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NoneIf you are on the hunt for the best ASX dividend stocks to buy, then it could be worth listening to what Bell Potter is saying about the two in this article. They have been named on the broker's Australian's equities panel this month. These are its favoured Australian equities that it believes offer attractive risk-adjusted returns over the long term. Here's what the broker is saying about them: ( ) Bell Potter thinks that investors should be buying Eagers Automotive shares. It notes that it is the dominant player in the automotive retail market in Australia, with a market share >10%. It also highlights that this ASX dividend stock has been around for over 100 years, which it believes shows longevity, good stewardship by the board, and the ability to withstand market downturns. Commenting on its buy recommendation, the broker said: APE should continue to grow revenue via a mix of inorganic and organic growth. The company is also looking to drive margin expansion by buying existing dealership properties (to reduce rent), increasing penetration in finance and insurance (F&I) (higher margin) and through productivity initiatives (technology). Together, management are expecting ~200bps of margin improvement from these initiatives, which would be extremely material (pre-COVID margins of 2.9%). The company is also in a strong financial position with core net debt of around $495m and a property portfolio worth around $727m as at 30 June 2024. As for dividends, its analysts are forecasting fully franked dividends of 66.5 cents in FY 2024 and then 73 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current share price of $11.45, this will mean of 5.8% and 6.4%, respectively. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $13.00 price target on its shares. ( ) Another ASX dividend stock that could be one of the best to buy right now according to Bell Potter is Premier Investments. It is the owner of the Peter Alexander and Smiggle brands, which the broker believes have long growth runways. It is also positive on the proposed divestment of its non-core brands. It said: In addition to Premier Investment's market share of ~6% in the apparel vertical and ~15% in the stationary space in Australia, the Smiggle brand is also a large player in the UK market. As the Smiggle brand looks to grow its presence in the Middle East & Indonesia via a low-risk wholesale model and Peter Alexander into the UK, we think the two brands have a long runway ahead. With the divestment of the non-core Apparel Brands to Myer (MYR) in an all-script deal expected to be completed in January 2025, we see PMV retaining the higher margin Smiggle and Peter Alexander earnings base post-demerger. We view the highly profitable retail business with domestic:offshore exposure of 70:30 (BPe) growing at ~13% (BPe, FY26e), ~26% stake in Breville Group (BRG), together with property assets valued at cost and a strong cash balance (~$327m, BPe), as worthy of a re-rate in the multiple. Bell Potter is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 111.7 cents in FY 2025 and then 122.6 cents in FY 2026. Based on the current Premier Investments share price of $32.17, this equates to dividend yields of 3.5% and 3.8%, respectively. The broker has a buy rating and $38.00 price target on its shares.

Man City crisis deepens with loss to Juventus in Champions League | Roundup’s creator, director and writer, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has broken down the show’s second season, recalling the most Netflix’s hit South Korean thriller — which sees hundreds of cash-strapped individuals compete in deadly children’s games for a life-changing sum of money — returned for its second season on December 26. The new season welcomes back Lee Jung-jae as Player 456 Seong Gi-hun, who infiltrates the contest to try and put and end to it once and for all. After entering the contest again, Gi-hun is faced with a new set of games he must pass in order to survive. One of them includes a six-legged race, where players are brought into an indoor room full of sand. Divided into groups of five, contestants must complete a series of timed challenges while running around a mini track. While waiting their turn, the rest of the teams are seated in the middle cheering each other on. In a new interview with , Hwang and Lee Byung-hun, who plays Hwang In-ho/Front Man, recalled filming the scene. “That was the only game where participants root for each other. I thought [while writing the game], if we can increase the opportunities for people to support and root for each other, society will get better,” Hwang said. Lee remembered the scene being “the most fun, but also the most exhausting.” “Every time one group did a run around, [the set] was completely filled with dust, and it was hard to breathe,” he said, with Hwang adding: “Everyone got really sick. As soon as I said ‘Cut,’ everyone started coughing, including me. It took more than two weeks to shoot the scene.” While viewers have been and its , they were left divided over the action-packed finale, which ended with a cliffhanger . , Hwang told : “Of course, those watching would feel like, ‘Oh, no. What’s going to happen next? Give us the next episode right now.’ “But I think that because, at that moment, Gi-hun loses everything, he fails all of his attempts [to stop the games], that is when he goes through yet another character transition. So I thought that was the best place to end the season “By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.

