HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania conceded his reelection bid to Republican David McCormick on Thursday, as a statewide recount showed no signs of closing the gap and his campaign suffered repeated blows in court in its effort to get potentially favorable ballots counted. Casey’s concession comes more than two weeks after Election Day, as a grindingly slow ballot-counting process became a spectacle of hours-long election board meetings, social media outrage, lawsuits and accusations that some county officials were openly flouting the law. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.When fire threatened a California university, the school says it knew what to doBy MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Sports Writer NEW YORK — Same iconic statue, very different race. With two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren’t your typical Heisman Trophy contenders. Sure, veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are finalists for college football’s most prestigious award as well, but the 90th annual ceremony coming up Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City (5 p.m. PT, ESPN) offers a fresh flavor this year. To start with, none of the four are from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners – two each from Alabama and LSU. Jeanty, who played his home games for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho more than 2,100 miles from Manhattan, is the first running back even invited to the Heisman party since 2017. After leading the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, he joined quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State players to be named a finalist. “The running back position has been overlooked for a while now,” said Jeanty, who plans to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. “There’s been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. ... I feel as if I’m representing the whole position.” With the votes already in, all four finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and sightseeing in the Big Apple. They were given custom, commemorative watches to mark their achievement. “I’m not a watch guy, but I like it,” said Hunter, flashing a smile. The players also took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and later posed with the famous Heisman Trophy, handed out since 1935 to the nation’s most outstanding performer. Hunter, the heavy favorite, made sure not to touch it yet. A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely comes off the field, the wide receiver/cornerback is a throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades. On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to help the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl bid in four years. On defense, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense – the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Call him college football’s answer to baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani. “I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways,” Hunter said. “It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you’ll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery.” Hunter is Colorado’s first Heisman finalist in 30 years. The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed Coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering combination of accolades this week, including The Associated Press Player of the Year. Hunter also won the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver. “It just goes to show that I did what I had to do,” Hunter said. Next, he’d like to polish off his impressive hardware collection by becoming the second Heisman Trophy recipient in Buffaloes history, after late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. “I worked so hard for this moment, so securing the Heisman definitely would set my legacy in college football,” Hunter said. “Being here now is like a dream come true.” Jeanty carried No. 8 Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship that landed the Broncos the third seed in this year’s College Football Playoff. They have a first-round bye before facing the SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on New Year’s Eve. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida, won the Maxwell Award as college football’s top player and the Doak Walker Award for best running back. Jeanty has five touchdown runs of at least 70 yards and has rushed for the fourth-most yards in a season in FBS history – topping the total of 115 teams this year. He needs 132 yards to break the FBS record set by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. In a pass-happy era, however, Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry for Alabama nine years ago. In fact, quarterbacks have snagged the prize all but four times this century. Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon (13-0) to a Big Ten title in its first season in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The steady senior from Hawaii passed for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate ranks second in the nation, and he’s attempting to join quarterback Marcus Mariota (2014) as Ducks players to win the Heisman Trophy. “I think all the memories start to roll back in your mind,” Gabriel said. Ward threw for 4,123 yards and led the nation with a school-record 36 touchdown passes for the high-scoring Hurricanes (10-2) after transferring from Washington State. The senior from West Columbia, Texas, won the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Year award and is looking to join QBs Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) as Miami players to go home with the Heisman. “I just think there’s a recklessness that you have to play with at the quarterback position,” Ward said. Finalists: QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon; WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado; RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State; QB Cam Ward, Miami When: Saturday, 5 p.m. PT Where: Lincoln Center, New York City TV: ESPNFRESNO, Calif. -- A lawyer for former U.S. Rep. TJ Cox of California said the Democrat will plead guilty to two counts of fraud and pay $3.5 million in restitution after federal prosecutors alleged he perpetrated multiple schemes involving businesses he was involved in. Attorney Mark Coleman told the Fresno Bee on Wednesday that Cox wanted to avoid trial and had reached a plea deal that dismissed 24 of the 26 charges he has faced since 2022 . “It’s very stressful for him. It’s very stressful for his family, and he wanted to get it behind him,” Coleman said. At the next hearing in January, Cox will enter guilty pleas to wire fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution, the Bee reported. He agrees to pay $3.5 million in restitution and will be required to provide records of his financial standings once his plea changes, according to the deal. He is also subject to whatever sentence and fine is determined to be fair by the court. Prosecutors said Cox stole more than $1.7 million in diverted client payments and company loans and investments. They also alleged Cox created false records and a fraudulent loan guarantee in order to secure a $1.5 million construction loan through a sports nonprofit for improvements at Granite Park, a sports complex in Fresno. “Anytime you’re in business there are thousands of transactions, and people sometimes make shortcuts and it’s something he had to deal with,” Coleman said about the charges. The counts that were dismissed included wire fraud, money laundering and campaign contribution fraud. Prosecutors previously said that without the plea deal, Cox faced prison time and fines ranging from $250,000 to $1 million depending on the count, according to the Bee. The charges date back to business Cox was conducting in 2018, documents show, as well as during his time in Congress. Cox was elected in 2018 by beating out incumbent Republican David Valadao for the seat that covered Kings County and parts of Fresno, Kern and Tulare counties. Valadao retook the seat from Cox in a 2020 rematch.rich9 sign up 。

