Temu says sorry after livid Leah buys this Christmas stocking

Rev Richard Coles says girls threw knickers at him when he was in The CommunardsVancouver city councillors are weighing a 5.5-per cent property tax as they review the city’s draft 2025 operating budget on Tuesday. But homeowners could also see an 18.2-per cent utility fee hike, partially driven by a 37-per cent increase in sewer rates related to cost overruns on the North Shore Wastewater Treatment plant. Last spring, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said he wanted to keep property taxes capped at 5.5 per cent, down from the 7.5 per cent homeowners paid for 2024 and 10.7 per cent the year prior. “That’s the number we are starting with to see if we can bring down any lower,” ABC Vancouver Coun. Mike Klassen told Global News on Tuesday. The budget envisions $453.4 million, a 2.4 per cent funding increase, for the Vancouver Police Department. Police funding is the single largest expenditure category in the budget, accounting for 19 per cent of spending. However, Klassen said the city is in talks with the provincial government, with hopes it could help cover the cost of the city’s police body-worn camera program and other public safety costs. The draft earmarks $880 million in capital spending, with major projects including seismic upgrades to the Granville and Cambie bridges, the construction of the new PNE Amphitheatre, and upgrades to fire halls, sports fields and the city’s sewer and water systems. “We have an infrastructure deficit right now,” Klassen said. “That’s why we have really been working hard to find new revenue sources. Of course we have brought forward the sponsorship and naming rights program concept, so that is going to help us to find other ways to be able to bring in millions of dollars a year.” Green Coun. Pete Fry said city staff had uncovered additional revenue sources including dividends from the city’s property endowment fund, investments and tax increases from new development that could bring the tax hike as low as 3.9 per cent. “What’s interesting is there is a bunch of unfunded priorities, which roughly could top up that 3.9 per cent to 5.5 per cent,” he said, pointing to the body-worn camera project, street cleaning grants and additional library hours. “Obviously, ever-increasing taxes is not the kind of news that anyone wants to hear, but the reality is we have a significant amount of monetary pressures at the City of Vancouver to keep everything running the way Vancouverites enjoy and expect.” Other key spending areas include the fire department, public libraries and parks and recreation. The draft budget envisions a 4.3-per cent funding hike to $195.2 million for the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. It forecasts a 2.5-per cent spending increase to $64.5 million for the Vancouver Public Library. And it earmarks $183.9 million for the Vancouver Park Board, an increase of 7.2 per cent. It also lays out a number of increases to user fees, including a 6-per cent fee hike for recreation facilities, a 6-per cent fee hike for most business licences, and a 3-per cent increase to building and development permit fees. Council is not expected to vote on the final budget until next week.Ocugen Inc. stock rises Friday, outperforms market

Tempers flared toward the end of the latest installment of the Eagles - Cowboys NFC East rivalry. Late in the fourth quarter of a Philadelphia rout, a punt led to a brouhaha that spilled into a tunnel by the end zone. At the center of it all was Eagles safety Sydney Brown, Cowboys cornerback Troy Pride and wide receiver Jalen Brooks. All three were ejected for their roles. While the Eagles and Cowboys were playing for different stakes at this point in the season, that goes out the window with divisional games. The pre-existing bad blood between the franchises was on full display with the late-game fracas. Here's more on what went down. NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule Cowboys-Eagles fight video Before the special teams units could come off the field following Philadelphia's punt, masses of players ran toward the tunnel as things escalated. The initial TV angle did not capture the beginning of the fight, but a replay of an on-field angle and video captured from inside the stadium add more context. Some exchanges between Cowboys and Eagles players in the late stages of this game. pic.twitter.com/yS70YOlLES A huge fight broke out near the tunnel between the Eagles and Cowboys. Sydney Brown has been ejected for Philly. Troy Pride and Jalen Brooks ejected for Dallas. pic.twitter.com/uLilmJZlvJ The confrontation begins with Brooks and Brown, and Pride quickly jumps in, briefly making it a 2-on-1 situation. Brown's retaliation by throwing Pride against a wall in the tunnel caused things to escalate, with players from both teams running in an attempt to make peace — or protect their teammates. After some pushing and shoving, things were de-escalated, and officials made their decision to eject Brown, Brooks and Pride. There was certainly some frustration involved from the Dallas side as the Cowboys trailed 41-7 at the time of the incident. Philadelphia moved to 13-3 on the season with the 34-point win while Dallas fell to 7-9. Given the nature of the altercation, any further punishment outside of fines seems unlikely. The Sporting News will provide updates if any of the involved players are subject to further discipline. MORE EAGLES NEWS: Saquon Barkley joins NFL's 2,000-yard rushing club Updated Eagles playoff picture after Week 17 win over Dallas Who is Eagles' third-string QB Tanner McKee? How much time will Eagles QB Jalen Hurts miss with concussion?

