online game to earn money gcash ViaDerma, Inc. ( OTCMKTS:VDRM – Get Free Report ) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 11,100 shares, a growth of 1,287.5% from the November 30th total of 800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,981,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. ViaDerma Price Performance Shares of ViaDerma stock opened at $0.01 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $0.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $0.01. ViaDerma has a fifty-two week low of $0.00 and a fifty-two week high of $0.02. About ViaDerma ( Get Free Report ) Read More Receive News & Ratings for ViaDerma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ViaDerma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film Romeo & Juliet , has died, her family said on social media on Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died on Friday “peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones”, a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her in the play The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie , which also starred Vanessa Redgrave. Romeo and Juliet won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time. Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film. They alleged that they were initially told they would wear flesh-coloured undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body make-up and that the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge.Seven Hanley shops and bars we've loved and lost in 2024

South Korea's leader prompts dismay by briefly declaring martial law. Here's what to knowAP Trending SummaryBrief at 4:53 p.m. ESTThe United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. or signup to continue reading The ceasefire demand - adopted with 158 votes including Australia in favour - is an escalation by the 193-member General Assembly, which in October last year called for and then - two months later - demanded an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. The United States, Israel and seven other countries voted against the ceasefire resolution, while 13 countries abstained. The world body also threw its support behind the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, adopting a second resolution with 159 votes in favour to deplore a new law that will ban UNRWA's operations in Israel from late January. It demanded that Israel respect UNRWA's mandate and "enable its operations to proceed without impediment or restriction." The US, Israel and seven other countries voted no, while 11 countries abstained. "The messages we send to the world through these resolutions matter. And both of these resolutions have significant problems," Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told the assembly. "One rewards Hamas and downplays the need to release the hostages, and the other denigrates Israel without providing a path forward to increasing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians," he said. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon last week accused the UN of having "an obsession with vilifying Israel," while Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour described Gaza as the "open, painful wound for the human family." Israel says UNRWA staff took part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza. The UN has said nine UNRWA staff may have been involved and had been fired. A Hamas commander in Lebanon- killed by Israel - was also found to have had an UNRWA job. "By voting for these resolutions, you are not voting to protect humanitarian values, but to protect an organisation that has become a haven for terror," Danon told the assembly before the vote. UNRWA was established by the General Assembly in 1949 following the war surrounding the founding of Israel. The UN has repeatedly said there is no alternative to UNRWA, which provides aid, health and education to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. "Gaza doesn't exist anymore. It is destroyed. Palestinians are facing hunger, despair and death," Slovenia's UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told the assembly. "There is no reason for this war to continue. We need a ceasefire now. We need to bring hostages home now." The war in the Palestinian enclave began after Hamas gunmen on October 7, 2023, stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Hamas-run Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military has levelled swathes of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 44,800 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, who do not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement

Hegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the Senate

Adobe forecasts fiscal 2025 revenue below estimates on slower subscription spending

NonePrincipal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in Oshkosh Co. ( NYSE:OSK – Free Report ) by 30.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 150,662 shares of the company’s stock after selling 67,115 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Oshkosh were worth $15,098,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new position in Oshkosh in the third quarter valued at $532,000. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Oshkosh by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 30,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,031,000 after acquiring an additional 2,865 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Oshkosh by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 10,841 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,086,000 after acquiring an additional 827 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Oshkosh by 18.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 14,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,473,000 after acquiring an additional 2,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Oshkosh during the third quarter worth approximately $504,000. 92.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have weighed in on OSK shares. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Oshkosh from $113.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Oshkosh from $129.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Oshkosh from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Oshkosh from $171.