Tweet Facebook Mail Families and community members attending a Christmas carols event in Melbourne's south-east were left shocked after teenagers, allegedly armed with machetes, clashed with police last night. The Bayside Christmas Carols in the Park was held at Dendy Park in Brighton East yesterday when the teenagers allegedly armed with machetes began to fight just after 8.30pm. Victorian MP James Newbury said the teens were chased by police before being arrested. READ MORE: Popular Kmart Christmas product recalled over chemical defect The Bayside Christmas Carols in the Park was held at Dendy Park in Brighton East. (Facebook) "Thousands attended Bayside Carols in Brighton East last night. Families watched as gangs with machetes arrived and clashed with police," Newbury said in a social media post. "A chase followed down Glencairn Ave with offenders dumping machetes over fences as the chase ensued. Police made multiple arrests at the corner of Dacey Street." There were no injuries reported. A Bayside City Council spokesperson said the incident occurred outside the event. "The incident took place outside the Carols in the Park event boundary and the event was not impacted," the spokesperson said. "Council works proactively with Victoria Police and private security to ensure the safety of all attendees at Carols." READ MORE: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemns antisemitic attack in Sydney Police have charged a 15-year-old boy and two 16-year-old boys with a number of offences including assault with a weapon, unlawful assault and possessing a controlled weapon. All three teens have been bailed and will appear at a children's court at a later date. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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This was the stock's second consecutive day of losses.

Bison notebook: Cam Miller becomes NDSU's career passing yardage leaderKristin Cavallari is kissing and telling about her experience dating Morgan Wallen . The Hills alum shared NSFW details about her past romance with the country star, more than a month after seemingly confirming they had at one point been involved. "He's a great f--k buddy," Kristin said on the Dec. 29 episode of Bunnie XO 's Dumb Blonde podcast . "He was good in bed." Morgan, 31, has not commented on the Very Cavallari star's remarks. Kristin also shared details about her first date with the "Love Somebody" singer, who, she added, is a "good guy" with a "big heart." "The first date that we went on, he was a true gentleman," the 37-year-old told Bunnie, "and he was like, 'I'll pick you up, I'll pick the place,' like, just f--king handled business." Kristin, who shares children Camden , 12, Jaxon , 10, and Saylor , 8 with ex-husband Jay Cutler , said Morgan did indeed pick her up and met her kids before they went out. "My kids were so excited," Kristin said. "It was so cute." She said that Morgan got the two a private room at the venue they visited, without naming it, and that they were accompanied by his bodyguard. The singer later dropped her off, she said. But the date did not end there. "He kissed me in the rain," she said, "and it was the sweetest thing." Kristin did not specify when the date occurred or how long their romance lasted. She also said she has not spoken to him in "probably a year." "But," she added, "I have nothing but good things to say about him." In November, more than a month after confirming her breakup from Montana Boyz TikToker Mark Estes and amid romance rumors about her and Morgan, Kristin seemingly admitted that she had dated the 2025 Grammy nominee . In a video posted on her social media, she and BFF Justin Anderson took part in a viral trend in which people call out truths about one another. In the clip, Kristin is seen jogging as her friend is heard saying, "Suspect let Morgan Wallen hurt her feelings, and she kept going back." She bursts out laughing and covers her mouth in response. On Bunnie's podcast, Kristin offered some context into the claim. "God, I'm so sorry, Morgan. He didn't hurt my feelings," she began. "I'll be honest with you—Morgan was the first guy in my entire f--king like that wasn't just completely enamored with me. And I was like, 'What in the f--k is going on?' It really threw me." The Uncommon James founder added, "I love having the upper hand and I feel like with him, I didn't have the upper hand. The only time in my life. So it really f--ked with me." Look back at surprising celebrity couples over the years... They played doomed lovers twice, in 1990's Too Young to Die? and 1993's Kalifornia , but in real life they had a perfectly lovely relationship . "I still love the woman," Pitt, who was Lewis' date to the 1992 Oscars when she scored a Supporting Actress nomination for Cape Fear , told Vanity Fair in February 1995. "There's some real genius there. I had a great time with her...It was one of the greatest relationships I've ever been in. The problem is, we grow up with this vision that love conquers all, and that's just not so, is it?" It wasn't