slot machine png A Georgia sheriff was sued last week for allegedly blocking critical comments on his office’s social media account after videos spread of him calling deputies to a Burger King that botched his order. David Cavender, who lost the Cobb County sheriff’s race to incumbent Craig Owens Sr. this month, sued Owens weeks after kicking off a stream of online ridicule against the sheriff by accusing him of “Whoppergate.” In mid-October, Cavender’s campaign published body-camera footage of a March 2023 incident where Owens, who was not in uniform, called three deputies to a Mableton, Georgia, Burger King and asked them to collect the names of the store’s manager and owner so he could lodge a complaint with the restaurant. Cavender accused Owens of misusing public resources. He and others blasted the sheriff in the comments of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook posts. On Oct. 29, a week before the election, Owens restricted comments on several posts on the page, according to Cavender’s complaint. The lawsuit, filed Nov. 13 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by Cavender and two other plaintiffs critical of Owens, accuses the sheriff of violating their constitutional rights to free expression and speech. The accusation echoes similar lawsuits against higher-profile public officials, including then-President Donald Trump and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), for blocking critics on social media. Attorneys for Owens did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening on the lawsuit or the Burger King incident. The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment. The sheriff’s office said in a Nov. 1 Facebook post that it had restricted comments on its page to “keep our posts focused on community safety updates and educational info.” Owens called three officers to the Burger King after the restaurant botched his wife’s Whopper order, according to the body-camera footage first published by Cavender’s campaign and later obtained by local news outlets. Owens was not in uniform and appeared to be driving a personal truck. “Do me a favor,” Owens asks a deputy on the video. “All I need is the owner name ... or the manager. We ordered something, the food was wrong.” Owens told his deputy that the restaurant’s staff disputed that they served the wrong order and declined to refund him, according to the video. He said he wanted the name of the restaurant’s owner to file an official complaint. Video shows the deputies approach the Burger King to find the doors locked. An assistant manager told the deputies that staff had locked the doors because they felt threatened by Owens after previous experiences with angry customers, according to Atlanta-area TV station 11Alive, which viewed unpublished portions of the video showing the interaction. “You didn’t tell him who I was, did you?” Owens asks his deputy after the officers return and tell him that the staff felt threatened, according to the footage. The deputy says he didn’t. Cavender’s campaign published the body-camera footage on social media on Oct. 11 and said Owens had abused his position and wasted county resources by calling deputies to the scene. Owens apologized and said he had made the same kind of request over a business dispute that any citizen could make, and that he did not identify himself as the sheriff to the Burger King staff, Atlanta-based TV station WSB-TV reported. Comments on the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page ridiculing Owens - including images of the sheriff in a Burger King hat - soon followed. In Facebook comments, Cavender also leveled criticism at Owens over other controversies, including the death of an inmate at the Cobb County Jail, according to his lawsuit. On Oct. 29, the sheriff’s office began restricting comments on several recent Facebook posts that had been swamped with criticism, according to the lawsuit. It limited comments on new posts going forward and deleted many of the critical comments left on the old posts, the lawsuit alleges. Cavender’s lawsuit also accuses Owens of pushing the policy to hide negative comments on posts lauding the department’s work. It further alleges that Owens published laudatory posts about the sheriff’s office in October to bolster his reelection chances. Owens, a Democrat, defeated Cavender, a Republican, in November. Cobb County, a suburban county near Atlanta, has reliably leaned blue in recent election cycles. The lawsuit alleges that Owens violated Cavender’s First Amendment rights by blocking him from commenting and removing his previous comments. Similar cases brought in 2019 against Trump and Ocasio-Cortez, both of whom blocked critics on social media, led the officials to backtrack and remove the blocks. But the question of whether any public officials are allowed to censor critical voices online remains a subject of legal controversy; two other First Amendment cases involving local officials in California and Michigan went all the way to the Supreme Court. The high court wrote in March that public officials retain the constitutional right to maintain private social media accounts and block critical voices on them, but can still be sued for blocking users if they purport to exercise their authority to “speak on the state’s behalf” or carry out official business on those accounts - a standard some legal experts said was unclear, The Post reported. Owens told WSB-TV he could have handled the Burger King dispute differently. “In hindsight, I probably should have just drove off and took the bad service and left and came back another day,” he said.

NoneElon Musk calls Trudeau ‘insufferable’ after remark on Kamala Harris defeat

NoneUS House passes defense bill banning gender care for minorsThe centerpiece of the $884 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) -- which was green-lit by the Republican-led House of Representatives but still needs Senate approval -- is a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted service members and 4.5 percent for other personnel. But talks over the 1,800-page-plus text were complicated by a last-minute Republican intervention to prevent the military's health program from covering gender-affirming care for children of service members if it results in "sterilization." "Citizens don't want their tax dollars to go to this, and underaged people often regret these surgeries later in life," Nebraska Republican Don Bacon told CNN. "It's a bad hill to die on for Democrats." Gender-affirming health care for children is just one of multiple fronts in the so-called "culture wars" that polarize US politics and divide the country, with Republicans using the issue as a cudgel against Democrats in November's elections. The funding block angered progressives, and prompted the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee to come out against the legislation. "As I said a few days ago, blanketly denying health care to people who need it -- just because of a biased notion against transgender people -- is wrong," Adam Smith, who represents a district in Washington state, said in a statement. "The inclusion of this harmful provision puts the lives of children at risk and may force thousands of service members to make the choice of continuing their military service or leaving to ensure their child can get the health care they need." Smith slammed House Speaker Mike Johnson for pandering to "the most extreme elements of his party" by including the transgender provision. The must-pass NDAA -- a bill that Congress has sent to the president's desk without fail every year since 1961 -- cleared the chamber in a 281-140 vote and now moves to the Senate, with final passage expected next week. The topline figure is one percent above last year's total and, with funding from other sources, brings the total defense budget to just under $900 billion. Some foreign policy hawks on the Republican side of the Senate wanted $25 billion more for the Pentagon but they are still expected to support the bill. "The safety and security of the American people is our top priority, and this year's NDAA ensures our military has the resources and the capabilities needed to remain the most powerful fighting force on the planet," Johnson told reporters. ft/mlm

Experts shed light on what new PTI move would mean for economy KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plans to initiate a civil disobedience movement, encouraging overseas Pakistanis to limit their remittances, could hurt the economy, say experts. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges, has threatened to launch a nationwide civil disobedience campaign from December 14 if party demands are not met. As part of this movement, overseas Pakistanis will be encouraged to reduce their remittances and participate in a boycott campaign. “If the PTI launches a civil disobedience movement, it could have serious consequences for Pakistan’s economy. Remittances, which bring in over $30 billion annually, might drop if people are encouraged to use informal channels like hawala instead of official banking systems,” said Saad Hanif, head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities. “Political instability might scare off investors, weaken the rupee further, and drive up inflation, making life harder for ordinary people. Overall, it could disrupt the government’s plans and push the economy deeper into crisis,” he added. Awais Ashraf, director research at AKD Securities Limited, does not believe that potential civil disobedience will significantly impact remittance flows, as people send this money to support their families and some flows are earnings of freelancers. Remittances to Pakistan have increased to $11.8 billion in July-October FY25, up 34.7 per cent from the same period last year, providing crucial support to the external account. Both the government and the central bank anticipate that remittances will reach historic levels of $35 billion in FY25, averaging $2.9 billion per month so far. These significant inflows will strengthen the reserves, offering a much-needed boost to the economy. A senior banker said that we need to observe how Pakistani expatriates respond to the planned call. In reality, Pakistan regularly receives significant remittance inflows from its migrants working abroad, most of whom belong to the lower and middle classes and typically engage in blue-collar jobs in Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he