90jili club The French 75 made quite the impact when it was first introduced, to say the least. I don’t mean the cocktail, I mean the cannon. Before gin and Champagne ever got involved, the French 75, officially “Matériel de 75 mm Mle 1897,” was a 2,700-lb field gun rolled out by the French to fight WWI. It was a closely guarded secret for years, a huge leap forward in artillery technology, capable of hitting a target six miles away with a 13.7-lb shell, and—because of a newly invented hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism—it could do so 15 times a minute, a combination of accuracy and speed which was at the time completely unheard-of. The weapon became internationally famous among soldiers and civilians alike, and the people of France took it as a point of national pride that the French 75 was the gun that helped seal victory. “This drink is really what won the War for the Allies,” joked , an amusing little cocktail book from 1927 in which the French 75 (the drink) first appears. The weapon had been claimed as the namesake of other cocktails as early as 1915, but the recipe is the one that stuck, and after it was reprinted in Harry Craddock’s famous in 1930 it was as good as law: gin, lemon, sugar and Champagne. Craddock, ever laconic, added by way of etymology just four words: “Hits with remarkable precision.” Made as it originally was—which is to say, a full-strength cocktail into which was mixed a half glass of wine—the French 75 certainly had the firepower to earn its name. These days it’s been appropriated by the brunching set, and the proof in most recipes has been brought down to terrestrial levels. At its best, the French 75 is a bright and charming drink, a crowd pleaser of the highest order, with the kind of protean simplicity that both encourages and rewards experimentation. It is so deeply associated with celebrations that it’s practically intrinsic (just to drink them is, in and of itself, a celebration) and in my personal opinion, is an entire order of magnitude more sophisticated than the cloying obsequiousness of Mimosas. Never mind that through random historical accident the most elegant and well-known sparkling wine cocktail of all time is named after a machined steel anti-personnel cannon from WWI. These things happen sometimes. The recipe has seen some tweaking in the last 90 or so years, and there are three versions worth talking about: 1 oz. London Dry Gin (I use Beefeater) 0.5 oz. lemon juice 0.5 oz. simple syrup (1:1) 3 oz. Champagne Using actual, real here is the quickest and best way to make this drink as good as it can be. Made as above, this is very much a cocktail defined by the sparkling wine (especially as it warms), and Champagne has the depth, power and grace to handle that responsibility. It’s not important what kind of Champagne, there are enough rules in that part of the world that if the bottle says “Champagne,” it’ll be great. Also an option here is a very high-quality Cava or Franciacorta, as long as they’re made in the traditional method and have seen sufficient bottle conditioning. 1 oz. London Dry Gin (I use Beefeater) 0.75 oz. lemon juice 0.75 oz. simple syrup (1:1) 3 oz. sparkling wine While pretty much all modern French 75s come in flutes, both the original and the recipes call for the cocktail to be served in a tall glass, on ice, making this a Tom Collins with sparkling wine instead of soda water. In fact, of the 14 examples of the French 75 I could find in cocktail books from 1927 to 1977 and one in 2002, all but three of them call for the cocktail to be served on ice in a tall glass (the cocktail in flute, it seems, was a product of the ’80s and ’90s, much the same way that era saw everything appended with -tini and poured into a stemmed cone). Ice adds dilution, keeps it ice cold and reduces effervescence, but what it really does is reduce the focus on the sparkling wine. It levels the playing field—while it is obviously still great with Champagne, it’s also exceptional with much more affordable Cava or . 1 oz. VS or VSOP Cognac (I use Pierre Ferrand 1840) 0.75 oz. lemon juice 0.5 oz. simple syrup (1:1) 3 oz. Champagne Though it is very much a gin drink, many modern recipes for the French 75 call for “gin or cognac.” As best I can tell, cognac’s little coup traces back to a 1948 cocktail book called by a rather opinionated tax attorney named David Embury, who’d never tended bar professionally a day in his life, but who nonetheless wrote a book about it. “Gin is sometimes used in place of cognac in this drink,” he writes, “but then, of course, it no longer should be called French.” Whether by skill or by luck, his facile observation led to a wonderful variation of the drink (truth be told, it’s not hard to come up with great variations here, but the Cognac really is good). It’s got a richness and depth that, even in a , shares focus with the bubbles, and coaxes out all the wonderful stone fruit and mineral qualities you maybe didn’t even know your Cognac had in it. This is the house version at the aptly named Arnaud’s French 75 bar in New Orleans, and for good reason: it’s delicious. Note here that Cognac can have a little sweetness in it so I upped the citrus a touch—if you find that a little too lean, feel free to reduce the lemon juice to 0.5 oz. Sign up for . For the latest news, follow us on , , and .How this year’s Celtics team stacks up to last season’s team through the first month of playYoung men swung to the right for Trump after a campaign dominated by masculine appeals