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 3:40 p.m. EST

Aston Villa denied last-gasp winner in Juventus stalemate

Simkovicova, a 53-year-old former television anchor, has been a controversial figure since taking office in October 2023. "I am frustrated and very angry about the way culture is being destroyed and organizations are falling apart," Svetlana Fialova, a 39-year-old visual artist and lecturer, told AFP. "What is happening in Slovakia is ... what is happening in Georgia, Hungary and other countries, where people who collaborate and play to Russian tunes are coming to power and trying to suppress democracy and culture," she said. "The culture of the Slovaks should be Slovak -- Slovak and none else," Simkovicova said in one early speech. Nominated by the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS), she has also slammed "LGBT+ ideology" for causing Europe to "die out". Her views have appealed to Prime Minister Robert Fico from the centrist Smer party, whose objections to liberal values echo Viktor Orban, the prime minister of neighbouring Hungary. Simkovicova had worked notably for the Slovan TV channel, known for spreading conspiracy theories, xenophobia and pro-Russian views. Slovak National Gallery director Alexandra Kusa lost her job in August in what opponents said was part of Simkovicova's purge. "Culture ministry staff accompanied by a lawyer showed up in my office one day with a bunch of flowers and a notice," she told AFP. Kusa, who has been reduced to the post of exhibition curator, said the ministry had launched a derogatory campaign against her. She says she was punished for backing Matej Drlicka, the National Theatre director, who was sacked a day earlier. The head of the country's heritage institute was dismissed this week. "We are not compatible with the ministry. Their idea of culture is completely different from ours," Kusa said. She accuses the ministry of launching "an era of bullying and intimidation". "It's pure destruction and demonstration of power. It's terrible." The ministry did not respond to AFP's request to comment. Simkovicova also targets public media. In June, she pushed through a law reforming the state-run RTVS broadcaster into a new company, STVR, which is under her control. Analyst Pavol Hardos told AFP that wielding political influence over cultural institutions had a precedent in Slovakia. "This is something we experienced in the 1990s during the illiberal regime of Vladimir Meciar, when there were ideological tests and tests ... of who is a good nationalist, a good Slovak, and who isn't," he said. What is new is the government's "commitment to purge cultural institutions from anyone who is in any way perceived as potentially a political enemy", Hardos said. Open-minded and liberal people are "being targeted as a potential troublemaker, and people who are often enough real experts in their areas are being sidelined or thrown out," he added. Hardos said that while it was premature to talk about "an illiberal regime", Fico is walking in Orban's footsteps. The government is also targeting LGBT+ rights organisations. Early this year, Simkovicova said they would not get "a cent" from her ministry. She has recently curbed public subsidies for LGBT+ groups. "This concerns any project with links to LGBT+," said Martin Macko, head of the Iniciativa Inakost NGO. He said attacks on the minority were growing, as were the number of people being treated by the NGO's therapists. The situation has incited protests among artists, cultural institution staff and the public, who turn their backs on directors named by Simkovicova or read protest statements on theatre stages. Large rallies were held this year, mobilising tens of thousands of people. Two petitions written by artists have solicited 400,000 signatures in the EU member country of 5.4 million people. In the Slovak parliament, the opposition initiated a vote to dismiss Simkovicova, but the attempt fell through. "No culture ministry employee prevents anyone from being creative or expressing themselves," Simkovicova told the press. sc-anb-frj-kym/tw

Silo Pharma stock hits 52-week low at $0.83 amid market challenges

Private and Public Cloud Market in Financial Services to Grow by USD 106.43 Billion (2024-2028), Driven by Big Data and AI-Influenced Market Trends - Technavio

