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Technology is a great leveller, says MurthyBy JESSICA DAMIANO Finding the perfect gift can be daunting. The only way to truly ensure you get it right would be to ask the recipient what they want, but that wouldn’t be much fun for either of you. Luckily, there’s another tactic to help you earn a “gift whisperer” reputation: seeking out unique, practical, game-changing gifts that will truly surprise and delight. But that’s about as easy as it sounds, which is to say it’s not easy at all. So, we’ve done the legwork for you. Start making your list with this compilation of some of the most innovative, functional and fun gifts of 2024. There’s something for every budget. A pepper grinder, really? Bear with me: The new FinaMill Ultimate Spice Grinder set elevates the pedestrian pepper and spice mill in both function and style. Available in three colors (Sangria Red, Midnight Black and Soft Cream), the rechargeable-battery unit grinds with a light touch rather than hand-tiring twists. That’s easier for everyone and especially helpful for those experiencing hand or wrist issues such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. And it’s fun to use. The set includes a stackable storage tray and four pods that can be easily swapped as needed: The GT microplane grater for hard spices, nuts and chocolate; the MAX for large spices and dried herbs; the ProPlus for smaller and oily spices; and the Pepper Pod for, well, pepper. $110. To build a fire Campers and backyard firepit lovers who have experienced the heartbreak of wet wood will appreciate having a three-pack of Pull Start Fire on hand. Made of 89% recycled materials, including sanding dust, wax and flint, the food-safe, eco-friendly, 3-by-2-by-1-inch fire starters will light a fire quickly without matches, lighters or kindling. Just loop the attached green string around a log, incorporate it into a wood stack, and pull the attached red string to ignite. Each windproof, rainproof block burns for 30 minutes. $29.99. The place for a ladle is on the pot The No Mess Utensil Set from Souper Cubes , a company known for its portioned, silicone freezer trays, lives up to its name. The utensils — a serving spoon and a ladle — have innovative, S-shaped handles designed to rest on the edge of a pot, keeping them upright so they won’t slip in. The design also eliminates the need for a spoon rest or, worse, placing dirty utensils on the kitchen counter or stovetop between stirs. A silicone coating in a choice of Aqua, Charcoal, Cranberry or Blueberry keeps handles cool to the touch. $24.99. Up your birdwatching with this feeder The FeatherSnap Wi-Fi smart bird feeder could turn anyone into an avid birdwatcher. Equipped with an HD camera, the dual-chamber feeder enables up-close livestreaming of avian visitors, as well as species-logging via the free mobile app. An optional premium subscription ($59.99 annually or $6.99 monthly) includes unlimited photo and video storage, AI identification with species-specific details, and the opportunity to earn badges for logging new visitors. Turn on notifications to get alerts sent to your phone whenever there’s activity at the feeder. $179.99. Printing old-fashioned photos via Bluetooth Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 smartphone printer offers a touch of nostalgia without sacrificing technology. Just load the 4.9-by-3.5-by-1.3-inch printer with Instax Mini instant film and connect it to your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth to print wallet-size photos. If you want to get fancy, you can adjust brightness, contrast and saturation, or apply filters, including 3D augmented-reality effects, via the free Instax Mini Link app. It can also make collages of up to six images, or animate photos to share on social media. Available in Rose Pink, Clay White and Sage Green. $99.95. Houseplants don’t get much easier than this The appropriately named easyplant is one of the best gifts you can give your houseplant-loving friends, regardless of their experience level. Select a pot color, size and plant (or get recommendations based on sunlight requirements, pet friendliness and other attributes) and fill the self-watering container’s built-in reservoir roughly once a month. Moisture will permeate the soil from the bottom as needed, eliminating the often-fatal consequences of over- or under-watering. It’s also a literal lifesaver come vacation time. $49-$259. Making your own (plant-based) milk Related Articles Things to Do | Go + Do events for Nov. 22-26 Things to Do | Get into the holiday giving spirit with the Best of the Week of Nov. 23-29 Things to Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things to Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things to Do | Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status tote If you’ve got a no-dairy friend on your list, a plant-based milk maker could save them money while allowing them to avoid sugar, stabilizers, thickeners and preservatives. The Nama M1 appliance both blends and strains ingredients, converting nuts, seeds, grains or oats into velvety-smooth milk in just one minute, with zero grit. And for zero waste, the pasty leftover pulp can be used in other recipes for added nutrients. The device also makes infused oils, flavored waters and soups. And, importantly, cleanup is easy. Available in white and black. $400. The perfect temperature for 350,000-plus wines For friends who prefer stronger beverages, the QelviQ personal sommelier uses “smart” technology to ensure wine is served at its ideal temperature. Unlike traditional wine refrigerators, this device doesn’t take up any floor space. It also doesn’t chill wine to just one or two temperatures based on its color. Instead — paired with the free QelviQ app — the tabletop chiller relies on a database of more than 350,000 wines to bring a bottle to its specific recommended serving temperature in as little as 20 minutes. It also suggests food-wine and wine-food pairings. Plus, the appliance serves as a great icebreaker to inspire dinnertime conversation. Available in Exciting Red, Dashing Black and Dreamy White. $495. Casting light on the grill after dark Grilling food after dark — and ascertaining its doneness — can prove challenging without outdoor lighting, and it’s nearly impossible to cook while holding a flashlight. But as is often the case, the simplest of solutions can make the biggest of impacts: Uncommon Good’s 2-piece LED Grilling Tool Set puts illumination into the handles of its stainless-steel spatula and tongs. After use, the lights can be removed and the utensils run through the dishwasher. $40.