just a Gen X fever dream, they really closed out the 20th century as a couple after, legend has it, being introduced by Gwyneth Paltrow (who famously dated Damon's best bud Ben Affleck ). They split up in 2000. After the fact, Damon called Ryder a "great woman" in a 2004 Playboy interview , while Ryder told Black Book in 2009, "Matt couldn't be a greater, nicer guy. I'm really lucky that I'm on good terms with him." There was something about their chemistry at the 2003 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, where Diaz presented Timberlake with the award for Best Burp—because they dated for almost four years, seriously enough to issue a statement when their relationship ended in 2007, "mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another." The Scandal star appeared on the cover of InStyle Weddings in 2005 when she was engaged to the Big actor , but they split up in 2007. Madonna never addressed the story that she dated the rapper , who was killed in 1996 when he was only 25, until 2015. When Howard Stern brought up her infamously feisty 1994 chat with David Letterman , she explained, "I was dating Tupac at the time, and the thing is...he got me all riled up on life in general." After her divorce from Ryan Phillippe and before marrying agent Jim Toth , Reese starred with Jake in the 2007 thriller Rendition and they dated for a couple of years. "She is, as I would say about most of the women who I'm close friends with or had relationships in my life," Jake said admiringly of his ex , "one of the smartest, strongest people I've ever met." Before marrying Livia Giuggioli in 1997 (they separated in 2019), Firth had a five-year relationship with Tilly that produced son William Joseph Firth , who was born Sept. 20, 1990. The younger Firth is also an actor who appeared with his father in Bridget Jones's Baby . This was them: The U.S. Open champ courted the A Walk to Remember star between 2003 and 2004, but ultimately it wasn't a love match . "He broke my heart," Moore told Howard Stern in 2018. "I was a kid, he was a kid. I started dating him when I was 18." You oughta know by now that one of the most enduring mysteries in music history is who exactly inspired Morissette's iconic 1995 single—and the Full House star is at the top of the list of maybes! Morissette denied it in the 2021 documentary Jagged , but that's a tough pill to swallow. "Oh yeah, I love her music," Reynolds told People of his then-fiancée in 2005. "It can be awkward when she walks in and I'm listening to it in my underwear dancing." The music stopped for the Canadians in 2007, but their breakup after four years together was very polite . You can't blame the Mad Men star for liking funny guys . Jones and Sudeikis dated for a few months in 2010, five years before she briefly dated Will Forte . The Good Will Hunting stars paired off in real life, too, but they didn't drive off into the sunset together . "Well, I'm single," Damon said on The Oprah Winfrey Show in January 1998. "I was with Minnie for a while, but we're not really romantically involved anymore. We're just really good friends, and I love her dearly....I care about her a lot. We care about each other a lot. It wasn't meant to be, you know? And if it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be." The pronouncement was a bit too public for Driver's taste. "It's unfortunate that Matt went on Oprah ," she told the LA Times later that year. "It seemed like a good forum for him to announce to the world that we were no longer together, which I found fantastically inappropriate." The stars met on the set of the 1981 movie Excalibur and eventually lived together (Neeson says Mirren gave him his first driving lessons) before they broke up in the mid-'80s. "I should be so lucky and be honored to have spent three or four years with that lady," Neeson told ET Canada in February 2023. "She's really something else." Finding love in Jurassic Park ? Talk about a meat cute. The co-stars began dating after filming the 1993 blockbuster , with Goldblum telling The Chicago Tribune at the time, "I was struck, I'd been a big fan of hers. I think she's an amazing actress, and a spectacular person. I was struck from the beginning. But after the movie we realized we liked each other." They got engaged in 1995 but ultimately split two years later. They reunited on-screen for the first time in 2022's Jurassic World: Dominion , the sixth installment in the franchise. The X-Files alum was in a relationship with The Crown creator between 2016 and 2020. Anderson won an Emmy for her turn as Margaret Thatcher in the Netflix hit in 2020. According to Arquette, the two dated while filming their 1995 Western Wild Bill . The Clueless actor confirmed a little-known rumor during a Reddit AMA chat in November 2015, revealing that he used to date the actress. The two had starred in the 1992 TV movie Desperate Choices: To Save My Child . "She was my first actress girlfriend," he said. "We had a long distance relationship for a long time. I was so into her." E! News exclusively