ORONO, Maine — One of the major reasons the University of Maine men’s hockey team has gotten off to a 7-2-2 start has been the play of its special teams. Entering Friday’s 7 p.m. sold-out game at the University of New Hampshire, the lone game of the weekend for the two teams, UMaine’s power play has the eighth-best conversion percentage among 64 Division I schools at 25.5 percent. The penalty-killing unit has an 87.5 percent success rate. And the Black Bears have scored two shorthanded goals. They are a plus-nine on the special teams with 12 power play goals and two shorthanded goals while their opponents have scored five power play goals but no shorthanded tallies. Senior center Nolan Renwick, who plays on both the power play and penalty kill, said their special teams success has resulted from hard work. “Special teams can get a little lax sometimes, especially on the power play,” said Renwick, one of the Black Bears’ alternate captains. “You can sit back and rely on your skill. But we have harped on hard work and competing and making sure we are outworking our opponents’ power play and penalty kill.” Senior center and alternate captain Harrison Scott agreed. “We bring intensity and urgency to everything on the special teams,” said Scott, who also plays on both units. “You can’t be lackadaisical. You have to be attentive. On the power play, we’ve gotten shots on net and caused chaos. “On the penalty kill, we’ve been structured. We look at what they like to do. We like to be aggressive. We bring intensity and we put pressure on them,” said Scott. Lynden Breen, a co-captain and graduate student center, said playing on special teams is a matter of pride. “It’s about finding that extra effort,” said Breen. “We ensure that each guy takes pride in being on the power play and the penalty kill. The big thing is you have to think about the guys who aren’t on the power play and penalty kill (units). You have to play for them and play for each other. You have to give it everything you’ve got for the important times.” The Black Bears have players who have been on the special teams for years and that is beneficial, according to Renwick. He pointed out he has worked with assistants Jason Fortier (power play) and Alfie Michaud (penalty kill) for four years. “That familiarity and experience (helps),” said Renwick. “We’re building year after year and we’ve come to this. But we have to keep going.” UMaine head coach Ben Barr praised the special teams but said there is room for improvement. “The execution piece of it (has been the key). We’ve spent a lot of time on (special teams),” said Barr. “(Fortier) has done a great job with the power play units and (Michaud) has done a great job with the penalty kill. “But just as good as it is, it can go the other way fast, too. So we have to keep getting better,” said Barr. One of the keys on the power play has been gritty junior left wing and alternate captain Thomas Freel, whose seven power play goals lead the nation. He also has an assist on the power play. Scott has two goals and six assists with the man-advantage, sophomore right wing Charlie Russell has 1 & 7 and junior defenseman Brandon Holt has 1 & 5. Renwick has the other power play goal. Senior left wing Taylor Makar and junior left wing Owen Fowler have the shorthanded goals. The Black Bears are off to the program’s best 11-game start since the 2006-07 team went 8-2-1. And they will be looking to snap a six-game winless streak at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H. UMaine is 0-3-3 in its last six in Durham including 6-2 and 5-2 losses a year ago. UMaine got a measure of revenge with a 5-0 win over UNH in Orono in their Hockey East quarterfinal. “This gives us a chance to go into a really hostile environment against a really good team and test ourselves,” said Barr. “We had that chance two weeks ago and failed that test.” He was referring to Boston College’s 3-2 and 3-0 victories over UMaine at BC. “We haven’t had any success (at UNH) in a really long time,” pointed out Barr. “They smoked us down here last year two games in a row. “So you have all those things that are part of taking another step as a team and it’s going to take every single one of us (to win). I’m excited about seeing if we can take a step as a program and go to a really tough place knowing that the odds are stacked against us and get a job done,” Barr added. Scott pointed out that the Black Bears have already ended two negative streaks this season by snapping a 16-game winless streak at Northeastern (0-14-2) with a 4-1 victory and beating Boston University 5-2 last Friday after having lost the previous six games to BU. “We’re not scared to go down there. If anything, we’re excited to have that Alfond Arena experience only we will be having it against us,” said Scott. Scott continues to lead the Black Bears in scoring with six