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Oshkosh has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $123.00. Oshkosh Trading Down 1.0 % NYSE:OSK opened at $94.35 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $105.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $104.84. Oshkosh Co. has a 12-month low of $93.34 and a 12-month high of $127.98. The firm has a market cap of $6.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.16, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.19. Oshkosh ( NYSE:OSK – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.63 billion. Oshkosh had a net margin of 6.41% and a return on equity of 19.87%. Equities analysts anticipate that Oshkosh Co. will post 11.35 EPS for the current year. Oshkosh Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. Oshkosh’s payout ratio is 17.86%. Oshkosh Profile ( Free Report ) Oshkosh Corporation provides purpose-built vehicles and equipment worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Access, Defense, and Vocational segment. Its Access Equipment segment design and manufacture aerial work platform and telehandlers for use in construction, industrial, and maintenance applications; offers financing and leasing solutions including rental fleet loans, leases, and floor plan and retail financing; and towing and recovery equipment, which includes carriers, wreckers, and rotators, as well as provides equipment installation and sale of chassis and service parts. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OSK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Oshkosh Co. ( NYSE:OSK – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Oshkosh Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oshkosh and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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NEW YORK — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records during a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what's already been a stellar year. The S&P 500 edged up 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It's climbed in 10 of the past 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan's Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans in December 2023 to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk's multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla's corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump's preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders remain confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They're betting on a nearly 3-in-4 chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Microsoft flags $0.8M writedown on stake in GM-backed CruiseSouth Korea lifts president’s martial law decree after lawmakers vote against it

Pitt QB Eli Holstein carted off with leg injuryTua Tagovailoa says he's had personal security since one of his cars was broken into

Penn State rolls past Maryland, clinches berth in Big Ten title gameIn about 55 days, President Donald Trump will be sworn into office. On day one, he’ll fulfill one of his most important promises: Firing Gary Gensler, President Joe Biden’s handpicked chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Over the past four years, Gensler has led a body in charge of regulating a major source of America’s economic strength: our capital markets. When he is relieved of his duties next month, he will leave a legacy that should never be repeated. Let’s take a look back at Gensler’s time as SEC chairman — a chapter for America’s financial markets that was marked by chaos. Gensler’s work didn’t start in 2021 with this appointment. He’s a long-time Democrat political appointee who served in the Treasury Department in the Clinton administration and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in the Obama years. After the 2020 election, President Biden appointed him to run the SEC. His time there has been marked by inconsistent, ill-conceived leadership that has stifled innovation. During his tenure he’s worked to incorporate environmental, social and governance measures into investing decisions, and he’s finalized the climate rule — which would require public companies to disclose emissions data that has no relationship to what investors care about most: The bottom line. He’s stood in the way of crypto, trying to quash the up-and-coming digital assets markets with failed enforcement actions and a hollow insistence that digital asset firms could simply “come in and register” their tokens with the hostile regulator. A prime example of this is his infamous Staff Accounting Bulletin 121. SAB 121, despite widespread opposition, works effectively as a regulation even though it never went through the normal Administrative Procedures Act process required for one. This specific bulletin effectively requires banks to put digital assets held in custody on their balance sheet. Simply put, that’s not how custody usually works. This bulletin upends custodial practice for banks, and it is effectively keeping banks out of this market entirely. That’s not good for consumers or for investors. Earlier this year, I led an effort to overturn SAB 121, which passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support. President Biden ultimately sided with Gensler and vetoed it, leaving SAB 121 in place. I look forward to working with the next SEC chairperson to roll back SAB 121. It’s not just SAB 121. Right now, there is no federal regulatory framework guiding federal agencies on how to approach digital assets. Gensler has taken advantage of this, going rogue, using a regulation by enforcement tact that forces the industry and the SEC to battle it all out in court. Put simply: he could have avoided this by doing his job and providing regulatory clarity for an industry that needs it to survive. It should be no surprise that Gensler opposed the digital assets regulatory framework that passed the House earlier this year on a bipartisan basis. 71 Democrats joined House Republicans to pass this common sense framework. Even though the Democrat-led Senate has refused to take it up, it represents a breakthrough moment for cryptocurrency and is likely to inform the work of the unified Republican government as the next Congress begins in January. Whether the chairman leaves on his own or President Trump delivers his famous line on Jan. 20, 2025, there’s an incredible opportunity for the new administration to turn the page on the Gensler era. For America to lead the global financial world, the SEC needs to offer consistent, reliable regulations that foster both stability and growth. While Gensler’s tenure has done the opposite, I expect that President Trump will provide the regulatory clarity that fintech leaders, investors and consumers deserve.