broke the news that the Real Housewives of New York star and Modern Family actor were a pair in 2015. But by the following year, they had split. The Southland alum and the actor, who played Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show , dated for several years before calling it quits in 2013. The famous bachelor was actually settled in with Preston pre- John Travolta back in 1987. They even lived together and shared a potbellied pig named Max before breaking up in 1989. Why, yes, she does believe in life after love. The Top Gun star and the legendary diva dated back in the '80s following her divorces from Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman . Before he was Heidi Klum 's ex, the "Kiss from a Rose" musician romanced a different supermodel. The duo reportedly started dating after meeting on the set of the 2005 film Brick , but they only stayed together for six months. The Dawson's Creek alum and the Josie and the Pussycats star dated for about a year back in 2002. The NCIS: LA stud and America's sweetheart dated way back in 1993, when 17-year-old Witherspoon first moved to Los Angeles. The man who now rocks the Iron Man suit for Marvel admitted that drugs and alcohol were to blame for the end of his seven-year relationship with the Sex and the City star. "I liked to drink, and I had a drug problem, and that didn't jibe with Sarah Jessica," he admitted in an a 2008 interview with Parade , "because it is the furthest thing from what she is. She tried to help me. She was so miffed when I didn't get my act together." The late Friends alum and The Hangover star supposedly had a fling 2003, but it didn't last long enough to be more than a little blip on the Hollywood hookup radar. The 2 Broke Girls actress dated her Thor costar briefly in 2010, appearing very cozy while attending Comic-Con to promote the Marvel film. But their relationship fizzled by the time the movie premiered the following year. In 1999, way before he wed Blake Lively , Reynolds dated the 3rd Rock From the Sun star. The duo even attended the premiere of The Green Mile together. The child actors turned A-listers briefly dated in 2006 but remained close friends—and co-starred in the intense 2009 drama Brothers . "She's a vegan," Gyllenhaal pointed out when presenting Portman with the Desert Palm Achievement Award in 2011, "which makes it really frustrating when you're picking a place to eat."For 17 years, Hariss Harun has served Singapore football with distinction. He was part of the Lions’ Asean Championship-winning side in 2012, before becoming captain of Johor Darul Takzim, with whom he won the 2015 AFC Cup, adding to his multiple domestic trophies on both sides of the Causeway. He has kept things tidy in midfield, put in crunching tackles and ventured forward to link up with the attack when required. Even when he is played out of position in defence, he carries on with his task with minimal fuss. As years go by, his professionalism and commitment remain unquestionable, but as he doubles in age to 34, he has also lost a yard of pace while recovery takes longer. He is no longer an automatic starter with the Lions and Lion City Sailors. The national skipper remained true to his down-to-earth demeanour when asked if he has been hit by recent criticism, following his blunder which led to a goal in the 3-2 friendly defeat by Chinese Taipei in November. Ahead of Singapore’s Asean Championship Group A opener against Cambodia on Dec 11 at the National Stadium, Hariss told The Straits Times: “What I have achieved doesn’t give me the leeway to give anything less. Singapore counting on golden ‘oldies’ at AFF Championship “Even when I had some niggles, I always trained and gave my best, when probably I should have had more rest. At times, it has come back to bite me and I don’t perform as I should, and I take responsibility for the decision I made. “The criticism hurts the people closest to me, which is what affects me. This is my job hazard, but it’s what I signed up for. Footballers are more in the public eye now, and we have to learn to deal with it. The good thing is we have the opportunity to prove ourselves, and hopefully we will do that.” The Lions, who have been struggling to make progress in recent years, will be looking to hit the ground running as they take on a Cambodia side boosted by seven naturalised players and held Malaysia to a 2-2 draw in Phnom Penh on Dec 8 to end a run of nine straight defeats by the Tigers. Five of Cambodia’s naturalised players – South Africa-born defender Kan Mo, Japan-born midfielder and set-piece specialist Yudai Ogawa and defender Takaki Ose, United States-born winger Nick Taylor, and Ivory Coast-born scorer Abdel Kader Coulibaly – started and impressed with their ability on the ball. They also have Japan-born defender Hikaru Mizuno and Colombia-born forward Andres Nieto to call upon. Mo, formerly known as Faeez Khan, had played in the Cambodian league for five years before he switched nationality in 2024. The 32-year-old said: “We help to push the local players more