West Ham United’s supporters turned on Julen Lopetegui after their defeat by Leicester City as the Ruud van Nistelrooy revolution got under way at the King Power. Chants of “sacked in the morning” were aimed at the Spaniard from his side’s own fans as they lost 3-1 on a perfect evening for Van Nistelrooy, who kick-started his time at the club with a convincing win. How long Lopetegui can survive, as his side stayed in 14th after 14 games, remains to be seen. West Ham now have six days without a game, with Wolverhampton Wanderers their next opponent on Monday, to decide whether or not he is the right man to take them forward. “The only thing I’m worried about now is to prepare for

By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — More than 60 years after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated , conspiracy theories still swirl and any new glimpse into the fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas continues to fascinate . President-elect Donald Trump promised during his reelection campaign that he would declassify all of the remaining government records surrounding the assassination if he returned to office. He made a similar pledge during his first term, but ultimately bended to appeals from the CIA and FBI to keep some documents withheld. At this point, only a few thousand of the millions of governmental records related to the assassination have yet to be fully released, and those who have studied the records released so far say that even if the remaining files are declassified, the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations. “Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Friday’s 61st anniversary is expected to be marked with a moment of silence at 12:30 p.m. in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy’s motorcade was passing through when he was fatally shot. And throughout this week there have been events marking the anniversary. Nov. 22, 1963 When Air Force One carrying Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas , they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they had gone to Texas on political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Oswald and, two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that hasn’t quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades. The collection In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had boasted that he’d allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files have continued to be released during President Joe Biden’s administration, some still remain unseen. The documents released over the last few years offer details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas. Mark S. Zaid, a national security attorney in Washington, said what’s been released so far has contributed to the understanding of the time period, giving “a great picture” of what was happening during the Cold War and the activities of the CIA. Withheld files Posner estimates that there are still about 3,000 to 4,000 documents in the collection that haven’t yet been fully released. Of those documents, some are still completely redacted while others just have small redactions, like someone’s Social Security number. There are about 500 documents where all the information is redacted, Posner said, and those include Oswald’s and Ruby’s tax returns. “If you have been following it, as I have and others have, you sort of are zeroed in on the pages you think might provide some additional information for history,” Posner said. Trump’s transition team hasn’t responded to questions this week about his plans when he takes office. A continued fascination From the start, there were those who believed there had to be more to the story than just Oswald acting alone, said Stephen Fagin, curator of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which tells the story of the assassination from the building where Oswald made his sniper’s perch. “People want to make sense of this and they want to find the solution that fits the crime,” said Fagin, who said that while there are lingering questions, law enforcement made “a pretty compelling case” against Oswald. Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said his interest in the assassination dates back to the event itself, when he was a child. “It just seemed so fantastical that one very disturbed individual could end up pulling off the crime of the century,” Sabato said. “But the more I studied it, the more I realized that is a very possible, maybe even probable in my view, hypothesis.”RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data showed the post-recount lead exactly the same as what Riggs held after all 100 counties fully completed their ballot canvass in November. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Griffin, who already has pending election protests challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots counted statewide, has asked for a partial hand-to-eye recount, which county boards will start Wednesday or Thursday. More election coverage Trump’s FBI pick has plans to reshape the bureau. This is what Kash Patel has said he wants to do Biden has pardoned his son Hunter. What does that mean? First transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court, challenging health care ban for minors The partial hand recount applies to ballots in 3% of the voting sites in all 100 counties, chosen at random Tuesday by the state board. Once the partial recount is complete, a statewide hand recount would be ordered if the sample results differ enough from the machine recount that the result would be reversed if the difference were extrapolated to all ballots. Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 and now seeks an eight-year term, again claimed victory Tuesday. In a campaign news release, spokesperson Embry Owen said Griffin “needs to immediately concede – losing candidates must respect the will of voters and not needlessly waste state resources.” Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member court. Through attorneys, Griffin has challenged ballots that he says may not qualify for several reasons and cast doubt on the election result. Among them: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver’s license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina may run afoul of state residency requirements. State and county boards are considering the protests. Griffin’s attorneys on Monday asked the state board to accelerate the matters before it and make a final ruling early next week. “Our priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of this election,” state Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a news release. Final rulings by the state board can be appealed to state court. Joining Griffin in protests are three Republican legislative candidates who still trailed narrowly in their respective races after the machine recounts. The Supreme Court race and two of these three legislative races have not been called by The Associated Press. The key pending legislative race is for a House seat covering Granville County and parts of Vance County. Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, down from 233 votes before the recount. Sossamon also asked for a partial hard recount in his race, which was to begin Tuesday. Should Cohn win, Republicans will fall one seat short of the 72 needed in the 120-member House to retain its veto-proof majority — giving more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Senate Republicans already have won 30 of the 50 seats needed to retain its supermajority in their chamber. The AP on Tuesday did call another legislative race not subject to a protest, as Mecklenburg County GOP Rep. Tricia Cotham won her reelection bid over Democrat Nicole Sidman. A machine recount showed Cotham ahead of Sidman by 213 votes, compared to 216 after the county canvass. Cotham’s switch from the Democrats to the Republicans in April 2023 secured the Republicans’ 72-seat veto-proof majority so that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes could be overridden by relying solely on GOP lawmakers. Cotham had already claimed victory weeks ago. Sidman said Tuesday in a written statement: “After a fair vote and a recount following established procedure, I accept the result in my race. In the interest of respecting the will of North Carolina’s voters, I urge all candidates to accept the results in their races as well.”The annual general meeting and game of ACBL Western New York Unit 116 will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Buffalo Bridge Center. • • • Congratulations to Saleh Fetouh, who won the most master points among Buffalo area players in the Niagara Open Sectional Tournament Nov. 15 to 17 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. He earned 19.42 points and was fifth overall. Also doing well were Chongmin Zhang with 8.72 points and Davis Heussler and David Colligan, both with 6.55. • • • The Bridge Center offers a regular schedule of in-person and online games five days a week, with special games on the weekends. Fee for face-to-face games is $8 for members and $11 for non-members. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website or call 716-424-0014. Lessons for beginners are being held at the Buffalo Bridge Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays. For more information, call Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574 or email ruth2250@outlook.com . Don’t want to clean up the house for kitchen bridge? The Bridge Center also hosts a social game in its lessons room on Tuesday mornings during the regular 10:30 a.m. game. Players can go at their own speed and style. Fee is $5 to cover expenses. In-person games: Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. For players with fewer than 1,600 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Free lesson at 10. Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Upgraded to now include players with up to 2,000 points. Simultaneous game for players with fewer than 99 points if there are enough tables. Free lesson at 10. Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Open to all players by pre-registration only. Call 716-424-0014. Virtual games on Bridge Base Online: Mondays, 7 p.m. For players with fewer than 750 points. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Delaware Wednesday game for players with fewer than 2,000 points. For info on this game, call Ed Harman at 716-480-1666 or email eharmon@roadrunner.com . • • • More access to virtual games on Bridge Base Online is being offered by the Airport Bridge Club, which currently is not holding face-to-face games. It has affiliated with a new group of clubs, the SE Club of Clubs Online Bridge Collective, where most games are $5. For more info, click this link . The Airport Club also continues to be part of the Alliance Bridge Club, which offers more than a dozen games every day. Anyone who has played at the Airport Club is automatically a member. For more info, visit alliancebridgeclub.com or call Airport Club manager Bill Finkelstein at 716-603-6943. • • • The East Aurora Bridge Club begins play at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora. Attendance is generally three or four tables. For more info, email director Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net . • • • The Bridge Centre of Niagara in St. Catharines, Ont., offers a mix of online games and in-person games at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping plaza off Glendale Avenue. Face-to-face games open to all players are offered at 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There is also a face-to-face game for 499ers (players with fewer than 500 points) at 1 p.m. Monday and Friday, a beginner game with a mini-lesson at 6 p.m. Monday, mentoring at 1 p.m. Tuesdays (register by 9 p.m. Sunday), a 299er game at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (pre-registration requested); and a 999er game at 1 p.m. Thursday. The club currently hosts two virtual games on Bridge Base Online. There’s one for players with fewer than 750 points at 10 a.m. Tuesdays, and an open game at 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more info, click here . • • • Face-to-face play in non-sanctioned clubs is offered at the Tonawanda Senior Center on Wednesday afternoons and at the Amherst Senior Center on Monday and Friday afternoons. • • • Tournament calendar 2024 District 5 STAC (Sectional Tournament at the Clubs) – Participating ACBL-sanctioned clubs. Monday, Dec. 9, to Sunday, Dec. 15. Toronto Non-Life Master Regional – Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 3, to Sunday, Jan. 5. For more info, click this link . Toronto New Year's Sectional – Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 3, to Sunday, Jan. 5. For more info, click this link . 2025 Cleveland Rock & Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 8, to Sunday, Jan. 12. For more info, click this link . Niagara Sectional – Holiday Inn & Suites, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb. 7, to Sunday, Feb. 9. Buffalo Spring Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St., Buffalo. Friday, March 28, to Sunday, March 30. Toronto Easter Regional – Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, April 15, to Sunday, April 20. For more info, click this link . • • • Bridge club websites: Click names for links. Bridge Center of Buffalo . Western New York Unit 116 . The Airport Bridge Club, which continues to be on hiatus, does not have a website. For info, call 716-603-6943. • • • Duplicate scores from ACBL Live for Clubs Week of Nov. 11 to Nov. 17 ACBL Affiliated Clubs Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-750 game online. Carol Licata and Larry Himelein, 70.37%; Jeannine and Michel Dupuis, 61.11%; Michael and Jim Hassett, 53.70%; Fran Schmidt and Richard McGowan, 53.70%. Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Paula Rosen and Maryann Szafran, 57.85%; Joanne Nover and Larry Himelein, 57.84%; Betty Metz and John Brennan, 53.99%; Joyce Greenspan and Audrey Ray, 53.07%; Pat Wolcott and Joe Miranda, 50.96%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 61.19%; Ruth Nawotniak and Paul Zittel, 59.82%; Dennis Daley and Brian Fleming, 53.23%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 46.98%. Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Donna Steffan and Jay Levy, 64.58%; (3-way tie) Kamil Bishara and Fred Yellen, Judy Graf and Jim Gullo, Davis Heussler and Howard Foster, 53.13%. Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Larry Himelein and David Schott, 81.48%; Betty Metz and Dennis Daly, 57.94%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 56.48%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 50.92%. Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. (Tie) John Ziemer and Vic Bergsten, Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 56%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 55%; Martha Welte and Larry Abate, 52%. Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Sandi England and Walt Olszewski, 61.46%; Jan and Carl Hasselback, 60.42%; Linda Zittel and Joanne LaFay, 53.13%; Joan and Bob Ciszak, 50%. Delaware Wednesday evening – 0-2,000 game online. Deborah Zimmerman and Tom Karnowski, 67.13%; Sue Manning and Sam Khayatt, 63.89%; Jim Lanzo and Bill Rich, 58.33%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 56.25%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 50.23%; Sherry Siegel and Gary Keenan, 50%. Other clubs Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, (Tie) Edna and Ron Fill, Walt Olszewski and Ed Drozen, 58%; east-west, Mary and Jim Atwood, 58%; Fritz Schweiger and Carol Neuhaus, 55%. Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 75%; Rose Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 59%. • • • Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Virtual Club Play Jan. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2024 0-5 Points – Michael Rupp, 4.94; Maxine Seller, 0.59. 5-20 Points – Fran Holmes, 6.91; Devon Marlette, 2.67; Marie Aaron, 0.90; David Taylor, 0.67; Jeannine Dupuis, 0.16. 20-50 Points – Brian Fleming, 15.26; Michel Dupuis, 10.76; Ilene Rothman, 9.69; Maxine Johnson, 4.83; Kathleen Voigt, 3.80; Maureen Saab, 3.50; Donna Starnes, 2.22; Phyllis Stasiowski, 1.43; Karen Dearing, 1.33; Peggy Stock, 0.42. 50-100 Points – Maria Schory, 34.71; Howard Epstein, 19.17; Gary Keenan, 14.09; John Houghtaling, 13.42; Mike Metzger, 12.90; Cynthia Tashjian, 10.30; Candace Graser, 8.99; Mary Ellen Cotter, 6.28; Susan Burns, 5.30; Amy Habib, 4.62. 100-200 Points – Carol Licata, 21.14; Jim Hassett, 17.94; Fran Schmidt, 11.70; Judith McDermid, 10.16; Jim Greno, 9.04; Joan Ciszak, 7.59; Betsy Greno, 7.09; Susan Levy, 2.57; Janet Desmon, 1.99; Bill Noltee, 1.97; Betty DeFeo, 1.66. 200-300 Points – Maria Amlani, 45.97; Laura Houghtaling, 13.42; John Scott, 1.78; Patty Porter, 1.68. 300-500 Points – Kusum Phadke, 26.10; Pat Haynes, 17.72; Bob Ciszak, 15.44; Margaret Zhou, 6.09; David Schott, 5.19; Jim McClure, 4.89; Joanne Nover, 4 even; Ruth Nawotniak, 3.43. 500-1,000 Points – Martha Townson, 81.73; Terry Hamovitch, 55.61; Bram Hamovitch, 54.29; Ed Harman, 22.21; Sushil Amlani, 22.16; Larry Himelein, 17.56; Bill Rich, 16.90; Richard McGowan, 16.66; Joyce Frayer, 15.90; Diana Smith, 15.64. 1,000-1,500 Points – Jim Lanzo, 155.02; Vic Bergsten, 52.17; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 10.43; Mary Ball, 8.16; Bob Kaprove, 0.83; Ed Rupp, 0.68; Bert Feasley, 0.67; Kamil Bishara, 0.60. 1,500-2,500 Points – John Bava, 41.04; Walt Olszewski, 14.11; Pinky Regan, 10.02; Rajat Basu, 6.64; Sandi England, 2.99; Paula Kotowski, 2.11; Joyce Greenspan, 1.58; Nancy Kessler, 1.54. 2,500-3,500 Points – Art Morth, 15.65; Linda Burroughsford, 9.69; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 1.53; Dale Anderson, 0.98; Mike Silverman, 0.60; Bill Rushmore, 0.28. 3,500-5,000 Points – Judy Padgug, 20.96; Martha Welte, 10.29; Davis Heussler, 10.14; Ken Meier, 4.75; Barbara Libby, 2.38; Chongmin Zhang, 1.88. More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 98.76; Jay Levy, 38.66; Dian Petrov, 5.75. • • • The Duplicate Bridge column is compiled weekly by Buffalo News Staff Reporter Dale Anderson. The print version stopped appearing Saturdays in The News in March 2020 when the pandemic forced local bridge clubs to halt face-to-face play. These days you can find it in two places online. Google “Duplicate Bridge” plus the current Saturday date and that should bring up a link to it on buffalonews.com , the Buffalo News website. Another place to find it is on Dale Anderson’s bridge blog at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/ Deadline for submission of scores and notices is Tuesday night. Email danderson@buffnews.com or dahotwings@aol.com . Office phone is 716-849-4420. • • • A Gold Life Master , Dale Anderson has a career total of more than 2,970 master points. He occasionally writes about his quest for the next measure of achievement, Sapphire Life Master (3,500 points), and other bridge adventures here . Email danderson@buffnews.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

