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Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Robinhood Markets, Inc. ( NASDAQ:HOOD – Free Report ) by 85.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 117,383 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 54,046 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Robinhood Markets were worth $2,749,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of HOOD. HM Payson & Co. increased its stake in shares of Robinhood Markets by 53.5% in the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 1,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in shares of Robinhood Markets in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Robinhood Markets in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Robinhood Markets in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Robinhood Markets in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors own 93.27% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades HOOD has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Robinhood Markets from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Robinhood Markets from $28.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Barclays lifted their price target on Robinhood Markets from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Robinhood Markets from $27.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their target price on Robinhood Markets from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Robinhood Markets presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $28.66. Robinhood Markets Trading Up 4.4 % Shares of Robinhood Markets stock opened at $36.65 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $26.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.84. Robinhood Markets, Inc. has a 12 month low of $8.13 and a 12 month high of $38.11. Robinhood Markets ( NASDAQ:HOOD – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $637.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $660.53 million. Robinhood Markets had a return on equity of 7.52% and a net margin of 21.80%. The business’s revenue was up 36.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.09) earnings per share. Analysts predict that Robinhood Markets, Inc. will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In other Robinhood Markets news, Director Meyer Malka sold 105,875 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total value of $3,176,250.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 28,930,243 shares in the company, valued at $867,907,290. The trade was a 0.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Also, Director Baiju Bhatt sold 139,916 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.55, for a total value of $2,735,357.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 4,710,549 shares of company stock worth $115,477,194. 19.95% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Robinhood Markets Profile ( Free Report ) Robinhood Markets, Inc operates financial services platform in the United States. Its platform allows users to invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), American depository receipts, options, gold, and cryptocurrencies. The company offers fractional trading, recurring investments, fully-paid securities lending, access to investing on margin, cash sweep, instant withdrawals, retirement program, around-the-clock trading, and initial public offerings participation services. Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Robinhood Markets When to Sell a Stock for Profit or Loss Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot How to Capture the Benefits of Dividend Increases MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 How to Invest in the FAANG Stocks 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Receive News & Ratings for Robinhood Markets Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Robinhood Markets and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Beans are kind of like the your best friend from high school — nearly forgotten but always ready to step back into the limelight and help out an old pal when needed. As gorgeously (and tantalizingly) demonstrated in Rancho Gordo’s new cookbook, “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans” (Ten Speed, $35), beans are indeed a magical fruit, though not in the way you heard as a kid. Classified as both a vegetable and a plant-based protein in the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, beans and other legumes can be the ingredient you build an entire vegetarian or veggie-forward meal around. Or, they can help an economical cook stretch a dish twice as far with nutritious calories. A healthful and shelf-staple plant food — they last for years when dried — beans have been among a home cook’s most reliable pantry items for a very long time. (Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are thought to have been grown in Mexico more than 7,000 years ago.) That’s why, for some, they’re often something of an afterthought, especially if the only time you ate them as a kid was when your mom tossed kidney beans into a pot of beef chili or made baked beans (with brown sugar and bacon, please!) for a family cookout. Vegetarians have always appreciated their versatility and nutritional punch, and because they’re cheap, they also were quite popular during the Great Depression and World War II as C rations. Sales also peaked during the coronavirus pandemic, when shoppers stockpiled long-lasting pantry essentials. It wasn’t until Rancho Gordo, a California-based bean company, trotted out its branded packages of colorful heirloom beans that the plant began to take on cult status among some shoppers. Unlike the bean varieties commonly found in even the smallest grocery stores, heirloom beans are mostly forgotten varieties that were developed on a small scale for certain characteristics, with seeds from the best crops passed down through the generations. The result is beans that are fresher and more colorful than mass-produced beans, and come in different shapes and sizes. They also have a more complex and intense flavor, fans say. “The Bean Book” dishes up dozens of different ways to cook Rancho Gordo’s 50 heirloom bean varieties, which include red-streaked cranberry beans, mint-green flageolets, black and classic garbanzos and (my favorite) vaquero — which wear the same black-and-white spots as a Holstein cow. Other gotta-try varieties (if just for the name) include eye of the goat, European Soldier, Jacob’s Cattle and Good Mother Stallard, a purple bean with cream-colored flecks. “The very good news is that you have to work extra hard to mess up a pot of beans, and it’s not difficult to make an excellent pot,” Steve Sando writes in the book’s foreword. “The even better news is that you become a better cook with each pot you make.” Not convinced? Here are five reasons to jump on the bean bandwagon: Even the smallest grocery store will have a selection of dried and canned beans. Common varieties include black, cannellini (white kidney), Great Northern, pinto, navy, kidney, Lima and garbanzo (chickpea) beans. Even when they’re not on sale, beans are a bargain at the supermarket. Many varieties cost less than $1 a can, and dried beans are an economical way to build a menu. I paid $1.25 for a one-pound bag of cranberry beans, a smooth and velvety bean with a slightly nutty flavor, at my local grocery store. Rancho Gordo’s heirloom beans cost substantially more. (They run $6.25-$7.50 for a one-pound bag, with free shipping on orders over $50.) But they are sold within a year of harvest, which makes them more flavorful and tender. A bag also comes with cooking instructions and recipe suggestions, and the quality is outstanding. Plus, after cooking their beans with aromatics, “you are left with essentially free soup,” Sando writes in the cookbook. “If you drain properly cooked and seasoned beans, the liquid you are left with is delicious.” Beans are a great source of plant-based protein and both soluble and insoluble fiber, and they include essential minerals like iron, magnesium and potassium. If you’re watching your weight or following a particular diet, beans are naturally free of fat, sodium and cholesterol and are rich in complex carbohydrates. They also contain antioxidants and folate. And if you’re vegan or vegetarian, most types of dry beans are rich sources of iron. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating 1-3 cups of legumes, including beans, per week Dry beans have to be soaked overnight, but cooking them is easy. They can be cooked on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, in the pressure cooker and in the oven. Canned beans are even easier — just rinse and drain, and they’re ready to go. Beans can be used in so many different dishes. They can be made into soup, salad or dips, top nachos, add some heft to a casserole or be mashed into the makings of a veggie burger. You also can add them to brownies and other baked goods, toss them with pasta, add them to chili or a rice bowl or stuff them into a taco or burrito. Check out these four recipes: PG tested This light and creamy vegetarian soup benefits from a surprising garnish, roasted shiitake mushrooms, which taste exactly like bacon. For soup 1/4 cup olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 medium carrot, scrubbed and chopped 6 garlic cloves, finely grated or pressed 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 cups vegetable broth 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed For bacon 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps cut into 1/8 -inch slices 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt To finish Plant-based milk Chili oil, for drizzling Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make soup: In large pot, heat oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant and tender, 8-10 minutes. Add vegetable stock and beans, increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, 12-14 minutes. Meanwhile, make the bacon: Spread shiitake mushrooms into a single layer on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Bake until browned and crispy, 18-20 minutes, rotating pan front to back and tossing mushrooms with a spatula halfway through. Let cool in pan; mushrooms will continue to crisp as they cool. To finish, add some milk to the soup and use an immersion blender to puree it in the pot, or puree in a blender. (Cover lid with a clean kitchen towel.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Divide soup among bowls and top with shiitake bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs and a drizzle of chili oil. Serves 4-6. — “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” by Joe Yonan PG tested Velvety cranberry beans simmered with tomato and the punch of red wine vinegar are a perfect match for a soft bed of cheesy polenta. This is a filling, stick-to-your-ribs dish perfect for fall. 1/4 cup olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, juice reserved 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth 4 fresh sage leaves Salt and pepper 4 cups cooked Lamon or cranberry beans 2 cups uncooked polenta 6 ounces pancetta, diced Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving In large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and red wine vinegar. In a small bowl, dissolve tomato paste in the broth and add to pan. Stir in sage and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 15-20 minutes. Add beans to tomato sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare polenta according to package instructions. Place pancetta in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper towel to drain. To serve, spoon polenta into serving dishes. Ladle the beans over the polenta and top with the pancetta. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with grated Parmesan. Serves 6. — “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans” by Steve Sando PG tested Beans and seafood might seen like an unusual pairing, but in this recipe, mild white beans take on a lot of flavor from clams. Spanish chorizo adds a nice contrast. 4 cups cooked white beans, bean broth reserved 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 white onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1/2 cup finely chopped Spanish-style cured chorizo 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 pounds small clams, scrubbed well Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish Country-style bread and butter, for serving In large pot, heat beans in their broth over medium-low heat. In large lidded saucepan, warm olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and salt and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chorizo and cook gently until some of the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine and cook to allow the flavors to mingle, 5-6 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add clams. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Uncover the pan and cook until all of the clams open, another few minutes. Remove pan from heat, then remove and discard any clams that failed to open. Add clam mixture to the bean pot and stir very gently until well mixed. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mingle but not get mushy. Ladle into large, shallow bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Set out a large bowl for discarded shells and encourage guests to eat with their fingers. Pass plenty of good bread and creamy butter at the table Serves 4-6. — “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen” by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry PG tested So easy to pull together for your next party! 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 small garlic clove, minced Generous pinch of salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 or 3 tablespoons water, if needed 2 fresh basil leaves, chopped, optional 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves chopped, optional In a food processor, pulse cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt and several grinds of pepper until combined. If it’s too thick, slowly add the water with the food processor running until it is smooth and creamy. Blend in the basil and/or rosemary, if using Serve with veggies, pita or bruschetta. Makes 1 1/2 cups — Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette ©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Olympics in India a 'dream' facing many hurdles

With nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Mr Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on January 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Mr Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned that “this was just a first run”. “Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.” Mr Milanovic, the most popular politician in Croatia, has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, the 58-year-old has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and continuous sparring between the two has been a recent hallmark of Croatia’s political scene. Mr Plenkovic has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and Nato. He has labelled Mr Milanovic “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him (Mr Primorac) and Milanovic is quite simple: Milanovic is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military. Mr Milanovic has criticised the Nato and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, thought it is a member of both Nato and the EU. Mr Milanovic has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a Nato-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war”. His main rival in the election, Mr Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East”. However, his bid for the presidency has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and which featured prominently in pre-election debates. Trailing a distant third in the pre-election polls is Marija Selak Raspudic, a conservative independent candidate. She has focused her election campaign on the economic troubles of ordinary citizens, corruption and issues such as population decline in the country of some 3.8 million. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a snap parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.

Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic will face conservative rival Dragan Primorac in an election run-off in two weeks' time after the incumbent narrowly missed out an outright victory on Sunday, official results showed. The results came after an exit poll, released immediately after the polling stations closed, showed that Milanovic, backed by the opposition left-wing Social Democrats, had scooped more than 50 percent of the first round vote and would thus avoid the January 12 run-off. Milanovic won 49.1 percent of the first round vote and Primorac, backed by the ruling conservative HDZ party, took 19.35 percent, according to results released by the state electoral commission from nearly all of the polling stations. On Sunday evening, Milanovic pledged to his supporters who gathered in Zagreb to "fight for Croatia with a clear stance, one that takes care of its interests". Such a strong lead for Milanovic, whom surveys labelled a favourite ahead of the vote, raises serious concerns for Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's HDZ. Late on Sunday, Primorac labelled the big difference between him and Milanovic a "challenge". "In the first round there were... a lot of candidates, it was not easy to present the programme fully. Now it's a great opportunity that Milanovic and I be one on one... to see who represents what," Primorac told his supporters in Zagreb. The election came as the European Union and NATO member country of 3.8 million people struggles with biting inflation, widespread corruption and a labour shortage. Among the eight contenders, centre-right MP Marija Selak Raspudic and green-left MP Ivana Kekin followed the two main rivals, the exit poll showed. The two women each won around nine percent of the vote. The president commands the Balkan country's armed forces and has a say in foreign policy. But despite limited powers, many believe the office is key for the political balance of power in a country mainly governed by the HDZ since independence in 1991. "All the eggs should not be in one basket," Nenad Horvat, a salesman in his 40s, told AFP. He sees Milanovic, a former leftist prime minister, as the "last barrier to all levers of power falling into the hands of HDZ", echoing the view of many that was reflected in Sunday's vote results. More from this section The 58-year-old Milanovic has been one of Croatia's leading and most colourful political figures for nearly two decades. Sharp and eloquent, he won the presidency for the Social Democrats (SDP) in 2020 with pledges to advocate tolerance and liberalism. But he used the office to attack political opponents and EU officials, often with offensive and populist rhetoric. Milanovic, who condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine, has nonetheless criticised the West's military aid to Kyiv. That prompted the prime minister to label him a pro-Russian who is "destroying Croatia's credibility in NATO and the EU". Milanovic countered that he wanted to protect Croatia from being "dragged into war". Milanovic regularly pans Plenkovic and his HDZ party over systemic corruption, calling the premier a "serious threat to Croatia's democracy". Speaking on Sunday, Milanovic said that in the current global situation, all political stakeholders in the country should be "on the same side as much as possible, at least when it comes to fundamental issues such as the national security or borders". For many, the election is a continuation of the longstanding feud between two powerful politicians. "This is still about the conflict between the prime minister and president," political analyst Zarko Puhovski told AFP. "All the rest are just incidental topics." Primorac, a 59-year-old physician and scientist returning to politics after 15 years, campaigned as a "unifier" promoting family values and patriotism. ljv/bc

A Plant-Based Diet Can Transform Health for Smokers and Ex-Smokers, Say ExpertsJimmy Carter, former US president, dies at 100Washington Capitals (13-6-1, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Florida Panthers (12-8-1, in the Atlantic Division) Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Washington Capitals (13-6-1, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Florida Panthers (12-8-1, in the Atlantic Division) Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Washington Capitals (13-6-1, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Florida Panthers (12-8-1, in the Atlantic Division) Sunrise, Florida; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers take on the Washington Capitals as losers of three straight games. Florida is 12-8-1 overall and 6-4-1 at home. The Panthers are fourth in league play serving 10.2 penalty minutes per game. Washington has a 13-6-1 record overall and a 6-2-0 record on the road. The Capitals have a +26 scoring differential, with 81 total goals scored and 55 allowed. Monday’s game is the first meeting between these teams this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Aleksander Barkov Jr. has four goals and 15 assists for the Panthers. Uvis Balinskis has over the last 10 games. Connor McMichael has 13 goals and seven assists for the Capitals. Ivan Miroshnichenko has over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 5-5-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.7 assists, 4.7 penalties and 12.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game. Capitals: 5-4-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Panthers: None listed. Capitals: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement

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In need of an injection of excitement after a lackluster 2024, the Toronto Blue Jays remain "in the running" to sign one of the biggest bats available on this winter's free-agent market. Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, Toronto fell well off the pace in the American League East last season, as the team's 74-88 record was good for dead last — 20 games behind the division-winning New York Yankees. However, the Blue Jays may still get one over on their divisional overlords this offseason. Bob Nightengale reports that Toronto remains one of "only four teams that are seriously in play" to sign the top free agent on the market: Yankees outfielder Juan Soto. Spotrac's market value for Soto points to a contract of fourteen years and north of $500 million. However, many insiders expect that dollar amount to be higher—perhaps much higher. According to multiple reports , Boras anticipates Soto landing a contract that exceeds the $700 million pact Shohei Ohtani inked with the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter. Soto, who just turned 26, earned the fourth All-Star nod of his seven-year big-league career with the Yankees in 2024. He further enhanced his superb career numbers by batting .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI, and an American League-best 128 runs scored. His superstar abilities, combined with his young age, have big-market teams chomping at the bit to put him in their uniform for the long term. Nightengale names Toronto, the Yankees, the New York Mets, and the Boston Red Sox as the likely remaining contenders to acquire one of Major League Baseball's top players. However, Nightengale also sounds a word of caution that the Blue Jays "would have to dramatically beat the Mets' offer to have a prayer" of signing Soto. Further complicating matters for Toronto is that it also has two superstar sluggers of their own — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette — eligible for free agency a year from now. More MLB: Athletics projected to land $1.5 million comeback candidate this winterBEIRUT (AP) — Israel's military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 31 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials said they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city's largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Massive explosions lit up Lebanon's skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. No casualties were reported after many residents fled the targeted sites. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatiyeh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Monday that 26 people were killed in southern Lebanon, four in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel province and one in Choueifat, a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs that was not subjected to evacuation warnings on Monday. The deaths brought the total toll to 3,768 killed in Lebanon throughout 13 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah and nearly two months since Israel launched its ground invasion. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians , and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military had previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding U.S.-led ceasefire negotiations. The country's deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment in order to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because “we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire.” Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country's ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were “close to a deal." “It can happen within days,” he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. Two Israeli officials told The Associated Press that Netanyahu’s security Cabinet had scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, but they said it remained unclear whether the Cabinet would vote to approve the deal. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations. Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters Monday that he expected a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah to have stages and to be discussed by leaders Monday or Tuesday. Still, he warned, “it’s not going to happen overnight.” After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. "Nothing is done until everything is done," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force . Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel is demanding the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government has said that such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country's sovereignty. A ceasefire could mark a step toward ending the regionwide war that ballooned after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . The lack of a ceasefire has emerged as a political liability for Israeli leaders including Netanyahu, particularly while 60,000 Israelis remain away from their homes in the country's north after more than a year of cross-border violence. Hezbollah rockets have reached as far south into Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers died fighting in the ground offensive in Lebanon. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the strongest of Iran’s armed proxies , is expected to significantly calm regional tensions that have led to fears of a direct, all-out war between Israel and Iran. It’s not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition. A top Hamas official in Lebanon said the Palestinian militant group would support a ceasefire between its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Israel, despite Hezbollah’s previous promises to stop the fighting in Lebanon only if the war in Gaza ends. “Any announcement of a ceasefire is welcome. Hezbollah has stood by our people and made significant sacrifices,” Osama Hamdan of Hamas' political wing told the Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, which is seen as politically allied with Hezbollah. While the ceasefire proposal is expected to be approved if Netanyahu brings it to a vote in his security Cabinet, one hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.” If the ceasefire talks fail, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, “it will mean more destruction and more and more animosity and more dehumanization and more hatred and more bitterness.” Speaking at a G7 meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, the last summit of its kind before U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office, Safadi said such a failure "will doom the future of the region to more conflict and more killing and more destruction.” Federman reported from Jerusalem and Metz from Rabat, Morocco. Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Nicole Winfield in Fiuggi, Italy, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report. Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