Dundee commended for 'thinking outside the box' as manager explains Monterrey link-up40cr devotees to visit Maha Kumbh but govt making preps for 100 cr: YogiCan You Guess The Player? Here’s Baseball America’s 2024 Holiday Prospects Quiz
Dear Eric: When my only son and his wife got married and had kids, I was informed that Christmas Day would just be for them to celebrate. I said OK. For decades, I have given my son and his family (wife and two kids) really nice gifts for Christmas. We are talking about hundreds of dollars. For a while, I would receive a small gift, such as a bottle of homemade vanilla, a rose-scented tin of salve made by a friend of the wife or a coffee cup or some such as a gift from the family. Same with my birthday. I have never received a gift from the grandkids. Last year, I let them know I would no longer be “exchanging” gifts with the parents but gifts to the grandkids (who are now teenagers with jobs) will continue. That year, I got them electronics and hoodies. I got nothing from anyone. Not even an acknowledgement from the kids. I have always had to deliver the gifts or call to see if they received them. This year, it is only going to be a Christmas card. Am I being overly sensitive? — Empty Stocking Dear Stocking: No, you are not being overly sensitive. Every family has their own traditions and needs. And no one is obligated to give — or accept — a gift. But it sure does make me sad that your desire to make this holiday special isn’t being reciprocated. Part of it may be a misalignment of expectations. You’ve given generously, into the hundreds of dollars. I’m curious if your son and daughter-in-law have different values or wants around gifting that are either not being expressed or not being heard. They should tell you clearly. Similarly, when you decided to stop giving gifts to the adults, I’m curious if your expectations were that your son would realize that you weren’t getting what you wanted and make a change. It’s worth talking it through a little more but try to focus on the want behind the want. I suspect that what you’re craving is connection — and perhaps an invitation to the family Christmas. It makes sense that you’d try to show your love from a distance through gift-giving and it makes sense that it would hurt not to have it reciprocated. But perhaps the tradition of gifts is getting in the way on both sides. If you’d like to be invited or would like to find an alternate way of celebrating and being together, that’s a great gift to ask for. Dear Eric: I was riding my bicycle when, unbeknownst to me, my wallet fell out of my pocket. My driver’s license, credit cards and about $200 in cash were in the wallet. Later that day I received a telephone call from a cyclist who found my wallet on his ride and told me that I could come over to pick it up. What, if any, reward would be appropriate? I gave a $30 bottle of wine. — Grateful Cyclist Dear Cyclist: How lucky that your path crossed with such a good fellow citizen! Etiquette experts agree that the amount of a reward in situations like this is really up to you. So, the bottle of wine you gave works. My only suggestion, however, would be that, if this ever happens again (fingers crossed your wallet stays in your pocket from now on), you check with the recipient to make sure that they drink wine. It’s the thought that counts, but you don’t want your grateful efforts to put someone else in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!These travelers are fed up, looking for 'simpler times.' Here's where they're going.CP NewsAlert: Michael Bublé to host 2025 Juno Awards in VancouverTULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa fired football coach Kevin Wilson on Sunday and will elevate wide receivers coach Ryan Switzer on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. The Golden Hurricane lost to South Florida 63-30 on Saturday, dropping their record to 3-8. The school's decision concludes Wilson's two-year tenure with a 7-16 record, including 3-12 in American