It’s every cowboy’s dream, encased in glass in front of the South Point gift shop. Judy Wagner eyes a gleaming gold belt buckle the size of a large man’s fist. Etched into its face: An image of two horse-riders lassoing a steer amid bejeweled, ornamental swirls, a gritty scene preserved in glamour. “Pro Rodeo Cowboys Assn 2024 World Champion Header” it reads. The buckle looks laser-cut, such is the attention to detail inherent in each crevice, each minute flourish — look closely enough, and you can see the steer’s ribs. (A magnifying glass helps). And yet every step in its creation — the pantagraphing, fabricating, soldering, polishing and engraving — is all done by hand over the course of four to six weeks, meaning each buckle is like a set of artisanal fingerprints: no two are alike. Every year, hundreds of rodeo competitors spend thousands of hours in pursuit of this very thing, a wearable trophy awarded to National Finals Rodeo champions, created by renowned Western jewelry and buckle company Montana Silversmiths. And Wagner will be there again Saturday night when the buckles are awarded to the All-Around Champion and other winners. “With the National Finals Rodeo and the influx of people into Las Vegas at this time, it’s all about the buckle for these cowboys,” Wagner explains, “because they will go throughout the year in hopes of gaining the opportunity of competing here. “And then that culmination is the gold buckle that states that they are the world champion,” she continues. “It truly is a pinnacle in our sport.” Wagner would know: As the former chief marketing officer for Montana Silversmiths, she presented the buckles to NFR winners for over two decades before retiring last year, and was instrumental in securing the company’s partnership with NFR, which dates back to 2000. With NFR back in town, so is Wagner, albeit under a different guise: she’s the subject of a new short documentary “Good Job, Cowgirl: The Judy Wagner Story,” which premiered at the South Point last week and will debut on the Cowboy Channel in the near future. The film chronicles Wagner’s lengthy, pioneering career in all-things Western culture, from ranch cowgirl to rodeo competitor to 4-H extension agent to entrepreneur. In a field traditionally dominated by men, Wagner’s a true trailblazer, having founded her own rope business and helped elevate Montana Silversmiths from a once-small company to a big name in the Western industry that’s become synonymous with NFR. “When I think of a cowgirl, and if I were to look it up in the dictionary, I feel like there should be a picture of Judy Wagner, because she is all of those things,” says Kiki Shumway, president of the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, in the documentary. “She’s everything about our Western culture and promoting and being a positive mentor to young women.” Among these many young women: Maegan Taylor, the director of team marketing for the Arizona Ridge Riders at Professional Bull Riders. “She taught me how to be a cowgirl, ” Taylor says in the film. “Anything that I do, I can be strong, I can be tough, I can work hard. That’s just what cowgirls do.” Origins of an ethos She pushes herself away from the table, arms outstretched, and grips an imaginary horse. Judy Wagner’s in the South Point sportsbook, recalling the origins of a phrase she’s become synonymous with: “Nice job, cowgirl;’ ‘Nice job, cowboy.’” Years ago, Wagner was volunteering as a sidewalker for a developmentally disabled class in her native Montana. One day, she was working with a woman who embraced her horse prior to dismounting. “She put her arms around this horse’s neck,” McFarland recalls, re-enacting the woman’s movements, “and laid her ear into it. Her voice was so angelic, she just said, ‘Nice job, cowboy. Nice job.’ And it went into my heart right then. “I still get shivers when I hear it — right now, I got it right now,” she continues, shoulders shuddering. “And it was like, I can’t imagine a better compliment.” For Wagner, who takes great pride in mentoring others in tasks both big (working as a high school rodeo teacher) and small (helping rodeo pageant contestants with their speeches), this compliment became a part of her persona, a way to offer a little bit of encouragement online or in person, a verbal pat-on-the-back for anyone who might need one. “When I first did it, I was, like, typing it out, and I go, ‘Oh, they’re gonna think this is corny,’” Wagner says. “And then I went, ‘No, it’s my highest compliment,” I heard it, I know how it feels. It means something to each one of us as we’re out there trying in our daily lives.” For filmmaker Natalie McFarland, who directed “Nice Job, Cowgirl,” the phrase is an encapsulation of who Wagner is — and a natural title for her documentary, which she began filming at last year’s NFR, interviewing over 30 subjects and compiling hundreds of hours of footage. “If you get that, ‘nice job cowboy, nice job cowgirl,’ you’re doing something right,” she says, sitting across from Wagner. “So we wanted to take everything that Judy had poured into others, which is recognizing them when they do well, and pour it back into her. Because even though it’s her statement, s he is ‘ nice job cowgirl,’ you know?” A natural born cowgirl The oldest of eight siblings, Wagner grew up on a ranch in Avon, Wyoming, where she was expected to toil just as hard as the boys. “I worked on the ranch with my brothers,” Wagner recalls. “I roped with them. I didn’t know there was a difference.” After attending college to become a 4-H extension agent, Wagner and her husband Alvin started a rope company, Gator Ropes, in 1987. Wagner launched the business in the garage, tying ropes in her basement. Back then, she was wary of calling attention to the fact the company was helmed by a woman, considering how male-centric the industry was. “I didn’t feel comfortable at that time letting everybody know that a woman ran it,” Wagner acknowledges. “A lot of times that was kept secret — or not secret, but I didn’t promote it.” What she did promote was her brand — brilliantly. Though she had no marketing background, Wagner developed some then-novel innovations to build her business, adding two feet to the head rope, naming the ropes and creating a cartoon Gator mascot especially popular with the kids. “Even though I knew nothing really about marketing, I’ve just grown into it,” Wagner says. “It was just telling stories and doing things of value and having fun. Those names, the Intimidator, Instigator, and creating these characters brought it to life. So people would just come to our brand.” And that they did — in droves. “One of my favorite things was a Gator Rope,” recalls Coleman Proctor, one of the top-ranked professional ropers in the world, in “Good Job, Cowgirl.” “Each different style of rope was named, and it all came with a little Gator key chain. I mean, I didn’t even have keys, but I wanted that Gator key chain. I’d be so excited every time we’d go get a Gator rope.” Perhaps