Ecotoxicology Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth Insight, Report Forecast By 2024-2031 |Colorado State center Jacob Gardner highlighted a group of nine CSU Rams honored by the Mountain West on its football all-conference teams released Tuesday. Most Popular Trending Nationallyjilicc voucher code 。

Hyderabad: Forests and endowments minister Konda Surekha has expressed suspicion on the handiwork of former secretary of Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TGSWREIS) and BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar in the recent cases of food poisoning being reported in those institutions. Addressing media in Hyderabad on Saturday, she also suspected the hand of BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) behind the incidents, as per the inputs from the intelligence. She said that RS Praveen Kumar had many followers in the Gurukuls, and that she was suspecting that they were trying to create unrest by blaming the state government for those food poisoning incidents, seemingly at the behest of KTR. She also alleged that there were irregularities to the tune of crores in Gurukuls, when RS Praveen Kumar was heading the administration of those institutions, “During the previous government, there was no effort made by those in power to inspect the Gurukuls and check the quality of education and facilities being offered to students there. After Congress came to power we have been doing that. Only one incident of food poisoning happened in the present government, which is unfortunate. With a plan they are trying to prevent the government from doing its work. I believe that there is the hand of RS Praveen Kumar in the incidents of food poisoning being reported in the state,” she told the media. She also said that BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) was giving more importance to his daughter K Kavitha, and that was the reason why KTR was feeling left-out. She also said that while Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao and Kavitha formed a team, KTR was feeling isolated. In a strong rebuttal of Surekha’s comments, Praveen Kumar dared the state government to arrest him if he was found to have perpetrated any wrongdoing. “Konda Surekha lost her credibility when she got Telangana activists attacked at Manukota railway station during Telangana movement. She doesn’t even deserve to be a minister. I neglected my own children to ensure the children from these Gurukuls excelled in their careers. The results speak loud about what I could achieve. Konda Surekha should stop holding press meets,” he remarked.Military rule in South Korea is surprising but nothing new