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Kylian Mbappe hoped his move to Real Madrid would finally see him end his wait to win the Champions League. Instead, the France international and defending champion Madrid are in danger of being eliminated from European club soccer's elite tournament at the first stage after Wednesday's 2-0 loss to Liverpool leaves them in a fight just to make the playoffs for the next round. And if Madrid does make an early exit, Mbappe may look back on a miserable night at Anfield where he was humbled by a young defender and then missed a penalty that would have leveled the score. World Cup winner Mbappe looked a shadow of himself against a Liverpool team that leads the way in the Premier League and the Champions League this season. He was brought crashing down by a crunching tackle from 21-year-old right back Conor Bradley when threatening to burst through on goal in the first half — sparking a huge cheer from the home crowd. It got worse for Mbappe after the break when he had the chance to make it 1-1 from the penalty spot after Alexis Mac Allister had given six-time European champion Liverpool the lead. But with Caoimhin Kelleher to beat, he saw his effort pushed away by Liverpool's back-up goalkeeper. Mohamed Salah also missed a spot kick of his own, but substitute Cody Gakpo doubled the home team's advantage. Record 15-time European Cup winner Madrid is 24th in the new-look 36-team league phase of the Champions League. The top eight teams advance to the round of 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a playoff. Victory saw new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot manage something his predecessor Jurgen Klopp never could by beating Real in the Champions League. His team extended its perfect record in the competition and is top of the standings after five games. Each team plays eight games in the opening phase. Madrid plays Atalanta next month and Liverpool faces Girona. ___ James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer James Robson, The Associated Press

Anthony Albanese has been accused of responding “too slow” to a surge in anti-Semitism after yet another incident in Sydney. A crime scene was established in the east Sydney suburb of Woollahra after “Kill Israiel” was scrawled onto a wall behind a torched car in the early hours of Wednesday. Another car and two buildings were also vandalised, authorities said. The second high profile anti-Semitic incident in a major Australian city in less than a week, senior Coalition MP Sussan Ley said she wanted “to see strong leadership from the Prime Minister”. “This is not a peaceful protest. This is thugs and hooligans going to where Jewish people live, to their homes, and conducting these sort of awful, awful acts of intimidation, harassment, and who knows what next,” she told Sky News. “I want to see arrests, I want to see action, I want to see strong leadership from the Prime Minister, and I’m not sure that we’re seeing that now.” Mr Albanese and several senior ministers have condemned the latest incident in Sydney. “Overwhelmingly, Australians are respectful people,” he told the ABC. “Australians want to live peacefully, side by side, and Australians reject this abhorrent criminal behaviour.” Mr Albanese said the incident was “not a political act”, in that it would “not change anything that is occurring in the Middle East”. “This is an attack against their fellow Australians,” he said. Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has pledged that those behind the incident in Woollahra “will face the full force of the law”. “This latest attack is an abhorrent attempt to intimidate our Jewish community, but it will not be successful,” Mr Burke said in a statement. “Officers from Operation Avalite will brief the government this morning. Home Affairs officials are engaging with NSW police. “We will continue to stand with the Jewish community against hatred and violence which has no place in our country. Those responsible for this will face the full force of the law and the condemnation of our community.” The Albanese government on Monday announced Operation Avalite, a special taskforce to tackle anti-Semitic attacks after a synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed last week. But many in the Jewish community have questioned why it took so long for any concrete action. On Tuesday, security rushed Mr Albanese into his car after he was heckled while visiting the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. The incident overnight in Woollahra, which has a high Jewish population, is the second such incident in the suburb in less than a month. In late November, several buildings were vandalised with anti-Semitic graffiti and a car set alight. Two men have been charged in relation to that incident.