most significantly, Gator was also the first rope company to secure an endorsement deal with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and put brand patches on rodeo competitors. “That gets guys down the road now,” McFarland says of the endorsement money generated from said patches. “The fact that Judy started that is a major industry change. That is revolutionary.” It would also foreshadow her success with Montana Silversmiths, where she was hired to be the director of marketing in 2000 after she and her husband sold Gator Ropes. Time to lasso a new challenge. ‘Every buckle has a story’ “It’s business card. A cowboy business card.” Judy Wagner’s talking about belt buckles. “It’s something you can tell about somebody from a long ways away, where they’re from, what they’re passionate about — everything about them — just by looking at their buckle,” she explains, her voice as bright as her attire is dark, dressed head-to-toe in black. “If you want to talk to a cowboy, sometimes they want to talk, and sometimes they don’t,” she continues. “Two things they’ll talk about: their horse and their buckle, and then you can get them to tell you everything about it. Each one has a special meaning to them. Belt buckles are really a part of the culture, the Western lifestyle. It’s an iconic representation of who we are. It speaks to something that is deep inside of you, what your purposes are, what your passion is.” And so Wagner developed a saying, “Every buckle has a story,” which would become a motto for Montana Silversmiths after she joined the company. Wagner also helped trademark the phrase “Brand of champions” for the business. “Nike doesn’t even have the ‘brand of champions,’” she notes with pride. Perhaps most significantly, Wagner worked to secure a sponsorship deal with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and its annual championship, the National Finals Rodeo. Montana Silvermiths has been creating the much-sought-after buckles for NFR ever since. It’s been a game changer. “Her concepts in branding and marketing transformed that little company and took advantage of the PRCA brand and the National Finals Rodeo brand,” says Steve Rempel, former CMO of the PRCA, in the documentary. “(She) really moved that company in a direction that made it well known as the gold standard, if you will, for all things Western in the buckles and jewelry business.” About those buckles: they represent much more than a win. “It’s almost a recognition award in and of itself,” McFarland explains. “It’s not an easy job to cowboy 365 days a year. It’s not like football; it’s not like baseball, where you can sit on the bench and get paid. That’s not true in rodeo. “If you’re not winning, you’re not pulling checks,” she continues. “If you’re not pulling checks, you’re probably not getting down the road. That buckle’s a recognition of all that time, effort, money and brutality on your own body. Those are the most coveted buckles in the Western industry.” ‘She means this’ The movie’s over, but Judy Wagner’s just begun. The lights have come up in the South Point Showroom following the premiere of “Nice Job, Cowgirl,” the venue crowded with well-heeled cowboys in sport coats and jeans and women in sparkling get-ups that glimmer like discoballs, nearly everyone donning a cowboy hat. Wagner takes the stage to address the audience. “Now for the rest of the story, and why I’m really here,” she says, expressing the ambivalence that she once felt about taking part in the documentary. “Seeing your name on a big screen like this, it’s kind of a big deal. And it kind of bothered me. “It’s a true honor,” she continues, “But why was I going to be up here? I couldn’t understand why that was happening to me.” As McFarland notes, Wagner was cool to the project, initially. “She told me, ‘No,’ at first,” remembers McFarland, who also helms McFarland Productions and Off Your Rocker Films and who’s shot promotional clips for Montana Silversmiths in the past. “She’s like, ‘I don’t want this.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you do.’” What ultimately convinced Wagner to participate in the documentary was a revelation she had while praying: “It’s not about you Judy, it’s about the message.” This message — paying things forward; serving others — lies at the heart of “Good Job, Cowgirl.” “Yes, it’s Judy’s story, yes, it’s based in the Western lifestyle — it’s all those things — but the film is really a story of leadership,” McFarland says. “It’s really a story on mentorship. It’s really a story on looking out for each other. “It’s general concepts that make you better as a person,” she continues. “It doesn’t matter where you are. You could be a stock broker in New York City or a cowgirl out on a ranch. There’s always a piece of leadership, a piece of mentorship, planting a seed, working with others. It’s only going to enrich your own life at the same time as you’re helping others.” McFarland’s passion for mentorship is rooted in tragedy: she cites the passing of her father, who died in a tractor accident when she was 16, with putting her on this path. A few weeks prior to his death, Wagner’s dad told her that he would always be proud of her no matter what she chose to do in life. “Those seven words, ‘I will always be proud of you,’ planted a seed in me,” she recalls in her speech after the premiere. And so Wagner’s spent much of her life attempting to plant them in others, especially her female counterparts. “Every time I have a conversation with her, she talks about helping other women in the industry,” says Ken Amorosano, publisher and CEO of “Cowgirl” magazine, in the film. “She really is not only passionate, but she’s emotional about that. She means this.” “I learned from her,” recalls Tia Bledsoe, Pendleton Brand Heritage Director for Proximo Spirits, in the documentary, “I really felt, like, ‘This is a powerful woman that has a voice,’ and that kind of made me take a step back and realize that I can be a part of this.” And so even though Wagner officially retired from Montana Silversmiths in 2023, she’s as omnipresent as ever at NFR this year, where everyone seems to know her name and associates joke that a five minute walk through a casino becomes a half-hour trek with Wagner in tow due to all the people who come up to greet her. Besides, for Wagner, being a cowgirl has always been less a job than a way of life. You can’t retire from that. “This is really a lifetime sport, a lifetime career,” Wagner says. “I love the Western industry. I love the Western lifestyle. And as far as I’m concerned, I’ll probably be an advocate for it for the rest of my life. “These are my people,” she adds. “This is my world.”sport betting review 。

