over 100 BFSI clients, Gnani.ai streamlines processes from onboarding to debt collections. "We enable financial institutions to achieve operational efficiency while ensuring better customer engagement," concludes Ganesh.
Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not toBy A Correspondent | ZimEye | The choice of attire by Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his wife Minnie Baloyi during their recent visit to India has sparked significant speculation and debate. Notably absent was the Zimbabwean flag-colored scarf, a signature symbol often associated with the country’s current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Instead, Chiwenga adorned a conspicuously red scarf—a stark visual departure with profound symbolic undertones. So conspicuous is the red scarf on the two’s shoulders, that none of their Indian hosts have any such on their bodies. In Zimbabwe, red is often associated with blood, danger, and sacrifice. Its use in this context could suggest a deliberate message, especially considering Chiwenga’s role in the 2017 coup that ousted Robert Mugabe and installed Mnangagwa as president. Many of the military figures who aided Chiwenga in executing the coup have since died under suspicious circumstances, fueling rumors of political purges within Zimbabwe’s corridors of power. Against this backdrop, Chiwenga’s red scarf might be interpreted as a subtle cry for help or a forewarning of his own peril, particularly given the high stakes and treacherous dynamics of Zimbabwe’s political landscape. The imagery becomes even more loaded when considering the setting in which Chiwenga wore this attire. In one photograph, he is seen speaking near the ritually preserved remains of an Indian legend, a sacred and deeply symbolic act in itself. Such a setting adds an aura of gravitas and mystery to his choice of dress. Was the red scarf a silent acknowledgment of danger, a plea for protection, or perhaps an expression of solidarity with the bloodshed and sacrifices that have defined his political journey? Furthermore, the red scarf’s absence among the Indian hosts raises questions about its specific significance to Chiwenga and his delegation. Could it symbolize a break from Mnangagwa’s leadership, a subtle declaration of independence, or even a veiled protest? In a political culture where symbols carry immense weight, this sartorial choice cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence. Chiwenga’s precarious health, often discussed in Zimbabwean media, also lends credence to interpretations of the red scarf as a harbinger of his own mortality. The deaths of his allies and his rumored frailty create an atmosphere of looming tragedy, with the red scarf serving as a chilling visual metaphor. Chiwenga’s red scarf during this high-profile visit seems to carry layers of meaning that extend far beyond fashion. It is a bold and potentially calculated statement—one that could be interpreted as a warning, a lament, or a declaration of defiance in the face of both political and personal adversities. The political rivalry between Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Chiwenga, has evolved into a dangerous power struggle, one that increasingly threatens national stability. At the heart of this escalating tension lies a tangled web of personal ambition, political paranoia, and a shadowy security apparatus allegedly cultivated by Mnangagwa’s wife, Auxillia. Her emergence as a central figure with unprecedented power has added another volatile element to the already fraught relationship between the two men. Auxillia Mnangagwa’s role in this conflict cannot be overstated. Since 2021, she has played an active role in assembling a clandestine network of loyalists, including armed robbers, soldiers, and state security operatives. This network serves as a counterforce to Chiwenga’s military base, signaling a strategic move by Mnangagwa to consolidate power and neutralize potential threats from his deputy. The First Lady’s apparent ability to deploy military resources for personal and political gain underscores her unique influence within Zimbabwe’s power structure. A particularly alarming instance of this came in her use of over 80 soldiers and riot police to impose her convicted armed robber brother, Paradzai Kutyauripo, as Chief Negomo in 2021. Despite her public denials, video footage and eyewitness accounts paint a starkly different picture—one where Auxillia personally oversaw the operation, complete with an intimidating military motorcade. The forced takeover of Chief Negomo’s kingdom not only violated Zimbabwean law but also demonstrated Auxillia’s willingness to bypass legal and traditional norms to achieve her objectives. Kutyauripo’s criminal history, which includes a very long stint in Chikurubi Maximum Prison for armed robbery, raises serious questions about national security. As Director of State House Residences, a position granted by Mnangagwa, Kutyauripo now holds significant sway over Zimbabwe’s most sensitive government properties. This dual role amplifies fears that state institutions are being repurposed to serve private and criminal interests, further eroding public trust. Amidst this backdrop, Chiwenga’s recent appearance in India wearing a conspicuously red scarf—absent of Mnangagwa’s trademark Zimbabwean flag-colored accessory—takes on heightened significance. In Zimbabwean symbolism, red is a color of blood, sacrifice, and danger. Given the spate of suspicious deaths among Chiwenga’s military allies who orchestrated the 2017 coup, the red scarf could be interpreted as a silent yet ominous warning: Chiwenga perceives himself as a target, standing on the precipice of political and physical peril. Chiwenga’s symbolic act, coupled with his visit to the mummified remains of an Indian legend, adds a ritualistic and almost prophetic dimension to his narrative. It is as if the Vice President, increasingly isolated and encircled, is signaling to the world that the endgame in Zimbabwe’s power struggle is nearing a critical and potentially violent climax. President Mnangagwa’s alleged efforts to build a parallel power base composed of armed robbers and other unsavory figures