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 30, 2024-- On National Small Business Saturday, The Wright Way Enterprises (TWW) celebrates its continued success with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Cybersecurity organization, marking its second contract award: a $4.4 million sole-source 8(a) award to establish and lead the Cybersecurity Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Zero Trust (ZT) Project Management Office (PMO). This milestone demonstrates TWW’s pivotal role in federal cybersecurity modernization and highlights the vital contributions of small businesses to national security and economic growth. Small businesses account for nearly 44% of U.S. economic activity and employ more than 61 million Americans, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Programs like the SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program empower small businesses, especially those from historically disadvantaged communities, to drive innovation and provide critical services across federal agencies. “The SBA’s 8(a) program has been instrumental in enabling TWW to secure opportunities that not only contribute to our growth but also to the modernization and resilience of U.S. cybersecurity,” said Kenice Middleton, Managing Partner of TWW. “On this National Small Business Saturday, we reflect on the importance of investing in small businesses, which are the backbone of the U.S. economy. As a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), TWW takes pride in supporting the federal government’s mission to allocate 15% of contract spending to SDBs by FY 2025. Our deep expertise in cybersecurity, Zero Trust architecture, and IT modernization positions us to help agencies like the IRS meet critical objectives while safeguarding the nation’s assets.” The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, provides unprecedented funding to the IRS to transform tax administration and enhance services. Cybersecurity is the foundation of this transformation, requiring robust implementation of Zero Trust architecture to meet federal mandates. TWW’s support of the Cybersecurity PMO integrates IRA and ZT initiatives under a unified framework, ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, and operational excellence. As a trusted partner to the IRS, TWW provides comprehensive support, including: Kenice Middleton, a former Senior Executive Service (SES) Director in the IRS Cybersecurity organization, brings invaluable insight into the complexities of safeguarding federal systems that support trillions of dollars in revenue. “Our leadership in developing the Cybersecurity PMO reflects TWW’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and delivering measurable results,” Middleton added. National Small Business Saturday shines a spotlight on the power of small businesses in spurring innovation, creating jobs, and driving economic resilience. TWW is proud to exemplify how small businesses play a transformative role in shaping the federal cybersecurity landscape. About TWW The Wright Way Enterprises (TWW) is certified as an SBA 8(a) and HUBZone minority-owned, small business, stewarding organizations in addressing the dynamic needs of an ever-changing global economy. Founded in 2020, TWW’s comprehensive capabilities fortify federal and private infrastructure. The impact-driven consultancy specializes in program management, auditing, cyber risk management, environmental consulting, and compliance. TWW’s vision is to be globally trusted advisors in delivering robust solutions that protect data, preserve vital resources, ensure compliance, and optimize operations for excellence. For more information, visit twwenterprises.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241130362118/en/ CONTACT: Maxwell Young Marketing Communications Manager Email:maxwell.young@twwenterprises.com KEYWORD: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINTECH DATA MANAGEMENT WHITE HOUSE/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY OTHER POLICY ISSUES SECURITY HOMELAND SECURITY CONSULTING PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT SOURCE: The Wright Way Enterprises Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/30/2024 09:00 AM/DISC: 11/30/2024 08:58 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241130362118/enBy Agatha Emeadi Bob -Manuel Udokwu is an award-winning Nollywood legend. He is one of the young faces that graced the screen in the 1990s. He was a leading voice in Checkmate, the biggest television soap opera in the country then, as well as in the masterpiece called ‘Living in Bondage.’ While still strong in the acting profession, he was groomed by the likes of the late Prof Ola Rotimi. Udokwu, a proud pioneer member of Nollywood, said “Living in Bondage’ is the foundation of what is known as Nollywood in Nigeria today.” In this interview with Sunday Sun, he said: “Through acting, I have been part of Anambra State government since 2013.” How did you become interested in acting and the entertainment industry? I did not get into the industry. I am rather part of the pioneers of the industry. I found out very early in life that I have a precious gift in acting. The first time I appeared on stage was when I was in primary two. The second time was when I was in primary four that I played the lead role in full length play and by my primary six, I represented my school for radio and television children programme in Enugu, where I was born and bred. So, that was where the interest began. But I did not know it was going to be part of me professionally. While in secondary school, I did not do drama, rather I was part of debating society and at some point, I was the vice president of junior debate. After I finished secondary school, I found myself going to NTA Enugu to look out for the producers of television drama. I was doing that and became part of programmes on TV in Enugu. Then, I also got auditioned to be a presenter in Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Enugu then. I was privileged to present in studio audio participation programme called ‘Guess the Tune,’ which involves playing a record with a studio audience, play a little record, ask the audience to guess the title of the album, song, and artiste or group that recorded it. All these were fun programmes before I gained admission into the University of Port Harcourt to study Theatre Arts. You were the first that broke the jinx in Nollywood with ‘Living in Bondage’ that reigned supreme in the 90s. How did you come about that legendary ‘Living in Bondage?’ I was invited. I was already playing one of the lead roles in Checkmate which was a very big soap opera then. On a certain day, I got a letter from Chief Kenneth Nnebue, who owned Net Video Link, he invited myself and the late Francis Agu to his office in Surulere. When we got there, he told us about rehearsal being done for the upcoming Igbo Language film, he wanted us to be part of it. We did not go for audition, but just assigned roles which we eventually played. We attended a few rehearsal with them which was recorded, but when the time came, honestly, nobody had an idea what was going to happen, when it was finally released, it became a monster-hit that formed the foundation of what is today Nigerian film industry (Nollywood). How did you rise to stardom? I think it is the society that made me a star. I was doing the work that I trained professionally at the University of Port Harcourt by the late Prof Ola Rotimi who wrote ‘The gods are not blame.’ I was just doing the work professionally and believe people saw what I was doing, which was making impact on the society and recognition came with it. I did not go into entertainment in search of stardom or other things like the younger ones today. No. I was simply doing the work that I love with the talent that I had which has been very much polished by professional training at the Creative Arts Department, University of Port Harcourt. That is it. Parents then would love their children to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, among other prestigious professions, but not entertainers. What was the feeling of your parents then and now that you have succeeded in the industry? Honestly, being of Igbo parentage, one knows that they are not readily into entertainment at that point. It is either one goes to school a little bit, then go into the popular apprenticeship system that the Igbo tribe has popularized all over the world. Or you are into pure education to acquire university degrees up to Master’s degree. Those were the two options for an average Igbo family then. The entertainment industry was seen by the Igbo people as a place for the never do wells, or what the legendary Chinua Achebe would describe as ‘Efulefu.’ (Those who rebel against the society). For me, I have some form of resistance from my parents especially my father. My mother was more understanding, conciliatory and was more of the go-between my father and myself. Eventually, my father relented because even before I got admission, I was doing things on radio, was appearing on amateur productions of television and radio. So, the signs were there, just that allowing your son to take this up as a profession was not a thing for an Igbo parent. I count myself lucky that it did not result into serious disagreement. At some point, they let me be; then I got admission and that was it. Again, the other side of it was when I debuted on national television in 1981 on Checkmate, my parents loved it. It was like an innovation because people from the East then do not appear on national television so much at that time. Lagos was where everything was happening. The recording was done in Lagos and it was only Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) that serviced the whole country. So, it made a difference that people in Sokoto at the same time with people in Bayelsa, people who grew up with me wait every Thursday to see me on the screen. Those whose life has crossed path with yours will always let people know that I knew him before now. So, it was a good feeling. My parents would tell me things like ‘when they are passing by a street, they would hear, oh that is the father or mother of Bob-Manuel. I guess they were proud. So, over the years, film industry evolved and I became a major part of it and it was a thing of pride for them. How have you been coping with the rise? I don’t have to cope with the job I am doing. It is my job, I am trained. You can only cope when it is not your field like most people in the industry today have no serious professional idea about what the whole thing is all about, they just want to be seen on film and television and then jumping. So, those are the ones that are struggling. I am not struggling. I am Nollywood and Nollywood is me. What opportunities being in the entertainment industry brought you? Well, the major one is that it was as a result of entertainment industry that I was brought into government in Anambra State. In 2013, then Governor Peter Obi appointed me as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Creative Media. That was the last year of his administration; shortly after the appointment, in the last quarter, we were beginning to campaign for the next governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano. When Obiano came in, he retained me as SSA on Creative Media (Movie/Entertainment industry). That was the position I held until the incumbent governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo appointed me as Special Adviser, on Entertainment, Pleasure and Tourism. So, one can say that I have served two governors successfully and on the third one now. Since 2013, I have been part of governance in Anambra State. Apart from the government, it has opened other doors. I will commend the airline industries in Nigeria especially the pilots. With the cost of air ticket now, when one tries to buy one, the moment pilots see me, they would kindly upgrade me to business class if there is chance and I am grateful to them. It shows they recognize the work we do. Some would tell me, Bob, I am your fan. It is a humbling experience. It opened doors of opportunities. What about the challenges encountered? There is no profession that does not have its challenges. The financial reward is not commensurate to the effort we put in; especially now that the children are older, unlike when we started as young, single, less-responsibilities boys. One’s financial obligation was personal, then if one’s parents are alive, you bear part of their financial burden. People expect you to be like someone who comes from the moon forgetting that we live in the same country, buy from the same market, drive through the rough times. So, everything that affect one does so to another. But again, most times, the society gives double standard for the entertainers. They expect you to live above board financially, people seek for financial assistance without seeking to know your own obligations. In Africa, we have extended families, even if your siblings do not come for you, what about your nephews and nieces? Others will taunt them, saying ‘You have an uncle like Bob-Manuel and you complain you do not have money?’ Another challenge in the industry is that at every time, Nigerians want to take advantage of you. When you get into a store, an item that was sold for a particular price will be inflated right before you. I juxtapose it when I travel abroad, the same Nigerians who watch your films will bend backwards to give you gift and discount and make you comfortable. In our climate, everyone wants to extort from you because you are a Nollywood star. Once I have also received a goodwill from a man who invited me to a luxury lounge in Doha. The sum totality of it is that the society treats one better. Talk about family, siblings and growing up? I was born in Enugu, in the area called Coal Camp. Back in the 70s Coal Camp could be likened to Ajegunle in Lagos. It was called Coal Camp because it was closer to coal minning site that was discovered in the early 20s. The young men that came to do coal mining work started settling there. It was quite crowded and a place where low-income earners could afford accommodation immediately after the war. It was more congested, survival of the fittest and all kind of things. We thank God that we were able to rise above that. It was also crime-infested, but then good things also come out of Nazareth. Today, a lot of us who grew up in Coal Camp are proud of what we have become. My father was a civil servant in Public Works Department (PWD), now known as Ministry of Works. Then, my mother was a petty trader in Ogbete market in Enugu. We are six in number. Three boys and three girls, I am number four and the second son. My primary school was St. Peters Primary school, Ogbete, Coal Camp Enugu while my secondary school was at Oraukwu Grammar School before I gained admission into University of Port Harcourt, where I studied Theatre Arts, majoring in acting. Next was my Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from University of Lagos. Personally, I love reading a lot. I read my first novel ‘Coffin from Hong Kong’ written by James Hardley Chase while in Primary Six. By my class three in secondary school, I have read all James Hardley Chase novels that I came across. I also read other novels for pleasures and desire to know the English Language. Back them in primary and secondary schools, English teachers encouraged us to read newspapers, including old ones, magazines and novels. In fact, some came to class and ask students to explain the novels they have read. Our teachers worked hard on us then and it was more of entertainment for me. I spend a lot of mental energy than physical. I am also gifted in fine arts. I was seeking for admission for Fine and Applied Arts before I gained Theatre Arts. I also love singing. I have songs, professionally done songs in Oritz Willkie studio, which have not been released. At my spare times, I love watching documentaries because I like to educate my mind and learn the things that one will not learn in school. What advice would you give to the younger ones who want to be like you? My philosophy is work hard, believe in yourself and trust God. So, the advice I give to the young ones who will listen is to be disciplined, be patient as you diligently pursue your dream. In the entertainment world today, one sees a lot of men who seek for supports on social media unlike the women, what do you say about this? Saying that women are fine with no issues is not totally true. We live in the society where disclosure is an issue. Generally, people in the entertainment industry might be going through different phases of life, but one hardly knows. Apart from being in the industry, how many of our public officers do we know their health status? It is not peculiar to the men or our industry, it is simply because we are in the eyes of the public. What happens to men is that they hardly get help from anybody and it is societal. Back during childhood, if a five-six years old boy and girl are playing and the girl falls down, the whole crowd will gather, lift her up and pamper her to stop crying. When a boy falls and begins to cry, no one rushes to him, from a distance it will be stop crying, don’t you know you are man, men do not cry. Then the boy swallows all the pain inside, that was what we grew up with. Men run to nobody because no one is willing to help them. For women, they do not readily come out like that, some would have died in the industry before family sources open up. This goes to say that men have a lot of burden to bear. To think that women billionaires still expect their thousand-counting husbands to take care of the bills in the house, and this is our own society. Yet, women still want to be given equal status on the table. Our women should also begin to think more about assisting the men while the men should also learn to swallow their pride as some of our colleagues did when they were in difficulty. This brings me to an important matter. Women have gone so far in advocating for the girl child in every ramification to the total exclusion of the boy child. We are running a risk of creating boys that will become men and become problem in future. Otherwise, why the different association for women? There are umbrella bodies like Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Nigerian Medical and Dental Council, why then would women form their own women association when the parent associations are existing? It is discrimination and I think the men should take them to court for discrimination. Let us balance this because the same women give birth to the boys like they did for the girls. So, when advocating for the girl-child, spare some thoughts and action, also advocate for the boy-child for the sake of the future. XXXFirst dog-friendly cruise scheduled for 2025. Organizers hope it turns into a recurring event.