How co-writing a book threatened the Carters' marriageVideo game ends ‘collaboration’ with Conor McGregor

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Embattled Hibs boss David Gray admits he will know he is in real trouble if his players stop running for him. But Gray insists that is not the case despite his team continuing to languish at the Premiership basement after 13 games. And he has also leapt to the defence of Elie Youan in the wake of his keepy-uppy antics in Saturday’s 4-1 collapse at Dundee. The Leith side can climb above rivals Hearts at the bottom if they beat Aberdeen but with just one league victory all season fans are not confident of that outcome. But Gray is adamant that he has still got the backing of his players despite their woeful run of form. Asked if he would have to look at himself if the players were not running for him, Gray replied: “One hundred per cent. Firstly I look at myself but you need to make sure that you’re still getting buy-in from the players every single day and I think that’s been probably reflected more in the last couple of games when a few players who maybe haven’t had as much game time as you’d expect them to are still coming on and trying to do absolutely everything they can to turn it around. “You can see that they’re all in it together, they’re all still desperate to turn it around. The players are 100 per cent still running for me, still trying to do the best they can do, still caring about what they’re doing, still trying to be the best they can be.” Gray, meanwhile, insists he has no problem with Frenchman’s Youan’s behaviour in the wake of Jordan Obita’s red card for a high challenge on Dundee’s Mo Sylla at the weekend. While Sylla was getting treatment on the pitch, the Premier Sports cameras picked up a carefree Youan performing tricks with the ball. And that enraged former Hibs favourite and one time Gray team-mate Marvin Bartley, who described it as “embarrassing”. Gray said: “A lot’s been made of it, but I think if you actually know him, I don’t think there’s any malice in what he was doing. But I understand why the question would be asked and why Marvin would single out his feelings on it.” Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.NoneHail Flutie: BC celebrates 40th anniversary of Miracle in Miami'Oh my God!' Outraged CNN anchor shouts and laughs at conservative defending Trump

Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation. The Republican's announcement came one day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department. Here's the latest: As incoming White House chief of staff, one of Susie Wiles ’ vexing challenges will be policing the buffet line of powerful interests who want something from Donald Trump. It’s a world she knows well. During Trump’s first presidency, she lobbied for many of them. Trump was first elected on a pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington. But his transactional approach to the presidency instead ushered in a lobbying boom that showered allies, including Wiles, with lucrative contracts, empowered wealthy business associates and stymied his agenda after his administration was ensnared in a series of influence-peddling scandals. Now, as Trump prepares to return to power , his victory is likely to embolden those who think they can get his ear, raising the prospect that his second administration could face many of the same perils as his first. That will test the ability of Wiles to manage a growing number of high-powered figures — including Trump’s children, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and billionaires like Elon Musk — who will not be dependent on her for access to the president. ▶ Read more about Susie Wiles and her new role Vance accompanied Matt Gaetz in meetings with GOP senators on Wednesday. “I’m extremely grateful for the work Matt put into the nomination process,” the Ohio senator posted on X. “Matt is a patriot, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.” President Joe Biden still believes President-elect Donald Trump is a dangerous figure in U.S. democracy, his top spokesperson said Thursday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “his thinking on that has not changed” even as the Biden White House emphasizes its commitment to the “peaceful transfer of power.” Jean-Pierre told reporters there is no double-speak in Biden’s approach. Biden framed Donald Trump as a “fundamental threat” to the nation’s identity as a democracy and its stability as a global superpower when he defeated Trump in 2020. He did it as a candidate for reelection. He did it again when he dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. But Jean-Pierre said Biden recognizes the legitimacy of Trump’s election to another term, even if it’s not the result he wanted. “The American people spoke,” she said, adding that Biden wants to be an example of how to respect U.S. elections. That was an opaque reference to Trump’s refusal to accept Biden’s victory in 2020 and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters as Congress met to affirm the results. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says she hasn’t spoken to her designated successor, Karoline Leavitt. Jean-Pierre told reporters gathered Thursday at the White House that she hopes the second Trump administration will be forthright with the public by talking to reporters. Trump’s first White House dramatically curtailed its initial interactions with the White House press corps, and Jean-Pierre said Biden and his staff “worked really hard to bring back the norms” with press briefings and interactions. “We’ve tried to do this in a very respectful way,” she said. Jean-Pierre declined to “speak to what any administration is going to do” in the future, but added that the back-and-forth with the press is part of “what democracy is all about.” In other presidential transition news, Trump is urging federal lawmakers to kill a bill that would protect journalists from having to disclose information about anonymous sources or other records obtained during reporting. The proposal that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, but is pending in the Senate, also bars the government from requesting data from phone or email providers. The bill includes exceptions such as when there’s a reasonable threat of imminent violence or an act of terrorism. As of now, only some states grant absolute protection from disclosing sources or other records. “Republicans must kill this bill!” Trump posted on Truth Social and shared a video from PBS News Hour interviewing the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalist, Jodie Ginsburg, talking about the proposal. Last month, The Associated Press, along with more than 100 news outlets and organizations, signed a letter authored by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press asking senators to support the bill. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre isn’t commenting on Matt Gaetz withdrawing his nomination as president-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general in the new administration. “We really, truly want to respect the transfer of power,” Jean-Pierre said Thursday during a White House press briefing, explaining her steadfast refusal to comment on Trump personnel moves. But Jean-Pierre nonetheless used the matter to take a subtle jab at how Trump, who was twice indicted by the federal government, has reacted to federal law enforcement. “Look, the president has said when it comes to investigation, that department should be independent. there should be no partisanship. There should be no loyalty to one party or the other,” she said. “The loyalty should be to the Constitution, and the loyalty should be to the rule of law.” Trump has insisted that it was Biden and his lieutenants who weaponized the Justice Department by indicting him for his role in trying to overturn Biden’s 2020 election victory and for hoarding national security documents after Trump left the White House in January 2021. That latter case has been thrown out by a Trump-appointed judge. The former case is still pending. Taken together, there are a striking number of incidents in which potential high-ranking government officials in Trump’s second administration face allegations of sexual abuse. Here’s a look at some of the cases: President-elect Donald Trump: He was found liable by a New York City jury for sexual abuse and defamation and eventually ordered to pay the woman, E. Jean Carroll , $83 million in damages. Pete Hegseth, nominee for secretary of defense: A woman told police she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police the encounter had been consensual and denies wrongdoing. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for secretary of health and human services: A woman who babysat for Kennedy and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine he groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation, telling a podcast: “I had a very, very rambunctious youth.” He texted the woman an apology after the story was published. Linda McMahon, nominee for secretary of education: A lawsuit filed last month alleges McMahon knowingly enabled sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment employee as early as the 1980s. She denies the allegations. Elon Musk, Trump’s choice to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency: The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX was accused of sexual misconduct by a flight attendant contracted by SpaceX who worked on his private jet in 2016. He denied the claim. ▶ Read more about the allegations of sexual misconduct Among those who were seen as contenders before Gaetz was picked is former acting attorney general Matt Whitaker , who Trump chose earlier this week to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Other names that were floated as potential attorney general nominees include Jeff Jensen, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Trump last week chose Todd Blanche , an attorney who led the legal team that defended the Republican at his hush money criminal trial , to serve as the second-highest ranking Justice Department official. Emil Bove, a former federal prosecutor, was chosen to be the principal associate deputy attorney general. An attorney who represents two women who say they were paid by Gaetz for sex says his clients are “relieved to have this chapter behind them.” “They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” said Joel Leppard, whose clients testified before the House Ethics Committee. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Leppard revealed earlier this week details about his clients’ testimony to House Ethics Committee to release its report on the Gaetz investigation. Leppard said his clients were paid a total of $10,000 by the congressman. One of his clients testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in 2017, while he was in Congress. Though Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration for attorney general, he isn’t Trump’s only appointee in hot water. A woman told police she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public late Wednesday. Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary, told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said. Earlier today, Hegseth held a round of private meetings alongside incoming Vice President JD Vance in an attempt to shore up support and told reporters afterward: “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared, and that’s where I’m gonna leave it.” ▶ Read more about the allegations against Hegseth In his Nov. 13 resignation letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Gaetz said, “I hereby resign, as United States Representatives for Florida’s First Congressional District, effective immediately, and I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress, to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump Administration.” He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state began a special election process to fill the vacancy. Attorneys involved in a civil case brought by a Gaetz associate were notified this week that an unauthorized person accessed a file shared between lawyers that included unredacted depositions from a woman who said Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17 and a second woman who says she saw the encounter, according to attorney Joel Leppard. Leppard said that two women he represents told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017 when Gaetz was in Congress. The files the person was able to access were part of a defamation case filed by a Gaetz associate against the former representative’s onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , who pleaded guilty in 2021 to sex trafficking of a minor, and admitted that he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The apparent breach was first reported Tuesday by The New York Times. Gaetz has denied all the allegations. ▶ Read more about the apparent file breach Trump had announced last week that he’d chosen Todd Blanche, an attorney who’s defended him in some of his criminal cases, to serve as deputy attorney general. That’s the second highest ranking position at the Justice Department. A former federal prosecutor, Blanche has been a key figure defended him both in the New York hush money criminal trial that ended in a conviction in May, and the federal cases brought by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Thursday in a post on X that he believes the now-former congressman “will continue to contribute to our nation’s wellbeing for years to come.” Graham, a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, also said he looks forward to working with Trump “regarding future nominees to get this important job up and running.” The caption of the Instagram photo reads “The end of an era. No one loves America more than this guy.” The Florida representative was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation involving underage girls by the Justice Department, the very department President-elect Trump had tapped him to lead. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and in February 2023 said the investigation ended with no federal charges against him.He was also being investigated by the House Ethics panel, but Republicans declined yesterday to release the committee’s findings over objections from Democrats in a split vote. ▶ Read more about the Justice Department’s investigation into Gaetz He had abruptly resigned from his congressional seat upon being nominated as attorney general amid a long-running House Ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, which was seen as a way to halt the probe. The House Ethics panel’s Republicans declined this week to release the committee’s findings into Gaetz over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. However, Gaetz did win re-election earlier this month for the new Congress which convenes Jan. 3. But it’s unclear if he would take office. There’s also been plans for a special election in Florida for his seat. “President Trump remains committed to choosing a leader for the Department of Justice who will strongly defend the Constitution and end the weaponization of our justice system,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team. In a message on his Truth Social network, Trump also said he was looking forward to seeing what Gaetz will do next after withdrawing as his pick. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump posted. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Matt Gaetz has just withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on the former congressman’s ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The Florida Republican’s announcement came one day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department. Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that Trump could face resistance from members of his own party.Lea Miller-Tooley hopped off a call to welcome the Baylor women’s basketball team to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, where 80-degree temperatures made it easy for the Bears to settle in on Paradise Island a week before Thanksgiving. About 5,000 miles west of the Caribbean nation, similar climes awaited Maui Invitational men's teams in Hawaii. They’ve often been greeted with leis, the traditional Hawaiian welcome of friendship. College basketball teams and fans look forward to this time of the year. The holiday week tournaments feature buzzworthy matchups and all-day TV coverage, sure, but there is a familiarity about them as they help ward off the November chill. For four decades, these sandy-beach getaways filled with basketball have become a beloved mainstay of the sport itself. “When you see (ESPN’s) ‘Feast Week’ of college basketball on TV, when you see the Battle 4 Atlantis on TV, you know college basketball is back,” said Miller-Tooley, the founder and organizer of the Battle 4 Atlantis men's and women's tournaments. “Because it’s a saturated time of the year with the NFL, college football and the NBA. But when you see these gorgeous events in these beautiful places, you realize, ‘Wow, hoops are back, let’s get excited.’” The Great Alaska Shootout was the trend-setting multiple-team event (MTE) nearly five decades ago. The brainchild of late Alaska-Anchorage coach Bob Rachal sought to raise his program’s profile by bringing in national-power programs, which could take advantage of NCAA rules allowing them to exceed the maximum allotment of regular-season games if they played the three-game tournament outside the contiguous 48 states. The first edition, named the Sea Wolf Classic, saw N.C. State beat Louisville 72-66 for the title on Nov. 26, 1978. The Maui Invitational followed in November 1984, borne from the buzz of NAIA program Chaminade’s shocking upset of top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 star Ralph Sampson in Hawaii two years earlier. Events kept coming, with warm-weather locales getting in on the action. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Cayman Islands Classic. The Jamaica Classic. The Myrtle Beach Invitational joining the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Numerous tournaments in Florida. Some events have faded away like the Puerto Rico Tipoff and the Great Alaska Shootout, the latter in 2017 amid event competition and schools opting for warm-weather locales. Notre Dame takes on Chaminade during the first half of a 2017 game in Lahaina, Hawaii. Miller-Tooley’s push to build an MTE for Atlantis began as a December 2010 doubleheader with Georgia Tech beating Richmond and Virginia Tech beating Mississippi State in a prove-it moment for a tournament’s viability. It also required changing NCAA legislation to permit MTEs in the Bahamas. Approval came in March 2011; the first eight-team Atlantis men’s tournament followed in November. That tournament quickly earned marquee status with big-name fields, with Atlantis champions Villanova (2017) and Virginia (2018) later winning that season’s NCAA title. Games run in a ballroom-turned-arena at the resort, where players also check out massive swimming pools, water slides and inner-tube rapids surrounded by palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s just the value of getting your passport stamped, that will never get old,” Miller-Tooley said. “Watching some of these kids, this may be their first and last time – and staff and families – that they ever travel outside the United States. ... You can see through these kids’ eyes that it’s really an unbelievable experience.” ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock knows that firsthand. His Louisville team finished second at Atlantis in 2012 and won that year’s later-vacated NCAA title, with Hancock as the Final Four's most outstanding player. “I remember (then-coach Rick Pitino) saying something to the effect of: ‘Some of you guys might never get this opportunity again. We’re staying in this unbelievable place, you’re doing it with people you love,’” Hancock said. “It was a business trip for us there at Thanksgiving, but he definitely had a tone of ‘We’ve got to enjoy this as well.’” Maui offers similar vibes, though 2024 could be a little different as Lahaina recovers from deadly 2023 wildfires that forced the event's relocation last year. North Carolina assistant coach Sean May played for the Tar Heels’ Maui winner in 2004 and was part of UNC’s staff for the 2016 champion, with both teams later winning the NCAA title. May said “you just feel the peacefulness” of the area — even while focusing on games — and savors memories of the team taking a boat out on the Pacific Ocean after title runs under now-retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. “Teams like us, Dukes, UConns – you want to go to places that are very well-run,” May said. “Maui, Lea Miller with her group at the Battle 4 Atlantis, that’s what drives teams to come back because you know you’re going to get standard A-quality of not only the preparation but the tournament with the way it’s run. Everything is top-notch. And I think that brings guys back year after year.” That’s why Colorado coach Tad Boyle is so excited for the Buffaloes’ first Maui appearance since 2009. “We’ve been trying to get in the tournament since I got here,” said Boyle, now in his 15th season. And of course, that warm-weather setting sure doesn’t hurt. “If you talk about the Marquettes of the world, St. John’s, Providence – they don’t want that cold weather,” said NBA and college TV analyst Terrence Oglesby, who played for Clemson in the 2007 San Juan Invitational in Puerto Rico. “They’re going to have to deal with that all January and February. You might as well get a taste of what the sun feels like.” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo argues a call during the first half of a Nov. 16 game against Bowling Green in East Lansing, Michigan. Mi zzo is making his fourth trip to Maui. The men’s Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, got things rolling last week with No. 11 Tennessee routing No. 13 Baylor for the title. The week ahead could boast matchups befitting the Final Four, with teams having two weeks of action since any opening-night hiccups. “It’s a special kickoff to the college basketball season,” Oglesby said. “It’s just without the rust.” On the women’s side, Atlantis began its fourth eight-team women’s tournament Saturday with No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Baylor, while the nearby Baha Mar resort follows with two four-team women’s brackets that include No. 2 UConn, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi and No. 20 N.C. State. Then come the men’s headliners. The Maui Invitational turns 40 as it opens Monday back in Lahaina. It features second-ranked and two-time reigning national champion UConn, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 North Carolina. The Battle 4 Atlantis opens its 13th men’s tournament Wednesday, topped by No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Arizona. Michigan State Hall of Famer Tom Izzo is making his fourth trip to Maui, where he debuted as Jud Heathcote’s successor at the 1995 tournament. Izzo's Spartans have twice competed at Atlantis, last in 2021. “They’re important because they give you something in November or December that is exciting,” Izzo said. Any drawbacks? “It’s a 10-hour flight,” he said of Hawaii. Mike Tyson, left, slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal serves during a training session at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, in Malaga, southern Spain, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) A fan takes a picture of the moon prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Uruguay and Colombia in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich) Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark reacts after missing a shot on the 18th hole in the final round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) fails to pull in a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson) Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, top right, scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) India's Tilak Varma jumps in the air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20 International cricket match between South Africa and India, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski warms up before facing the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A fan rapped in an Uruguay flag arrives to the stands for a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) People practice folding a giant United States flag before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Marquinhos attempts to stop the sprinklers that were turned on during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental stadium in Maturin, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Georgia's Georges Mikautadze celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League, group B1 soccer match between Georgia and Ukraine at the AdjaraBet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Tamuna Kulumbegashvili) Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, right, attempts to score while Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) keep the puck out of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario misses the third goal during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and France, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Fans argue in stands during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Thursday Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova hits a return against Danielle Collins, of the United States, during a tennis match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Malaga, southern Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) falls after driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) England's Anthony Gordon celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Katie Taylor, left, lands a right to Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DJ Turner, right, tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, left, on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) UConn's Paige Bueckers (5) battles North Carolina's Laila Hull, right, for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Covering weight-loss drugs driving Virginia Medicaid costs higherThe Cowboys played their best game of the season, outdueling their former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, and the former Cowboys he took with him to Washington. Dallas upset Washington 34-26 to end a five-game losing streak as the Cowboys improved to 4-7 and the Commanders fell to 7-5. A game that was tied 3-3 at halftime ended as one of the best finishes in the NFL this season with 30 points in the final 3:02. The Commanders closed to within 20-17 with 3:02 remaining on Jayden Daniels’ 4-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz followed by Daniels’ run to the end zone on the 2-point try. But a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by KaVontae Turpin with 2:49 left appeared to ice it for the Cowboys. The Commanders, though, got a 51-yard field goal from Austin Seibert with 1:40 left, drawing them within 27-20, and they then got the ball back with 33 seconds left. One play and 12 seconds later, the game was within a PAT of being tied. Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin went 86 yards through the Dallas defense for an unlikely touchdown. Seibert, though, missed the extra point, his second of the day along with a missed field goal. The Commanders, trailing by one, tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a Cowboys touchdown. That kept the Commanders’ comeback hopes alive. Instead of the Cowboys ending the game in victory formation if Thomas had slid down, Dallas had to kickoff. It allowed Daniels a chance for a second Hail Mary this season, but his pass fell short of the end zone and Israel Mukuamu intercepted it to end it. The Cowboys returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, missed a field goal, had a field goal blocked and had a punt blocked. Cooper Rush went 24-of-32 for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and Rico Dowdle rushed for 86 yards on 19 carries. CeeDee Lamb caught 10 passes for 67 yards. Micah Parsons had two of the Cowboys’ four sacks of Daniels, who was 25-of-38 for 275 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. McLaurin caught five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.Misinformation and disinformation are major concerns worldwide. The federal government’s misinformation bill aimed to respond to the threats posed by false, misleading and harmful information. The bill met strong opposition in the senate and has just been withdrawn . Legal efforts to suppress misinformation are ongoing. Around the world, many countries are considering legislation to suppress specific types of misinformation or require online platforms to suppress it . Such laws are always controversial. They encounter some well-known practical and ethical problems – and some surprising ones. Most obviously, censorship restricts people’s right to free speech – an important natural freedom protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law . Prohibiting speech is additionally concerning in democracies, because citizens have a civic responsibility to engage in debate about the laws that collectively bind us. Free speech also has many beneficial “ utilitarian ” consequences. It can allow truths that were once thought false to be reconsidered and accepted. It allows for existing truths to be better understood. As John Stuart Mill famously argued : “He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.” Powers of censorship can also be abused to suppress political dissent . Even if we trust the existing government to be judicious in suppressing speech, we might be nervous about the way future governments could employ such powers. Finally, restrictions on speech can be difficult to target precisely. Even if the wording of a law is narrowly specified, it might chill speech. The threat of legal sanctions can encourage people and organisations to avoid speech anywhere near the legally specified boundary. These are all important ethical concerns – and many of them were raised by critics of the government’s withdrawn misinformation bill. ‘He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.’ John Stuart Mill – George Frederic Watts (1873). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Such concerns are not definitive, because prohibiting speech can also have socially desirable consequences. Laws against incitement to violence, prohibiting defamation, and even protecting things like copyright are all widely accepted limitations on our ability to speak freely. Yet if we want to understand how legal attempts to suppress misinformation might be counterproductive, it is not the restriction on what we say that matters, but the consequences for what we can hear . Suppression regimes can, perversely, undermine confidence in the very beliefs they wish to protect. Misinformation: cause or symptom? The problem of misinformation is easy to overestimate. It is intuitive to think that misinformed people will make bad personal or political decisions and be led to adopt worrying values. But as cognitive psychologist Hugo Mercier has argued , people often believe and share misinformation because of values they already hold and the actions they want to perform. In such cases, the misinformation may be a symptom as much as cause, and suppressing it will not change the underlying concern. Our cognitive biases also tempt us to overplay the significance of misinformation. Confirmation bias and self-serving bias encourage us to believe that those with different values and beliefs are manipulated, credulous and misguided. This is a much more comfortable belief than the disquieting alternative that our opponents are reasonable people with legitimate concerns. Read more: How the federal government's misinformation bill might impede freedom of speech A driver of distrust Misinformation suppression regimes can cause more – not fewer – false beliefs. Consider any important belief that you are confident is true. Think for a moment about why you believe that fact. The answer is probably that you have heard plausible evidence from credible sources supporting it. And you figure that, if there were substantial things to be said against your view, you would have heard about them. But suppose I were to tell you there was no way you could have heard about conflicting evidence, because you have lived for years under a misinformation suppression regime. Should you now rethink your confidence in that belief? Yes. The earlier grounds for your belief no longer apply. You can no longer justify your belief by appealing to the fact that you have heard what may be said for and against it. You are like a scientist who trusted the results of an experiment, but then discovers that any data that might have disproved the hypothesis has been systematically excluded. Despite this change in the grounds for your belief, you might not change your mind. After all, a government body – no doubt informed by experts – has judged the supporting facts to be true. If you trust the government body, both in its capacity to provide true information (its accuracy ) and in its intention to suppress only disinformation (its sincerity ), then you have a new reason to accept your belief. But here’s the problem. You need to really trust the government body. This is not the type of trust you might ordinarily put in, say, news networks or scientific experts. You might be willing to give those sources the benefit of the doubt, but remain open to the possibility their information might turn out to be false or misleading. In an information environment where there are many different sources of information, you don’t need absolute trust in any single source. You can weigh things up for yourself, working out which sources make sense and will likely prove reliable. But when a single body curates the entire information environment, you need near-absolute trust in that body, because its role involves actively suppressing evidence that is wrong. If you don’t have that level of trust, then the regime has removed your good reasons for accepting a true belief, without replacing them with something equally compelling. Perversely then, the rational response to a misinformation suppression regime can drive distrust. This concern applies even to to perfectly rational beings. But for imperfectly rational beings, the response to suppression can be even more dramatic. This is because the people who are most vulnerable to misinformation about important issues are those who are already sceptical about experts and government authorities. Once these sceptics realise that these untrusted authorities are in charge of suppressing information, they will feel like they have additional reason never to trust anything the authorities say. Understanding and autonomy Efforts to suppress misinformation imply that the critical goal is to ensure widespread true beliefs, at least about important issues. But true belief isn’t the only knowledge-related (“epistemic”) goal individuals and societies might have. Another goal is understanding . Someone might have a true belief, but only because they have uncritically adopted it, without any understanding of the evidence for or against it. A misinformation suppression regime might encourage sufficient trust that people accept its pronouncements. But if people do so based on faith, they do not understand their beliefs; they are not developing their critical and cognitive faculties . In this way, a system that achieves desirable initial outcomes might set the scene for worrying long-term results, as faith in authorities undermines genuine understanding and critical interrogation. Government bodies are exactly the type of institution that democratic citizens must be vigilant in appraising. It is a civic responsibility to try and sort out when and where authorities speak honestly and accurately – and to vote and act accordingly. We cannot fulfil this responsibility for misinformation suppression regimes, because they suppress information that could cause us to doubt its determinations. They require us to abdicate our civic responsibility to think for ourselves. Having right or wrong beliefs isn’t all that matters to people. They also care about how they came to have those beliefs. In particular, they care about whether they have made up their own mind. Being in charge of our beliefs is a necessary part of being autonomous – a self-governing agent, able to set one’s own goals. As John Locke argued : “he is certainly the most subjected, the most enslaved, who is so in his understanding.” John Locke – Godfey Kneller (1697). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons A misinformation suppression regime pays no heed to this source of respect. Every piece of information comes with the invisible but omnipresent qualification: You are not getting the full story, because you cannot be trusted with the full story . Suppressing misinformation in this way will be seen as insulting and manipulative to those deemed at risk of forming dangerously wrong beliefs. If our concern is with people who are vulnerable to misinformation because they make up their minds on the basis of emotion rather than reason, the last thing we should do is to insult them and treat them condescendingly and paternalistically. It’s easy to think that if we successfully suppress some information, it’s like that misinformation never existed. This is a mistake. The action of suppressing information itself has effects. The action has moral consequences: it disrespects people’s ability to make up their own minds, make their own mistakes and take responsibility for their beliefs. The action has democratic consequences: it weakens the civic responsibilities of citizens by demanding uncritical faith. Most perversely of all, the action has epistemic consequences: it undermines confidence in the very beliefs it hopes to safeguard. Hugh Breakey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.None

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says the climate protesters who formed a flotilla in Newcastle Harbour in an attempt to disrupt ships at the world’s largest coal port won’t accept the “financial consequences” of their worldview. Joyce made the remarks in a politics panel interview on Seven’s Sunrise, where he was joined by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek who defended her climate record against the protester’s criticisms. Climate protesters in kayaks attempt to block access to Newcastle coal port. Credit: Getty Images Plibersek said she has approved ten times more renewable energy projects than coal projects. “I’m the first environment minister to stop a coal mine, because of the impact it could have had on water going on to the Great Barrier Reef,” she said. “What I would say about the protests is, of course, in Australia you have a right to peacefully and safely express your view. But if you’re breaking the law, if you’re endangering others, if you’re diverting police resources, then I think you need to face the consequences of that.” Joyce was more scathing in his assessment of the protests. “What these people are doing is going out in the harbour and saying ‘I want Australia to be poor’,” Joyce said. “They never suggest what pensions they want to remove or what schools they don’t want built. They don’t go out with that on their placard, they just go out and say ‘I want Australia to be poor because I have a selfish desire that I can inflict on you my worldview without accepting the consequences financially of what that means’.” Labor will harden its demands on the Greens to pass more than a dozen bills through parliament in the next four days in the belief that voters will blame the smaller party at the next election for blocking the government’s agenda. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking to have the draft laws passed without a single deal with the Greens after months of argument over housing, the environment, university fees, school funding and other reforms. The approach reflects a crucial calculation that the Greens have lost ground in recent state and local government elections and are at risk of losing federal seats because voters think the party has moved too far to the left on economic policy and the Middle East. But in two significant retreats, Labor shelved a bill on Sunday that sought to crackdown on misinformation and did not put forward a long-awaited ban on gambling advertising after earlier saying it would unveil the package before the end of the year. Read more about the bills before the parliament in the final sitting week of the year here. In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. It’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still deeply unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. An attendee reacts during a closing plenary session at the COP29 UN Climate Summit. Credit: AP Here’s how they got there: What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks? Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But delegations more optimistic about the agreement said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. What will the money be spent on? The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance. The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world’s long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale. Why was it so hard to get a deal? Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise. Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours. Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out. AP Good morning and welcome to the national news blog from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. My name is Josefine Ganko, I’ll be with you on the blog for the first half of the day. It’s Monday, November 25. Here’s what’s making headlines this morning.