Athletic Conference play. “With the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics, we know the importance of positioning our football program and athletic department to thrive and excel in the upcoming years,” athletic director Justin Moore said in a statement. “Our standard will be to play in bowl games every season, compete for conference titles, and build a program that everyone connected to the Golden Hurricane will be proud of." Wilson spent six years as Indiana’s head coach, going 26-47 from 2011 to 2016. He then joined Urban Meyer’s staff at Ohio State and stayed on under Meyer’s successor, Ryan Day, before taking over at Tulsa. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Ola Electric teases its first scooter with swappable batteryAs we wrap up another eventful week in tech, the spotlight was on quantum computing, AI infrastructure, and antitrust probes. Conversations between tech giants, massive investments in AI, and regulatory scrutiny made headlines, painting a vivid picture of the dynamic tech landscape. Let’s dive into the top stories that caught our attention over the weekend. Quantum Computing Sparks Stellar Conversation Following the unveiling of Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL latest quantum computing chip, Willow, an engaging dialogue ensued between CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla Inc. and xAI’s Elon Musk . Pichai took to X , formerly Twitter , to highlight Willow’s impressive capabilities, which Musk responded to with enthusiasm. Read the full article here. Founders Fund Leads $600 Million AI Investment Crusoe , an AI infrastructure provider, secured a whopping $600 million in Series D funding led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, valuing the company at $2.8 billion. Thiel emphasized the importance of going big with AI, marking this investment as the latest significant technology bet by Founders Fund. Read the full article here. See Also: Micron Technology Stock Jumps In Pre-Market After Securing $6.1B Investment For US Chip Manufacturing Nvidia Faces Antitrust Probe in China China launched an antitrust investigation into Nvidia Corp. NVDA , focusing on the company’s acquisition of Mellanox Technologies and potential violations of China’s anti-monopoly laws. The case may remain unresolved in the near term, according to a top analyst. Read the full article here. Trump Shares Thoughts on Stocks, Bitcoin, AI, and Economy Donald Trump , after ringing the New York Stock Exchange opening bell, shared his insights on the stock market, crypto, AI, and more in an impromptu interview with CNBC host Jim Cramer. Trump’s appearance coincided with his being named Time Person of the Year for the second time. Read the full article here. Palantir Poised to Become ‘The Next’ Oracle Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR is set to become “the next” Oracle Corp. in 2025, according to Wedbush Securities’s Dan Ives . Ives highlighted Palantir’s artificial intelligence platform as a transformative force in enterprise operations. Read the full article here. Read Next: Meta And YouTube Remove Accounts Of Luigi Mangione, But X Reinstates Profile Photo courtesy: Shutterstock This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Rounak Jain © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
LEGISLATORS get their creative juices flowing best when engaged in carving up the annual budget of the national government. Unfortunately, the result of their creativity doesn't always redound to the benefit of the vast majority of the people. In the Congress-ratified 2025 budget of P6.35 trillion, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will sign into law before Christmas, the big gainers are offices that lawmakers could dip their hands into for their preferred projects and activities. On the other hand, among the big losers are agencies directly involved in the delivery of basic services such as education and health. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.