said. However, the expatriates who may have acquired nationality in their host countries often send funds back home during occasions such as Eid festivals, for Hajj, for charity, and for making investments in Pakistan. Khan’s latest announcement comes at a time when the nation’s struggling economy is on the mend, largely thanks to a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. As a result, inflation has decreased, dropping to 4.9 per cent in November. The current account balance shifted to a surplus of $218 million in the first four months of the fiscal year 2025, compared to a deficit of $1.528 billion in the same period last year. As of November, the foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan amounted to $12 billion, which is sufficient to cover more than two months of imports. Interest rates have also fallen, decreasing by 700 basis points to 15 per cent since June. Moreover, Pakistan’s benchmark stock index has performed well, surpassing 100,000 points. If the economy suffers as a result of the political unrest, the IT industry, which is already suffering from slow speed, is likely to experience more difficulties. The consistent internet disruptions and its slow speed are detrimental to the national economy in general and IT sector in particular, which will further affect adversely the economic activities and damage the reputation of the country if the situation persists, said Saad Shah, an IT exporter. As far as the IT sector is concerned, various IT companies are facing challenges to complete their projects on time despite their multiple efforts of working extra hours due to the prevailing internet situation. Large IT companies having annual contracts with local and foreign clients may survive through managing their work from offshore offices, but medium and small players including freelancers could not have options but to lose projects and clients, Shah added Hanif also expressed that “[civil disobedience] would reduce the country’s foreign exchange reserves. The government could also struggle to collect taxes and utility bills, worsening its financial problems and delaying important projects,” Hanif said. In a message posted on X, Khan announced the formation of a five-member negotiation team. This team is tasked with discussing two key demands with the government: the release of under-trial prisoners and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the incidents that occurred on May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024 -- dates that saw significant protests from Khan’s supporters, which were met with a crackdown from the government and security forces.

The weather is still a conversation piece. When people learn that I am a meteorologist, the conversation typically shifts to questions about the forecast, whether I am on TV or not, or thoughts about climate change. Over the course of my tenure writing at Forbes.com , I have opined about common misperceptions. As 2025 approaches, I am reflecting on a few that still surface in conversations, on social media or within personal interactions. If you are searching for New Year’s resolutions for 2025, here are eight weather or climate aspirations worth considering. I Will Keep Weather Apps in Perspective Weather Apps are a part of daily life like GPS navigation systems, drones, and debates about the college football playoffs. While Apps provide useful weather information, it is important to understand that data do not come from the “weather fairy.” A significant amount of observational and modeling data is provided by the National Weather Service, NOAA, other federal agencies, and even private companies. Apps may not be optimal, in some cases, for rapidly evolving weather scenarios like tornado warnings or landfalling hurricanes. Trusted sources and voices are still critical in such scenarios. Additionally, I find that many people misintepret the simplicity and convenience of Apps. Weather App forecasts may not be applicable at certain times of the day or at certain locations in the forecast area. I often here, “But my app said 80% chance of rain so I changed my plans in the afternoon.” My next question usually is, “Did you consider that the rain might have only been forecasted for the morning hours?” I Will Not Immediately Share or React to Snowfall Forecast Maps Until the Source is Verified At this time of year, there are typically a host of complaints from weather colleagues about social mediarologists sharing long-range snow forecasts. It is the epitome of the “click-bait” or follow me mentality right now. However, there are several problems. These “pick your favorite mode scenarios” often disappear in the next model run. Most credible meteorologists should not convey information based on one model run. Additionally, when those forecasts do not verify, people question the credibility