The exterior of the New York Stock Exchange is seen on November 4, 2020 in New York (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) NEW YORK, United States — US stocks rose Monday, with the Dow finishing at a fresh record as markets greeted Donald Trump’s pick for treasury secretary, while oil prices retreated on hopes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The Dow climbed one percent to a second straight all-time closing high on news of the selection of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the critical economic policy position. A widely respected figure on Wall Street, Bessent is seen as favoring growth and deficit reduction policies and not being overly fond of trade tariffs. The market “breathed a sigh of relief” at Bessent’s selection, said Art Hogan from B. Riley Wealth Management. But after an initial surge on Monday, the gains in US equities moderated somewhat. While investors are enthusiastic about the possibility of tax cuts and regulatory relief under Trump, “we do have to face the potential for tariffs being a negative as well as a very tight market around immigration, which is not positive for the economy,” Hogan said. Earlier, equity gains were limited in Europe as growth concerns returned to the fore with Germany’s Thyssenkrupp announcing plans to cut or outsource 11,000 jobs in its languishing steel division. Currently around 27,000 people are employed in the steel division, which has been battered by high production costs and fierce competition from Asian rivals. Elsewhere, crude oil prices fell decisively as Israel’s security cabinet prepared to decide whether to accept a ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah, an official said Monday. The United States, the European Union, and the United Nations have all pushed in recent days for a truce in the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which flared into all-out war in late September. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli official told AFP the security cabinet “will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal.” And bitcoin’s push toward $100,000 ran out of steam after coming within a whisker of the mark last week, on hopes that Trump would enact policies to bring the cryptocurrency more into the mainstream. Bitcoin was recently trading under $96,000, having set a record high of $99,728.34 Friday — the digital currency has soared about 50 percent in value since Trump’s election. This week’s data includes a reading of consumer confidence and an update of personal consumption prices, a key inflation indicator. Those reporting earnings include Best Buy, Dell, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. New York – Dow: UP 1.0 percent at 44,736.57 (close) New York – S&P 500: UP 0.3 percent at 5,987.37 (close) New York – Nasdaq: UP 0.3 percent at 19,054.84 (close) London – FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 8,291.68 (close) Paris – CAC 40: FLAT at 7,257.47 (close) Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 19,405.20 (close) Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.3 percent at 38,780.14 (close) Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.4 percent at 19,150.99 (close) Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,263.76 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0495 from $1.0418 on Friday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2564 from $1.2530 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.23 yen from 154.78 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.51 pence from 83.14 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.2 percent at $68.94 per barrel Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 2.9 percent at $73.01 per barrel

Egypt has tested a new 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) extension to the Suez Canal as it tries to minimise the impact of currents on shipping and increase the key waterway's capacity. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Two ships used the new extension on Saturday, a statement from the Suez Canal Authority said. Authority chief Osama Rabie said the development in the canal's southern region will "enhance navigational safety and reduce the effects of water and air currents on passing ships". Vessels navigating the waterway have at times run aground, mostly because of strong winds and sandstorms. In 2021, giant container ship Ever Given became wedged diagonally in the canal, blocking trade for nearly a week and resulting in delays that cost billions of dollars. 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In 2015, Egypt undertook an $8-billion expansion to the waterway, followed by several smaller development projects. The Suez Canal has long been a vital source of foreign currency for Egypt that has been undergoing its worst ever economic crisis. According to the International Monetary Fund, revenue from the canal has been slashed by up to 70 percent since last year because of attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea. Before the attacks pushed companies to change routes, the vital passage accounted for around 10 percent of global maritime trade . (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )hen Dr. Amandeep Bhalla enters the the outside world melts away. There are no phone calls to take, no MyChart messages to return, no strict timetables to adhere to. The priority is clear: the person on the table. A beating heart and breathing lungs. Hands that someone in the waiting room is eager to hold again. Bhalla thinks of his newborn daughter and his aging parents, of every life that intertwines with the one lying, unconscious, on his operating table. It’s a "tremendous honor," a "fantastic gift" to be trusted like this, the spine told Newsweek from his Long Beach, California, office—and there is nothing more important than being worthy of that trust. "When a patient is under the only thing in the world that everybody in the room is focused on is the patient," Bhalla said. Each year, 15 million Americans have some sort of surgery, according to the American College of Surgeons. These patients give control of their bodies—and oftentimes, their lives—to a surgeon who was likely a stranger until just before the Such complete trust is increasingly rare in the health care industry, which is bleeding public confidence year over year. In 2023, 56 percent of Americans rated the honesty and ethical standards of medical doctors "high" or "very high," according to Gallup’s most recent Honesty and Ethics poll. That’s a 9-point decrease from 2019. But despite this surgeons say they are busier than ever. Ambulatory surgery centers are springing up by the thousands. Cosmetic surgery procedures increased 19 percent between 2019 and 2022, according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Some elective surgeries saw particularly high growth rates during the same time period, like breast reductions, which rose 54 percent. Plastic surgeries do have social media on their side, as online testimonials stigma surrounding cosmetic procedures. But plastic’s resurgence doesn’t stand alone. In almost every specialty, surgeries hardly skipped a beat during the COVID-19 pandemic, even after nonemergent procedures were canceled in March 2020. Surgeries rapidly rebounded through the fall of that year—returning to baseline operation rates and, in some specialties, even exceeding them. While WHO and UNICEF blamed COVID-19 for the "largest continued backslide in vaccinations in three decades," patients returned to operating rooms While some Americans ignored doctors’ warnings not to self-treat the virus with many gave surgeons total authority and went under anesthesia. Do surgeons have something other doctors don’t, a magic touch that No magic, surgeons told Newsweek. Just touch. In today’s health care system, the gaps between patients and physicians can feel —but surgery demands that doctors cross that divide and understand their patients from the inside out. Surgeons are hands-on professionals in an increasingly hands-off world. That intimacy cultivates trust, physicians, patients and industry professionals told Newsweek. Dr. Tiffany Perry specializes in neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and is among the nation’s top 150 spine surgeons (according to Newsweek’s latest ranking of America’s Best Spinal Surgeons). Each year since 2016—minus a brief during the pandemic—she has spent two weeks operating in Uganda. There, people tend to be more to medical professionals. "It’s almost like stepping back in time to where we used to be here [in the U.S.]," Perry said. "But [in Uganda] they aren’t living in the same consumer, heavily resourced and educated environment, where the ability to all of these conditions is at their fingertips." American patients come to their appointments with pages of questions. They’ve seen their lab results on MyChart and want to talk through the details. They have a friend who was paralyzed by back surgery, a neighbor who is still in pain after their procedure. Amid all the noise, they and reassurance. Perry prefers questions over emphasizing that "none of us it’s something that is earned." She offers patients space to and takes time to address them, never checking the clock. But nowadays, there’s a skepticism spreading through communities, and physicians must work harder to overcome it, Perry said. This skepticism was in part an outgrowth of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. Nearly half of the 1,000 U.S. survey respondents said the pandemic decreased their confidence "that the health care system is well-equipped to handle major health crises," while 55 percent expressed worry that medical science is "being used to support a specific political agenda." Meanwhile, social media use is at an all-time high, making it easier than ever to access and share Americans’ faith in their ability to make informed health decisions dropped 10 percentage points from January 2017 to March 2022, according to Edelman’s survey—and unvaccinated respondents said they relied on internet searches, friends, family and even "no information" over the advice of their doctor. Nearly one in five Americans trust health influencers more than medical professionals, and 20 percent turn to TikTok before their doctor when seeking treatment for a health condition, according to a 2022 survey from CharityRx. "There’s a huge information asymmetry," said Bhalla, who practices at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and is also on Newsweek’s latest ranking of America’s Best Spinal Surgeons. "Over time, there’s been increased access to the web and social media. There’s more There’s more marketing-driven information. There’s a lot of published material from less reliable sources. And I think that has added to the confusion or some of the difficulty around establishing trust." But as Americans drink from a bottomless well of "health information," many physicians are thirsting for time. That’s a problem, according to Dr. Louis Bucky, who is named among the country’s top 30 surgeons for facelift, liposuction and eyelid surgery on Newsweek’s latest ranking of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons. "Patients come in with much more information, whether that’s correct information or not," Bucky said from his personal practice in Philadelphia. "You need to have time to either or confirm accuracies." Most of today’s doctors don’t have the bandwidth between the electronic health records’ data entry requirements and insurance companies’ time-consuming prior authorization process. To provide guideline-based care for an average 2,500-patient load—and document it all correctly— would need to work 26.7 hours per day, according to a 2022 study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. But to a patient who waited weeks for an appointment, a doctor’s hurry might come across as apathy. Trust usually comes down to "the provider seeing [the patient] as a person," said Caitlin Donovan, senior director of outreach and communications at the National Patient Advocate Foundation. Patients want a doctor who takes time to ask about their lives and customize a treatment plan—not one who barely makes eye contact before scribbling a script and sending "A lot of times, [patients] see a doctor for 15 minutes and know they’re being billed or their insurance is being billed for hundreds of dollars," Donovan said. "The majority of Americans now are very distrustful of the medical system, simply because of the way billing practices have trended and the high costs which are not corresponding with their health outcomes." Enter the internet, free of charge and open 24/7. Many people can reason that TikTok is not equivalent to a medical professional, said Kristin Lunz Trujillo, an assistant professor of political science at the University of South Carolina who researches misinformation and health attitudes. But it can provide more thorough, immediate feedback than some patients are getting from their physicians. Whether or not that feedback is accurate, "it’s more accessible," Lunz Trujillo said. "It’s something [patients] have agency over, that [they] can try, whereas the medical system has problems they can’t really overcome or don’t have as much agency with." Despite the internet’s ease, many people still crave a physician’s expertise. More doctors are transitioning to to concentrate their time and attention on a smaller number of patients. These patients pay thousands of dollars in annual fees, allowing their physician to take on a fraction of the caseload while slashing their administrative burden. In return, paying clientele get more time with their docs and more personalized experiences. One major draw of concierge medicine is accessibility. Under many models, patients can contact their physician anytime—which is appealing, as pain doesn’t wait for the next available appointment. Dr. Vinay Kamat, who pioneered concierge care at St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare in 2020, told Newsweek he is constantly available to his patients and even visits them if they are hospitalized. The model also gives Kamat time to build trust by sharing medical knowledge with his patients. In the digital age, patients have more questions than they used to—but it’s an important part of a physician’s job to give them answers that inform the shared decision-making process, he said. There’s already an element of concierge care in surgical specialties. The setting is naturally intimate, requiring hours of hands-on labor that uniquely ties the surgeon to the outcome. No one gets operated on after a 15-minute appointment, save for emergencies. Many plastic surgeons serve primarily cosmetic patients, so they don’t have to deal with insurance companies or clinical quotas, according to Dr. Ashley Amalfi, chair of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ social media committee and women’s plastic surgery forum. She also stands among the top 185 breast augmentation surgeons on Newsweek’s latest ranking of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons, and practices at the Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery in Rochester, New York. Amalfi can see a patient for 90 minutes at a time if she pleases and can control every aspect of their experience—from the scent in the room to the soundtrack. "It’s almost like we have become more of a hospitality industry as opposed to true medicine," Amalfi said. Perry echoed this idea, telling Newsweek time "is different in surgery than other professions." At Cedars-Sinai, the neurosurgeon works in a more traditional setting than Amalfi and has less control over the clinical environment. Yet her specialization still allows her the time and "luxury" of close listening, she said. While a primary care provider might hear about a headache, and weight gain—all in one visit—highly specialized surgeons can get more specific. And they have to: After all, they’re going to be working inside of that patient. Perry also performs hands-on evaluations and goes over patients’ scans with them, validating their pain as she works out a plan. "Validation is what we [humans] all want," she said. "It doesn’t matter if we want validation because we’re sad, if we want validation because we’re in pain. It’s giving the patient that moment to understand, ‘I get this. I can’t feel your pain, but I understand, and let’s try to formulate a plan together that’s going to be acceptable for you.’" This human link is also important in Bhalla’s practice. Many of his patients arrive with a "fear of the unknown, perhaps of a loss of control." When technology is involved in the procedure, he eases patients’ nerves by reminding them he is still guiding the surgery. "Patients may have built a trust with their surgeon, but they likely would not have built the same level of trust with a piece of equipment," he said. There is no margin for error in medicine. But even the most precise technologies—more accurate than a human being alone—can be met with skepticism from patients. Machines can improve outcomes and move the needle toward health, but they alone cannot provide care. Pain demands comfort, which begs a human touch, surgeons repeatedly told Newsweek. Surgery is one of few specialties where the treatment is another human being—their hands, mind, time. Not "take this medication" or "exercise more." Rather, "I’m going to dedicate this day to you," and "the burden of is not all on you." In order to pull off a successful surgery, the doctor must accompany the patient from start to finish, according to Dr. Camille Cash. She is named among the 185 best surgeons for breast augmentation and eyelid surgery on Newsweek’s latest ranking of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons. Cash has emphasized patient education since launching her Houston-based private practice in 2002. She listens to patients’ concerns, hopes and insecurities—and, as a mother, she meets them with empathy. When she explains a procedure, she uses as little jargon as possible, careful not to or confuse. Then she delves into the details of the patient’s life. "What do you do for a living? Do you live with a partner? Do you have children? Are there stairs in your home? Is the bedroom on the same floor as the kitchen? Are you planning to travel soon?" The answers confirm if the timing is right for surgery, and help Cash provide a detailed post-operative plan for the patient. It can take months to recover, and Cash makes sure every day is covered: How will the patient get food and rest? Who will take the kids to school in their absence? "We’re going to be here to walk [patients], 100 percent, through all the steps and the procedures," Cash said. Bucky places a similar emphasis on aftercare at his plastic surgery practice in Philadelphia. In addition to Bucky Plastic Surgery, he owns the Bucky Body Center to provide for patients, including lymphatic massages and red-light therapies (which deploy colored light to stimulate blood flow and endorphin production and decrease ). When patients come in for surgery from out of town, he has a nurse stay overnight at their hotel. That nurse is trained to check in at the right times, and if the patient has concerns, someone is there to help. Trish Clarke, a patient of Bucky’s, appreciated this after her surgery. She had excess skin removed from her neck after losing weight and recalls Bucky coming to her hotel the next morning to check in and remove her bandages. Her nurse was accessible by text anytime she needed advice in the following weeks. Elsewhere in the health care system, "you feel like more of a number," Clarke said. "But when somebody is going to have you asleep and cut you open, I feel like there does need to be a bit more trust there." Perhaps surgery has held patients’ trust not despite the it requires, but because of it. Risk demands granular attention, and surgeons’ reputations are directly tied to their procedures—a much more delicate stitch than the one between a physician and a prescription. Bucky shares a name with his practice; his photo is the first thing you see on his website. "Besides the patient, I’m probably the second person who is completely invested in their outcome," he said. "How a patient feels about their experience is very important because it has my name associated with it. And my name impacts my children, my my friends, in a very front-and-center concept. In plastic surgery—appearance—you can’t hide it." Patients are reassured by that human connection, the idea that their surgeon has a personal stake in their well-being. "Some of my happiest patients have had complications but felt like they were dealt with optimally and honestly," Bhalla said. "They believe they got care that was earnest, and people feel good when they feel like they were treated honestly and taken care of to the best of someone’s ability." Bhalla lets patients choose the music they listen to as they go under anesthesia. As their vision dims, they hear something familiar, comforting, personal. They know they’re in good hands and the subject of Bhalla’s unwavering attention. He focuses. And then he gets to work. – sala operacyjna – chirurg – znieczulenie – zabieg chirurgiczny – słabnące zaufanie – nadszarpywać coś, podkopywać coś – masowo – środki przeciwpasożytnicze – wzbudzać zaufanie – przypominający otchłań – luka, przerwa – pełen szacunku – wyszukiwać coś (np. informacje) – pragnąć zrozumienia – bezwarunkowa wiara – zasługiwać na bezgraniczne zaufanie – zgłaszać wątpliwości – szerzący się, rozprzestrzeniający się – fałszywa informacja – dezinformacja – powiększenie piersi – rozwiać/wyjaśnić nieścisłości – lekarz pierwszego kontaktu – wysoki rachunek – medycyna osobista/ abonamentowa (model opieki zdrowotnej, w którym pacjenci płacą roczną lub miesięczną opłatę za dostęp do bardziej spersonalizowanej opieki medycznej) – niestrawność – być u steru – leczenie – wzbudzać strach – terapia rekonwalescencyjna – stan zapalny – całkowita uwaga – wrażliwość – współmałżonek Read the text and answer the following questions: 1. What does Dr. Amandeep Bhalla prioritize when he is in the operating room? 2. How does Dr. Bhalla describe the trust patients place in him? 3. How has public confidence in medical doctors changed in recent years? 4. Despite the decrease in trust, what trend is observed among surgeons? 5. How does social media influence patients’ perceptions of medical procedures? 6. What challenge does Dr. Tiffany Perry note about American patients compared to those in Uganda? 7. What issues contribute to the distrust in the medical system? 8. What is concierge care, and how does it attempt to address the problem of trust in the medical system? First, match the words to form collocations and verb phrases that will help you describe the issue presented in the article. Next, write down a sentence using each collocation and verb phrase. The sentences you create should relate to the topic being discussed in the text. ( ) operating tremendous ethical online unconditional rampant health concierge care system faith honor medicine skepticism standards testimonials room cultivate raise rely on trust customize provide come in go under recovery treatments health influencers anesthesia concerns internet searches trust a treatment plan for surgery Students will participate in a discussion about trust in the medical field, particularly in surgery. Task elements: 1. Recall and write down three key points from the text that Dr. Bhalla emphasized about his role and responsibilities as a surgeon. 2. Discuss in pairs/small groups the reasons why trust is critical for surgeons according to the text. 3. Think of two ways surgeons can build trust with their patients despite the prevalence of misinformation online. 4. Design a brief outline for a program aimed at improving trust between doctors and patients. Include at least three specific strategies or activities that would be part of the program. Present your outline to the class. Complete the following summary using information from the text. When Dr. Amandeep Bhalla enters the _________, he focuses completely on the patient. He feels a deep _________ and responsibility in being trusted with someone’s life. This level of trust is rare in today’s healthcare, where public confidence is _________. Despite skepticism, surgeries remain in high demand, partly due to the human connection surgeons provide. Surgeons like Dr. Bhalla and Dr. Perry believe trust is earned through _________ care and personal attention. This approach helps them overcome patients’ fears and skepticism, particularly in a time of widespread _________.