so we can become stronger as a unit. “We had six days to prepare for this tournament, so it’s a challenge. We know each other from the league... but tactically, it’s a bit difficult coming together. We need more time to perfect our playing style, but at the moment, if our fighting spirit is there, we will be okay.” Meanwhile, Singapore will have a different coach at the helm for a seventh straight Asean Championship. Since winning the 2012 edition, they have made it past the group stage just once, in 2021 when they were beaten by Indonesia in the two-legged semi-finals. Tsutomu Ogura is the latest man to attempt to turn the Lions’ fortunes around, and has injected some positivity that led to come-from-behind results against China (2-2) and Myanmar (3-2). These have been tempered, however, by a 7-0 drubbing by South Korea and a 3-2 defeat by Chinese Taipei. While the likes of goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, defender Safuwan Baharudin and striker Shawal Anuar will be key to his plans, there will be opportunities for younger players to establish themselves, with notable absences in Song Ui-young (family matters), Jacob Mahler (injury) and Irfan, Ikhsan and Ilhan Fandi (not released by foreign clubs). The 58-year-old Japanese, who has experimented with his line-ups and given opportunities to youngsters such as Jordan Emaviwe, Farhan Zulkifli and Abdul Rasaq Akeem, said he will pick his starting XI only on match-day mornings. He said: “I don’t just look at what happens on the pitch. I respect the experienced players for what they contribute on and off the pitch because that is what we need to help the younger players fit into the team.” He added that while the first game of a tournament is always important, it is also only one game. “There will be pressure, but this is where the experienced players come in,” he said. “Many of the younger players will be playing in their first Asean Championship opening game, but the senior players have gone through this many times and I want them to be able to lead the team and solve problems.” Tickets for Singapore’s home matches are available for purchase via ticketmaster.sg

How the Seahawks can shake up the NFC West with a win over the Cardinals - The Seattle Times

Bowdoinham residents received sad news at the beginning of December when the current owner of the Bowdoinham Country Store announced its closure. For some residents, the store served as a community hub. Closing the store came as a difficult decision for Sam Hilling, who also runs the Three Robbers Pub just down the street. Hilling said there is a potential buyer for the Country Store, a Bowdoinham local. Hilling declined to reveal the names of the potential buyer, but said he expects the store to change hands by next month. Around three offers were made to buy the store during the second week of December. However, Hilling is waiting to see whether the Bowdoinham resident’s loan will receive approval for the purchase from the bank. Hilling said someone needs to be present at the Country Store at all times and is confident the potential buyer will be a good fit for it should the sale clear. The Country Store has changed ownership three to four times within the last five years. Every owner has faced the same problem of not having enough business in a small town to keep it going. “I think it is an outdated system that we have here,” Hilling said. “I mean, you can’t really have a grocery store, I don’t think, in a small town anymore.” Hilling noted that he was having trouble competing with larger grocery store chains, such as the Market Basket that opened in Topsham this year and other chains like Hannaford Bros. and Shaw’s in surrounding towns. He acquired the store two years ago in December, and his biggest challenge was getting enough staff to work there. The Country Store’s liquor and food licenses were up for renewal, and managing the small store and the Three Robbers Pub became too much for Hilling. After running the Country Store at a loss for two years, he is focusing on running the restaurant in the center of Bowdoinham. “The store acts as a real hub for so many people, and it’s like a community center of sorts,” said Bowdoinham resident Craig Donnan, adding that people who frequented the store could tell the inventory was slowly declining. Hilling told his employees about the potential of the Country Store’s closure two months ago. Hilling and his previous employees tried a few things, like changing the week’s hours to be open on busier days and reducing staff shifts, but it didn’t work. Despite having 12 employees, not enough people were working at the store. “I have a lot of construction people that come in here, and they just can’t find help, either,” Hilling said. “Then when you do find help, you have to overpay them just to keep them.” Bowdoinham resident Joh Boucher said he was disappointed that the Country Store closed, but he expected it to happen given its recent stock. Boucher hopes that if the sale goes through, the people who lost their jobs can return to the store, and that there will be an expanded menu and more stocked shelves. Boucher’s wife, Gail, used to work at the Country Store, and Boucher used to go down to the store for things he would forget from bigger grocery trips. “[The Country Store] will be missed a lot, especially for the locals,” Boucher said. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors.None