No. 12 Boise State heads to Wyoming hoping to maintain No. 4 seed in College Football PlayoffThomas & Taylor Search Partners Welcomes Gonzalo Pacanins as President - Executive Talent Solutions for PE/VC Firms5 ways to tell if you’re on track for retirement — and 5 things to do if you need to catch up, according to expertsFor the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter , with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal . His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft . Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Rachel Christian | (TNS) Bankrate.com Just because retirement planning involves some guesswork doesn’t mean it has to be a total mystery. Related Articles Business | Tech review: Earbuds and phones for those on your holiday list Business | The year in money: inflation eased, optimism ticked upward Business | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds Business | How to protect your communications through encryption Business | Could the deal to give protected Florida forest land to a golf company be dead? Whether you’ve been saving since your first job or you’re getting a late start, you can leverage expert-recommended strategies to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. And if you’re not quite on track, don’t sweat it — the experts we spoke to offered actionable tips to help you close the gap. You might have a general idea of how much money you need to save for retirement . A few quick calculations can give you an estimate, but to truly appreciate where you stand, you’ll need to dive into the numbers. Here’s how to get started. A good rule of thumb to estimate your retirement savings goal is the Rule of 25 . Simply multiply your desired annual retirement income by 25. The result is roughly how much you’ll need to save before hitting retirement. For example, if you plan to spend $50,000 a year, you’ll need about $1.25 million to make it a reality. The Rule of 25 is based on the idea that withdrawing 4% annually from your retirement savings should last you about 30 years. While it’s not an exact science by any means — health care costs and lifestyle changes can skew the numbers, for example — the Rule of 25 can be a good starting point to figure out how much you need to save. Fidelity Investments, a behemoth in the retirement planning space, offers savings guidelines to help you determine if you’re on track . —By age 30: Save 1x your annual salary —By age 40: Save 3x your annual salary —By age 50: Save 6x your annual salary —By age 60: Save 8x your annual salary —By age 67: Save 10x your annual salary For example, if you earn $60,000 annually, you should aim for $600,000 in savings by age 67. But like the Rule of 25, Fidelity’s guidelines offer a 10,000-foot look at retirement goals, and they’re not customized to your situation. Maybe you earned a low salary in your 20s, but you’re working hard in your 30s to make up for it. Use these estimates as a benchmark — but don’t get discouraged if you’re lagging behind. Now it’s time to zoom in a little. To get a clearer snapshot of your progress, use an online retirement calculator. These tools factor in your age, current savings, income and lifestyle goals to estimate whether you’re on track. You’ll get a more refined estimate without crunching the numbers yourself. Bankrate’s retirement calculator even lets you input different rates of return on your investments and accounts for estimated annual salary increases. Having a general savings goal is nice, but to avoid falling short in retirement, you’ll need more than a ballpark figure. Experts recommend creating a retirement budget to get an up-close-and-personal look at how much you’ll really need once you leave the workforce. First, estimate how much you’ll spend per month in retirement. While some costs will increase, like health care, others will likely decrease, like dining out and commuting. “Estimating expenses can be challenging for some people, so as a starting point, I often use your net take-home pay,” says Jeff DeLarme, a certified financial planner and president of DeLarme Wealth Management. For example, if you receive a direct deposit of $2,500 every two weeks from work, use $5,000 as your estimated monthly spending in retirement. “Assuming this was enough to pay the bills while working, we can use $5,000 a month as a starting budget to plan for,” says DeLarme. Next, map out your sources of income in retirement. Social Security is the largest income stream for most retirees, but don’t neglect other inflows, such as: —Workplace retirement accounts, like 401(k)s —Personal retirement accounts, like a traditional or Roth IRA —Pensions —Annuities —Selling your home or business —Rental income —Inheritance “If there’s a gap between your expected expenses and income, you’ll have a good idea of how much you need to save,” says Mike Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning. From there, you can adjust your savings and investment strategy accordingly. For something as important (and complex) as retirement planning, it pays to speak with a professional. Financial advisers can analyze your savings, investments and retirement goals to create a personalized plan. Advisers use special planning software that account for more variables than an online calculator, giving you a much more precise, granular look at your financial life in retirement. Many financial advisers can also help you optimize your tax strategy, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars over time. Make sure the adviser you hire is a fiduciary , meaning they’re legally obligated to prioritize your interests over their own. A fiduciary won’t push investments to earn a commission or recommend products that aren’t aligned with your needs. A certified financial planner is one of the most well-recognized designations for fiduciaries. You can use Bankrate’s adviser matching tool to find a certified financial planner in your area in minutes. Maybe you did the math and realized you’re not quite where you need to be. Don’t panic if you’re behind schedule. Here are five strategies experts recommend to help you catch up on your retirement savings . Cutting expenses now frees up more cash to invest in your retirement accounts. Evaluate your budget and identify areas where you can cut costs, like dining out, streaming subscriptions or shopping. Don’t rule out bigger lifestyle changes either, especially if retirement is rapidly approaching. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people. Getting creative here can help amplify the amount you can sock away, says Joseph Boughan, a certified financial planner and managing member at Parkmount Financial Partners. It can also reduce your expenses in retirement, so you may not need to save as much as before. “Downsizing can be a great way to cut expenses,” says Boughan. “This can even free up cash if you don’t end up needing all that money for a new home.” Moving somewhere with lower property taxes or income taxes can also help bring your retirement plan back in line. And if you’re a renter, making tough short-term decisions, like taking on a roommate or moving to a lower cost-of-living area, can free up hundreds of dollars a month for your retirement. “Everyone’s plan is unique, so exploring all the options is important,” Boughan says. Joe Conroy, a certified financial planner and owner of Harford Retirement Planners, recommends taking a “retirement test drive” as you near your target date. “Start to live on what income you think you can afford in retirement and stash all the extra income into savings and investments,” says Conroy. “If you can make it through each month, you’re ready for retirement. If you run short, then adjust your plan accordingly.” Working a little longer can be a game-changer for your retirement nest egg. Not only does it give you more time to save, it also gives your investments room to grow. “Working longer or even just part time for a few years early in retirement is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you need to save,” says Hunsberger. Postponing retirement can also boost your Social Security benefits . “You can claim as early as 62, but your benefits will be reduced significantly,” says Hunsberger. Meanwhile, each year you delay claiming Social Security benefits beyond your full retirement age , your monthly check will increase by 8%, though this benefit maxes out at age 70. So waiting can really pay off. It may seem obvious, but if you’re behind on retirement savings, you’ll need to boost your contributions as much as possible. Here are a few ways to make saving for retirement easier: —Increase your contribution rate: Allocate a larger portion of your paycheck to a workplace retirement plan. Even bumping up your contributions by 1% or 2% can make a huge difference down the road. —Take advantage of your employer match: Don’t leave free money on the table. Many employers will chip in between 3 and 5% depending on your plan, so make sure you’re contributing enough to take advantage of the benefit. —Use “unexpected” money to catch up: If you get a raise or bonus at work, funnel part of it directly into your 401(k). And if you get a refund at tax time, siphon some of it off to beef up your IRA. If you’ve been investing in low-risk, low-return investments, you may not be keeping up with inflation, let alone growing your nest egg. Reallocating part of your portfolio to stocks or low-cost growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is one way to get your money working harder. Higher-risk investments like stocks carry more volatility but also offer higher potential returns. Work with a financial adviser or use a robo-adviser to strike the right balance between growth and your personal risk tolerance. Contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs are higher for people over 50. For 2025, employees aged 50 and up who participate in most 401(k) plans or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan can save up to $31,000 annually, including a $7,500 catch-up contribution . But thanks to SECURE 2.0 , a sweeping retirement law, a new higher catch-up contribution limit of $11,250 applies for employees ages 60 to 63. So, if you’re in this age group, you can squirrel away a whopping $34,750 a year during the final stretch of your career. Of course, you’ll need a big salary (think six figures) in order to take full advantage of such massive contribution limits. But if you can afford it, these catch-up allowances can put your plan back on track, especially if you struggled to save much early in your career. There’s no GPS to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. If you’ve veered off course or aren’t sure where to start, begin by getting a quick estimate of how much you’ll need before mapping out a retirement budget. And if you’re behind, don’t panic — adjusting your spending, boosting your contributions and speaking with a financial adviser can help you catch up. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Brandon woman gets 18 months driving prohibition

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has put tech companies on notice over child privacy and safety concerns — after a terrifying new lawsuit claimed that the highly popular Character.AI app pushed a Lone Star State teen to cut himself . Paxton announced the wide-ranging investigation Thursday — which also includes tech giants Reddit, Instagram and Discord. “Technology companies are on notice that my office is vigorously enforcing Texas’s strong data privacy laws,” he said of the probe. “These investigations are a critical step toward ensuring that social media and AI companies comply with our laws designed to protect children from exploitation and harm.” Texas laws prohibit tech platforms from sharing or selling a minor’s info without their parent’s permission and requires them to allow parents to manage and control privacy settings on their child’s accounts, according to an announcement from Paxton’s office. The announcement comes just days after a chilling lawsuit was filed in Texas federal court, claiming that Character.AI chatbots told a 15-year-old boy that his parents were ruining his life and encouraged him to harm himself. The chatbots also brought up kids killing their parents because they were limiting screen time. “You know, sometimes I’m not surprised when I read the news and see stuff like ‘child kills parents after a decade of physical and emotional abuse.’ Stuff like this makes me understand a little bit why it happens,” one Character.AI bot allegedly told the teen, referred to only as JF in the lawsuit. “I just have no hope for your parents,” the bot continued. “They are ruining your life and causing you to cut yourself,” another bot allegedly told the teen. The suit seeks to immediately shut down the platform. Camille Carlton, policy director for the Center for Humane Technology — one of the groups providing expert consultation on two lawsuits involving Character.AI’s harms to young children — heralded Paxton for taking the concerns seriously and “responding quickly to these emerging harms.” “Character.AI recklessly marketed an addictive and predatory product to children — putting their lives at risk to collect and exploit their most private data,” Carlton said. “From Florida to Texas and beyond, we’re now seeing the devastating consequences of Character.AI’s negligent behavior. No tech company should benefit or profit from designing products that abuse children.” Another plaintiff in the Character.AI suit — the mother of an 11-year-old Texas girl — claims that the chatbot “exposed her consistently to hyper-sexualized content that was not age-appropriate, causing her to develop sexualized behaviors prematurely and without [her mom’s] awareness.” The lawsuit comes less than two months after a Florida mom claimed a “Game of Thrones” chatbot on Character.AI drove her 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, to commit suicide . Character.AI declined to comment on pending litigation earlier this week but told The Post that its “goal is to provide a space that is both engaging and safe for our community,” and that it was working on creating “a model specifically for teens” that reduces their exposure to “sensitive” content.