Boise’s homeless shelters are facing greater demand for resources and increased strain on staff as hundreds seek refuge from freezing temperatures. Winter weather has established itself in the Treasure Valley in recent weeks and community members who don’t have permanent refuge face serious threats to their health and survival. Boise’s homeless shelters spoke of the burden that is being felt throughout their operations. BOISE RESCUE MISSION Boise Rescue Mission has the largest shelter operation in the Treasure Valley, with shelters and transitional housing facilities in Boise and Nampa. In an August interview, the Rescue Mission told the Idaho Press that it had 400 guests across its shelters. As of now, the shelter serves about 450 in its facilities and an additional 50 in its transitional housing operations, Jean Lockhart, Boise Rescue Mission’s chief operating officer, said. Beyond the uptick in individuals served, however, there has been a marked shift in demographics in recent months, with “big increases” in elderly and women and children coming through the Rescue Mission’s doors, Lockhart said. “For the first time ever in our 66-year history, we have more women and children than we do men in shelters,” Lockhart said. As of Thursday, Dec. 12, the shelter population comprised 58% women and children and 42% men, something “completely different than we’ve ever seen,” Lockhart said. The Rescue Mission is also offering those not within its shelter system refuge from the cold. Though everyone is encouraged to come to the shelter if they are seeking refuge from the weather, Lockhart said there are some limitations to ensure that the shelter operations maintain a high standard of safety. “If anyone has assaulted a staff or guests in the past, we cannot accept them in our shelters,” Lockhart said. “But that’s pretty much the limit.” With hundreds coming through the shelters’ doors, whether it be to stay overnight or to just have a warm place during the day, ongoing donations are essential to meeting the needs of the community. Lockhart said that, in the colder weather, winter coats and snow boots are always a significant need, but this year in particular has brought fewer donations than normal. A typical shelter room at Boise Rescue Mission’s City Light Home for Women and Children in Boise on Dec. 13. “We had fewer coats donated this year than we’ve had in a long time,” Lockhart said, adding that as grocery prices have risen, she has also observed food donations declining. Even with rising demands and lower-than-normal donations, Lockhart underscored that their shelters still have room for the most vulnerable members in the area. “Our doors are open, we’re not full and if people need shelter, we’d love for them to come stay with us,” Lockhart said. CORPUS COMMONS Corpus Commons — which rebranded from Corpus Christi House earlier this year — operates a day-time shelter at 525 S Americana Blvd., adjacent to Interfaith Sanctuary in Boise. Jessica Abbott, executive director of the shelter, said they have seen an uptick in demand as colder weather sets in for the valley. Corpus Commons serves many who aren’t in the shelter systems, whether they’re living in an outdoor encampment or their car, Abbott said. “We’re getting scared, because it’s going to start getting colder and colder,” Abbott said. Regardless of the arrangement, not being in a shelter during the winter presents mortal risk and the small shelter is tasked with accommodating as many as possible. According to the U.S. Forest Service, hypothermia can set in at just 40 degrees Fahrenheit if an individual becomes chilled from rain, sweat or otherwise being submerged in cold water. This reality is reflected in the shelter’s demand. “We’re wall-to-wall in the morning, it’s standing-room only, almost,” Abbott said. On average, about 150 to 200 enter the shelter throughout its daily operation hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their doors are open an hour longer than normal so those staying at Interfaith Sanctuary don’t have to wait in the cold before entering for an overnight stay, Abbott said. In terms of demographic shifts, the primary increases have been in younger individuals — ages 17 to 24 — as well as in younger families with children or infants. While the shelter is able to ensure that families are fed, they are quickly led out of the shelter to an environment that can accommodate them, Abbott said. A Christmas tree stands in a common area at Boise Rescue Mission’s City Light Home for Women and Children in Boise on Dec. 13. Boise Rescue Mission’s City Light Home for Women & Children, at 1404 W Jefferson St. in Boise, as well as the Red Lion Hotel on Fairview Avenue — whose homeless operations started during the COVID-19 pandemic and will be winding down in March of next year — are two of the options that provide housing for these families. Visitors who are working, but are financially unstable, have also come in increasing numbers, Abbott said. “They’re on that precipice,” Abbott said. “They’re having to make a choice between rent or food.” This group utilizes the variety of services offered at the shelter including its mail service, computer lab, clothing offerings and bus passes — 600 of which are provided each month. Requests for IDs and birth certificates, which are needed to secure employment, have “tripled” in recent months, Abbott said, adding that continued fundraising will help these services remain afloat. “All the services are down here,” Abbott said. “This is their community, this is where they come to feel safe and warm — we just try and ease that burden.” INTERFAITH SANCTUARY Interfaith Sanctuary provides overnight shelter services adjacent to Corpus Commons. The shelter serves about 170 on a nightly basis with room for 160 within the building and about a dozen between a military tent and outdoor portable office. To determine who gets a spot each night, the shelter uses a waitlist. Individuals who stayed the previous night have their bed reserved for them until 8 p.m. Individuals who aren’t able to stay at Interfaith on any given night are recommended to alternative shelters, Jodi Peterson-Stigers, Interfaith Sanctuary’s executive director said. On Dec. 12, more than two dozen were at the shelter’s waitlist area in search