'Exaggerated his own importance': Kash Patel gets brutal fact check from NYTMALIBU, Calif. (AP) — The wildfire alert came in the middle of the night as some college students in Southern California were cramming for final exams and others were woken up in their dorms. But rather than run away from the impending blaze, some 3,000 students at Pepperdine University headed toward two buildings at the heart of the 830-acre (336 hectare) campus in coastal Malibu, California, to shelter in place. The protocol at the Christian university with picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean may seem to defy logic to those accustomed to scenes elsewhere in wildfire-prone California of thousands of residents evacuating fire zones in lengthy caravans of cars. For years, the university nestled in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains has had a special protocol due to its unique terrain and design that calls for students to be brought to a library and campus center where they can get food and water and have their basic needs met, said Michael Friel, a Pepperdine spokesperson. The school began preparing students and community members on what to do in case of a wildfire during new student orientation at the beginning of the academic year. When the fire broke out Monday night, school officials started communicating with students around 11 p.m. and activated the shelter-in-place protocol about two hours later, spreading the word through text messages, email, social media and by going door to door. “A lot of our students were woken up by a knock on the door, and we made sure they were aware of the conditions and we were able to get them out of harm’s way,” Friel said. The quickly moved south, jumping over the famous Pacific Coast Highway and stretching to the coast, where large homes line the beach. Thousands of Southern California residents were under evacuation orders and warnings Tuesday with more than 8,100 homes and other structures under threat. County fire officials estimated that more than 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers) of trees and dry brush had burned amid dangerous conditions fanned by dry, gusty that were expected to last into Wednesday. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Ryan Song, a resident assistant at Pepperdine University, said he noticed the power went out at his dorm late Monday. When he looked out the window, he saw a huge pink glow. “I thought, ‘This is too bright,’ and it got bigger and bigger,” the 20-year-old junior said. “I immediately went outside and saw that it was a real fire.” Song and the other assistants went door to door to get students out. Most were calm and followed instructions, he said; a few who were scared rushed to their cars to get off campus. Song said he spent the next few hours racing back and forth in the dark between his dorm and the main campus to ensure no one was left behind. Pepperdine University officials said the campus was designed in the 1960s with fire safety in mind due to the region’s experience with wildfires. Buildings were clustered together and covered in stucco while roadways were constructed to make it easy for firefighters to get in, said Phil Phillips, the school’s executive vice president. During the 1990s, campus officials worked with Los Angeles County fire authorities to develop a safety plan, and authorities said the safest option for students would be to remain on campus. The school is diligent about brush clearance and has a plan to reduce smoke in shelter-in-place locations by taping shut doors and using air filters, he said. The nearby stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway can also become congested during an emergency, Phillips said, such as during the deadly in 2018. “What you don’t want is to be stuck,” said Phillips, who has been at the campus for three decades — including as a student — and said he has been through seven fires. “Protecting our students, providing for their safety is a moral obligation for us, so we take it really, really seriously.” On Tuesday, heavy smoke from the Franklin Fire, burning northeast of the school, billowed over the campus 29 miles (47 kilometers) west of Los Angeles, and classes were cancelled and final exams postponed. Firefighters had not contained any part of the blaze as of Tuesday afternoon. The campus was singed but no injuries were reported, and only one structure possibly was minimally damaged thanks to firefighters’ hard work and collaboration from students, faculty and others on campus, Friel said. Jim Gash, the college’s president, said the campus was no longer threatened on Tuesday afternoon. “I am grateful that through prayer, preparation, and cooperation, our Pepperdine community safely navigated the challenges encountered over the last 12 hours,” Gash said in a statement. “Our prayers continue to go out to the Malibu community.” ___ Taxin reported from Santa Ana, Calif. Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.

Monty Rakusen Thesis Recap I last wrote about Hallador Energy ( NASDAQ: HNRG ) with the thesis that it was overlooked with long-term upside that required patience. Since then, the stock has appreciated 52% since my last article, which surprised me because I did Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Stochastic Equilibrium and the Role of Economic Growth in Non-Stochastic Models