OTTAWA — Billionaire Elon Musk called Canada’s prime minister an “insufferable tool” on his social media platform today. Musk’s comments were in response to Justin Trudeau likening Kamala Harris’s defeat in the U.S. presidential election to an attack on women’s rights and progress. This afternoon, Trudeau met with provincial and territorial premiers to discuss Canada’s approach to negotiations with the U.S. Canada is facing a threat of a 25 per cent tariff hike from incoming president Donald Trump, who defeated Harris in the November election. Earlier this week, Trump taunted Trudeau on social media, referring to the prime minister as the governor of what he called the “Great State of Canada.” The post was an apparent reference to a joke Trump cracked at his dinner with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate nearly two weeks ago, where the president-elect teased that Canada could join the U.S. as its 51st state. Speaking on Tuesday night at an event hosted by the Equal Voice Foundation — an organization dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics — Trudeau said there are regressive forces fighting against women’s progress. “It shouldn’t be that way. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult sometimes, march towards progress,” Trudeau said, adding he is a proud feminist and will always be an ally. “And yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president. Everywhere, women’s rights and women’s progress is under attack. Overtly, and subtly.” In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk responded to a clip of Trudeau’s remarks, saying, “He’s such an insufferable tool. Won’t be in power for much longer.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024. Nick Murray, The Canadian Press

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It was a little hard to hear him over the sound of “In the Mood,” but Mark Nelson had an explanation of why a big crowd is drawn to Concord every two months to dance to music that’s nearly a century old. “I think people are looking for a low-pressure way to meet people,” said Nelson, a student at NHTI, during a Swing Dance Night show by the New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra at the BNH Stage on Nov. 16. Nelson became a fan of the music by accident – “I just happened to go to a swing dance in Boston and liked it” – and was drawn to the energy and openness of the community, where anybody can ask anybody else to dance with no judgment. “I don’t drink so I don’t go to bars much. This is a way to get out and interact with people.” There was certainly a lot of interaction on the BNH Stage dance floor that night. There was swing dancing, both East Coast and West Coast, and foxtrot and Charleston and Lindy hop and the occasional waltz, plus simple steps from many folks who received their first dance lesson right before the band started playing. The floor was never empty and often packed. “We get at least 100 people for every show, sometimes 150 people,” said Salvatore Prizio, executive director of the Capitol Center for the Arts, which owns BNH Stage. BNH Stage is the little sibling of the nearby Capitol Center. It opened in 2019 in the former Concord Theater movie house and has made good use of the ability to easily switch from theater-style seating to a wide-open floor watched over by a seated balcony, which lets it hold events from silent discos to Taylor Swift dance nights. “The open floor is a net benefit – it was always part of the plan,” said Prizio. “At the CCA, it’s about trying to engage as many different communities as we can possibly serve. We’re always open to ideas.” Swing is the general term for dancing styles that became popular during the Big Band era from the late 1920s through World War II. They were a creation of the African-American community in big cities before being adopted by the nation at large. Taking advantage of music from full bands featuring up to two dozen players, swing involves dances for couples that emphasize rhythmic athleticism in a spontaneous but not free-form style that uses a number of set moves as the urge arises. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Swing dancing largely disappeared after rock ‘n’ roll took over but saw a resurgence in the late 1990s. The rebirth was fueled in the U.S. by a 1998 commercial for Gap clothing stores which highlighted frenetic Lindy hopping and in Europe by a youthful rediscovery of the Harlem Renaissance, which raised dance pioneers like Frankie Manning and Norma Miller from obscurity to international fame. Starting in the 2000s New Hampshire developed a small but eager swing dance community with regular dances playing to live bands, an offshoot of the bigger scene around Boston. Virtually all opened with a free group lesson to get people started, a reflection of the swing community’s tradition of openness, with newcomers and experienced dancers mingling together. Then the pandemic hit. “COVID lockdowns set everything back. At UNH, for example, their swing dance club dissolved,” said Mike Pelletier of Manchester, who runs the Facebook group Swing Dancing in Southern NH. Before that, college groups had been a major incubator of the swing revival. Like much of the arts scene, swing dancing to live music has yet to fully recover from the pandemic but big bands have begun returning to places like Rockingham Ballroom and the American Legion Sweeney Post in Manchester. The Swing Dance Nights dances at BNH Stage, scheduled eight times a year with the next one in January, are part of this. Pelletier and his wife, Joanne, got into swing dancing after he returned from his second deployment with the New Hampshire National Guard in 2011. “We said it’s time to learn how to dance; time to have some fun.” Finding dances is a bit of a hassle, though. “Over the course of years, we found that there are dance opportunities in New Hampshire but there was no real method of learning where they were or who was doing what,” he said. Hence the Facebook page. Being on Facebook isn’t the sexiest way to get the word out but it fits with New Hampshire’s aging demographic. This leads to a key point about swing: The appeal crosses generations. Dances always feature folks of retirement age, who may remember their parents playing Big Band records, but people under 30 are usually well represented and in Boston will make up the majority of the couples on the floor. “You hear people say ‘I’m a metalhead but I like this music. I was born at the wrong time!’” said Clayton “Skip” Poole, who leads the New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra. Poole, 65, of Bow, is a financial advisor who has worked with big bands for 48 years; his first gig included singer/pianist Mel Torme. He is also music director for the Capital Jazz Orchestra, a fully professional big band that plays shows all over the country and will have a Holiday Pops show on Dec. 8. The N.H. Jazz Orchestra is somewhat different. “I was asked to put together a group to feature more community players – including advanced high school students, semi-pros – to meet on a weekly basis,” he said. Poole said he was interested because it’s a “chance to perform music that isn’t heard all that often anymore on a very high level.” He uses his own collection of some 8,000 charts – music for all the instruments in the band for a set arrangement – some dating back to original arrangements from the 1920s. “We can take this music and bring it back to life.” “Most of the music we play is danceable. It’s different when you perform for dancers – Latin material, waltzes, whatever you play for dancing and not just for listening,” Poole said. “It’s much more exciting to have people there, dancing, to look out on the floor and see a sea of bobbing heads. ... Even the most professional musicians who say they play for money – no, they play for the sound of applause. “We’re fortunate to be at BNH, it’s sort of our home away from home, reaching out to swing dancers in the area.” The NH Jazz Orchestra has five reed instruments such as saxophone and clarinet, four trombones and a tuba, five trumpets and four rhythm players including keyboard and guitar, and usually includes a vocalist. Poole is adamant that it avoids the “gazebo circuit” of playing free concerts outdoors to keep up the quality. “We only play if people buy a ticket,” he said. Despite the popularity of events like Swing Dance Night, there’s a problem, Pelletier said. “We have over 1,000 members on (the Facebook) page but what we’ve noticed is that many people want to dance ... but they don’t actually go,” he said. “I think it’s because they’re intimidated. “This generation, people stopped partner dancing and they don’t know how, or they’re embarrassed to try in public. To go to a dance where people actually talk to each other, ask each other to dance, actually touch each other – that’s uncomfortable.” Blame technology, blame the pandemic, blame generational change – whatever the reason this isn’t just a swing dance problem. Digital life, exacerbated by the imposed isolation of the COVID years, seems to be cutting into people’s connection with each other, which cuts into their willingness to attend public events. All sorts of music venues have seen crowds shrink in the past two years, even when there’s no dance floor, and one reason cited by a major survey was that people didn’t have a friend to go with. Whether swing dancing’s openness and lack of judgment can overcome that reluctance is uncertain. But it will be entertaining to find out. “The music is great, isn’t it?” said Pelletier.Luigi Mangione ‘had so much to offer’ — now, he is a murder suspectAP News Summary at 12:25 p.m. EST