reveal his strategy to counter Chiwenga’s military influence. This dangerous move not only reflects the depths of distrust between the two leaders but also highlights the lengths to which Mnangagwa is willing to go to secure his hold on power. The implications for Zimbabwe’s security and governance are dire. As state institutions are weaponized for personal battles, the rule of law is undermined, and ordinary citizens bear the brunt of the fallout. The creation of such a shadow army also raises existential questions for Zimbabwe’s democracy. If individuals with criminal backgrounds can rise to positions of authority through political patronage, what does this mean for the integrity of the state? The appointment of Kutyauripo as Chief Negomo and Director of State Residences exemplifies how loyalty to Mnangagwa’s regime trumps merit, legality, and ethical considerations. As Mnangagwa fortifies his position and Auxillia deepens her involvement in security and political affairs, Chiwenga finds himself increasingly cornered. The Vice President’s health struggles, coupled with the loss of his closest allies, compound his vulnerability. The red scarf he wore in India could be his way of crying out against an impending assassination or political sidelining, a fate that has befallen many before him in Zimbabwe’s treacherous political landscape. This showdown is no longer just about two men vying for power—it is a battle for the soul of Zimbabwe, with Auxillia Mnangagwa emerging as a wildcard whose ambitions and actions could tip the scales. As the lines blur between the personal and the political, the stakes for Zimbabwe’s future have never been higher. The struggle between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga is emblematic of a deeper rot within Zimbabwe’s political system—a culture of betrayal, violence, and unchecked ambition. Auxillia’s unprecedented role in this conflict adds a layer of complexity that challenges traditional notions of power and governance. Meanwhile, Chiwenga’s red scarf and public gestures serve as a chilling reminder of the human cost of this power struggle. In a nation where symbols speak louder than words, the message is clear: the battle is far from over, and the consequences will reverberate far beyond the individuals at its center.- ZimEyeNoneEven where minimalism is verging on neurosis, clutter is often not the problem. It’s tidiness, that plain, old-fashioned habit of putting things back where they belong. After an avalanche of luggage knocked my glasses smartly off my face and almost crushed my oldest JRT (she can’t corner as she used to), I had to face the fact that me and mine were covert domestic slobs. We were shovelling the couldn’t-be-bothered behind cupboard doors, postponing the pain of dealing with that dratted sheaf of envelopes — the ripped throw, that pile of books for St Vincent de Paul. The place is Spartan already. I appear to have been robbed. There was nothing on show not performing a practical role and/or that didn’t have a strong emotional pull and yet, I was failing in maintaining the well-ordered environment I wanted. At the end of most days, detritus and undone tiny jobs were littered around my rooms and more disturbingly, snowballing in my head. Have you heard of the one-touch rule? Used everywhere from hotels to homes, cooperate offices to cruise-ship kitchens if you can summon the discipline it's been a game-changer. Brought to light by Ann Gomez, a productivity consultant and the founding president of Toronto-based organisation Clear Concept Inc, one-touch thinking is an ancient practice. It involves staying in the moment and dealing with smaller repetitive tasks in one continuous arc. If you come in the door and remove your coat, you put it on a hanger and off you go. If you need a bag for work at 7.30am the next day, it’s placed in position on its return from the outside world. If you pick up a letter from the mat or see an email that requires a response, you sit down and write or tap it out, firing a torn envelope right into the recycling. As housekeepers, we cannot escape the exhaustion of being multitaskers, and women are routinely feted as superior to men in this department. However, in many cases we get so busy completing yesterday’s ridiculous little jobs, that we park only partially completed, we fudge what’s in front of us. It's procrastination over minute motions. Down the line, these collide with our productivity and comfort. Imagine this as using a domestic credit card in a really sloppy way. It’s quick, convenient, and mindless, but the interest rate accumulates and builds into a bill we cannot easily pay. If you find yourself saying “I’ll deal with that later”, you’re probably in need of one-touch. So, how do we get started with this life-altering new practice? Start small and instil some calm in what you’re doing. Centred breathing brings me right back to the now, as my chore skipping generally rides in on a ripple of anxiety about some past or future happening misting my mind. The one-touch rule is a good way to get through editing down domestic ballast in the course of a declutter too. Like flexing a lesser-used muscle, the more you do it, the easier and more natural it will become, finally reading as effortless. Think of it as getting into the now, even while keeping your place straight. Begin with that coat you’re throwing on the hall table or putting your shopping bags back in the car boot after you’ve done the Ben Hur chariot run and unloaded from the supermarket. Notice the little undone things that accumulate and give you a little spark of stress, depleting your mental energy. Be more aware of when this sly putting-off happens over an ordinary day. Laugh, forgive yourself, and commit to cleaning up your act. The laundry is one area where the system so easily breaks down. When the drying is dry and you have the time to, fold and put it away right into drawers. It’s one-touch, not two to three happenings. Life happens, and in the midst of doing something even relatively important — scraped knees, phones to answer and other slings and arrows of family life must take priority. One-touch is so positive because you can start right now. You