For the last two decades, scientists at Posit Science working on BrainHQ have been unlocking how human brains can be improved both functionally and as healthier organs. This work began with a focus on cognitive aging — the slowing in brain function and brain health begins in your late 20s. The tools discovered for aging brains also have applications across various health conditions (brain injuries, mental illnesses, neurodegenerative diseases), and researchers found they could also improve already high-performing brains. Recent research has centred on how brain plasticity serves as the next frontier of human advancement. Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science/BrainHQ spoke at the What’s Next Longevity Innovation Summit at the National Press Club in Washington DC on December 10. In a statement sent to Digital Journal, Mahncke states: “Since the 1960s, we’ve seen how America’s investment in NASA has resulted in all sorts of innovations that impact our daily lives. It’s a seemingly unrelated and endless list, including GPS, local weather forecasts, digital photography, wireless headsets, self-driving cars, cell phones, memory foam, computer chips, air purifiers, cordless tools, shelf-stable foods, CAT scans, LEDs, athletic shoes, modern home insulation, and freeze-dried food.” “My own journey with the neurotechnology we first developed to help aging older adults is filled with the same sense of wonder about all the unexpected innovations it has led us to,” Mahncke adds. The BrainHQ neuroplasticity-based technology was first developed in the early 2000’s to address the cognitive decline associated with normal aging. At the same time, Posit Science established a global network of independent university-based researchers to run studies evaluating the efficacy of the brain exercises. There are now published studies on the efficacy of BrainHQ cognitive assessments and brain training. Studies in aging have shown significant improvement in standard measures of cognitive function (attention, speed, memory, reasoning, decision-making) in standard gerontological measures of quality of life (maintaining independent living, general health, health-related quality of life, mood, confidence), and in real world activities (gait, balance, fall risk, driving safety). Furthermore, over 100 studies have been published across many health conditions, including, brain injuries (mild to severe traumatic brain injuries, and brain fog associated with cancer, COVID, and HIV, and heart failure); mental illnesses (depression, anxiety/stress/fatigue, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar disorder) and neurodegenerative diseases (MCI/pre-Dementia, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis). Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

CALGARY - Former NHL star Joe Thornton and Calgary Flames front office executive Brad Pascall are heading the management team for Canada’s Spengler Cup squad for a second straight year. Hockey Canada announced its 2024 Spengler Cup management group Tuesday, with Thornton and Pascall working as co-GMs and Hnat Domenichelli joining them as an assistant. Thornton made his international management debut at last year’s Spengler Cup, when Canada lost 4-3 to Czech squad HC Dynamo Pardubice in the semifinals. He ended his 25-year professional playing career after the 2021-22 NHL season and finished with 1,539 points in 1,714 games with Boston, San Jose, Toronto and Florida. His international career includes gold with Canada at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and a Spengler Cup title in 2004 while playing for the tournament host team, Switzerland’s HC Davos. Pascall is currently in his 11th season as assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames, and his second as vice-president of hockey operations. Domenichelli has served as general manager of HC Lugano in Switzerland since 2019. As a player, he had an 18-year professional career that included 922 games in the NHL, American Hockey League and Switzerland’s National League. The Spengler Cup runs Dec. 26-31 in Davos. The hosts are the defending champions. Canada and Davos are tied for the most Spengler Cup titles with 16, though Canada hasn’t won since 2019. The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024.Rob Miyashiro confirmed as winner of Lethbridge-West by-election