Pelham has hiked its development charges for the first time since 2018, a move said to better align with the town’s growth and infrastructure needs. Developers will see an increase of 19.5 per cent in residential and non-residential charges — about 10 per cent lower than what was initially proposed. A new development charges bylaw was approved during a town council meeting last week. Development charges are one-time fees collected when developers receive a building permit in order to help pay for the cost of growth infrastructure such as roads, water and wastewater pipes, parks and firefighting services. Residential rates will increase to $34,999, up from $29,240 (effective Jan. 1, 2024). For non-residential units, rates will be about $16.35 per square foot, up from $13.47. The rates did not come without criticism from developers. Stephen Kaiser of Kaiser and Associates, participating virtually during the meeting, said the town’s background report supporting the rates is “fundamentally flawed and places a multitude of costs on the new homebuyer that should be borne by the existing ratepayers.” “The process to date in developing this bylaw has left a great deal to be desired,” he said, adding there was little consultation with local developers to find a solution that works for both sides. Ward 2 Coun. Brian Eckhardt asked what percentage would be fair. “I don’t really think that’s the game, so to speak,” replied Kaiser. “It’s what is fair, what’s our proportion as growth we should pay as new development.” Niagara Home Builders’ Association chief executive officer Chuck McShane urged council to defer the bylaw approval pending more dialogue, until charges are “equitable to all stakeholders, including the citizens of Pelham, the new purchaser and the industry.” “We know we have to pay DC charges ... but at the end of the day we just want what’s fair for all.” Mayor Marvin Junkin said staff went through the bylaw line-by-line with McShane to reduce the charges to their new level. However, McShane said, those numbers “need to be looked at to ensure they are not only fair for the town, but fair for the new home purchaser.” Town treasurer Teresa Quinlin-Murphy said that from 2018 to 2024, the cost of construction has “gone up significantly,” putting pressure on the town’s capital expenditures plan and the development charges (DC) study. “That’s the pressure we’re all having and that’s why the DC have gone up across all municipalities, not just ours,” she said. Ward 3 Coun. Shellee Niznik said residents expect good roads, working street lights and a rapid response from firefighters, and her own taxes have “increased greatly” about 35 per cent since the last time a DC rate chart was presented. “I really feel this is a balancing out of the fees.” Eckhardt said he struggles to understand how Pelham allocates development charges, with some of the charges placed on what appears to be old projects rather than new development. But he said he has “no qualms” about the work staff did in getting the percentage hike below 20. “You’re always doing a juggling act. The lower DC rates you have, it maybe promotes growth, and then you get tax revenue, but then we’re nailing taxpayers to put in infrastructure that should be being paid with new growth,” he said. Junkin defended the work of the background study and said he was happy with the numbers, as it is “what the town needs going forward.” Ward 1 Coun. Wayne Olson said the town has been working on its debt, and the new bylaw is reasonable, “but it doesn’t really fully take into account the future cost of growth we’re going to see ... I think this strikes a balance.”Former Broncos who scored just one NFL touchdown relish at least being 'in the books'

By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? National Politics | Republican-led states are rolling out plans that could aid Trump’s mass deportation effort As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.NonePaul Merson’s Premier League predictions, including Man City v Spurs, Ruben Amorim opener and Arsenal ‘cup final’