of the weather community. Meteorologist Brad Panovich recently dealt with this issue on a thread on the platform X. Most weather experts understand limitations of long-range or single model runs. However, a shadowy ecosystem has emerged that is characterized by sharing of such information without proper context and with a desire to be “social media famous” or first. Unfortunately, many people cannot distinguish between information from the National Weather Service and less credible sources. To make matters worse, people will often latch on to such forecasts because they are “wishcasting” snow or other desired outcomes. Please check sources and verify model integrity or time frames before drawing conclusions. I Will Not Fear AI The recent hysteria about drones, which are increasingly a part of society, reminds me that people fear things they are not familiar to their daily routines. Drones and artificial intelligence are important aspects of scientific research these days so I do not have an aversion to them. They are also integral to all of our lives but in less evident ways. Your Weather or Search App on your device is probably already using it. AI is increasingly a part of the weather landscape. University of Oklahoma Professor Amy McGovern, in a National Academies discussion , provided an excellent overview of how AI is improving nowcasting, forecasting, verification, and observation of weather. AI will move my field forward. The New York Times recently covered Google’s new AI agent that showed impressive skill for a two-week forecast. Houston meteorologist Matt Lanza also recently documented the effectiveness of AI modeling relative to a forecast “bust” in Minnesota. However, there are still issues to be addressed related to ethics, computational resources, and a skilled technical workforce force. McGovern is director of the NSF AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography at the University of Oklahoma and is the Lloyd G. and Joyce Austin Presidential Professor in the Schools of Computer Science and Meteorology, respectively. She said, “AI is being used primarily by private industry right now. NOAA is getting there, but they are necessarily cautious in adopting new technologies, because they are the government entity charged with operational forecasting, and they don’t want to lose the public trust.” I Will Not Let My Belief Systems Influence Science Understanding 2024 was an odd year. Some people thought hurricanes were being created and controlled by the government. Meteorologists were threatened for simply doing their jobs. The Goodyear blimp and aircraft landing at major airports were being called unexplained drones. Increasingly, it seems ideological beliefs based on political, cultural, religious, or other marinades are shaping certain views on science. Just yesterday, I saw woman on Facebook lecture legendary broadcast meteorologist James Spann because he challenged someone who she claimed “had a different viewpoint.” No, No, No. That’s not how any of this works. James was calling out someone claiming that the Earth is flat. What I saw was a scientist protecting facts rather than allowing opinion or conspiracy theories to have equal footing. Kudos to James. I Will Not Overreact to Weather Terms It seems that every year people hear a term that they are not familiar with and assume that it is new. Social media has likely heightened this tendency. Words like derecho, atmospheric river, bomb cyclone, polar vortex, and heat dome are not new to those of us in the meteorology community. In addition to social media, the growth of weather journalism and blogs has exposed more people to these terms. With such new exposure, it is inevitable that misuse or misinterpretation is likely. It adds even more to the risk communication plate of meteorology and emergency management professionals. I Will Do My Part to Help with Climate Change Whether you believe it or not, the effects of climate change are here and likely to worsen. Yes, climate has always changed, but the influence of anthropogenic activities is situated on top of the natural variability. Trees naturally fall down in the forest, and we can accelerate that process with chainsaws. While transformational actions will be required that involve reducing carbon emissions or adapting to inevitable changes, recent studies continue to show that individual actions can help. The New York Times recently posed the question , “What if Everyone Did Something to Slow Climate Change? Brookings also laid out some ideas related to personal actions we all can take. The final two resolutions are just pet peeves of mine. I hope everyone resolves to spell “lightning” without the “e” when describing the optical phenomenon that causes thunder. And if it is still around, resist the urge to add “s” to daylight saving time. Happy New Year.

NoneCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Bryce Thompson scored 17 points, Marchelus Avery had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Oklahoma State beat Miami 80-74 on Friday in the consolation bracket of the Charleston Classic. Oklahoma State (4-1) will play in the fifth-place game on Sunday, while Miami (3-2) will try to avoid going winless in the tournament. Oklahoma State led 43-27 at halftime after making 8 of 15 from 3-point range, while Miami was just 8 of 27 overall. Four different Cowboys made a 3-pointer in the first half, with Brandon Newman making three. Thompson banked in a shot early in the second half to give Oklahoma State a 20-point lead at 49-29. Miami, which opened the game by missing 7 of 8 shots, went 1 for 8 from the field to begin the second half. Miami trailed by double figures the entire second half until Matthew Cleveland made a difficult shot in the lane while being fouled. He made the free throw to pull the Hurricanes within 75-67 with 49 seconds left. Arturo Dean restored a double-digit lead by making two free throws at 43.8. Thompson reached the 1,000 career points with the Cowboys on a shot in the lane with 13:01 left in the second half to give Oklahoma State a 55-38 lead. Nijel Pack scored 20 points and Brandon Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami. Cleveland finished with 11 points, and Lynn Kidd and Paul Djobet each had 10. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Saudi Arabia officially announced as the 2034 World Cup host. Human rights groups warn of ‘unimaginable human cost’

DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft Wednesday at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks . He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series . Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Published 4:19 pm Friday, November 22, 2024 By Data Skrive Saturday’s college basketball schedule includes top teams in play. Among the 10 games our computer model recommends, in terms of picks against the spread, is the Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash playing the Georgetown Hoyas. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Bet on this or any men’s college basketball matchup at BetMGM. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .

A 'very disappointed' Bruno Guimaraes claimed Newcastle were a 'mess' as they slumped to a 4-2 loss against Brentford. The fixture began in explosive fashion as both teams scored twice inside the opening 32 minutes. Brentford 's second goal was certainly from a Newcastle perspective, as Harvey Barnes carelessly passed the ball straight to Yoanne Wissa, who gleefully drove at the Magpies backline before firing past Nick Pope. Barnes atoned for his error by scoring the equaliser, but Newcastle could not match Brentford in the second half as goals from Nathan Collins and Kevin Schade wrapped up the three points. Collins' goal came from a free-kick lumped forward by Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken while Sandro Tonali's soft turnover led to Schade's strike, underlining how easily the Magpies gave up goals. The loss was Newcastle's fifth of the season and extended their winless run to a fourth game as they sit 12th on the ladder. It also continued the Magpies' poor away form this term, having won on the road just twice. Speaking to Newcastle's in-house media team after the contest, Guimaraes opened on his frustrations at the defeat as Eddie Howe 's side slipped further away from the European spots. "First half, we have some good moments," Guimaraes said. "But the second [half], we became a mess. After the third goal, we lost our way, we lost control. We became a mess on the pitch. Very disappointed." Worryingly for Newcastle, the four goals shipped against Brentford made it seven goals conceded in two games after the club's pulsating 3-3 draw against Liverpool on Wednesday. Played in front of a raucous St. James' Park, Newcastle appeared to have turned a corner with an impressive performance against the league leaders. But the Bees brought out the worst in Howe's side, sparking serious questions about a defence that just two seasons ago conceded only 33 league goals across the entire campaign, eight more than they have this term after 15 games. However, Guimaraes does not believe it's a problem isolated just to the backline. "We have been conceding a lot this season," Guimaraes said. "We've got Champions League and we didn't concede as much as we have. "This is not a problem about just the defence. It's a problem for the midfield, a problem for the attack. It's the team's problem. "We have to stop this. But our season, being honest, has been very, very disappointing." Howe also pulled no punches in his assessment of his team's performance and bemoaned the string of individual errors that ultimately proved costly. "That's the frustration, because before that we looked tight at the back, the issues were at the other end of the pitch," Howe said. "Now we've scored five in two games and looked a really good attacking team, some of our attacking work was really strong today. "Lo and behold we then we go and concede seven in two games from nowhere really. It's difficult to work out because structurally we've been fine but there were a lot of individual errors today. "We've got work to do in a lot of different areas. There's a very good team in there, I've got no doubts, but we haven't shown it consistently enough, we haven't delivered it anywhere near enough for my liking. "A period of reflection and a period of work, then we'll try to fight back." Howe and his Newcastle side will hope to have found a solution to their defensive woes in time for their next fixture on December 14 as they host Leicester City .

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:46 p.m. EST