NexiGo N60 1080P Webcam $39.99 $21.99 at Amazon (save $18) Nothing fancy, but maybe that's exactly what you're looking for: a reliable and inexpensive webcam to attend all those meetings you don't really want to go to. It's got a built-in flip-up lens cap and a swivel so it's easy to adjust for the perfect angle. I've got one of these myself and it works great. I don't love being on camera, which means I don't love spending a lot of money on a new webcam. That makes this Black Friday deal an easy pick: it's a reliable and inexpensive webcam, and it's 45% off. The NexiGo N60 webcam is only $21.99 for Black Friday, which feels pretty darn cheap for a device most of us use every day. I can vouch for The NexiGo N60 personally: I bought one in April and it's perfect for meetings, Zoom calls, and recording. It's basic, yes, but that's kind of what I was looking for: I'm not a Twitch streamer or an influencer, I just need a webcam so I can Zoom with my folks, Google Meet with my coworkers, and occasionally hold up a body part to the camera for my doctor so he can say, "Ooh, that doesn't look good. You'd better come in." 👉 We're curating the best Black Friday PC gaming deals right here 👈 There are a few nice features you get with that reasonable price tag. I'm not sure how much truth there is to the rumor that hackers can remotely access your webcam even when you're not using it, but it's an unsettling thought. The NexiGo has a handy little lens cover you can flip down when you're not using it for a little peace of mind. Also, unlike my last webcam that could only tilt up and down, the NexiGo turns fully side-to-side, too, so you can fully swivel it around for the angle you want. And it clamps easily onto the top of your monitor so you don't need to hire a cameraman to hold it and point it at you. Convenient! If you don't trust my personal recommendation, there are over 43,000 reviews on Amazon that average out a 4.3 out of 5 star rating, which is pretty persuasive. This 45% discount also makes it the cheapest it's ever been on Amazon, too. Not a bad deal. 👉 Check out all the Amazon Black Friday PC gaming deals right here 👈Global Green Hydrogen pioneers make Milford Haven their new HQ Haush Ltd, a green energy and technology company specialising in green hydrogen, has today officially announced Milford Haven as their new HQ as they press ahead with plans to make the area a green hydrogen powerhouse. Work on their Fleet Surgeons House HQ will now commence imminently, with the immediate creation of the first jobs and plans to develop an education centre. Welsh Government is supporting Haush through the HYBRID SBRI Hydrogen Port Re-Fuelling Project (HyPR) The project is developing trials to fast-track hydrogen production and refuelling services for onshore and offshore servicing of vessel fleets. This includes designing a permanent hydrogen refuelling solution for the Port of Milford Haven. Economy, Energy and Planning Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Evans was given a tour of the new Milford Haven site by Haush CEO Richard Winterbourne, CTO Joanna Oliver, COO Adam Hill and CFO Peter Kristensen yesterday [Thursday 12 December]. said: “The company has ambitious growth plans, which align with our own aspirations to see Wales become a global leader in new renewable energy generation. This investment will be good for our climate and our economy, and will generate quality, skilled jobs. Haush has indicated its intention to train local residents to the highest standards for all of the jobs created in Milford Haven, and to expand to the surrounding community the educational aspect of all they do.” Haush CEO said: “We look forward to working hand-in-hand with Welsh Government to maximise the training and educational opportunities for the local community, including equipping a future workforce with a transferable skills set.” Haush CTO added: the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Global Green Hydrogen pioneers make Milford Haven their new HQ, Chemical engineering students from Khalifa University learn about DEWA’s Green Hydrogen project Dubai, UAE: The Research and Development (R&D) Centre of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) at the Mohammed... Rely partners with Credendo and Bpifrance to push green hydrogen projects forward Brussels, December 10, 2024. Rely, the joint venture created in November 2023 by Technip Energies and John Cockerill to develop large... Hysata, POSCO Holdings and POSCO E&C partner to advance green hydrogen high efficiency electrolyser technology Hysata and POSCO Holdings sign joint development agreement (JDA) to advance Hysata’s electrolyser...

By MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Related Articles National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine National News | US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.Aston Villa denied last-gasp winner in Juventus stalemate