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We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 United States of America [email protected] Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2024 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PCDoctored images have been around for decades. The term "Photoshopped" is part of everyday language. But in recent years, it has seemingly been replaced by a new word: deepfake. It's almost everywhere online, but you likely won't find it in your dictionary at home. What exactly is a deepfake, and how does the technology work? RELATED STORY | Scripps News Reports: Sex, Lies, and Deepfakes A deepfake is an image or video that has been generated by artificial intelligence to look real. Most deepfakes use a type of AI called a "diffusion model." In a nutshell, a diffusion model creates content by stripping away noise. "With diffusion models, they found a very clever way of taking an image and then constructing that procedure to go from here to there," said Lucas Hansen said. He and Siddharth Hiregowdara are cofounders of CivAI, a nonprofit educating the public on the potential — and dangers — of AI. How diffusion models work It can get complicated, so imagine the AI – or diffusion model – as a detective trying to catch a suspect. Like a detective, it relies on its experience and training. It recalls a previous case -– a sneaky cat on the run. Every day it added more and more disguises. On Monday, no disguise. Tuesday, it put on a little wig. Wednesday, it added some jewelry. By Sunday, it's unrecognizable and wearing a cheeseburger mask. The detective learned these changes can tell you what it wore and on what day. AI diffusion models do something similar with noise, learning what something looks like at each step. "The job of the diffusion model is to remove noise," Hiregowdara said. "You would give the model this picture, and then it will give you a slightly de-noised version of this picture." RELATED STORY | Scripps News got deepfaked to see how AI could impact elections When it's time to solve the case and generate a suspect, we give it a clue: the prompts we give when we create an AI-generated image. "We have been given the hint that this is supposed to look like a cat. So what catlike things can we see in here? Okay, we see this curve, maybe that's an ear," Hiregowdara said. The "detective" works backward, recalling its training. It sees a noisy image. Thanks to the clue, it is looking for a suspect — a cat. It subtracts disguises (noise) until it finds the new suspect. Case closed. Now imagine the "detective" living and solving crimes for years and years. It learns and studies everything — landscapes, objects, animals, people, anything at all. So when it needs to generate a suspect or an image, it remembers its training and creates an image. Deepfakes and faceswaps Many deepfake images and videos employ some type of face swapping technology. You've probably experienced this kind of technology already — faceswapping filters like on Snapchat, Instagram or Tiktok use technology similar to diffusion models, recognizing faces and replacing things in real time. "It will find the face in the image and then cut that out kind of, then take the face and convert it to its internal representation," Hansen said. The results are refined then repeated frame by frame. The future and becoming our own detectives As deepfakes become more and more realistic and tougher to detect, understanding how the technology works at a basic level can help us prepare for any dangers or misuse. Deepfakes have already been used to spread election disinformation, create fake explicit images of a teenager, even frame a principal with AI-created racist audio. "All the netizens on social media also have a role to play," Siwei Lyu said. Lyu is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University of Buffalo's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the director of the Media Forensics Lab. His team has created a tool to help spot deepfakes called "DeepFake-o-meter." "We do not know how to handle, how to deal, with these kinds of problems. It's very new. And also requires technical knowledge to understand some of the subtleties there," Lyu said. "The media, the government, can play a very active role to improve user awareness and education. Especially for vulnerable groups like seniors, the kids, who will start to understand the social media world and start to become exposed to AI technologies. They can easily fall for AI magic or start using AI without knowing the limits." RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone Both Lyu and CivAI believe in exposure and education to help combat any potential misuse of deepfake technology. "Our overall goal is that we think AI is going t impact pretty much everyone in a lot of different ways," Hansen said. "And we think that everyone should be aware of the ways that it's going to change them because it's going to impact everyone." "More than just general education — just knowing the facts and having heard what's going to happen," he added. "We want to give people a really intuitive experience of what's going on." Hansen goes on to explain CivAI's role in educating the public. "We try and make all of our demonstrations personalized as much as possible. What we're working on is making it so people can see it themselves. So they know it's real, and they feel that it's real," Hansen said. "And they can have a deep gut level feel for tthe impact that it's going to have." "A big part of the solution is essentially just going to be education and sort of cultural changes," he added. "A lot of this synthetic content