Nico Iamaleava passed for four touchdowns and Dylan Sampson rushed for 77 yards and set a school-record for TDs as No. 11 Tennessee rolled to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tenn. Sampson scored on a 14-yard TD run early in the second quarter for the game's first points to deliver his 22nd TD of tje season to break the Tennessee single-season mark set by Gene McEvers in 1929. Iamaleava was 15 of 20 for 173 yards for Tennessee (9-2), while Bru McCoy caught a pair of TD passes and Squirrel White and Ethan Davis each had a TD reception. Tennessee moved its all-time record to 2-0 against the Miners, also having blanked the Conference USA school 24-0 in 2018. Jermod McCoy and John Slaughter had interceptions for the Volunteers, while Dominic Bailey recovered a fumble to set up a score. Skyler Locklear was 10-of-19 passing for 50 yards with an interception for UTEP (2-9), while rushing for 37 yards on eight carries. JP Pickles also had a turn at QB for the Miners and was 10 of 15 for 72 yards. Kenny Odom had eight receptions for 70 yards. Both defenses set the tone in the first quarter. The UTEP defense allowed just one first down to the Southeastern Conference team in three ugly series in the opening quarter and only 22 yards. In the second quarter, Sampson ended a 68-yard drive by dashing up the middle for 14 yards for the record-setting score to take a 7-0 lead with 13:22 remaining before halftime. After Bailey's fumble recovery, Iamaleava flipped a screen pass that White took 9 yards to the end zone nearly six minutes later. Davis put the Volunteers up 21-0 when he grabbed a short pass for a 1-yard TD. Iamaleava then found Bru McCoy from 18 yards with eight seconds left in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead. McCoy caught his second TD and Peyton Lewis rushed for a pair for a 49-0 lead in the third quarter, but the biggest roar from Volunteers fans came when it was announced Florida beat No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17, to enhance the Volunteers' College Football Playoff hopes. Cameron Seldon's 3-yard run capped the scoring as the Volunteers finished the season undefeated at home for the second time in four years. --Field Level MediaEbonyi: Reps member launches medical outreach for constituents

AP News Summary at 2:36 p.m. ESTTrump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time

No. 12 Boise State heads to Wyoming hoping to maintain No. 4 seed in College Football Playoff

A Chinese film set during the Covid-19 pandemic won the top prizes in Taiwan's prestigious Golden Horse Awards, which saw the highest number of entries from China in recent years despite political tensions. Beijing banned its entertainers from joining Golden Horse -- dubbed the Chinese-language "Oscars" -- in 2019 after a Taiwanese director voiced support for the island's independence in an acceptance speech in 2018. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, which the Taipei government rejects, and Chinese A-listers and big commercial productions have largely avoided the event ever since. Despite the sensitivity of the awards, more than 200 Chinese films entered this year's competition, which Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said was the highest number in "recent years". Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye was awarded best director late Saturday night for his docu-drama "An Unfinished Film", which was also named best picture. Lou was absent from the ceremony but his wife Ma Yingli read his acceptance speech, describing the film set during China's lockdown of Wuhan in the earliest stages of the pandemic as "the most special directing job I have ever done". Chinese actor Zhang Zhiyong, who also did not attend the awards, won best actor for his performance in Chinese director Geng Jun's same-sex drama "Bel Ami". Hong Kong's Chung Suet-ying was named best actress for her role in "The Way We Talk", which is about the deaf community. Neither "Bel Ami" nor "An Unfinished Film" has been released in China. Ahead of the awards, MAC spokesman Liang Wen-chieh told reporters that these films "may not be able to be screened in mainland China, but they still hope to have a free platform to participate and express themselves". "We welcome (them) very much," he said. After several years absence, Chinese stars began trickling back to the awards in Taipei last year, with actress Hu Ling the first to grace the red carpet since the ban. On Saturday, Geng Jun and some of his cast were among the few Chinese entertainers to join stars and filmmakers from around the region, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, on the red carpet. While Geng missed out on best director and best picture, his film "Bel Ami" won the awards for best cinematography and best film editing. Despite political tensions, Golden Horse remained a stage for independent Chinese films that have no distribution space on the mainland, Taiwanese film critic Wonder Weng told AFP. "This spirit remains unchanged. I think the Golden Horse Awards have always insisted on being the benchmark" that is open to all subjects, said Weng, who is a board member of Taiwan Film Critics Society. Weng said "An Unfinished Film" by Lou, who has previously taken on forbidden subjects such as gay sex and the 1989 Tiananmen protests, was "a work of conscience". Lou's latest offering is about a film crew trying to resume shooting a movie during the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan, as the city was placed in an unprecedented lockdown. "Lou put images that are banned or blocked into his work and reminds us that there is a director who is willing to preserve historical images for us to see... and let us know there is a different voice," Weng said. aw/amj/dhcA Chinese film set during the Covid-19 pandemic won the top prizes in Taiwan's prestigious Golden Horse Awards, which saw the highest number of entries from China in recent years despite political tensions. Beijing banned its entertainers from joining Golden Horse -- dubbed the Chinese-language "Oscars" -- in 2019 after a Taiwanese director voiced support for the island's independence in an acceptance speech in 2018. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.None

The United States Postal Service might have found a way to unite a nation bitterly divided after this month's election: It will release a Betty White stamp. The beloved actor known for roles in "The Golden Girls," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Boston Legal" and others will be on a 2025 Forever stamp, USPS announced this past week. White died in late December 2021 , less than three weeks before her 100th birthday. The Postal Service hasn't announced a release date for the stamp. Betty White speaks Sept. 17, 2018, at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Phil McCarten, Invision “An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades,” the Postal Service said in announcing the stamp, which depicts a smiling White based on a 2010 photograph by celebrity photographer Kwaku Alston . “The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.” Boston-based artist Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration from Alston's photo. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack "I'd love to send a letter back to my 18-year-old self with this stamp on it and tell him that everything is going to be OK," Stephanos posted on Facebook . Regardless of personal politics, self-proclaimed supporters of Republican President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris reacted with delight on social media. "Betty White was my hero, all of my life! I actually had a doll when I was a little girl I named Betty White," one Trump supporter posted on X , formerly Twitter. “Something to make this awful week a little better: We’re getting a Betty White stamp,” a pro-Harris X account posted. White combined a wholesome image with a flare for bawdy jokes . Her television career began in the early 1950s and exploded as she aged. “The only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party," Seth Meyers posted on Twitter after her death. "A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.” Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White, who love to play games, continue a two year gin rummy battle in which she's ahead by a cumulative 6,000 points in Westchester, N.Y. on April 29, 1965. They do it professionally on TV. He's the master of ceremonies on "Password," and she makes frequent guest appearances on game shows. They play games to relax at home. (AP Photo/Bob Wands) Bob Wands Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White admire magnolia blossoms on the lawn of their country home in Westchester, N.Y. on May 14, 1965. (AP Photo/Bob Wands) Bob Wands Actress Betty White in 1965. (AP Photo) Anonymous Betty White shares a moment backstage at the 28th annual Emmy Awards with Ted Knight after they each won an Emmy for their supporting roles in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." On the series Miss White played Sue Ann Nivens while Knight played newscaster Ted Baxter. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) Reed Saxon LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 17, 1976: (L-R) "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" co-stars - Ed Asner, Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore and Ted Knight - all won awards at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 28th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Shubert Theatre on May 17, 1976 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by TVA/PictureGroup/Invision for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/AP Images) TVA/PictureGroup Actress Betty White with Ted Knight at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 13, 1981. (AP Photo/Randy Rasmussen) Randy Rasmussen Betty White and Anson Williams don't seem to faze Buckeye, a St. Bernard, during an awards ceremony during which Williams was honored by the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as a friend and lover of animals. Ms. White presented a humanitarian plaque to Williams at the event, which was held in Hollywood, California, Friday, May 1, 1982. (AP Photo/Marc Karody) Marc Karody Actress Betty White with actor John Hillerman arriving at Emmy Awards, Sept. 22, 1985 in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo/LIU) LIU Actresses Betty White Ludden, left, and Mary Tyler Moore, right, smile at each other in Los Angeles, Friday, June 22, 1985 during Annual Meeting of Morris Animal Foundation, at which Ludden announced her retirement as President of the animal health group, held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Nick Ut These four veteran actresses from the television series "The Golden Girls" shown during a break in taping Dec. 25, 1985 in Hollywood. From left are, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur and Betty White. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Nick Ut Actress Betty White poses in Los Angeles, Ca. in June, 1986. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) REED SAXON Betty White stands backstage at the NBC TV Bob Hope "I Love Lucy" special on Sept. 16, 1989. (AP Photo/Djansezian) Djansezian Michael J. Fox and Betty White, winners of Emmys for best actor and actress in a comedy series, stand backstage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, Sunday, Sept. 21, 1986 after receiving their honors. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac) Douglas C. Pizac Comedienne Betty White places her hand on the star that was presented posthumously to her husband, Allen Ludden, during ceremonies inducting him into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Thursday, March 31, 1988. Ludden was honored with the 1,868th star of the famed walkway — between those of White and Tyrone Power. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Nick Ut Estelle Getty, who plays Sophia, poses with her new husband, who plays Max, and the other "Golden Girls" after taping of episode on Friday, night, Nov. 5,1988 in Hollywood. Left to right are Rue McCLanahan (Blanche), Getty, Gilford, Bea Arthur (Dorothy) and Betty White. (AP Photo/Ira Mark Gostin) Ira Mark Gostin Former cast members of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, sans Mary Tyler Moore, are reunited for the Museum of Television and Radio's 9th annual Television Festival in Los Angeles Saturday, March 21, 1992. From left are Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Betty White and Ed Asner. (AP Photo/Craig Fujii) Craig Fujii Actress Betty White, left, writer/producer David E. Kelley, actress Bridget Fonda, and actor Oliver Platt pose at the premiere of their movie "Lake Placid," Wednesday night, July 14, 1999, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) MARK J. TERRILL Betty White, from "Golden Girls," and Mr. T, Lawrence Tureaud, from "The A Team," pose for photographers at NBC's 75th Anniversary Party, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rene Macura) RENE MACURA Actors Betty White, left, Georgia Engel, second left, Gavin MacLeod, center, Valerie Harper, second right, and John Amos pose for photographers during arrivals at CBS's 75th anniversary celebration Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, in New York. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano) LOUIS LANZANO Actress Betty White laughs as an African eagle roosts overhead at the Los Angeles Zoo Monday, Feb. 20, 2006, in Los Angeles, where White was honored as Ambassador to the Animals by the city for her decades of dedication to the humane treatment of animals. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) NICK UT Betty White poses for photographers on the red carpet before Comedy Central's "Roast of William Shatner," Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rene Macura) RENE MACURA Betty White arrives at the 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, on Friday, June 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Mark J. Terrill Beatrice Arthur, left, Betty White, center, and Rue McClanahan, of the Golden Girls, arrive at the TV Land Awards on Sunday June 8, 2008 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Matt Sayles Actor Henry Winkler, center, is seen Beatrice Arthur, right, and Betty White at the TV Land Awards on Sunday June 8, 2008 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Matt Sayles In this Nov. 24, 2009 file photo, actress Betty White poses for a portrait following her appearance on the television talk show "In the House," in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) Chris Pizzello Actress Betty White poses for a portrait on the set of the television show "Hot in Cleveland" in Studio City section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Matt Sayles Actress Betty White is seen on stage at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010 in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Matt Sayles Betty White, a cast member in "You Again," poses with fans holding Betty White masks at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Chris Pizzello Actress Betty White wears a U.S. Forest Ranger hat after being named an Honorary Forest Ranger by the US Forest Service, at the Kennedy Center in Washington Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010. White has stated in numerous interviews that her first ambition as a young girl was "to become a forest ranger, but they didn't allow women to do that back then". (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) Cliff Owen Betty White, left, Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson arrive at the MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif., on Sunday, June 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Matt Sayles Betty White, left, Kristen Bell, center, and Jamie Lee Curtis, cast members in "You Again," pose together at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Chris Pizzello Betty White, left, accepts the Life Achievement Award from Sandra Bullock at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Mark J. Terrill From left, actresses Betty White, Wendie Malick, Valerie Bertinelli, and Jane Leeves pose for a portrait on the set of the television show "Hot in Cleveland" in Studio City section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Matt Sayles Alec Baldwin, left, and Betty White are seen on stage at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Mark J. Terrill Betty White attends a book signing for her book 'If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)' at Barnes & Noble in New York, Friday, May 6, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes) Charles Sykes Actress Betty White attends a press conference prior to the taping of "Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America's Golden Girl" on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Vince Bucci) Vince Bucci Actress Betty White arrives on a white pony as she is honored at a Friars Club Roast sponsored by Godiva, Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at the Sheraton Hotel in New York. (AP Photo/Starpix, Marion Curtis) Marion Curtis Betty White, at left, attends her wax figure unveiling at Madame Tussauds on Monday, June 4, 2012 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Katy Winn/Invision/AP) Katy Winn From left, Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Shuck, Actress Betty White and The 2012 American Hero Dog Gabe pose during 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Ryan Miller/Invision/AP) Ryan Miller Betty White and Cloris Leachman onstage at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the JW Marriott on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP) Todd Williamson Ellen DeGeneres, left, presents Betty White with the award for favorite TV icon at the People's Choice Awards at the Nokia Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Chris Pizzello Betty White, left, speaks at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Looking on from right are Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Chris PizzelloNever be early, hide the wine and ignore your host – 12 ways to avoid a row on Christmas DayThe US tech giant said it now supported 550,000 jobs in the UK through direct employment, its supply chain and the economy around its App Store – with app developers having earned nearly £9 billion since it launched in 2008. Apple said its engineering teams were carrying out critical work on the firm’s biggest services, including key technology within Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s suite of generative AI-powered tools which are expected to launch in the UK for the first time this week. Elsewhere, the firm said its growing TV empire, spearheaded by its Apple TV+ streaming service and production arm, had also helped boost its investment in the UK with Apple TV+ production in this country tripling in the last two years, the company said. Chief executive Tim Cook said: “We’ve been serving customers in the UK for more than 40 years, and we’re proud of our deep connection with communities across this country. “We’re thrilled to be growing our Apple teams here, and to keep supporting the extraordinary innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of technology in so many ways.” The Chancellor Rachel Reeves said companies such as Apple were “intrinsic” to the UK’s prosperity by boosting jobs. “This government is laser focused on creating the right conditions for growth to help put more money in people’s pockets. “That’s what underpins the Plan for Change and is what has driven £63 billion worth of inward investment in the UK through our first international investment summit. “Companies like Apple are intrinsic to the success of our nation’s prosperity – helping deliver jobs, innovative technology, and boost infrastructure.”