It’s not 2016 again. President-elect Donald Trump is off to a strong start with markedly fewer obstructions than the last time he won. In football terms, he has a lot of green space ahead of him. In nautical terms, it’s plain sailing. In political terms, it might not be a honeymoon, but no one is throwing any furniture, either. Naturally, there are all sorts of potential pitfalls. Some of Trump’s more controversial cabinet picks could, if confirmed, blow up once they are in place (does anyone believe that RFK, Jr.’s tenure at Health and Human Services will be smooth and uneventful?). Republicans only have two votes to spare in the House. Events will take a hand, and so will Trump’s mercurial nature. We are in a much different place than eight years ago, though. When Trump won in 2016, the shock to the system was so great that the body politic reacted strongly and reflexively. Trump was treated as a virus and every antibody attacked him, from activists in the street to the director of the FBI. This time, the reaction is much more muted. Despite all the fevered warnings of an existential threat to democracy, when former top Kamala Harris advisers did an election post-mortem on the podcast “Pod Save America,” they talked about how they could do better next time — in other words, there will be a next time. Despite the insistence of his enemies that Trump can’t be “normalized,” he’s been an inescapable fixture of American politics for about a decade now, with at least another four years ahead (he could well continue to dominate the Republican Party even after his second term ends). Like it or not, Trump is mainstream. He shows up at those most American events — football games and MMA fights — and gets applause. He eats McDonald’s. He himself is part of the pop culture. The time, unlike in 2016, there were no protests after he won the election, or any effort to get so-called faithless electors to keep him from assuming office. There is no cloud of illegitimacy over his victory. He won more convincingly than in 2016, carrying the popular vote and denying his opponents the opportunity to say he only won via the technicality and anachronism of the Electoral College. There has been no widely believed conspiracy theory — spun out of vaporous nonsense and hysteria — that his victory was the result of collusion with a hostile foreign power. Relatedly, this time Trump doesn’t have a bogus investigation hanging over his head. The Russiagate probe blighted the initial years of his first term. Now, the legal decks are clearing. Whereas Special Counsel Robert Mueller was about to enter the stage after Trump won in 2016, Special Counsel Jack Smith is exiting it. As Trump enters office a second time, he is going to be less legally encumbered than he’s been in years. In 2016, Trump got elected despite a catastrophic unfavorable rating in the polling. This time, he was closer to a break-even favorable/unfavorable rating in some pre-election surveys, and he’s ticked upward since. In a recent CBS poll, 59% of people said they approve of his transition. If in 2016 it felt like Trump faced a stiff head-wind at the outset, this time he has the wind — or at least a pleasant breeze — at his back. Trump is already looming much larger than the incumbent president who, with the exception of the pardon of his son, has nearly disappeared. When Biden shuffles off the stage he won’t, like Hillary Clinton , be complaining that Trump stole the election from him. If Biden is going to be bitter about anything, it will be about the machinations that denied him a Democratic nomination that he had already won. None of this means that Trump is guaranteed success in the crucial first two years of his presidency. But the conditions favor him in a way they decidedly didn’t eight years ago. Twitter: @RichLowry

Reniya Kelly scores 18 and No. 16 North Carolina women beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53Windows 11’s contentious Recall AI feature is finally ready to testKALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Zahir Abdus-Salaam ran for a touchdown and caught another as Western Michigan defeated Eastern Michigan 26-18 on Saturday to become bowl eligible, snapping a three-game losing streak. Abdus-Salaam scored on a 22-yard run for a 23-8 lead in the third quarter and he bordering the end zone. The Broncos (6-6, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) blocked a punt for safety that started a run of 16 points in under four minutes. Abdus-Salaam scored on a 31-yard screen pass then Joey Pope recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up Jalen Buckley’s 15-yard TD run with 19 seconds before the half ended. Eastern Michigan’s Delmert Mimms II scored two third-quarter touchdowns. The teams exchanged field goals for the only fourth-quarter scoring. The Eagles got the ball back with 2:18 remaining but on their first play Bilhal Kone intercepted a tipped pass. Eastern Michigan (5-7, 2-6) lost its last five games. Abdus-Salaam rushed for 135 yards and Buckley 103 on 19 carries apiece. Hayden Wolff threw for 126 yards and a score. Abdus-Salaam had 40 yards receiving. Mimms rushed for 127 yards on 18 carries. Cole Snyder was only 7 of 22 for 91 yards passing. ___ AP college football: and . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter:

