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Congress readies nearly $900 billion in defense spendingThe Game Awards 2024 concluded on December 12, capping off its 10th-anniversary celebration with four hours of reveals, retrospectives, and industry honors (and gibes from Statler and Waldorf). Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the event showcased a wide range of acclaimed titles, culminating in Astro Bot’s decisive sweep. Team Asobi’s beloved platformer claimed four awards—Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Action-Adventure, and Best Family Game—cementing its place as the standout title of the year. While Astro Bot rose to the top, other noteworthy contenders left with well-deserved accolades. Indie hit Balatro and Atlus’ Metaphor: ReFantazio each took home three awards, solidifying their status as critical favorites. Meanwhile, franchises like Final Fantasy and Helldivers garnered recognition for their music, narratives, and ongoing community support. Beyond the trophies, viewers were treated to a cavalcade of world premieres and announcements. Naughty Dog unveiled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet , beloved classics like Virtua Fighter and Turok staged triumphant returns, and Borderlands 4 made a splashy debut. All in all, it was an evening that embraced both the industry’s storied past and its bright future. Below are all the winners and key highlights from gaming’s biggest night. Complete Winners List Game of the Year: Astro Bot Balatro Black Myth: Wukong Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Metaphor: ReFantazio Best Game Direction: Astro Bot Balatro Black Myth: Wukong Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Metaphor: ReFantazio Best Ongoing Game: Destiny 2 Diablo 4 Final Fantasy XIV Fortnite Helldivers 2 Best Art Direction: Astro Bot Black Myth: Wukong Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Metaphor: ReFantazio Neva Best Mobile Game: AFK Journey Balatro Wuthering Waves Zenless Zone Zero Pokemon TCG Pocket Best Narrative: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Metaphor: ReFantazio Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Silent Hill 2 Best Performance: Briana White – Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Hannah Telle – Life is Strange: Double Exposure Humberly Gonzalez – Star Wars Outlaws Luke Roberts – Silent Hill 2 Melina Juergens – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Best Score and Music: Astro Bot Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Metaphor: ReFantazio Silent Hill 2 Stellar Blade Best Adaption: Arcane Fallout Knuckles Like a Dragon: Yakuza Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Best Multiplayer: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Helldivers 2 Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 Super Mario Party Jamboree Tekken 8 Best Independent Game: Animal Well Balatro Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Neva UFO 50 Most Anticipated Game: Death Stranding 2 – On the Beach Ghost of Yotei Grand Theft Auto 6 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Monster Hunter Wilds Best Roleplaying Game: Dragon’s Dogma 2 Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Metaphor: ReFantazio Content Creator: CaseOh Illojuan Techno Gamers TypicalGamer Usada Pekora Best Action-Adventure: Black Myth: Wukong Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Helldivers 2 Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 Stellar Blade Best Fighting Game: Dragon Ball Sparkling Zero Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Multiversus Tekken 8 Innovation in Accessibility: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Diablo 4 Dragon Age: The Veilguard Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Star Wars Outlaws Best Family Game: Astro Bot Princess Peach Showtime Super Mario Party Jamboree The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom The Plucky Squire Best Sim or Strategy Game: Age of Mythology Retold Frostpunk 2 Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess Manor Lords Unicorn Overlord Best Sports and Racing Game: F1 24 EA Sports FC25 NBA 2k25 Topspin 2k25 WWE 2k24 Best Esports Game: Counter-Strike Dota 2 League of Legends Mobile Legends Bang Bang Valorant Best Esports Athlete: 33 AlekisB Chovy Faker Zywoo Zmjjkk Best Esports Team: Bilibili Gaming – League of Legends Gen G – League of Legends Navi – Counter-Strike T1 – League of Legends Team Liquid – Dota 2 Best VR/AR game: Arizona Sunshine Remake Asgard’s Wrath 2 Batman: Arkham Shadow Metal: Hellsinger VR Metro Awakening Games for Impact: Closer the Distance Indika Neva Life is Strange: Double Exposure Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Tales of Kenzera: Zau Best Community Support: Baldur’s Gate 3 Final Fantasy XIV Fortnite Helldivers 2 No Man’s Sky Best RPG: Dragon’s Dogma 2 Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Metaphor: ReFantazio Best Audio Design: Astro Bot Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Silent Hill 2 Players’ Voice: Black Myth: Wukong Genshin Impact Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Wuthering Waves Zenless Zone Zero Looking Ahead If you missed the broadcast, rest assured that plenty of trailers, reveals, and recaps are available online. As the industry heads into 2025, the announcements at The Game Awards have set the stage for what’s next, with everything from expansive sequels to fresh IPs poised to push the medium forward. For now, as the dust settles on the big night, one thing is certain: Astro Bot’s legacy at The Game Awards 2024 is one that gamers will remember for years to come.