goals and 10 assists. Holt has 2 & 11 and he is followed by Russell (3 & 9), Freel (7 & 4), Makar (4 & 6) and Renwick (5 & 3). Right wing Josh Nadeau (2 & 4), UMaine’s top returning scorer off last year’s team and a third team All-Hockey East pick, is listed as day-to-day after suffering a head/facial injury against BU in Saturday night’s 2-2 tie. UMaine sophomore goalie Albin Boija has a 7-2-2 record with a 1.64 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. UMaine is 4-2-2 in Hockey East. UNH is 4-3-2 overall and 1-2-2 in league play. The Wildcats returned their top seven scorers off last year’s 20-15-1 team. Ryan Conmy, last year’s leading scorer with 14 & 17, and Cy LeClerc, last year’s No. 2 scorer with 10 & 18, are again 1-2 on the team in point production as Conmy has 6 & 4 and LeClerc has 3 & 6. Four players have five points apiece in Robert Cronin (2 & 3), Nick Ring (2 & 3), Liam Devlin (1 & 5) and defenseman Colton Huard (0 & 5). Defenseman Alex Gagne (1 & 3) was a third team All-Hockey East choice a year ago. Alaska-Anchorage transfer Jared Whale is the No. 1 goaltender and has a 2.10 GAA and .912 save percentage.Carbon Revolution Secures New $25 Million Financing Agreement with OIC and Existing Lenders

Former President Bill Clinton said this weekend he had a feeling “all the so-called swing states would vote together” during this past election, and he wasn’t surprised that Donald Trump won his bid for the presidency. “At least this time, there is no question that he actually won both the popular vote and the Electoral College,” Clinton said , referring to Trump losing the popular vote in 2016 when he faced Clinton’s wife, Democrat Hillary Clinton. In 2024, Trump won all seven swing states: Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Nevada. In the interview with Jonathan Capehart that aired on MSNBC over the weekend, Clinton suggested “the late intervention” of FBI director James Comey’s investigation into his wife’s private email server she used while she was secretary of state helped Trump win. Hillary Clinton said last month in an interview that Vice President Kamala Harris had a better shot at the presidency than her because she didn’t have Comey “waiting in the wings to kneecap her.” That didn’t matter, however, for Harris, because she ultimately lost to Trump earlier this month. “There’s been a lot of change for people to digest,” Bill Clinton said, “a lot of economic adversity and upheaval, a lot of political upheaval, a lot of social developments. And if you think about it, some of the votes that happened in the last election are people who are just exhausted by uncertainty and tired of carrying it around. And that always helps the right.” Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. In that same interview , Bill Clinton responded to Trump’s Cabinet picks, saying Trump is interested in loyal people. “We have to listen to Donald Trump,” Bill Clinton said. “He’s been very forthright about how to use the law. He’s interested in people who are loyal to him 100% of the time, no matter what the issue, no matter what the facts, no matter who gets hurt.” Related From Our Partner

The city of Las Vegas, Nevada, has honoured star with a special ceremony. Las Vegas mayor Brian Knudsen proclaimed December 16 as Billy Gibbons Day and welcomed Gibbons to City Hall to mark the event. Addressing Gibbons, alongside the musician's wife and a Las Vegas showgirl, Mayor Knudsen said: "We, the Mayor and members of Las Vegas City Council, do hereby take great pride in proclaiming December 16, 2024, as Billy Gibbons Day." The mayor's official proclamation reads: "Billy Gibbons is an American rock musician, best known as the guitarist and primary vocalist for 'That Little Ol Band From Texas' – ZZ Top. "Billy began his canter in Moving Sidewalks and was the . "Billy Gibbons formed ZZ Top in late 1969 and released ZZ Top's first album in early 1971, They are known for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances wearing sunglasses, hats and long beards. "Billy has supported Las Vegas entertainment and the local community through his musical appearances for the past 55 years." Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! You can watch the proclamation in the social media post below. Recalling that support slot his teenaged group the Moving Sidewalks performed for Hendrix in Texas in 1968, they boldly covered two Hendrix songs in their set. He said: "To try and wrap your head around those compositions, it was something so new you didn’t quite know where to begin. "We were fortunate to be able to interpret our versions of and . They were Texas interpretations. "On leaving the stage I was grabbed by the shoulders and there was Hendrix smiling. He said: ‘I got to meet you. You got a lot of nerve! I like it.'" Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.