Famed Taiwanese romance novelist Chiung Yao, 86, has died in an apparent suicide. Yao was reportedly discovered by her secretary, who had been instructed to check on her boss around noon local time. She found her unresponsive and called for help. Emergency responders confirmed that Yao died at the scene, and prosecutors noted there was no indication of foul play. She was the daughter of literary scholars. Her father was a professor at the National Normal University, and her mother once taught Chinese literature at Taiwan Jianguo High School. In 1949, she and her family moved to Taiwan after the Chinese Communist Party took control. Yao started writing at 18 and published over 60 novels, including “Outside the Window” (1963), “One Side of the Water” (1975), and “Green Green Grass by the River” (1992). She was married twice. Her second husband, Ping Hsin-tao, was the founder and head of Crown Magazine and Crown Publishing, which published many of her novels. Throughout her decades-long career, Yao found passion in writing romance novels, many of which were turned into popular movies and television shows. “I feel fortunate to have portrayed a character from (Chiung Yao’s) stories,” wrote Taiwanese actor Alec Su, who starred as Prince Yongqi in “My Fair Princess.” “[Chiung Yao’s)] works have illuminated the youth of generations, teaching us how to love, cherish, and face the challenges and difficulties in life,” he wrote.Average rate on 30-year mortgage hits 6.6%, its third straight weekly decline

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Anchored by next-generation IBM Quantum System Two in Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, new initiative will advance useful quantum applications as industries move towards quantum-centric supercomputing YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. and CHICAGO , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IBM (NYSE: IBM ) and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a collaboration to establish the new National Quantum Algorithm Center in the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) in Chicago . The IQMP's National Quantum Algorithm Center will house an IBM Quantum System Two (pictured), which the company plans to deploy at the Center in Chicago in the coming year. The IQMP's IBM Quantum System Two will be powered by IBM Quantum Heron, which can execute utility-scale algorithms. (Credit: Christopher Tirrell for IBM) IBM Quantum System Two within the IQMP will be powered by IBM Quantum Heron, which can execute utility-scale algorithms beyond the capabilities of brute-force, classical simulation methods. Users will be able to leverage this system with Qiskit, IBM's performant quantum software, which is designed to be able to extend the length and complexity of quantum circuits to extract accurate results for problems of scientific and research value. These capabilities will enable Illinois' growing ecosystem of quantum innovators across academia, national labs, and industries to discover how quantum-centric supercomputing could be used for complex industry challenges. As the next evolution of high-performance computing, IBM's vision of quantum-centric supercomputing will integrate quantum and classical computers with performant software to break apart problems, allowing each architecture to solve parts of a complex algorithm for which it is best suited. Ultimately, this is engineered for users to run applications that are inaccessible or difficult for each computing paradigm on its own. "We are proud of the progress we have made to bring useful quantum technology to the world, and this new partnership with the State of Illinois and its thriving innovation ecosystem brings us one step closer to defining the future of computing," said Arvind Krishna , Chairman and CEO, IBM . "With IBM's best performing quantum hardware and software in the heart of Illinois' innovation network, together we can truly unlock the potential of quantum computing to solve the world's hardest problems." "We're making Illinois the global quantum capital and the center for job growth in the quantum industry - a true center of innovation with the power to solve the world's most pressing and complex challenges and create jobs and investment for our state," said Governor JB Pritzker. "The groundbreaking National Quantum