Sideshows: The tire-spinning, rubber-burning Bay Area phenomenon that some hate and some loveTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli hospital says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgery. Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center said his prostate was removed late Sunday. Netanyahu was placed under full anesthesia for the procedure. Doctors said he was awake and recovering Sunday night. Netanyahu’s office had said Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, would serve as acting prime minister during the procedure. Doctors ordered the operation after detecting an infection last week. Netanyahu is expected to remain hospitalized for several days. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is having his prostate removed on Sunday, his office said, a procedure that comes as he manages multiple crises including the war in Gaza and his trial for alleged corruption . Netanyahu, who has had a series of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a healthy, energetic leader. During his trial this month, he boasted about working 18-hour days, accompanied by a cigar. But as Israel's longest-serving leader, such a grueling workload over a total of 17 years in power could take a toll on his well-being. Netanyahu, 75, is among older world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, 82 , President-elect Donald Trump, 78 , Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , 79, and Pope Francis , 88, who have come under scrutiny for their age and health issues. Netanyahu's latest condition is common in older men, but the procedure has had some fallout. The judges overseeing his trial accepted a request from his lawyer on Sunday to call off three days of testimony scheduled this week. The lawyer, Amit Hadad, had argued that Netanyahu would be fully sedated for the procedure and hospitalized for “a number of days.” Netanyahu's office said Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, would serve as acting prime minister during the procedure. With so much at stake, Netanyahu’s health in wartime is a concern for both Israelis and the wider world. A turbulent time in the region As Israel’s leader, Netanyahu is at the center of major global events that are shifting the Middle East . With the dizzying pace of the past 14 months, being incapacitated for even a few hours can be risky. Netanyahu will be in the hospital at a time when international mediators are pushing Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and as fighting between Israel and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensifies . Prostate issues are common and in many cases easily treatable. Still, the procedure puts a dent in Netanyahu’s image of vigor at a time when he would want to project strength more than ever, both to an Israeli audience navigating constant threats as well as to Israel’s enemies looking to expose its weaknesses. Previous health issues, including a heart condition Netanyahu insists he is in excellent health. His office releases footage of him touring war zones in full protective gear flanked by military officers, or meeting with defense officials on windswept hilltops in youthful dark shades and puffer jackets. But that image was shattered last year when Netanyahu’s doctors revealed that he had a heart condition , a problem that he had apparently long known about but concealed from the public. A week after a fainting spell, Netanyahu was fitted with a pacemaker to control his heartbeat. Only then did staff at the Sheba Medical Center reveal that Netanyahu has for years experienced a condition that can cause irregular heartbeats. The revelation came as Netanyahu was dealing with massive anti-government protests. The news about a chronic heart problem stoked further anger and distrust during extreme political polarization in Israel. Last year, Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital for what doctors said likely was dehydration . He stayed overnight, prompting his weekly Cabinet meeting to be delayed. Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery , during which he was under full anesthesia and unconscious. Levin served as acting prime minister during the operation. Recovery can be quick According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection on Wednesday stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate. The infection was treated successfully with antibiotics, but Sunday's procedure will remove his prostate. Complications from prostate enlargement are common in men in their 70s and 80s, Dr. Shay Golan, head of the oncology urology service at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center, told Israeli Army Radio. Golan spoke in general terms and was not involved in Netanyahu’s care or treatment. He said an enlarged prostate can block proper emptying of the bladder, leading to a build-up of urine that can lead to an infection or other complications. After medicinal treatment, doctors can recommend a procedure to remove the prostate to prevent future blockages, Golan said. In Netanyahu’s case, because the prostate is not cancerous, Golan said doctors will likely perform an endoscopic surgery, carried out by inserting small instruments into a body cavity, rather than making surgical cuts in the abdomen to reach the prostate. The procedure lasts about an hour, Golan said, and recovery is quick. He said that aside from catheter use for one to three days after the procedure, patients can return to normal activity without significant limitations. Tia Goldenberg, The Associated PressCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes continues to build great chemistry with his tight end — just not the one you might think. Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to Noah Gray for the second straight week as the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday. A week after losing at Buffalo, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (10-1) maintained their position atop the AFC. Mahomes completed a 35-yard touchdown strike to Gray on the game’s opening possession and found him again for an 11-yard TD in the second quarter. Gray has four touchdown catches in the last two weeks — twice as many as nine-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce has all season — and has become a weapon in the passing game for the Chiefs, who lost top wide receiver Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Kelce was still a factor Sunday with a team-high six catches for 62 yards, although the four-time All-Pro looked dejected after dropping one easy pass. Kelce has 62 receptions for 507 yards this season, while Gray has 26 catches for 249 yards. But Gray's development is a good sign for the Chiefs — and he's on the same page with Mahomes. On his second TD, Gray said Mahomes “gave me the answer to the test there” before the play. “He told me what coverage it was pre-snap," said Gray, who had four receptions for 66 yards. “That’s just the blessing you have of playing with a quarterback like that. Offensive line did a great job blocking that up and the receivers did a great job running their routes to pop me open. Really just a group effort right there on that touchdown.” Gray said that's nothing new. “Pat’s preparation, his leadership is just something that I’m fortunate enough to play alongside,” Gray said. "I love it. It gets me motivated every time we go out there for a long drive. Having a leader like that, that prepares every single week in-and out, knows defenses, knows the game plans. “I’m just fortunate enough to play alongside a guy like that.” Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three TDs, and he knew what to do on the second TD to Gray. “It's not just me, it's the quarterback coaches and the players, we go through certain checks you get to versus certain coverages,” Mahomes said. “I was able to see by the way they lined up they were getting into their cover-zero look. I alerted the guys to make sure they saw what I saw and I gave the check at the line of scrimmage.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.Gisèle Benoit still gets goosebumps when she remembers the first time she saw a family of eastern wolves emerge from the forests of the Mauricie National Park, under the backdrop of a rising moon. It was 1984 and Benoit, then in her early 20s, had been using a horn to try to call a bull moose when she instead heard a long howl, followed by an adult wolf stepping out to a rocky shore accompanied by a half-grown youth and four pups. “I will never forget that,” she said of the magical moment. “It’s anchored in my heart forever.” It was only later that Benoit, an artist and documentary filmmaker, learned that the wolves she saw weren’t grey wolves but rather rare eastern wolves. The species, whose population is estimated at fewer than 1,000 mature adults, could soon be further protected by new measures that are raising hopes among conservationists that attitudes toward a once-feared and maligned animal are shifting. In July, the federal government upgraded the eastern wolf’s threat level from “status of special concern” to “threatened,” based on a 2015 report by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. That report found the population count may be as low as 236 mature individuals in its central Ontario and southern Quebec habitat. The eastern wolf is described as medium-sized canid with reddish-tawny fur that lives in family