of a bed. Though the shelter works to accommodate all who arrive each night, there can be difficulties as winter months bring higher tensions at the shelter. There are more arguments and, in turn, more pressure on the staff to be accommodating compared to the summer when there were less weather-related concerns about turning guests away, Dylan Scott, Interfaith Sanctuary’s evening co-director, said. “I’ve been feeling the weight of those decisions more and trying to give even more leeway there,” Scott said. Sickness is another aspect of the winter season that further complicates the shelter operations. When one person falls ill, sickness can quickly spread throughout the shelter and to staff. A higher volume of individuals seeking shelter services in the winter reduces proximity between guests and adds to the ability for viruses to spread, Peterson-Stigers said. A meal and study area at Boise Rescue Mission’s City Light Home for Women and Children in Boise on Dec. 13. Over-the-counter medicine to soothe symptoms such as Pepto Bismol, Imodium, ibuprofen and seasonal flu medication are donations that might not come immediately to mind when thinking of shelter needs but can be impactful to health and safety for those who are vulnerable, Peterson-Stigers said. The changing weather presents additional challenges for Interfaith Sanctuary, which lacks the capacity to store seasonal items. Though Peterson-Stigers lauded the community’s “fierce and rapid response” whenever donation requests are posted to the shelter’s Facebook page , not being able to get ahead of weather changes makes these requests more frequent, even if they are being met by the community, Peterson-Stigers said. “One of our problems is, we don’t have an abundant amount of storage,” Peterson-Stigers said. “So we can’t stock up for seasons, we can’t hold winter donations ... we have to get what we need when we need it.” DONATION OPPORTUNITIES Local homeless shelters spoke of the importance of having available funds and donations during the winter as well as the need for a continued flow of resources following the conclusion of the holiday season, as Boise enters its coldest months at the start of the new year. A fundraiser for the city’s housing and shelter organizations is being hosted by Avenues for Hope and is running through Dec. 31. A full list of homelessness and housing organizations open to donations is available on the Avenues for Hope website . The fundraiser remains integral to Corpus Commons being able to offer food, clothing and its myriad services to guests throughout the year and is what will ensure the shelter is “open the next six months,” Abbott said. “It’s what will keep us open the next six months,” she said. Individual donations can also be made at each shelter organization. Abbott emphasized that while contributions tend to increase in the holiday season, they are relied upon throughout the totality of the Treasure Valley’s winter season. “It’s not just about keeping warm, it’s about keeping their spirits up,” Abbott said. “It gets cold, it gets depressing, all the giving kind of goes away a bit. It’s not so front and center, because it’s not the holidays, and that’s some of the times that they struggle the most.”
Defense fund established by supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione tops $100,000
Harris Dickinson was nervous to approach Nicole Kidman . This would not necessarily be notable under normal circumstances, but the English actor had already been cast to star opposite her in the erotic drama “Babygirl,” as the intern who initiates an affair with Kidman's buttoned-up CEO. They’d had a zoom with the writer-director Halina Reijn, who was excited by their playful banter and sure that Dickinson would hold his own. And yet when he found himself at the same event as Kidman, shyness took over. He admitted as much to Margaret Qualley, who took things into her own hands and introduced them. “She helped me break the ice a bit,” Dickinson said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. On set would be an entirely different story. Dickinson might not be nearly as “puckishly audacious” as his character Samuel but in the making of “Babygirl,” he, Kidman and Reijn had no choice but to dive fearlessly into this exploration of sexual power dynamics, going to intimate, awkward, exhilarating and meme-able places. It’s made the film, in theaters Christmas Day, one of the year’s must-sees. “There was an unspoken thing that we adhered to,” Dickinson said. “We weren’t getting to know each other’s personal lives. When we were working and we were the characters, we didn’t veer away from the material. I never tried to attach all of the history of Nicole Kidman. Otherwise it probably would have been a bit of a mess.” His is a performance that reconfirms what many in the film world have suspected since his debut seven years ago as a Brooklyn tough questioning his sexuality in Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” : Dickinson is one of the most exciting young talents around. Dickinson, 28, grew up in Leytonstone, in East London — the same neck of the woods as Alfred Hitchcock. Cinema was in his life, whether it was Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” films at the local multiplex or venturing into town to see the more social realist films of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. “Working class cinema interested me,” he said. “People around me that represented my world.” Appropriately, his entry into making art started behind the camera, with a comedy web series he made as a kid, which he now describes as “really bad spoofs” of films and shows of the time. But things started to really click when he began acting in the local theater. “I remember feeling invigorated by it and accepted,” he said. “I felt myself for the first time and felt able to express myself in a way where I didn’t feel vulnerable and I felt alive and ignited by something.” At around 17, someone suggested that he should give acting a try professionally. He hadn’t even fully understood that it was a career possibility, but he started auditioning. At 20, he was cast in “Beach Rats” and, he said, just “kept going.” Since then, he’s gotten a wide range of opportunities in films both big, including “The