Algorithm Center in Illinois represents a transformative step forward, whose impact will reverberate throughout the tech industry and beyond. I'm grateful to the leadership at IBM and our university and other industry partners for their ongoing efforts to accelerate quantum computing across our state." Within the National Quantum Algorithm Center, quantum information experts, experimentalists, and domain experts across industries will share a unified objective to uncover yet unknown algorithms that leverage quantum-centric computing, including those which combine quantum and classical supercomputing resources across workflows. These teams will explore rigorous experimentation to determine how to execute workloads for complex, industry challenges and within future hybrid supercomputing architectures. To help drive new algorithm discovery, IBM will leverage its leadership as a pioneer in bringing useful quantum computing to the world with its existing relationships with Illinois academic and industry leaders, including long-standing collaborations with the University of Chicago , the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , and members of the Chicago Quantum Exchange and the U.S. Economic Development Administration-designated Bloch Quantum Technology Hub. "IBM's decision to engage more deeply with our vibrant Illinois quantum ecosystem marks a new phase in the development of quantum information technologies," said Paul Alivisatos , President of the University of Chicago . "UChicago faculty and students will be able to deepen and expand their work in this area in collaboration with IBM scientists, colleagues from other universities, and many interested companies. The development of new algorithms is the next step to demonstrating effective quantum computations across a wide range of important problems and sectors." "We're thrilled to partner with IBM to bring the National Quantum Algorithm Center to life and look forward to hosting its state-of-the-art Quantum Computer as part of the IQMP," said Harley Johnson , Director and CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, and Founder Professor in Mechanical Science and Engineering, U. of I . "The IQMP is building upon Illinois' strong existing ecosystem of top-tier talent, research centers, universities and more to further establish our state as a global hub for quantum, and all of the economic growth and technological advancement that comes with it. The National Quantum Algorithm Center will be a place where innovators can realize the potential quantum computing holds to solve some of our most complex problems, and we're grateful to have IBM as a part of our campus." "The great promise of quantum innovation is being realized through powerful partnerships with industry leaders like IBM connecting further to our universities, national labs, and state government," said Rashid Bashir , Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign . "Our collaborative ecosystem is perfectly positioned to lead the National Quantum Algorithm Center through world-renowned faculty and students, and an entrepreneurial spirit that answers the most pressing questions of our time." "The announcement of the National Quantum Algorithm Center in collaboration with IBM and some of our brightest higher education institutions is a pivotal moment in Illinois' trajectory toward becoming a world leader in quantum research and development," said John Atkinson , Chairman of Intersect Illinois. "Thanks to the planning, foresight and execution of our Team Illinois partners - including Governor JB Pritzker and his administration, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the state's unmatched quantum ecosystem - we are well positioned to ensure the investment and job creation generated by this industry stays right here in Illinois ." About IBM IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit ibm.com for more information. Media Contact Chris Nay IBM Research [email protected] The 156-qubit, second-generation IBM Quantum Heron processor (pictured) that will power the IQMP's IBM Quantum System Two, can execute utility-scale algorithms beyond the capabilities of brute-force, classical simulation methods. (Credit: Ryan Lavine for IBM) IBM Corporation logo.An Ole Miss student exchanged messages with the man now on trial in his killing, police say