The claim: McDonald’s offered $850 million in ‘hush money’ to RFK Jr. A Nov. 18 Instagram post ( direct link , archive link ) includes a clip of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talking about fast food while appearing on Fox News. The post's caption reads, “McDonald’s offered 850 million to RFK for hush money.” A woman narrating the video says, “Listen to what RFK just exposed about the Golden Arches because they are currently literally trying to get the video removed.” The post was liked more than 1,000 times in eight days. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: False There is no evidence McDonald’s offered to pay Kennedy $850 million in “hush money.” No credible reports support the claim, and neither McDonald’s nor Kennedy have said anything about such a payment. Kennedy discussed stance on fast food during Fox News appearance Kennedy appeared on “Fox & Friends” in late October and used then-candidate Donald Trump’s visit to a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania to say he doesn’t have a problem with fast food – rather, he is “against food that has seed oils.” He also questioned why McDonald’s no longer uses tallow fat to fry its food. President-elect Trump has since nominated Kennedy to serve as Health and Human Services secretary, as USA TODAY previously reported. There is no evidence, though, that McDonald’s offered Kennedy any amount of “hush money,” much less $850 million, as the post claims. There are no credible news reports about it, and McDonald’s hasn’t mentioned anything similar to the claim on its website or social media accounts , nor has Kennedy . The woman in the Instagram video says nothing about such a payment. Fact check : Smallpox eradicated in 1980, not just ‘held in check’ by vaccines It's no secret that McDonald’s – and competitors Burger King and Wendy’s – stopped using beef tallow and switched to “100 percent vegetable oil” in 1990. The change was made to reduce the saturated fat and eliminate all the cholesterol in the fries, The Washington Post reported. McDonald’s says on its website that it uses a canola-blend oil to make its fries. McDonald’s reported a net income of nearly $8.5 billion in 2023, so the purported $850 million “hush money” payment would equal about 10% of the restaurant chain’s income for an entire year. Kennedy isn’t alone in claiming seed oils aren’t healthy, but Christopher Gardner, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, told The New York Times that decades of research have shown seed oils are associated with better health. The social media user who shared the post could not be reached for comment. PolitiFact and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim. Our fact-check sources Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here . USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant fromMeta .PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Makenzie McGill II ran for 155 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns and North Texas ended a five-game losing streak beating Temple 24-17 on Saturday in a regular-season ender for both teams. The win helped North Texas (6-6, 3-5 American Athletic Conference) reach bowl eligibility. Prior to Saturday, the Mean Green hadn't won since Oct. 12 when they beat Florida Atlantic 41-37. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekGREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Defending the run has been one of the Green Bay Packers’ weaknesses over the last several years. Not so much lately, though. Green Bay limited San Francisco to 16 carries for 44 yards in a 38-10 rout of the 49ers on Nov. 24, with two-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey gaining 31 yards on 11 attempts. Four nights later, the Packers beat Miami 30-17 by holding the Dolphins to 39 yards on 14 carries. It was the first time since 1995 — and only the second time since 1950 — that the Packers had allowed fewer than 45 yards rushing in back-to-back games within the same season. “I think we’re playing harder and harder each week,” first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “And that’s how you play good defense.” That defense needs to be at its best Thursday as the Packers (9-3) close a stretch of three games in 12 days by visiting the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions (12-1), who have the NFL’s highest-scoring offense thanks in part to a rushing attack featuring the speedy Jahmyr Gibbs and the physical David Montgomery. “Gibbs is a great running back,” defensive lineman Kenny Clark said. “I really think the offense really starts with him, honestly. He can do everything — receive, in-and-out runner, can do stretch, duo plays. We’ve got to have all hands on deck with Gibbs. And then Montgomery, he’s a great complement to him. He can do everything, also.” The Lions were the first team since the 1975 Miami Dolphins to rush for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in each of their first 11 games. The streak ended on Thanksgiving when the Lions rushed for 194 yards but didn’t have a touchdown on the ground in a 23-20 victory over the Chicago Bears. Green Bay outrushed Detroit 138-124 in the Packers’ 24-14 loss to the Lions on Nov. 3 at Lambeau Field. Montgomery rushed for 73 yards while Gibbs ran for 65 yards and a touchdown. Gibbs has 973 yards this season, which ranks fourth in the NFL. Montgomery ran for a combined 192 yards and four touchdowns in the Lions’ two games against the Packers last season. Green Bay’s run defense has come a long way since. The Packers have allowed 106.6 yards rushing per game this season, which ranks eighth in the league. The Packers haven’t closed a season in the top 10 in run defense since 2016 and have finished outside the top 20 in four of the last six years, including 26th in 2022 and 28th in 2023. “I think Haf’s doing a good job of mixing up the fronts and some of the coverages, but really it’s ultimately about tackling, swarming, getting many hats to the football,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “And our guys have really embraced that style of play.” The Packers are yielding 4.2 yards per carry to rank seventh in the league after finishing 22nd or worst in that category each of the last three seasons. They haven’t closed a season ranked in the top 10 in yards allowed per carry since 2017. Hafley says the improvement starts up front. “The interior part of our D-line has done such a good job these last few games,” Hafley said. “They really have. They’re hard to block. They’re staying in their gaps. They’re tearing off of blocks, and it’s the same thing with those defensive ends. They’re setting edges, they’re forcing the ball back inside, they’re getting off blocks and then we’re tackling and we’re running to the ball and there’s multiple people to the ball. “And when you turn on our tape right now and when you freeze it, you see that. You see a lot of guys around the football. And then you’re not afraid, right? Like if I have an open-field tackle and I know eight other guys are coming, I’m going to take my shot because I know if I miss, it’s going to be, ‘Bang, bang, bang,’ we’ve got three or four other guys there, and we’re starting to play faster.” Green Bay's defense has the Lions’ attention. “They’ve been playing well,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. “I mean, they have, really, all season, and nothing has changed.” AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

To play Maria Callas, Angelina Jolie had to learn how to breathe againTrump's picks for key positions in his second administration