groups of a breeding pair and their offspring. Also known as the Algonquin wolf, it is largely restricted to existing protected areas, including Algonquin Park in Ontario. The federal Environment Department said in an email that development of a recovery strategy is underway, adding it would be “written in collaboration with provincial governments, federal departments responsible for the federal lands where the eastern wolf is found as well as First Nations groups and Indigenous organizations.” The order triggers protection for the species on federal lands and forces Ottawa to prepare a recovery plan. However, the fight for protection could be an uphill battle in Quebec, which does not even recognize the eastern wolf as a distinct species. A spokesperson for Quebec’s Environment Department said Quebec considers the eastern wolf a “genetic group” rather than its own species. “Recent study shows that the eastern wolf is a distinct entity, even if it comes from several crosses between the grey wolf and the coyote,” Daniel Labonté wrote in an email. “However, scientific knowledge does not demonstrate that this genetic grouping constitutes a species in its own right.” Labonté added that this lack of recognition was not a barrier to protecting the animal, since the law also allows for protection of subspecies or wildlife populations. In October, Quebec launched a program to collect samples to improve knowledge on the distribution of large canines, including the eastern wolf. The government said it is currently “impossible to assert that there is an established population” in Quebec due to low numbers — amounting to three per cent of analyzed samples — and the “strong hybridization that exists among large canids.” Véronique Armstrong, co-founder of a Quebec wildlife protection association, says she’s feeling positive about both the Canadian and Quebec governments’ attitudes. While wolves were once “stigmatized, even persecuted,” she said, “we seem to be heading in the direction of more protection.” Her group, the Association québécoise pour la protection et l’observation de la faune, has submitted a proposal for a conservation area to protect southern Quebec wolves that has already received signs of support from three of the regional municipalities that would be covered, she said. While it’s far from settled, she’s hopeful that the battle to protect wolves might be easier than for some other species, such as caribou, because the wolves are adaptable and can tolerate some human activity, including forestry. John Theberge, a retired professor of ecology and conservation biology from the University of Waterloo and a wolf researcher, spent several years along with his wife studying and radio-collaring eastern wolves around Algonquin Park. Back in the 1990s and 2000s, they faced a “huge political battle” to try to expand wolf protection outside park boundaries after realizing that the far-ranging animals were being hunted and trapped in large numbers once they left the protected lands. Conservationists, he said, faced resistance from powerful hunter and trapper lobbies opposed to protecting the animals but in the end succeeded in permanently closing the zones outside the park to hunting and trapping in 2004. Theberge says people who want to save wolves today still face some of that same opposition — especially when governments including Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia kill wolves to protect endangered caribou. But he believes the public support for protecting wolves has increased from when his career began in the 1960s, when they were treated with fear and suspicion. “Nobody wore T-shirts with wolves on them back then,” he said. Over the years, there have been questions about whether the eastern wolf may be a grey wolf subspecies or a coyote-wolf hybrid. But in the order protecting the wolves, the federal government says genetic analyses have resolved that debate, showing that it is a “distinct species.” Benoit, Theberge and Armstrong all believe that while it’s important to protect the eastern wolf from a genetic diversity perspective, there is value in protecting all wolves, regardless of their DNA. Wolves, they say, are an umbrella species, meaning that protecting them helps protect a variety of other species. They kill off weak and sick animals, ensuring strong populations. They’re also “highly developed, sentient social species, with a division of labour, and strong family alliances,” Theberge said. Benoit agrees. After years spent watching wolves, she has developed great respect for how they live in close-knit families, with older offspring helping raise new pups. “It’s extraordinary to see how their way of life is a little like humans’,” she said.