Australia vs India second Test LIVE: Great slammed over ‘rubbish’ Hazlewood conspiracy theoryWASHINGTON, D.C. — Elon Musk, bouncing between meetings on Capitol Hill with his young son on his shoulders, and Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with large groups of lawmakers on Thursday about a significant effort to slash government spending once President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. “It’s a new thing and this is a new day in Washington, a new day in America,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said of the incoming Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, before entering a meeting with Musk, Ramaswamy and top Republican congressional leaders. Johnson said the “brainstorming session” was “the beginning of a journey” and wouldn’t produce detailed plans this week. Musk declined to answer reporters’ questions as he smiled and walked quickly ahead of the speaker with his 4-year-old son. But the pair of wealthy business leaders who Trump named to run the new unofficial agency have offered some public hints about where they might target their efforts — particularly in firing or pressuring government workers to quit, reversing regulations and eliminating areas of funding. What does DOGE mean for Maryland? Their plans could have an outsized impact in Maryland . With about 160,000 civilian federal jobs, the state is home to the headquarters of the Social Security Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Census Bureau and more. It also relies heavily on federal funding that pads about a third of the state budget — which is already strapped for cash in the coming years — and provides aid to local organizations. A DOGE social media account on X, which Musk owns, has specifically singled out funding at the National Institutes of Health. Headquartered in Bethesda, the national medical research agency makes major investments in health research across the state, with Maryland as one of its major beneficiaries. A post from DOGE last week claimed NIH spent $1.8 billion “studying racism” in 2024 through grants with names like “examining anti-racist healing in nature.” A Baltimore Sun review of the data referenced in the post indicates the $1.8 billion were actually funds from the 1992 through 2025 fiscal years. Maryland institutions have received the fifth-most amount of those funds, primarily because of research conducted at Johns Hopkins University, which was also the fifth-largest individual recipient of funds in the country. The Johns Hopkins grants, at least for the category referenced by DOGE, have focused on researching health disparities, including in areas like cancer, suicide, pediatrics and reproductive health. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat and member of the Appropriations Committee that would have more authority to determine government spending than the unofficial DOGE, said he would defend the kind of funding that’s been identified so far. “Everyone agrees government should work more efficiently. But by targeting science, MAGA Republicans are ultimately going after efforts to develop life-saving cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s and threatening public health,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “Our nation’s research should remain grounded in science, not driven by politics, which is why I will always fight to protect the integrity of our public health agencies as well as the people who drive them forward.” A Johns Hopkins spokesperson did not return a request for comment Thursday. U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, a Democrat whose Baltimore-based district includes the campus, also did not immediately return a request for comment. Who’s joining the DOGE caucus? Maryland’s mostly Democratic federal delegation has not joined or publicly supported DOGE as a few other congressional Democrats have. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has been named the chair of a new DOGE subcommittee on the House Oversight Committee when the next session begins in January. U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, of Florida, became the first Democrat to join the caucus. In a hearing Thursday about the assassination attempts against Trump this year, Moskowitz said he joined because he wants to reform the Department of Homeland Security, including removing from its control the U.S. Secret Service that came under fire after Trump was shot in July. Those kinds of changes will be easier said than done, he noted. “Everyone wants to protect their sacred cow,” Moskowitz said during the hearing. ‘A lot of change’ coming to Washington, speaker says While Johnson claimed there was “an enormous amount of waste, fraud and abuse in the government,” efforts to identify and eliminate federal spending is far from new, and spending has ultimately increased under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Musk has said he plans to reduce the $6.8 trillion budget by $2 trillion, a figure that would require drastic cuts. And though entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security are major cost-drivers, Greene told reporters after one of the meetings Thursday that “no one wants to hurt Americans in that category.” The closed-door meetings included both small and large groups of House members and senators. Republicans will control both chambers once the next session of Congress begins Jan. 3 and before Trump takes office Jan. 20. “You’re going to see a lot of change around here in Washington and the way things are run,” Johnson said. ©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Gurgaon: MCG is set to start a comprehensive campaign in the city's markets to curb the use of single-use plastic next week. The civic body