King’s Man,” and small. He’s captivated as a male model in Ruben Östlund’s Cannes-winning “Triangle of Sadness,” an estranged father to a 12-year-old in Charlotte Regan’s “Scrapper,” an actor bringing an ex-boyfriend to life in Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir Part II,” the charismatic, tragic wrestler David Von Erich in Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw” and a soldier in Steve McQueen’s “Blitz.” But “Babygirl” would present new challenges and opportunities with a character who’s almost impossible to define. “He was confusing in a really interesting way. There wasn’t loads of specificity to it, which I enjoyed because it was a bit of a challenge to sort of pinpoint exactly what it was that drove him and made him tick,” Dickinson said. “There was a directness that unlocked a lot for me, like a fearlessness with the way he spoke, or a social unawareness in a way — like not fully realizing what he’s saying is affecting someone in a certain way. But I didn’t make too many rules for him.” Part of the allure of the film is the ever-shifting power dynamics between the two characters, which could change over the course of a scene. As Reijn said, “It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when you suppress your own desires.” She was especially in awe of Dickinson's ability to make everything feel improvised and the fact that he could look like a 12-year-old boy in one shot and a confident 45-year-old man in the next. Since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, the film has led to some surprisingly direct conversations with audiences spanning generations. But that, Dickinson understood, was what Reijn wanted. “She really wanted to show the ugliness and the awkwardness of these things, of these relationships and sex,” he said. “That sort of fumbly version and the performative version of it is way more interesting, to me at least, than the kind of fantasized, romanticized, sexy thing that we’ve seen a lot.” Dickinson recently stepped behind the camera again, directing his first feature film under the banner of his newly formed production company. Set against the backdrop of homelessness in London, “Dream Space” is about a drifter trying to assimilate and understand his cyclical behavior. The film, which wrapped earlier this year, has given him a heightened appreciation for just how many people are indispensable in the making of a film. He’s also started to understand that “acting is just being able to relax.” “When you’re relaxed, you can do stuff that is truthful,” he said. “That only happens if you’ve got good people around you: The director that creates the good environment. The intimacy coordinator facilitating a safe space. A coworker in Nicole encouraging that kind of bravery and performance with what she’s doing.” Dickinson did eventually get to the point where he managed to ask Kidman questions about working with Stanley Kubrick and Lars Von Trier. But he also kept one shattering possibility between himself and his director. “There is a world in which Samuel doesn’t even exist. He’s just a sort of a device or a figment for her own story. And I like that because it kind of means you can take the character into a very unrealistic realm at times and be almost like a deity in the story,” Dickinson said. “We didn’t talk about it with Nicole.” Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful government panel has failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on Monday sent its long-awaited report to President Joe Biden, a longtime opponent of the deal. Some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks. That's according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump opposed the merger and vowed to block it. Nippon Steel says it is confident the deal will go ahead. Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Survey: Small businesses are feeling more optimistic about the economy after the election A survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.7, its highest reading since June 2021. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in November to 98, following October’s pre-election record high of 110. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said small business owners became more certain about future business conditions following the presidential election, breaking a nearly three-year streak of record high uncertainty. The survey also showed that more owners are also hoping 2025 will be a good time to grow. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Christmas holiday, led by gains in Big Tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.1% Tuesday. Trading closed early ahead of the holiday. Tech companies including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped pull the market higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended mostly higher after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59% An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.Hyderabad: Telangana deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday, November 24 said that the caste census in the state is reaching its final stage, adding that 95 per cent of the exercise is complete. He stressed the significance of the survey data entry and highlighted the issue of the unavailability of people in urban areas. Citizens across the state took part and information has been recorded as part of the caste census survey in Telangana. The deputy chief minister said that the survey was being conducted in rural and urban areas. He said that the data was collected from migrant workers in Telangana, especially those in the rural areas. Further, on the probe about a few residents in Hyderabad not cooperating with the caste census officials, Bhatti denied any such allegations and said the house owners were informed only when the house listing was done. The enumerators appointed to conduct the survey collected details from people. They were assisted by women’s groups and booth level officers in carrying out the exercise. On the rising number of food poisoning cases, Bhatti ensured that the government is providing good quality mid-day meals in Telangana government schools. He added that an action plan will be drawn to ensure that cases of food poisoning are prevented in the future.