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Coote was sacked earlier this month after the emergence of a video in which he made derogatory remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said that a thorough investigation had concluded he was “in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable”. “Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” PGMOL’s statement on December 9 added. Coote had the right to appeal against the decision but PA understands the Nottinghamshire referee has decided not to. The video which triggered PGMOL’s investigation into Coote’s conduct first came to public attention on November 11. In it, Coote is asked for his views on a Liverpool match where he has just been fourth official, and describes them as “s***”. He then describes Klopp as a “c***”, and, asked why he felt that way, Coote says the German had “a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown” and had accused him of lying. “I have got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f****** arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him,” Coote said. Later in the video, Coote again refers to Klopp, this time as a “German c***”. The Football Association opened its own investigation into that video, understood to be centred on that last comment and whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constituted an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules. The investigation by PGMOL which led to Coote’s contract being terminated is also understood to have looked at another video which appeared to show Coote snorting a white powder, purportedly during Euro 2024 where he was one of the assistant VARs for the tournament. European football’s governing body UEFA also appointed an ethics investigator to look into the matter.Brian Daboll is now without Daniel Jones for the first time, but it raises the question of how long that era will last. Brian Daboll has had a lot on his plate in the last ten days. The Daniel Jones benching reaction alone has been a lot. However, the Malik Nabers reaction and subsequent drama from the loss to the Buccaneers also has placed headaches on his desk. Put simply, the New York Giants are spiraling. While they aren’t the only New York football team in a tailspin with questions at quarterback and head coach, the New York Jets have a solid head start on the head coach search. If the New York Giants want to beat out the Jets in convincing a new coach to move to New York, the first step to getting toward that end would be to let Brian Daboll go. However, there is a question as to whether the Giants have any intentions with Brian Daboll. NFL insider lays out Brian Daboll’s near future Speaking in a CBS Sports news clip , NFL insider Jonathan Jones addressed what he had heard about Daboll’s future. “I’m not going to sit here and etch this in a stone and promise you my firstborn, that anything in the NFL will or will not happen. ... I expect Brian Daboll to finish out this season. “And while yesterday was bad, I still expect Brian Daboll to come back next year. But that’s based off of what everyone that I talked to has been telling me,” he said. “So again, I know it looks bad... it can get worse. And can things change? Absolutely. But as it stands right now, no, I don’t anticipate that Brian Daboll is going to get fired midseason,” he added. With still six games on the schedule, the Giants could theoretically end up with a 2-15 record. With no quarterback lined up for the 2025 season, that would grant them an opportunity to potentially draft any quarterback of their choosing in the upcoming NFL Draft. Of course, without the correct team placed around said quarterback, the team could be walking into another five years of Daniel Jones-like production. Daniel Jones era in summary Perhaps the most telling statistic about the Daniel Jones era was his record before and after his second contract. The Giants quarterback went 9-6-1 in his contract year, winning a playoff game as well. After signing on the dotted line, the quarterback went 3-13, throwing for ten touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In total, Jones went 24-44-1, throwing for 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. As a free agent, the quarterback now has his pick of the litter. If his goal is merely to join the best playoff contender, he has an incentive to wait another month to see how it all shakes out. Which team will the quarterback elect to join? This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.Referee David Coote will not appeal against termination of contract

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On Tuesday, the Southern Caucus in the House of Representatives declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s . Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the leader of the caucus, Hon. Nicholas Mutu said they are, however, open to more dialogue and views from Nigerians. The tax reform bills, which have unsettled the polity in the past few weeks, include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill 2024, Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2024, and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill 2024. According to Hon. Babajimi Benson, the bills would improve Nigeria’s tax system. He said “The constitution gives the responsibility of making laws to the National Assembly. The National Assembly, as you’re aware, has two arms—the Senate and the House of Representatives—and we abide by the rule of law. “The Executive can present bills, and there are processes through which those bills can be treated. Bills go through first and second readings, and they are passed for public hearing. “There will be interests one way or another. But our interest is to sit down with our brothers, and at the end of the day, Nigeria will be better for it.” Another member of the caucus, Hon. Fredrick Agbedi, said they were ready to work to ensure that they provide better tax laws for Nigerians. He noted that there was no such thing as a southern and northern divide, stating that the National Assembly’s responsibility is to make laws for the country. “We align with the constituents we represent. We are ready to work to ensure that we provide better tax laws for Nigeria. That’s what we are saying. “There’s nothing about a southern and northern divide. The National Assembly’s responsibility is to make laws for this country,” he said.Comments are not available on this story. « Previous