will also carry out inspections and those found with prohibited plastic items like as disposable cutlery, packaging material, and carry bags, would be penalised. "This campaign will be conducted in major markets including the one at Sadar Bazaar. Initially, only fines will be issued. If a shopkeeper is found using polythene again after being fined, their shop may be sealed. Shopkeepers are urged not to use polythene and to sell goods in cloth or paper bags instead. Residents are also encouraged to use cloth bags during shopping," said MCG Commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg. The initiative aims to ensure strict adherence to environmental guidelines while promoting sustainable alternatives amongst traders and shopkeepers, MCG officials said, adding that to spread awareness on the ban of single-use plastic, the civic body has made announcements in the market around the Sheetla Mata Temple. During these announcements, shopkeepers were told about the effect plastic has on our environment and the urgent need to stop using it. "The use of polythene bags harms the environment. Burning polythene causes pollution. Moreover, people throw polythene in the streets, making them dirty and also increasing the possibility of our sewer lines and drains getting clogged with it," said Garg. According to a 2022 notification from Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, "The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of... single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, shall be prohibited with effect from July 1, 2022." Items banned include earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packaging films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets and plastic or PVC banners with less than 100 micron. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr., 24, of Grenada, Mississippi, is charged with capital murder in the death of Lee, who vanished July 8, 2022. Lee, 20, of Jackson, Mississippi, was a gay man well known in the LGBTQ+ community at Ole Miss and in Oxford, where the university is located and Herrington's trial is being held. Lee's body has never been found, but a judge has declared him dead. Herrington maintains his own innocence. Herrington “was not openly in the LGBTQ community,” but evidence will show he had a relationship with Lee and is responsible for the death, assistant district attorney Gwen Agho said during opening arguments Tuesday in Oxford. Herrington’s attorney, Kevin Horan, told jurors that prosecutors have “zero” proof Lee was killed. University Police Department Sgt. Benjamin Douglas testified Thursday that investigators used search warrants to obtain cellphone records, information from social media accounts belonging to Lee and Herrington and information about Herrington's internet searches on the day Lee disappeared until Herrington was arrested two weeks later. One of Lee's friends, Khalid Fears, testified Tuesday that he had a video call with Lee just before 6 a.m. on July 8, 2022. Fears said Lee mentioned a sexual encounter with a man hours earlier, which ended badly. Lee was leaving his own on-campus apartment to go see the same man again, Fears said. Douglas testified Herrington's Snapchat account sent a message to Lee's account at about 5:25 a.m. saying: “Come back.” People using the two accounts then argued, and Lee's account sent a message at 5:54 a.m. saying he was on the way over. Douglas said that at 6:03 a.m., Lee's account sent its final message: “Open.” Google records obtained through a warrant showed that Herrington searched “how long does it take to strangle someone” at 5:56 a.m., Douglas said. An officer from another police agency, the Oxford Police Department, testified that starting on 7:18 a.m. the morning of Lee's disappearance, a car matching the description of Lee’s black sedan was captured on multiple security cameras driving through Oxford. A camera showed the car entering a parking lot at the Molly Barr Trails apartment complex at 7:25 a.m., Lt. Mark Hodges testified. The same camera showed a man jogging out of the parking lot moments later, turning onto Molly Barr Road. A witness, Kizziah Carter, testified Wednesday that he was driving home from work about 7:30 that morning and saw Herrington jogging along Molly Barr Road. Carter said he knew Herrington and honked to greet him, and Herrington flagged him down to ask for a ride. Carter said he drove Herrington to Herrington’s apartment in another complex. Lee's car was towed from Molly Barr Trails later that day. Both Herrington and Lee had graduated from the University of Mississippi. Lee was pursuing a master’s degree. He was known for his creative expression through fashion and makeup and often performed in drag shows in Oxford, according to a support group called Justice for Jay Lee. Prosecutors have announced they do not intend to pursue the death penalty, meaning Herrington could get a life sentence if convicted. Mississippi law defines capital murder as a killing committed along with another felony — in this case, kidnapping.