Congress readies nearly $900 billion in defense spendingWestchester County residents are swiping left when it comes to their local government’s new logo — griping it’s a turn-off because it looks like the trademark for the dating app Hinge. There is a squiggly line that goes through the “H” letter in the Hinge logo — as it does for the redesigned Westchester one, critics note. “Quite frankly, this is embarrassing. It’s a shame that money was wasted for this design,” Iris Schlesinger wrote on the county’s Facebook page. The new logo was unveiled as a parting gift by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who is vacating the office after getting elected to Congress . County spokeswoman Catherine Cioffi refused to say how much public money was spent on the panned redesign. The project also included two other new logos featuring “WCNY” — which a hater ripped as looking “like an early 90s radio station logo.” “Great choice,” Alan Cole wrote. “WCNY is the PBS TV/radio station I listen to. Mostly classical music on the radio but a good Bluegrass show from 9 to midnight on Sundays.” Of the “Westchester County” design, Rosanna Perretta Spadini quipped, “This is so bad that it’s made me care about something I didn’t think I cared about.” Ken Frawley cracked, “How much did you pay the person to come up with that description for a squiggly line?” Graphic designer Marcy Rauch said, “It’s a poor logo that’s outdated before it’s out of the gate. Sigh.” As for the “WCNY” logo, Fiona Russo noted that “WC” is the code for “toilet in a bunch of countries, so WC NY?” The group North Salem Republicans wrote, “The old one looks so much better. What a waste of taxpayer dollars.” The county worked with the Alexandria, Va.-based ad firm Joy Riot to craft the logos. “Maybe because the agency is out of Virgina and not even local to us?” Rich Lamendola suggested of the issues. “Trying to make sense of it and coming up empty-handed.” Jessica Silverman wrote, “This will end up like the mustard-colored license plate ...changed in a few years. “Taxpayer money wasted is right. Such a shame,” Silverman said. Latimer defended the “bold new logo,” with his office saying the rebranding initiative coincided with a mandate requiring the county government to transition its webpage from a “.com” domain to a “.gov,” rendering the old logo, which prominently featured the county’s website address, obsolete. “The residents of Westchester County are linked. This connection is symbolized by the hook that seamlessly joins the C and H in our logo,” Latimer said in a statement. “We’re linked by rail, road, and air. By culture. And most importantly, by choice.” The colors of the new logo were chosen to reflect the county’s rich history and diverse character — “Columbia Blue” for history, “Dark Green” for the environment and “Indigo Dye” for the county’s waterways, Latimer said. Westchester spokeswoman Cioffi brushed off the criticism. “Anytime there is change, you can expect some negative reactions,” the rep said Sunday. “When a decision involves style, people will always have varying opinions. While we have received a very positive response overall, those with negative thoughts tend to be more vocal on social media.’ “At this time, we remain committed to moving forward, confident in the thoughtful process that led to this decision,” she said. “This project involved numerous rounds of public input and design reviews. “Engaging with the public was not just important—it was essential to creating a new brand that resonates with our community. After thorough review and voting, this logo was selected. We are proud of it, as it embodies many elements that make Westchester County unique.” Cioffi added that the rebranding marks an “exciting new chapter for Westchester County, and we look forward to sharing it with everyone.” Latimer, who has served as county executive for 7 years, defeated Rep. Jamaal Bowman in the Democratic primary for the 16th House district covering much of Westchester and portions of The Bronx in June. He easily won the general election last week and will be sworn in Friday.

Johnson & Johnson snaps six days of losing streak

It's a good time to invest in the fast-growing artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The market for AI is expected to surpass $184 billion this year, and forecast to reach more than $826 billion by 2030. Among AI tech stocks, semiconductor firms Broadcom ( AVGO 0.18% ) and Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD 0.63% ) are two to consider investing in. The AI industry's growth has led to outsized sales for both as customers flocked to their offerings. But if you had to choose between them, is one a better AI stock than the other? Let's compare Broadcom and AMD to help you decide which is the better AI investment for the long run. Broadcom's strategic AI acquisition Broadcom is basking in the AI fervor, as sales expanded 47% year over year to $13.1 billion in its fiscal third quarter, ended Aug. 4. That's an impressive increase, but 43% of the growth came from its acquisition of VMware, which closed last November. VMware is famous for its virtualization software, which allows IT organizations to run multiple operating systems on a single server. But its private AI technology looks like a key strategic factor behind Broadcom's acquisition. Private AI shields a firm's data from access by any AI system except those designated by the business. This is important because AI tech requires mountains of data, which is taken from various sources, including from businesses that have stored data in the cloud . Broadcom believes some companies don't want their data shared with other businesses through AI, whether to protect intellectual property or to comply with legal requirements. Broadcom's private AI offering is built on the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) platform. VCF represented more than 80% of the VMware products booked in Q3. This