make yourself tea, you go to leave the tea bag in the sink. You pause, think one touch, take out an unused canister and make it your new tea-bag recycling tin. Done. The chore of taking that tea bag to the recycling, and cleaning that blot off the stainless steel no longer exists. With kids try simply asking them to think about putting things away where they should go rather than putting them down. I found the three-minute toy tidy challenge with music and coloured baskets a real winner when Faelen was small. If things needed carrying upstairs, we had a basket for three to five items. It works well without flying upstairs for every sock or single item from the shopping. One-touch makes the most sense when you carry out a task in one allotted time. It could be 30 seconds, it could be an hour. Don’t plan tasks that take time and concentration into slivers of your day. This could be washing windows, cleaning out a base cupboard or setting out a meal plan. It’s better to schedule them further down the road into logical generous periods when you know you can make a beginning and end of the job in one clean motion with uninterrupted focus. Once committed to doing something, don’t allow other distractions, intersecting chores, or “while I’m here” to knock you off your primary plan – stay on task. Schedule those things for when you have time. Decluttering is often a major chore, and you can stop the drip of additional stuff drowning your good intentions by starting one-touch behaviours immediately. If you put your hand on something, avoid putting your hand on it again. Follow through. When it comes to organising a serious mess, plan what you’re hoping to achieve and be more decisive. Pick it up, analyse if it has a place in your life, and if not put it straight into the box that’s going out the door to a charity shop, to the dump or on its way to a new home. Don’t dither or make up a "maybe" box. Don’t take the boxes to a quiet place of forgetfulness like the garage. Try somewhere deliberately annoying like the back seat of the car rather than the boot. It’s important to have a place for everything, but don’t automatically introduce more storage to solve a storage issue. I do like to micro-manage as it puts very clear parameters on where my things are going once in the air. I have to finish here with a book gifted to me by a friend. The outrageous title (including the author’s name) made me laugh out loud before I slid it neatly onto my shelves for an evening revelation — Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die (€16, Skyhorse Publishing). I’ll have to rely on an asterisk-heavy promo to describe the work organisational savant and devoted swearer Messie Condo (surely a pseudonym), but I couldn’t sum up this roll-on-the-floor guide better: “Like a delightfully foul-mouthed best friend, this book dishes out the funny, unpretentious advice you need to hear most. You’ll discover how to deal with your sh*t like there’s no tomorrow, live in the moment without the f**king mess, and make your life and your eventual death a hell of a lot easier. Learn how to: ditch the d*mn indecision, get your sh*t together and feel fantastic and more!” It’s Swedish Death Cleaning with the quaint, polite framing stuffed into the black bin. It was hilarious and confronting.
NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.Keysight Technologies Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
LIVERPOOL HEAD COACH Arne Slot was far from happy with his side’s performance in the 1-0 victory at Girona which extended the Champions League leaders’ perfect start to six matches. Mohamed Salah’s 63rd-minute penalty – his 50th goal in the competition – was the difference but it was far from plain sailing with the first half particularly disturbing for Slot. “If you ask me about all the six games, I’m really pleased with all the results,” he said. “I’m really pleased with the five games, the way we played. I am far from pleased about the performance tonight.” Asked what had made him so unhappy he added: “A lot. Especially two things. “If you play against a team who has such a good idea about football and know how to bring the ball out from the back like some other teams we faced recently, like (Manchester) City or Real Madrid then you have to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them. “But if every time you are waiting a few seconds and then if you do press, you are so easily out-played as this team can cause you problems and this is what they showed during the whole Champions League campaign, except for PSV Eindhoven away. “I almost feel sorry for them because they deserve so much more in this campaign than the three points they have now. “And every time we lost the ball we were not aggressive enough, almost every time they just went all the way to our goal. “We had hardly any control in the game, maybe the second half was better – I’m trying to be positive.” The low intensity meant goalkeeper Alisson Becker had a busier night than he would have expected after returning from two months out with a hamstring injury. He made five saves in the first half to help extend the club’s run without conceding for close to nine hours and Slot was indebted to the Brazil international. “We have an incredible goalkeeper. I said as a joke, maybe the players wanted to see how fit he was to give him so much work,” he added. “He showed today he is probably one of the best – in my opinion the best goalkeeper – in the world. “Let’s hope he can continue to keep bringing these performances and hope more he can stay fit.”Data shows gambling is driving force in NH sin tax revenueWASHINGTON — Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week. Along with this week's roll call votes, the House also passed: the Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act (H.R. 9748), to require the Homeland Security Department to develop a policy and process to safeguard research and development from unauthorized access to or disclosure of sensitive information in research and development acquisitions; and the TSA Commuting Fairness Act (H.R. 8662), to reduce commuting burdens on Transportation Security Administration employees. The Senate also passed: the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 (H.R. 3391), to extend the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program at the National Institutes of Health; the Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act (H.R. 6395), to require the Interior Department to include the Department of Health and Human Services in consultations regarding designations of critical minerals, elements, substances, and materials; a bill (S. 5639), to extend the authority for protection of certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft; the Resiliency for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health Act (S. 1553), to improve the management of grazing permits and leases; and the Taxpayer Resources Used in Emergencies Accountability Act (S. 5098), to require certain agencies to develop plans for internal control in the event of an emergency or crisis. House Vote 1: CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS: The House has passed the American Relief Act (H.R. 10545), sponsored by Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. The bill would extend government funding to March 14, 2025, provide $110 billion for disaster recovery efforts and agriculture aid, and extend the farm bill by one year, through fiscal 2025. Cole said: "Congress has a responsibility to keep the government open and operating for the American people. The alternative, a government shutdown, would be devastating to our national defense and our constituents, and would be a grave mistake." The vote, on Dec. 20, was 366 yeas to 34 nays, with 1 voting present. YEAS: Feenstra R-IA (4th), Hinson R-IA (2nd), Miller-Meeks R-IA (1st), Nunn (IA) R-IA (3rd) Senate Vote 1: CALIFORNIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Benjamin J. Cheeks to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Cheeks has been a magistrate judge on the district court for a half-year, after a decade as a private practice criminal defense lawyer in San Diego and time as a government attorney in the Southern District and in New York. The vote, on Dec. 20, was 49 yeas to 47 nays. NAYS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA Senate Vote 2: SECOND CALIFORNIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Serena Murillo to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. A judge on California's Los Angeles County Superior Court for the past 9 years, Murillo was previously a deputy district attorney in the county for 17 years. The vote, on Dec. 20, was 49 yeas to 47 nays. NAYS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA Senate Vote 3: CHANGING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS: The Senate has rejected a substitute amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82). The amendment would have reduced new benefits paid to retirees under the bill, in part by creating a transition period classification for new retirees starting in 2025. Cruz said of the amendment: "Let's support our cops and firefighters and teachers, but let's also not throw our seniors down the river" by weaking the finances of the overall Social Security program. An opponent, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said adding the amendment would amount to killing the bill. The vote, on Dec. 20, was 32 yeas to 64 nays. YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA Senate Vote 4: IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL SECURITY BILL: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82). The amendment would have put off implementation of the bill until it had been determined that its changes to Social Security would not harm the actuarial balance of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and Federal Disability Insurance Trust. Crapo said without the amendment, "this bill will raise the insolvency of the Social Security trust fund and cost our hard-working Social Security recipients to lose $200 billion in Social Security benefits." An opponent, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the amendment showed hypocrisy by Republicans in Congress who are "vowing to use every budget gimmick under the sun next year to avoid paying for their tax bill" that would primarily benefit the wealthy. The vote, on Dec. 20, was 34 yeas to 62 nays. YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA Senate Vote 5: SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS: The Senate has passed the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), sponsored by Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., to repeal measures that reduce Social Security benefits for people who also receive a government pension, or who receive pension or disability funds from an employer that didn't withhold Social Security taxes for those funds. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the bill "very important for our retired teachers and firefighters and postal workers and police officers and so many other public servants who deserve their full Social Security benefits." An opponent, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said it "is simply not fair to the average private sector worker who spends their entire career paying Social Security taxes, earning similar or lower pay than the government workers but receives less Social Security benefit per dollar paid in." The vote, on Dec. 20, was 76 yeas to 20 nays. NAYS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA Senate Vote 6: CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS: The Senate has passed the American Relief Act (H.R. 10545), sponsored by Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. The bill would extend government funding to March 14, 2025, provide $110 billion for disaster recovery efforts and agriculture aid, and extend the farm bill by one year, through fiscal 2025. A supporter, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said of the need to avoid a government shutdown: "The government is supposed to be a service for the American people, and you can't serve the American people when the government isn't operating." The vote, on Dec. 20, was 85 yeas to 11 nays. YEAS: Grassley R-IA, Ernst R-IA
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