Man found dead in back of patrol car by police officer starting shift, Texas cops saySOUTH LEBANON - The Lebanese Forces Party (LFP) leader, while justifying the Israeli genocide, is claiming that Hezbollah suffered defeat in Israel’s war on Lebanon and is now calling for the disarmament of the resistance movement. The WikiLeaks documents revealed similar moves by Samir Geagea, the LFP chief, after the July 2006 war in which Hezbollah shattered the myth of Israel’s invincibility. Samir Geagea, who is notoriously famous for his cruelty during the Lebanese 1975-1990 civil war, has rushed to hold an extraordinary meeting in the presence of LFP’s parliamentary bloc and executive body to inform them about his upcoming conspiracy against Hezbollah, what the US-led Israeli aggression on Lebanon failed to achieve. Geagea has proposed a plan to dismantle Hezbollah’s structure north of the Litani River to eliminate it militarily and politically and undermine its social base. The LFP chief has “advised” Hezbollah to return its weapons to Iran, without the slightest condemnation of the Israeli violations of the “truce”. He claimed that Hezbollah was the side that committed a “major crime against the Lebanese.” Geagea has deliberately ignored all Lebanese ministerial statements that legitimized the resistance, claiming that Hezbollah’s weapons were not “legitimate”, demanding they be handed over to the Lebanese army. The LFP chief threatened: “Anyone thinking that it is possible to return to the stage before October 7, 2023, Beware!! It is impossible to return to what we were before. Tell us if you do not want a state so that we know how to act. Our choice is clear, which is to limit weapons to the Lebanese army. Let Hezbollah’s members work as municipal police.” Geagea – who is aspiring to take the post of resident – has not learned any lessons from the consequences of playing the cards of civil skirmishes and sectarian incitement as he highly aspires to “disarm” the resistance movement, which the Israeli enemy has failed to accomplish. It is worth reminding readers that 12 years ago, during the foreign-backed insurgency in Syria, the Lebanese Forces Party made a “solidarity” visit to Gaza. Instead of heading to Gaza, MP Antoine Zahra, who led the delegation, could visit the Palestinian camps in Lebanon known for worse humanitarian conditions because the LFP MPs and their allies purposely obstructed the approval of their social and civil rights. However, the visit aimed to mislead the Palestinians and drag them into the quagmire of the foreign-backed terrorism in Syria. Meanwhile, the Syrian army and its allies in the Axis of Resistance continue their attacks on the US bases. This reveals the failure of the “deterrence” strategy that Washington recently adopted by intensifying its attacks on sites within the areas controlled by the Syrian army. In parallel, Washington continues to bring in ground military convoys and carry out joint training with the Free Syrian Army at the Tanf base, providing them with various artillery and missile systems to promote their capabilities to launch ground attacks on the Syrian army and its allies. The US Central Command announced that it had struck a target of an “Iranian-backed” group in Syria. CENTCOM commander Michael Kurilla has reiterated that the US forces “are committed” to taking all necessary measures to ensure the protection of their personnel. Saturday witnessed a cautious calm in the axes of the city of Aleppo, especially after the deployment of the Syrian army around Aleppo airport. The Syrian warplanes have further targeted the armed terrorist groups that have spread to about 60% of the area of Aleppo, imposing a curfew on the population until further notice. In the northern countryside of Aleppo, the residents of the towns of Nubl and Zahraa evacuated the towns after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) forces entered them.

49ers QB Brock Purdy remains severely limited by injury to his throwing shoulder

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Microsoft denies training AI models on user dataChildren, pregnant women and people with mental health conditions will receive better support for alcohol and drug issues in a major funding boost. or signup to continue reading The $235 million package, expanding or establishing more than a dozen services, comes as policing, health and political leaders prepare to chart a new course for drug policy in NSW. Some $6.4 million across four years has been set aside to provide early intervention for 11 to 17-year-olds with moderate to severe substance use. The Cicada service, connected to Sydney's children's hospitals, links children and parents with pediatricians, nurses, social workers and other experts. Rates of underage drinking have been declining in recent decades but about one in every 11 underage teens engages in risky drinking at least once a month, according to . Funding will also be directed to programs targeting pregnant women, Aboriginal people, people with mental health conditions and people in the criminal justice system. They are among the most vulnerable groups that make up an estimated 1.4 million Australians with a substance abuse problem. The NSW government said the funding would significantly boost the alcohol and other drug workforce including those with Indigenous or lived experience backgrounds. "The programs we are investing in will ensure that people with complex needs receive wrap-around support and care to help people recover and rebuild their lives in the community," Health Minister Ryan Park said on Sunday. The new funding is drawn from $500 million set aside by the then-coalition government in 2022 in response to a major independent inquiry into the drug ice. About two-thirds of the newly announced package will be directed to government and non-government services in regional NSW. That's in addition to more than $30 million dedicated to support services in Murrumbidgee and northern NSW in early November during the regional swing of the state's landmark drug summit. The last and largest set of meetings will be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Sydney. Modelled on a week-long forum in 1999 that was the impetus for Australia's first supervised injecting room, the summit is bringing together experts, senior police, community leaders and MPs from across the political spectrum to build consensus for drug policy changes. Harm reduction advocates hope it can deliver health-focused reforms after recent inquiries delivered little more than incremental change. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement

NoneAAP MLA Naresh Balyan arrested in extortion case, cops probe links with gangster NanduWith party season approaching, what are the best foods to eat before drinking?

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday attended the launch of Indian historian Vikram Sampath 's book 'Tipu Sultan: The Saga of the Mysore Interregnum ' at the Indian Habitat Centre here in Delhi. Jaishankar described Tipu Sultan as a "very complex figure in history," highlighting both his resistance to British colonial control and the controversial aspects of his rule. Speaking at the event, Jaishankar said, "Tipu Sultan is actually a very, very complex figure in history. On the one hand, he has the reputation as a key figure who resisted the British colonial control over India, and it is a fact that his defeat and death can be considered a turning point when it came to the fate of peninsular India." However, Jaishankar also noted the "adverse" effects of Tipu Sultan's rule in the Mysore region. "At the same time, he evokes strong adverse sentiments even today in many regions, some in Mysore itself," he added. Jaishankar further emphasized that Indian history has focused more on Tipu Sultan's battles with the British, and "underplaying" or "neglecting" other aspects of his rule. "Contemporary history writing, certainly at the national level, has focused largely on the former, and underplaying, if not neglecting the later. Let's be honest, this was not an accident," he said. Asserting that History is complicated, Jaishankar said that "cherry-picking of facts" in the case of Tipu Sultan has led to the advancement of a "political narrative". Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development Advanced Java Mastery: Object-Oriented Programming Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By - Study At Home, Quality Education Anytime, Anywhere View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Java 21 Essentials for Beginners: Build Strong Programming Foundations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate C++ Skills: Master Pointers, Structures and File Stream By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Leadership Boosting Startup Revenue with 6 AI-Powered Sales Automation Techniques By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program "Histroy, in all societies, is complicated, and politics indulges in cherry-picking the facts. This has happened in the case of Tipu Sultan. By highlighting the Tipu-English binary, to the exclusion of a more complicated reality, a particular narrative has been advanced over the years," he said. Jaishankar reaffirmed that under PM Modi's government, India has seen the emergence of alternative perspectives. "In the last 10 years, the changes in our political dispensation have led to the emergence of alternative perspectives. We are no longer prisoners of a vote bank, nor it is politically incorrect to bring out inconvenient truth," he added. Speaking further about the book, Jaishankar said, "As someone from the diplomatic world, I was really struck by info and insights which are provided in this volume on Tipu Sultan. We in India have tendered to mainly study post-independence foreign policy -- perhaps this too was a conscious choice. But the fact is that many of our kingdoms and states forayed into international affairs in previous centuries in pursuance of thier particular interests, and some, by the way, continued to do so even till independence. The interaction of Tipu's missionary with their French and English counterparts is really fascinating." Jaishankar concluded by saying that open-minded scholarship and genuine debate are central to India's evolution as a pluralistic society and vibrant democracy. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that it has filed a lawsuit against Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc. EVLV and certain of the Company's current and former senior executives. If you invested in Evolv, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/evolv-technologies-holdings-inc . Investors have until December 31, 2024 to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in Evolv's securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and is captioned Buchan v. Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc. , No. 1:24-cv-12768. A copy of the lawsuit can be found here: https://www.bfalaw.com/siteFiles/Cases/EvolvFiledComplaint.pdf What is the Lawsuit About? Evolv is a security technology company that utilizes AI-based screening designed to help create safer experiences. The complaint alleges that Evolv's financial statements prepared for the periods between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2024 contained material misstatements relating to Evolv's revenue recognition and other reported metrics that are a function of revenue. On October 25, 2024, Evolv announced that the Company's financial statements issued between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2024 should not be relied upon due to material misstatements impacting revenue recognition and other previously reported metrics that are a function of revenue. The Company revealed that certain sales, including sales to one of its largest channel partners, were subject to extra-contractual terms and conditions not shared with the Company's accounting personnel and that certain Company personnel engaged in misconduct in connection with those transactions. The Company also announced that it has self-reported these issues to the Division of Enforcement of the Securities and Exchange Commission and was delaying filing its upcoming quarterly report for the third quarter of 2024. On this news, the price of Evolv stock declined roughly 40%, from $4.10 per share on October 24, 2024, to $2.47 per share on October 25, 2024. Then, on October 31, 2024, Evolv announced the termination of the Company's CEO, Peter George, effective immediately. The Company announced that Michael Ellenbogen, Evolv's Chief Innovation Officer will serve in an interim role until a successor is appointed. On this news, the price of Evolv stock declined roughly 8%, from $2.34 per share on October 30, 2024, to $2.15 per share on October 31, 2024. Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/evolv-technologies-holdings-inc . What Can You Do? If you invested in Evolv you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/evolv-technologies-holdings-inc Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/evolv-technologies-holdings-inc Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