Qatar vows to enhance Arabic language in AI age: ministerGood Morning Traders! In today's Market Clubhouse Morning Memo, we will discuss SPY, QQQ, AAPL, MSFT, NVDA, GOOGL, META, and TSLA. Our proprietary formula, exclusive to Market Clubhouse, dictates these price levels. This dynamic equation takes into account price, volume, and options flow. These levels are updated every day and shared with all Clubhouse Members, prior to the opening of the market. We recommend closely monitoring these stocks, and be prepared to leverage potential breakouts or reversals. As always, stay alert and ready to adjust your tactics based on the market's pulse to optimize your trading gains. Now, let's dive into the stock analysis: SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY SPY is currently trading near the 599.24 level, which serves as a key area for bullish interest. If buyers manage to defend this level, the next objective will be a climb toward 600.51. A sustained push above this could lead to testing 602.48 as a critical support level. Further momentum may pave the way for a move toward 604.45, with a high bullish target set at 607.55 if the rally gains significant strength. On the downside, failure to maintain support at 599.24 may trigger selling pressure toward 598.04. Should sellers maintain control below this level, the next focus would be on 596.57. If bears continue to dominate, we could see a deeper pullback to the strong support level at 593.73. In an aggressive selloff, the low target for SPY would be 592.00. Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 The QQQ QQQ is trading near the pivotal 508.22 level, and bulls will aim to hold this as a foundation for further gains. If successful, buyers could push prices toward 509.87, with further strength targeting 511.53. If the bullish momentum persists, 513.64 comes into play, with the high bull target for the day at 515.00. However, if 508.22 fails to hold as support, the bears could drag the price down to 506.68. Breaking below this may lead to a test of 504.44, and if sellers remain in control, the next support at 502.65 could be tested. Persistent selling pressure might drive the price down to the low bear target of 501.07. Apple Inc. Apple AAPL is hovering around 234.20, where bulls aim to establish a base for upward movement. If this level is defended, a push toward 234.97 could follow. Strong buying momentum may propel the price to 235.74, with the ultimate bullish target for the day at 236.69 if the rally holds steady. Conversely, a failure to hold 234.20 could invite bears to test support at 233.28. Sustained downside action may lead to a retest of 231.76, with continued selling likely driving the price to 230.25. If bearish pressure accelerates, the low target for AAPL could reach 229.03. Microsoft Corp. Microsoft MSFT is trading near 426.00, where bulls aim to secure a foothold for higher prices. Holding this level could see a rally toward 427.36, with further gains bringing 428.48 into focus. If buying interest persists, the high bull target at 429.25 may be achievable. If 426.00 fails to hold, bears may seek to challenge 425.16. A break below this level could lead to further selling pressure toward 423.81. Continued weakness might push the price down to 422.84, with the low bear target for MSFT at 421.62. NVIDIA Corporation NVIDIA NVDA is trading near the key level of 135.64, where bulls are trying to establish control. If this level is defended, a move toward 136.98 could be the next target. Strong buying momentum may see the price test 137.94, with a high bull target of 139.42 in sight if the rally holds. If 135.64 breaks, bears may push the price lower toward 134.56. Should selling intensify, the next focus will be on 133.31. Continued weakness could lead to a test of 132.19, with the low bear target for the day at 131.42. Alphabet Inc Class A Alphabet GOOGL is trading around 169.34, a key level for bulls to hold. A successful defense could lead to a rally toward 171.14, with further buying momentum targeting 172.28. Strong market participation could solidify gains at this high bull target. If 169.34 fails to act as support, bears may drive the price down to 167.04. A breakdown at this level could see the price test 165.41, with further downside momentum pushing the auction to the low bear target of 163.79. Meta Platforms Inc Meta META is near the critical level of 573.25, which bulls will aim to hold as a launching point for higher prices. If successful, we could see a rally to 580.17, followed by a test of 585.73. Sustained buying interest might bring the high bull target at 591.29 into play. On the other hand, a break below 573.25 could lead to selling pressure driving the price to 565.53. Persistent weakness may push the price lower to 559.29, with the low bear target for Meta at 553.05 if the selloff intensifies. Tesla Inc. Tesla TSLA is trading near 340.97, a critical level for the bulls. If buyers maintain control, a move toward 346.64 could follow, with 350.87 acting as the next major resistance. A strong rally may extend gains toward 356.80, with the high bull target set at 363.84. Failure to hold 340.97 as support could result in a pullback toward 333.93. If selling pressure persists, the next target would be 327.59. A continued selloff may bring Tesla down to the low bear target of 322.52. Final Word: Today’s market session is set to be a pivotal one with a heavy lineup of economic data releases starting at 8:30 AM ET. Key reports include the weekly Initial and Continuing Jobless Claims, the Core PCE Price Index for October, and October's Personal Income and Spending data. These indicators will provide critical insights into inflation and consumer health. At 10:00 AM ET, Pending Home Sales data for October will shed light on the housing market, followed by the 7-Year Treasury Note Auction at 11:30 AM ET. This packed schedule comes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, potentially amplifying market volatility due to thinner liquidity. Traders should stay alert, manage their positions with caution, and adjust to the dynamic market environment. Wishing you a successful trading session and a Happy Thanksgiving! The Morning Memo is curated by RIPS, a pro trader with years of experience in equities, options, and futures trading. RIPS is at the heart of the exclusive Market Clubhouse community, offering his insights, expertise, and real-time mentorship. Start your day with a live daily market analysis, a carefully selected watch list, early access to the Morning Memo, and exclusive Market Clubhouse price levels, providing precise support and resistance indicators. When you become a member of Market Clubhouse, you will gain early access to the Morning Memo, just like this one, every single day—hours before it's published. You will also have access to a live stream with zero latency and screen sharing, enabling you to witness Rips executing his trades in real-time and sharing his exclusive trading plans, strategies, and live decision-making. For a limited time during our special promotion, you can join RIPS and get a full access pass to Market Clubhouse for 7 full days for just $7. Check it out at https://marketclubhouse.club/7Days/ where you can trade live with him and tap into his wealth of knowledge and experience. You can also catch Rips on his live day trading streams every Monday-Friday at 8 am EST on the Market Clubhouse YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketClubhouse . This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.