Healey: Proscription status of Syria’s new rulers is not a matter for nowStock market 11-22-24: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record

Canada’s Trudeau returns home after Trump meeting without assurances that tariffs are off the table2024 has been an excellent year for the broader market, with all the major indexes hovering around all-time highs. After increasing by just 9% between 2021 and the end of 2023, gold has had a breakout year in 2024. With a 28.7% year-to-date (YTD) return, gold is slightly outperforming the S&P 500 's ( ^GSPC -1.11% ) 26.6% YTD gain. Here are some factors that can drive the price of gold , the role gold can play in a diversified portfolio, and different ways to invest in gold. Factors that affect the price of gold Gold is a commodity, so the price can move based on several macroeconomic factors. Lower interest rates can lead to lower capital costs and spur investment in new projects for gold miners, boosting supply. Central banks may decide to increase their gold reserves, leading to higher demand and prices. According to Reuters, the People's Bank of China was the largest official sector buyer of gold in 2023. Sustained demand out of China could help drive long-term appreciation in the price of gold. Gold-based luxury goods and industrial processes that use gold can also lead to higher gold demand. It's also worth understanding how gold prices can differ based on the currency it is quoted in. For example, a strong U.S. dollar relative to other currencies can mean a lower gold price in U.S. denominated gold. Here's a look at the performance of gold in different currencies compared to the S&P 500 over the last decade. ^SPX data by YCharts. Gold may have underperformed the S&P 500 over the last decade, but not by much in other currencies. The U.S. stock market has been stronger than many other stock markets of developed countries in recent years. For example, using Japanese yen to buy gold, instead of investing in the Japanese stock market, would have been a superior investment. Investing in gold versus investing in stocks Assets can do just about anything in the short term, so there's no telling how gold will stack up compared to a U.S. equity benchmark in a year. However, the S&P 500 will probably continue outperforming gold over the long term if the U.S. economy continues to grow . The S&P 500 has been an excellent long-term investment because leading U.S. companies have grown in value. From companies that have been in business for hundreds of years to newer, tech-oriented companies, U.S. corporations are earning more money thanks to sustained U.S. innovation, favorable conditions for business, growing populations, and growing global industrialization and consumption. A bet against the S&P 500 in favor of gold is basically saying that the U.S. will lose its edge on the global stage, or that the factors influencing gold will lead to sustained price appreciation that outpaces the S&P 500. For example, if gold mining slows due to environmental concerns or central banks ramp up a gold stockpile, gold could outpace the S&P 500 even if the S&P 500 puts up solid gains. Still, it's probably best for most investors to view gold as a small part of a portfolio, rather than as the dominant holding in a long-term plan. Ways to invest in gold There are plenty of ways to buy gold. You can buy gold jewelry or bullion. But that usually involves paying a premium to the spot price and comes with security risks and potential storage fees. There's also the option to invest in companies that mine for gold. Investing in gold miners or gold mining exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) that pay dividends is a way to collect passive income from gold. However, gold miners often face geopolitical risks and must manage costs to ensure financial stability. Gold miners can also be somewhat unreliable forms of passive income. For example, Newmont ( NEM -0.66% ) , which is one of the most valuable U.S.-based gold miners by market cap, paid $1 per share in 2024 dividends compared to $1.60 in 2023 and $2.20 in 2022, even though 2024 was the best year for gold prices during that period. Perhaps the simplest way to invest in gold is through a gold ETF. Gold ETFs like the SPDR Gold Shares ETF ( GLD -0.69% ) and the iShares Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: IAU) use custodians that hold gold on their behalf. Both ETFs charge an annual expense ratio (0.25% for the iShares Gold Trust and 0.4% for the SPDR Gold Trust). But these fees can be well worth it for the simplicity and liquidity advantages of investing in "digital gold" rather than physical bullion. Gold can serve as a role player in a diversified portfolio Incorporating gold into a portfolio of other assets, such as equities, bonds, certificates of deposit, and high-yield savings, can be a good way to achieve diversification. However, gold isn't a good way to earn reliable passive income. Gold can also be hard to buy and sell unless you are investing in a gold-focused ETF. Gold can grow in value over time based on supply and demand dynamics and central bank policies, whereas the stock market grows in value based on economic expansion and U.S. leadership in several sectors. Investors who don't own any gold may want to look more closely at the SPDR Gold Shares ETF or the iShares Gold Trust, which can serve as foundational gold holdings without the security or liquidity concerns of buying physical gold.Trump Threatens 100% Tariff On BRICS Countries If They Undercut US DollarOhio State, Michigan football fight: Police issue statement after brawl

NoneWilliams Cos. stock rises Thursday, outperforms market