UCF, LSU face off with improved focus in mindTelangana: Surekha suspects RS Praveen’s hand in food poisoning cases in Gurukuls

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data showed the post-recount lead exactly the same as what Riggs held after all 100 counties fully completed their ballot canvass in November. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Griffin, who already has pending election protests challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots counted statewide, has asked for a partial hand-to-eye recount, which county boards will start Wednesday or Thursday. The partial hand recount applies to ballots in 3% of the voting sites in all 100 counties, chosen at random Tuesday by the state board. Once the partial recount is complete, a statewide hand recount would be ordered if the sample results differ enough from the machine recount that the result would be reversed if the difference were extrapolated to all ballots. Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 and now seeks an eight-year term, again claimed victory Tuesday. In a campaign news release, spokesperson Embry Owen said Griffin “needs to immediately concede – losing candidates must respect the will of voters and not needlessly waste state resources.” Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member court. Through attorneys, Griffin has challenged ballots that he says may not qualify for several reasons and cast doubt on the election result. Among them: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver's license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina may run afoul of state residency requirements. State and county boards are considering the protests. Griffin's attorneys on Monday asked the state board to accelerate the matters before it and make a final ruling early next week. "Our priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of this election,” state Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a news release. Final rulings by the state board can be appealed to state court. Joining Griffin in protests are three Republican legislative candidates who still trailed narrowly in their respective races after the machine recounts. The Supreme Court race and two of these three legislative races have not been called by The Associated Press. The key pending legislative race is for a House seat covering Granville County and parts of Vance County. Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, down from 233 votes before the recount. Sossamon also asked for a partial hard recount in his race, which was to begin Tuesday. Should Cohn win, Republicans will fall one seat short of the 72 needed in the 120-member House to retain its veto-proof majority — giving more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Senate Republicans already have won 30 of the 50 seats needed to retain its supermajority in their chamber. The AP on Tuesday did call another legislative race not subject to a protest, as Mecklenburg County GOP Rep. Tricia Cotham won her reelection bid over Democrat Nicole Sidman. A machine recount showed Cotham ahead of Sidman by 213 votes, compared to 216 after the county canvass. Cotham’s switch from the Democrats to the Republicans in April 2023 secured the Republicans' 72-seat veto-proof majority so that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes could be overridden by relying solely on GOP lawmakers. Cotham had already claimed victory weeks ago. Sidman said Tuesday in a written statement: "After a fair vote and a recount following established procedure, I accept the result in my race. In the interest of respecting the will of North Carolina's voters, I urge all candidates to accept the results in their races as well.”Valerie Bertinelli didn't know how she would 'get through' divorce but marks 'two years of freedom'