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LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 23, 2024-- Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (“Vertical” or the “Company”) (NYSE: EVTL; EVTLW), a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, has entered into definitive documents and received shareholder approval for a transaction that includes up to $50 million in new committed funding. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223436920/en/ Vertical Aerospace's VX4 prototype, which is currently under going piloted flight tests at its Flight Test Centre. (Photo: Business Wire) Today’s announcement marks the significant advancement of the agreement in principle, announced in November , aimed at strengthening Vertical’s balance sheet by approximately $180 million and accelerating the Company’s Flightpath 2030 strategy . Stuart Simpson, CEO at Vertical, said: “Ending this momentous year with a finalised funding commitment and strong shareholder backing is a tremendous milestone. This moment sets us up perfectly for our biggest year yet - with new investment, piloted testing progress and major technological developments all on the cards." Jason Mudrick, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Mudrick Capital Management, said: “Vertical is revolutionizing how the world moves, and we are proud to play a pivotal role in positioning the company for success. We look forward to continuing to partner with Vertical’s exceptional team and contributing capital market and other expertise in helping to bring their groundbreaking product offering to reality.” Today’s announcement includes: Notes to Editors About Vertical Aerospace Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner and quieter way to travel. Vertical’s VX4 is a piloted, four passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical combines partnering with leading aerospace companies, including GKN Aerospace, Honeywell and Leonardo, with developing its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world’s most advanced and safest eVTOL. Vertical has c.1,500 pre-orders of the VX4, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL and Bristow. Headquartered in Bristol, the epicentre of the UK’s aerospace industry, Vertical was founded in 2016 by Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder of the OVO Group, Europe’s largest independent energy retailer. Vertical’s experienced leadership team comes from top tier automotive and aerospace companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM and Leonardo. Together they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding completion of the committed funding from Mudrick Capital and use of proceeds therefrom, the sufficiency of the proceeds from the committed funding to meet the Company’s more immediate capital expenditure requirements, the Company’s satisfaction of all closing conditions to the committed funding, our ability and plans to raise additional capital to fund our operations, statements regarding the design and manufacture of the VX4, our future results of operations and financial position and expected financial performance and operational performance, liquidity, growth and profitability strategies, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including the building and testing of our prototype aircrafts on timelines projected, selection of suppliers, certification and the commercialization of the VX4 and our ability to achieve regulatory certification of our aircraft product on any particular timeline or at all, our plans to mitigate the risk that we are unable to continue as a going concern, our plans for capital expenditures, the expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments, the features and capabilities of the VX4, the transition towards a net-zero emissions economy, as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation: our limited operating history without manufactured non-prototype aircraft or completed eVTOL aircraft customer order; our potential inability to raise additional funds when we need or want them, or at all, to fund our operations; our limited cash and cash equivalents and recurring losses from our operations raise significant doubt (or raise substantial doubt as contemplated by PCAOB standards) regarding our ability to continue as a going concern; our potential inability to produce or launch aircraft in the volumes or timelines projected; the potential inability to obtain the necessary certifications for production and operation within any projected timeline, or at all; the inability for our aircraft to perform at the level we expect and may have potential defects; our history of losses and the expectation to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future; the market for eVTOL aircraft being in a relatively early stage; any accidents or incidents involving eVTOL aircraft could harm our business; our dependence on partners and suppliers for the components in our aircraft and for operational needs; the potential that certain strategic partnerships may not materialize into long-term partnership arrangements; all of the pre-orders received are conditional and may be terminated at any time and any predelivery payments may be fully refundable upon certain specified dates; any circumstances; any potential failure to effectively manage our growth; our inability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly skilled personnel; we have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting which if we fail to properly remediate, could adversely affect our results of operations, investor confidence in us and the market price of our ordinary shares; as a foreign private issuer we follow certain home country corporate governance rules, are not subject to U.S. proxy rules and are subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of a U.S. domestic public company; and the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 14, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223436920/en/ CONTACT: Justin Bates, Head of Communications justin.bates@vertical-aerospace.com +44 7878 357 463 Samuel Emden, Head of Investor Affairs samuel.emden@vertical-aerospace.com +44 7816 459 904 KEYWORD: NEW YORK EUROPE UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENGINEERING AIR TRANSPORT MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Vertical Aerospace Ltd. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/23/2024 04:37 PM/DISC: 12/23/2024 04:37 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223436920/en