illustrates strong customer demand for VCF and its ability to establish a private AI for businesses. Broadcom also generates AI-related sales from an array of semiconductor products, including those for the computer networking, storage, and broadband industries. Its semiconductor solutions division contributed $7.3 billion of its $13.1 billion in Q3 revenue, a 5% year-over-year increase. AMD's approach to AI AMD's strategy to capture AI market share is for its semiconductor products to concentrate on accelerated computing. This computing architecture processes data-intensive work separately from other computer tasks handled by a traditional CPU. Doing so allows complex software applications, such as AI, to operate faster and more efficiently. AMD's focus on accelerated computing has been the key to its success in the AI era. Big tech customers, such as Facebook parent Meta Platforms , are flocking to its products. For example, Meta purchased 1.5 million units of AMD's EPYC computer processor for its cloud computing servers, which house AI systems. This customer demand resulted in 18% year-over-year revenue growth to $6.8 billion in AMD's fiscal third quarter, ended Sept. 28. Moreover, the company expects sales to accelerate in Q4, reaching about $7.5 billion, a 22% year-over-year increase. AMD's sales success has led to strong financials across the board. Its Q3 gross margin rose to 50% from 47% last year. This helped Q3 net income hit $771 million, a 158% jump up from the prior year. This, in turn, enabled diluted earnings per share (EPS) to increase to $0.47, a 161% year-over-year increase. Deciding between Broadcom and AMD stock Both Broadcom and AMD possess AI strategies with the ability to capitalize on the growing AI market over the long term. This makes choosing only one of these AI stocks a challenge. So which wins? One factor in Broadcom's favor is that it offers a dividend, while AMD does not. Broadcom's forward dividend yield is a solid 1.3% at the time of this writing. However, excessive debt can put the dividend at risk. At the end of its fiscal Q3, Broadcom shouldered nearly $70 billion in debt. This resulted in more than $1 billion in Q3 interest payments, contributing to its net loss of $1.9 billion in the quarter. Meanwhile, AMD's debt at the end of its fiscal Q3 was a manageable $1.7 billion. With its Q3 cash and equivalents of $3.9 billion, AMD's net debt was effectively zero. Another consideration is the price-to-earnings ratio ( P/E ratio ) for each company. This metric is a way to assess the relative value of a stock by telling you how much investors are willing to pay for every dollar of earnings. Data by YCharts . AMD's P/E multiple was far higher than Broadcom's earlier in 2024, but has come down recently. It's below Broadcom's at the time of this writing, suggesting AMD shares are now the better value. Given these factors, as well as its success in the area of accelerated computing, right now AMD is the better AI stock to invest in the secular trend of artificial intelligence.Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara released a statement Friday slamming the "100% false" media reports that suggested he had thrown his final pass for the Hawkeyes. McNamara has been sidelined since sustaining a concussion during the Oct. 26 win against Northwestern. Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan has started the last two games for the Hawkeyes (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) but is out with an ankle injury for Saturday's game at Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said earlier this week that Jackson Stratton will be the likely starter against the Terrapins if McNamara is unavailable. McNamara's cloudy status prompted speculation on a podcast this week that he was "not mentally ready to play." The podcast hosts from the Des Moines Register and The Athletic also suggested that McNamara -- who played three years at Michigan (2020-22) before transferring to Iowa -- is not "fit to play quarterback in the Big Ten right now." "We don't want to bury his career yet, but it does seem like that interception against Northwestern was his last snap as a Hawkeye," Leistikow said. McNamara, who passed for 1,017 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games this season, released a statement updating his current status. "My status is the same as it's always been -- a proud member of this football team," he said. McNamara said he has not yet been cleared to play. He said he was cleared to practice on Sunday but suffered an "adverse reaction" and was unable to practice this week and therefore unable to travel with the team to Maryland. "I have been working with the University of Iowa doctors and trainers, a concussion specialist focused on vision training, as well as engaging in hyperbaric treatments as frequently as possible," McNamara said. "I have every intention to play versus Nebraska next Friday night and I am confident that my teammates will return from Maryland with a win." Including his time with the Wolverines, McNamara has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 4,703 yards with 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 34 games. --Field Level MediaLondon, Nov 23 (AP) A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros (USD 257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the December 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He's not a man, he's a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said “she never said 'no' or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie. “It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.” McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. “You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.” The defence said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.” McGregor said he was “beyond petrified” when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. (AP) GRS GRS (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it's usually a backhanded compliment. They say he's a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn't try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here's the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that's hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. "I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they're a huge part of our success," Allar said Sunday at College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day. "For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don't do that, there's nobody more frustrated than us." The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday's game against No. 3 seed Boise State. But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar's no-frills performances often are the object of ire. The Penn State offense is a run-first bunch, led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. "If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we'd all be pretty rich," offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. "I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism." The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that's largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. "I've been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy," Allar said. "I think that's been a huge difference for me this year." The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn't capable of winning the big games. He's 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, which sealed the Ducks' 45-37 victory. He wasn't great in the CFP's first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State muscled past SMU 38-10 on a cold, blustery day to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. "For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm," Allar said. "Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game." Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that's not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback's ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. "He's a football player," Warren said. "He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he's just a football player and that fires up our offense." Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don't show up in big games. Not that he's worried about what other people think. "I think it's a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise," Allar said. "Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

10 warning signs your child might be dyslexic - and how to help themGhana's opposition leader John Mahama officially won the country's election on Monday, easily defeating the ruling party candidate after voters punished the government's economic management and high living costs. Mahama won 56 percent of the votes in Saturday's presidential ballot, compared to the ruling party candidate and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who secured 41 percent, the electoral commission said announcing official results. The landslide comeback for former president Mahama ended eight years in power for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose last term was marked by Ghana's worst economic turmoil in years, an IMF bailout and a debt default. "These eight years have witnessed some of the darkest periods of our governance," Mahama told crowds of supporters blowing horns and whistles in his party office in Accra. "This mandate also serves as a constant reminder of what fate awaits us if we fail to meet the aspirations of our people." Bawumia, a former central banker, had already quickly conceded defeat on Sunday, acknowledging Ghanaians wanted change after the government failed to shake off widespread frustration. Bawumia also said the Mahama's National Democratic Congress (NDC) party had won the parliamentary vote in Saturday's election. Official results for the parliament are still being tallied. Mahama, 66, had previously failed twice to secure the presidency, but in Saturday's election he managed to tap into expectations of change among Ghanaians. He promised to "reset" Ghana, usher in economic revival and renegotiate parts of the country's $3 billion IMF accord. In his acceptance speech, Mahama promised reforms and "severe" measures to bring Ghana back on track. "The journey is not going to be easy... because the outgoing government has plunged our dear nation into the abyss," he said. "I am certain that we shall win the battle." With a history of democratic stability, Ghana's two major parties, the NPP and NDC, have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party politics in 1992. But Ghana's economic woes dominated the 2024 election, after the continent's top gold producer and world's second cacao exporter went through a debt crisis, the default and currency devaluation. Turnout for Saturday election was 60.9 percent, a slide in participation from 79 percent in the 2020 election, results showed. With a slogan "Break the 8" -- a reference to two, four-year terms in power -- Bawumia had sought to take the NPP to an unprecedented third mandate. But he struggled to break from criticism of Akufo-Addo's economic record. While inflation slowed from more than 50 percent to around 23 percent, and other indicators stabilised, economic concerns were still a clear election issue for most Ghanaians. That frustration opened the way for a comeback from Mahama, who first came to the presidency in 2012 when he was serving as vice president and then President John Atta Mills died in office. During campaigning, the former president also faced criticism from those who remember his government's own financial tribulations and especially the massive power blackouts that marred his time in office. bur/pma/givAllar puts critics on mute, keeps winning for Penn State

How £10 Lidl & Aldi buy helps fight mould and condensation for FREE before it even formsIowa QB Cade McNamara slams 'ridiculous' rumors