STEPHEN BRADLEY has vowed Shamrock Rovers will give it a go against Chelsea. A point at Stamford Bridge could be enough for Rovers to bypass the play-off round and go straight through the last 16 of the Europa Conference League. That follows a statement 3-0 win over Borac Banja Luka at Tallaght Stadium with two goals from Johnny Kenny either side of one from Neil Farrugia, which the Sligo man assisted. It bagged another €400,000 in prize money for the club – who lie sixth in the standings - with Kenny the competition’s joint top scorer with five goals. Chelsea and Hoops are two of just three – along with SC Vitoria – clubs that remain unbeaten in the competition but Bradley knows his side will have their work cut out to maintain theirs in London. Asked if it was a free hit, Bradley said: “I don’t like that but I get it. “They are one of the best teams in Europe, one of the most in-form teams around, they’re scoring goals for fun, I get all that. “But that’s what you want. We’ll go with a game-plan and we’ll see what happens and see where it takes us. “We’ve put ourselves in a position where we can enjoy the occasion, as fans and players. We’ll focus and do what we know we can do but we know what we’re up against.” Bradley conceded the form of Celtic loanee Kenny – the first Rovers player to score 20 goals in a season since Gary Twigg – could make it difficult to bring him back to Tallaght next season. He said: “Maybe but that’s healthy, it means he’s doing well and he’s helping us. The future with Johnny will be what it will be. We’re having conversations all of the time. “I think there’s a lot more to come from him. “You’ll win some and you’ll lose some. Players will leave, players will come in, we have to keep evolving. We’ve brought Danny Grant in and we’re close to another.” Bradley was delighted with his side’s dominant display against the Bosnian champions. He said: “I thought our play was really good at times considering we are a month out of seasons. “We limited them to just a few quality crosses into the box where we knew they were strong. We had to work extremely hard in wide areas and we did that. “To a man I thought we were excellent. The players deserve credit. "You could see Borac’s quality, what they were trying to do but our players got to grips with it really quickly and took the game away from them.“Over a dozen community groups refuse to leave Montreal centre despite eviction orderAstrana Health, Inc. ( NASDAQ:ASTH – Get Free Report ) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $32.54 and last traded at $32.83, with a volume of 53825 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $33.53. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Astrana Health in a research report on Monday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $66.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Astrana Health from $67.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Astrana Health in a research report on Friday, October 11th. They set a “sector weight” rating on the stock. BTIG Research raised their target price on Astrana Health from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Macquarie upgraded shares of Astrana Health to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $65.17. View Our Latest Research Report on Astrana Health Astrana Health Price Performance Astrana Health ( NASDAQ:ASTH – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33. Astrana Health had a return on equity of 9.37% and a net margin of 3.63%. The business had revenue of $478.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $462.01 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.47 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Astrana Health, Inc. will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Astrana Health Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ASTH. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrana Health during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Astrana Health in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. KBC Group NV bought a new position in Astrana Health during the third quarter worth about $70,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Astrana Health during the 3rd quarter worth about $77,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrana Health in the 3rd quarter valued at about $133,000. 52.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Astrana Health Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Astrana Health, Inc, Inc, a physician-centric technology-powered healthcare management company, provides medical care services in the United States. It operates through three segments: Care Partners, Care Delivery, and Care Enablement. The company is leveraging its proprietary population health management and healthcare delivery platform, operates an integrated, value-based healthcare model which empowers the providers in its network to deliver care to its patients. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Astrana Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Astrana Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .