Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) Shares Sold by U S Global Investors Inc.
1. An adorable bookmark book tracker to gamify reading and entice you to finally finish the story on your nightstand. British Book Art is a small business based in the UK that sells the most book art and bookmarks. Promising review: "I'm absolutely obsessed with this bookmark. It's definitely made me more determined to read this year, and it will be a nice keepsake. Will be repurchasing when this one's almost filled." — Mady Taylor Get it from British Book Art on Etsy for $5.34 . 2. A hammered metal gold lunar garland that'll ~eclipse~ all your other bedroom decor as your favorite purchase of all time. You'll be ~over the moon~ when you see how much coziness this adds to your bedroom. Base Roots is a woman-owned small business creating home decor that blends modern and traditional design elements. Promising review: "I'm an incoming freshman this fall, and I bought this to add some personality to my dorm. It has beyond exceeded my expectations! I placed it directly on top of my dorm bed, as shown in the display photos, and am so pleased with how it looks. It fits perfectly with the gray/white color scheme I was going for, and I have received numerous compliments from both my friends and RAs when they visited. I cannot stress enough how much of an 'aesthetic feel' it adds to my dorm." — jhsgf Get it from Base Roots on Amazon for $17.99+ (available in a gold or silver color and a garland style). 3. A couch cooler shaped like a potato plushie — a ~couch potato~ if you will — so you can show up to movie night with everything you need: drinks, snacks, a bottle opener, and a stuffie for cuddling. Get it from Amazon for $23.89 . 4. A mounted brush for satisfying your cat's ceaseless demands for scritches. Just mount it to a corner with the included adhesive strips and watch as your beloved babies leave you for the warm embrace of this gray and white piece of plastic. Promising review: "Both my cats seem to love this inexpensive product. I bought it on a whim, but I am very pleased. Little need for catnip; with some positive attention and gentle encouragement, they started using this groomer and haven't stopped , only when it falls down. Didn't want to use screws and haven't found a lasting adhesive tape that holds up under such constant use. Command strips are on the shopping list." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $5.74 . 5. A pound of cereal marshmallows because your ideal ratio of cereal to marshmallows is 90% marshmallows and 10% cereal. Promising review: "Amazing! I put them in hot chocolate, Rice Krispies treats, other cereals, or just eat then by the handful. Impulse buy that totally worked out. " — Maddison Helsel Get it from Amazon for $12.99 . 6. An ugly cats in Renaissance paintings calendar so you can get a few laughs and feel much, much better about your art skills (not me believing I could be a Renaissance painter!). It'll also probably trigger an urge to scoop up your furry friends and tell them how handsome they are. Shhh, you look nothing like July! (April is...me...100% of the time.) Decor Hardcore is a small business based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Promising review: "My brother, sister, and I decided to buy fun esoteric calendars for each other for Hanukkah. My sister is a huge cat lover, and this made her day. 100 out of 10 would buy again!" — Gwendy7769 Get it from Decor Hardware on Etsy for $26.34+ (available in two sizes; there's also an ugly Renaissance dog paintings version ) 7. An adorable octopus-shaped blackhead remover to exfoliate your skin while pulling out whiteheads, blackheads, and other pore-clogging yuckies. Promising review: "After just two days of use, this adorable little octopus has done wonders for me and smells great, too. Here's how I used it: I wore down the stick just a little to where the texture from the salt is visible, scrubbed around on my face so there was plenty of product, then I used my fingers to gently massage all the gunk away. Rinse, pat dry, and enjoy the softness. Highly recommended for people with sensitive skin like myself. " — LuckLocust Get it from Amazon for $12.50 . 8. A pair of batwings that'll look so ~bloody~ adorable on your shoes. Yep, that's right — these are batwings for your shoes and skates! Halloween might be over, but they're a ~fang-tastic~ accessory for folks who celebrate spooky season 365 days of the year. Wolf Workshop is a UK-based small business run by Pipa and George (the cat) that specializes in handmade leather goods. Promising review: "This is by far one of my favorite things I’ve ever purchased ever. The quality of the wings is phenomenal, and the packaging was so great and thoughtful! I really appreciate the extra touches to it and the freebies!! The seller was very kind, patient, and helpful when I had questions about how the wings would fit my skates. Thank you so much for this experience! Join Waitlist . When will Apple Intelligence be available on my phone? How long it will take to be granted access is unknown. On my iPhone running the developer beta it took a few hours, while others got in after a few minutes. As things have scaled up for the release, wait times could be longer. As one example, when I was running the iOS 18.2 developer beta, which included the new Image Playground app to create Genmoji and AI-generated artwork, I had to wait several weeks before I could start playing with them. With iOS 18.2 now available broadly, it remains to be seen what the waitlist will be like.
Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. Chargers player to watch RB Gus Edwards will move up as the lead back for Los Angeles after J.K Dobbins (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Edwards was activated from IR earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. Falcons player to watch WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Key matchup Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers' run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Key injuries Besides Dobbins, the Chargers also placed S Alohi Gilman (hamstring) on injured reserve. CB Cam Hart (ankle) and LB Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. Series notes The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Stats and stuff Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. The Falcons will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. Fantasy tip The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated PressAL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack has already survived several years in a network of warrens among the dunes. The UAE's Climate Change and Environment Ministry and authorities in Dubai did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about the Patagonian maras' presence. One estimate suggests that as many as 200 could be thriving in the area and the wider Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve nearby, as only a few dead maras have been found. An AP journalist happened upon at least five maras on a recent visit to Al Qudra Lakes, a vast desert area some 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of downtown Dubai. On another visit, he saw multiple packs of the animals, including one mother still nursing a baby. Al Qudra sits at the end of a long bicycle track popular in the winter months and draws campers and others who enjoy the outdoors in the cooler weather among the area's lakes. Some have been manmade into the shapes of a crescent moon, two hearts or even an advertisement for Dubai's Expo 2020 . The Patagonian maras first appeared publicly in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. A request for information on their sightings first made a summertime issue of the Dubai Natural History Group's monthly newsletter, with volunteers describing them as being seen both in Al Qudra and on Saadiyat Island near the country's capital of Abu Dhabi. “This large rodent is a common species in zoological collections and undoubtedly found its way out from captivity," wrote Jacky Judas, who long has studied mammals in the UAE, in a chapter in the recent book “A Natural History of the Emirates." "They can regularly be seen sleeping or eating grass in the middle of roundabouts at Al Qudra. This species is not adapted to live in arid environment, although in the absence of his usual predators, like pumas, it can possibly survive in highly modified habitats with tree plantations, lawns and ponds,” Judas wrote. That's the exact environment found at Al Qudra — likely contributing to the maras' continued survival there despite temperatures in the UAE regularly reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer with high humidity. The number at Al Qudra also suggests they are breeding. Patagonian maras mate for life and females only enter heat a few times a year for about 30 minutes apiece. They can give birth to one to three offspring at a time. In Argentina, the animals can be hunted and eaten, their fur used for rugs and blankets. While the Patagonia maras are herbivores and pose no threat to humans, they likely have very few predators at Al Qudra. Arabian red fox do live and hunt in the area. How the Patagonian maras got there remains a mystery. Maras are on display at the children's section of the Dubai Safari Park zoo, but at the same distance from Al Qudra as downtown. There are surrounding tracks and farms owned by Dubai's elite near Al Qudra, which suggests the maras escaped either overland or through digging their way out of a nearby property. Patagonian maras, which typically live in central and southern Argentina, have been trafficked into areas as exotic pets in the past. In Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, the appearance of one sparked wide local news coverage earlier this year. However, the animal is now believed by authorities to be dead. In August, a Patagonian mara was found in the trunk of a car carrying other animals trying to enter Turkey from Greece in a suspected trafficking attempt. Though it is illegal to keep endangered or threatened wildlife as pets in the Emirates, there have been numerous sightings and social media videos of Emirati men in luxury cars accompanied by pet lions along for the cruise. In 2021, authorities put out a warning that a “wild cat” had been seen loose in one neighborhood .Dem NYC Councilman: 'I Love Tom Homan', Want to See Charges for Sanctuary Officials and Deportation of Criminals
Greenville GOP activist told to pay opponents' legal fees or face jail time
EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste. Manufacturers are now obliged to fit devices sold in the 27-nation bloc with a USB-C, the port chosen by the European Union as the common standard for charging electronic tools. "Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port," the EU Parliament wrote on social media X. The EU has said the single charger rule will simplify the life of Europeans and slash costs for consumers. By allowing consumers to purchase a new device without a new charger, it will also reduce the mountain of obsolete chargers, the bloc has argued. The law was first approved in 2022 following a tussle with US tech giant Apple. It allowed companies until December 28 this year to adapt. Makers of laptops will have extra time, from early 2026, to also follow suit. Most devices already use these cables, but Apple was more than a little reluctant. The firm said in 2021 that such regulation "stifles innovation", but by September last year it had begun shipping phones with the new port. More from this section Makers of electronic consumer items in Europe had agreed on a single charging norm from dozens on the market a decade ago under a voluntary agreement with the European Commission. But Apple, the world's biggest seller of smartphones, refused to abide by it and ditch its Lightning ports. Other manufacturers kept their alternative cables going, meaning there were about half a dozen types knocking around, creating a jumble of cables for consumers. USB-C ports can charge at up to 100 Watts, transfer data up to 40 gigabits per second, and can serve to hook up to external displays. At the time of its approval, the commission said the law was expected to save at least 200 million euros ($208 million) per year and cut more than a thousand tonnes of EU electronic waste every year. "It's time for THE charger," the European Commission wrote on X on Saturday. "It means better-charging technology, reduced e-waste, and less fuss to find the chargers you need." ub/giv