is sort of like a new virus that is attacking society right now, and people need to become immune to it in some ways. They need to be more suspicious about what's real and what's not, and I think that will help a lot as well."Four in 10 rectification orders issued by the Building Commission to builders of standalone houses were not complied with inside the mandated period, amid warnings of widespread defects across greenfield construction in Sydney’s southwest. Data obtained by the Herald under NSW freedom of information laws provides a snapshot of the Building Commission’s first-year foray into regulating the construction of residential standalone houses, known as class-one buildings, after new powers legislated in late 2023 boosted the scope and funding of the agency beyond apartments. Homes with defective work are often not being rectified in an acceptable time frame. Credit: Jessica Hromas Cowboy home builders operating in tough financial conditions have forced the commission to suspend and cancel a spate of licences after defects were found across dozens of sites. Rectification orders are issued where building work is non-compliant as a means of remediating the problem before it becomes a serious defect. The data comes at a time the state needs to build 378,000 homes by July 2029. Premier Chris Minns has previously insisted the eye-watering quantity required will not come at the cost of quality, with the building commission empowered to try to prevent a repeat of the Mascot and Opal Towers debacle . Figures provided by the Department of Customer Service show 3339 complaints were received in relation to standalone houses between January 1 and October 8 this year, resulting in 897 inspections. Of those, the commission issued 319 rectification orders, and 126 were not complied with inside the designated period. The new building commissioner, James Sherrard, told the Herald that he did not believe the proportion of rectification orders disobeyed represented a compliance problem for the regulator. New building commissioner James Sherrard does not believe the number of rectification orders ignored represents a compliance problem Credit: Janie Barrett “I don’t believe we do. I mean, you can look at statistics a number of different ways. One in three have already been complied with, I think that is a better way of saying. Some won’t be complied with because the builder has gone under, or some such thing like that,” he said. Sherrard said “a lot of” rectification orders could not be complied with until the project was complete. “So the order is effective in ensuring that we have a solution to the problem, albeit that the strict time frame of the order is there to ensure that we get that adherence,” he said. The Building Commission had also slapped 216 home building licenses with conditions in the first 10 months of the year, limiting their work to apartments. Aggrieved clients of builders have previously questioned the effectiveness of Building Commission-issued rectification orders, finding there was little consequence for builders who defied the compliance measures unless there was a commitment to pursue them legally. Home owners and building commission sources said, in some cases, the cost of defying rectification orders had been baked into the costs for builders, who preferred to be fined and then gamble that financially stressed clients would not have the means to seek remedy through the courts. “Builders would ask if they could pay fines on Amex,” a building commission inspector told this masthead on the condition of anonymity. The source estimated that 75 per cent of houses being constructed would have at least 10 defects, including major issues such as waterproofing or structural issues, pointing to poor education of tradespeople as the driving force behind defects. Chandler has been heartbroken by the state of some of the buildings he has investigated. Credit: Kate Geraghty In August, former building commissioner David Chandler told the Illawarra Mercury there was a “deep denial about the quality of home construction”. Inspections of class-one buildings since last December showed there was “widespread, statewide non-compliant construction going on”. Grahame McCulloch, a third-party building inspector who worked with a number of customers of Punjabi film producer turned home builder Sippy Grewal, said the amount of defective building work was “very, very widespread” in the parts of Sydney’s south-western greenfield fringe where he operated. McCulloch attributed the shoddy workmanship to accelerated learning pathways for tradespeople, leaving a broader pool of underqualified workers to choose from. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter .

Tap to Pay on iPhone, Apple Watch arrives in New ZealandBy JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? National Politics | Republican-led states are rolling out plans that could aid Trump’s mass deportation effort As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.

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