KABUL: When Zainab Ferozi saw Afghan women struggling to feed their families after Taliban authorities took power, she took matters into her own hands and poured her savings into starting a business. Two-and-a-half years after putting 20,000 Afghanis ($300) earned from teaching sewing classes into a carpet weaving enterprise, she now employs around a dozen women who lost their jobs or who had to abandon their education due to Taliban government rules. Get exclusive content with Gulf News WhatsApp channel Through her business in the western province of Herat, the 39-year-old also “covers all the household expenses” of her family of six, she told AFP from her office where samples of brightly coloured and exquisitely woven rugs and bags are displayed. Her husband, a labourer, cannot find work in one of the poorest countries in the world. Ferozi is one of many women who have launched small businesses in the past three years to meet their own needs and support other Afghan women, whose employment sharply declined after the Taliban took power in 2021. Before the Taliban takeover, women made up 26 per cent of public sector workers, a figure that “has effectively decreased to zero”, according to UN Women. Girls and women have also been banned from secondary schools and universities under restrictions the UN has described as “gender apartheid”. Touba Zahid, a 28-year-old mother-of-one, started making jams and pickles in the small basement of her home in the capital Kabul after she was forced to stop her university education. “I came into the world of business... to create job opportunities for women so they can have an income that at least covers their immediate needs,” Zahid said. Half a dozen of her employees, wearing long white coats, were busy jarring jams and pickles labelled “Mom’s delicious homecooking”. While women may be making the stock, running the shops in Afghanistan remains mostly a man’s job. Saleswomen like Zahid “cannot go to the bazaar to promote and sell their products” themselves, said Fariba Noori, chairwoman of the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI). Another issue for Afghan businesswomen is the need for a “mahram” - a male family member chaperone - to accompany them to other cities or provinces to purchase raw materials, said Noori. After 40 years of successive conflicts, many Afghan women have been widowed and lost many male relatives. Despite these challenges, the number of businesses registered with AWCCI has increased since the Taliban takeover, according to Noori. The number went “from 600 big companies to 10,000” mainly small, home-based businesses and a few bigger companies, said Noori, herself a businesswoman for 12 years. Khadija Mohammadi, who launched her eponymous brand in 2022 after she lost her private school teaching job, now employs more than 200 women sewing dresses and weaving carpets. “I am proud of every woman who is giving a hand to another woman to help her become independent,” said the 26-year-old. Though businesses like Mohammadi’s are a lifeline, the salaries ranging from 5,000 to 13,000 Afghanis, cannot cover all costs and many women are still stalked by economic hardship. Qamar Qasimi, who lost her job as a beautician after the Taliban authorities banned beauty salons in 2023, said that even with her salary she and her husband struggle to pay rent and feed their family of eight. “When I worked in the beauty salon, we could earn 3,000-7,000 Afghanis for styling one bride, but here we get 5,000 per month,” said the 24-year-old. “It’s not comparable but I have no other choice,” she added, the room around her full of women chatting as they worked at 30 looms. The closure of beauty salons was not only a financial blow, but also removed key spaces for women to socialise. Zohra Gonish decided to open a restaurant to create a women-only space in northeastern Badakhshan province. “Women can come here and relax,” said the 20-year-old entrepreneur. “We wanted the staff to be women so that the women customers can feel comfortable here.” But starting her business in 2022, aged 18 was not easy in a country where the labour force participation for women is 10 times lower than the world average, according to the World Bank. It took Gonish a week to convince her father to support her. Aside from helping their families and having space to socialise, some women said work has given them a sense of purpose. Sumaya Ahmadi, 15, joined Ferozi’s carpet company to help her parents after she had to leave school and became “very depressed”. “(Now) I’m very happy and I no longer have any mental health problems. I’m happier and I feel better.” The work has also given her a new goal: to help her two brothers build their futures. “Because schools’ doors are closed to girls, I work instead of my brothers so they can study and do something with their lives.”