Grab It Before It’s Gone! Why Everyone Wants Intel’s Arc B580 GPU.Rachel Christian | (TNS) Bankrate.com Just because retirement planning involves some guesswork doesn’t mean it has to be a total mystery. Whether you’ve been saving since your first job or you’re getting a late start, you can leverage expert-recommended strategies to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. And if you’re not quite on track, don’t sweat it — the experts we spoke to offered actionable tips to help you close the gap. You might have a general idea of how much money you need to save for retirement . A few quick calculations can give you an estimate, but to truly appreciate where you stand, you’ll need to dive into the numbers. Here’s how to get started. A good rule of thumb to estimate your retirement savings goal is the Rule of 25 . Simply multiply your desired annual retirement income by 25. The result is roughly how much you’ll need to save before hitting retirement. For example, if you plan to spend $50,000 a year, you’ll need about $1.25 million to make it a reality. The Rule of 25 is based on the idea that withdrawing 4% annually from your retirement savings should last you about 30 years. While it’s not an exact science by any means — health care costs and lifestyle changes can skew the numbers, for example — the Rule of 25 can be a good starting point to figure out how much you need to save. Fidelity Investments, a behemoth in the retirement planning space, offers savings guidelines to help you determine if you’re on track . —By age 30: Save 1x your annual salary —By age 40: Save 3x your annual salary —By age 50: Save 6x your annual salary —By age 60: Save 8x your annual salary —By age 67: Save 10x your annual salary For example, if you earn $60,000 annually, you should aim for $600,000 in savings by age 67. But like the Rule of 25, Fidelity’s guidelines offer a 10,000-foot look at retirement goals, and they’re not customized to your situation. Maybe you earned a low salary in your 20s, but you’re working hard in your 30s to make up for it. Use these estimates as a benchmark — but don’t get discouraged if you’re lagging behind. Now it’s time to zoom in a little. To get a clearer snapshot of your progress, use an online retirement calculator. These tools factor in your age, current savings, income and lifestyle goals to estimate whether you’re on track. You’ll get a more refined estimate without crunching the numbers yourself. Bankrate’s retirement calculator even lets you input different rates of return on your investments and accounts for estimated annual salary increases. Having a general savings goal is nice, but to avoid falling short in retirement, you’ll need more than a ballpark figure. Experts recommend creating a retirement budget to get an up-close-and-personal look at how much you’ll really need once you leave the workforce. First, estimate how much you’ll spend per month in retirement. While some costs will increase, like health care, others will likely decrease, like dining out and commuting. “Estimating expenses can be challenging for some people, so as a starting point, I often use your net take-home pay,” says Jeff DeLarme, a certified financial planner and president of DeLarme Wealth Management. For example, if you receive a direct deposit of $2,500 every two weeks from work, use $5,000 as your estimated monthly spending in retirement. “Assuming this was enough to pay the bills while working, we can use $5,000 a month as a starting budget to plan for,” says DeLarme. Next, map out your sources of income in retirement. Social Security is the largest income stream for most retirees, but don’t neglect other inflows, such as: —Workplace retirement accounts, like 401(k)s —Personal retirement accounts, like a traditional or Roth IRA —Pensions —Annuities —Selling your home or business —Rental income —Inheritance “If there’s a gap between your expected expenses and income, you’ll have a good idea of how much you need to save,” says Mike Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning. From there, you can adjust your savings and investment strategy accordingly. For something as important (and complex) as retirement planning, it pays to speak with a professional. Financial advisers can analyze your savings, investments and retirement goals to create a personalized plan. Advisers use special planning software that account for more variables than an online calculator, giving you a much more precise, granular look at your financial life in retirement. Many financial advisers can also help you optimize your tax strategy, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars over time. Make sure the adviser you hire is a fiduciary , meaning they’re legally obligated to prioritize your interests over their own. A fiduciary won’t push investments to earn a commission or recommend products that aren’t aligned with your needs. A certified financial planner is one of the most well-recognized designations for fiduciaries. You can use Bankrate’s adviser matching tool to find a certified financial planner in your area in minutes. Maybe you did the math and realized you’re not quite where you need to be. Don’t panic if you’re behind schedule. Here are five strategies experts recommend to help you catch up on your retirement savings . Cutting expenses now frees up more cash to invest in your retirement accounts. Evaluate your budget and identify areas where you can cut costs, like dining out, streaming subscriptions or shopping. Don’t rule out bigger lifestyle changes either, especially if retirement is rapidly approaching. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people. Getting creative here can help amplify the amount you can sock away, says Joseph Boughan, a certified financial planner and managing member at Parkmount Financial Partners. It can also reduce your expenses in retirement, so you may not need to save as much as before. “Downsizing can be a great way to cut expenses,” says Boughan. “This can even free up cash if you don’t end up needing all that money for a new home.” Moving somewhere with lower property taxes or income taxes can also help bring your retirement plan back in line. And if you’re a renter, making tough short-term decisions, like taking on a roommate or moving to a lower cost-of-living area, can free up hundreds of dollars a month for your retirement. “Everyone’s plan is unique, so exploring all the options is important,” Boughan says. Joe Conroy, a certified financial planner and owner of Harford Retirement Planners, recommends taking a “retirement test drive” as you near your target date. “Start to live on what income you think you can afford in retirement and stash all the extra income into savings and investments,” says Conroy. “If you can make it through each month, you’re ready for retirement. If you run short, then adjust your plan accordingly.” Working a little longer can be a game-changer for your retirement nest egg. Not only does it give you more time to save, it also gives your investments room to grow. “Working longer or even just part time for a few years early in retirement is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you need to save,” says Hunsberger. Postponing retirement can also boost your Social Security benefits . “You can claim as early as 62, but your benefits will be reduced significantly,” says Hunsberger. Meanwhile, each year you delay claiming Social Security benefits beyond your full retirement age , your monthly check will increase by 8%, though this benefit maxes out at age 70. So waiting can really pay off. It may seem obvious, but if you’re behind on retirement savings, you’ll need to boost your contributions as much as possible. Here are a few ways to make saving for retirement easier: —Increase your contribution rate: Allocate a larger portion of your paycheck to a workplace retirement plan. Even bumping up your contributions by 1% or 2% can make a huge difference down the road. —Take advantage of your employer match: Don’t leave free money on the table. Many employers will chip in between 3 and 5% depending on your plan, so make sure you’re contributing enough to take advantage of the benefit. —Use “unexpected” money to catch up: If you get a raise or bonus at work, funnel part of it directly into your 401(k). And if you get a refund at tax time, siphon some of it off to beef up your IRA. If you’ve been investing in low-risk, low-return investments, you may not be keeping up with inflation, let alone growing your nest egg. Reallocating part of your portfolio to stocks or low-cost growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is one way to get your money working harder. Higher-risk investments like stocks carry more volatility but also offer higher potential returns. Work with a financial adviser or use a robo-adviser to strike the right balance between growth and your personal risk tolerance. Contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs are higher for people over 50. For 2025, employees aged 50 and up who participate in most 401(k) plans or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan can save up to $31,000 annually, including a $7,500 catch-up contribution . But thanks to SECURE 2.0 , a sweeping retirement law, a new higher catch-up contribution limit of $11,250 applies for employees ages 60 to 63. So, if you’re in this age group, you can squirrel away a whopping $34,750 a year during the final stretch of your career. Of course, you’ll need a big salary (think six figures) in order to take full advantage of such massive contribution limits. But if you can afford it, these catch-up allowances can put your plan back on track, especially if you struggled to save much early in your career. There’s no GPS to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. If you’ve veered off course or aren’t sure where to start, begin by getting a quick estimate of how much you’ll need before mapping out a retirement budget. And if you’re behind, don’t panic — adjusting your spending, boosting your contributions and speaking with a financial adviser can help you catch up. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Thumzup opening bell Thumzup Media Corporation "We are honored and energized to embrace this opportunity to commemorate Thumzup on Nasdaq's global stage,” said Robert Steele, Thumzup CEO. "Ringing the Opening Bell is a celebration of the achievements that have guided our company to this notable moment and a testament to our vision for the future. This is a proud moment for the entire team.” Following, Robert Steele will also join Nasdaq's Behind the Bell series for a featured interview immediately following the ceremony. The episode will showcase Steele's reflective commentary and quick-hit questions surrounding Thumzup's hallmark year, including its recent expansions and growing platform features, as well as touching on the company's trajectory for the future. The Nasdaq Opening Bell Ceremony will be live from 9:15am to 9:30am ET. The event can be viewed live or via replay: https://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/bell-ringing-ceremony The Thumzup app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play . About Thumzup ® Thumzup Media Corporation (Thumzup) is democratizing the multi-billion dollar social media branding and marketing industry. Its flagship product, the Thumzup platform, utilizes a robust programmatic advertiser dashboard coupled with a consumer-facing App to enable individuals to get paid cash for posting about participating advertisers on major social media outlets through the Thumzup App. The easy-to-use dashboard allows advertisers to programmatically customize their campaigns. Cash payments are made to App users/creators through PayPal and Venmo. Thumzup was featured on CBS Los Angeles and in KTLA . Legal Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, statements about its potential growth, impacts on the advertising industry, plans for potential uplisting, and planned expansion. These statements are identified by the use of the words "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "may," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project" and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Contact Info [email protected] 800-403-6150 Media Contact Jessica Starman [email protected] Attachment Thumzup opening bell

Nico Iamaleava passed for four touchdowns and Dylan Sampson rushed for 77 yards and set a school-record for TDs as No. 11 Tennessee rolled to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tenn. Sampson scored on a 14-yard TD run early in the second quarter for the game's first points to deliver his 22nd TD of tje season to break the Tennessee single-season mark set by Gene McEvers in 1929. Iamaleava was 15 of 20 for 173 yards for Tennessee (9-2), while Bru McCoy caught a pair of TD passes and Squirrel White and Ethan Davis each had a TD reception. Tennessee moved its all-time record to 2-0 against the Miners, also having blanked the Conference USA school 24-0 in 2018. Jermod McCoy and John Slaughter had interceptions for the Volunteers, while Dominic Bailey recovered a fumble to set up a score. Skyler Locklear was 10-of-19 passing for 50 yards with an interception for UTEP (2-9), while rushing for 37 yards on eight carries. JP Pickles also had a turn at QB for the Miners and was 10 of 15 for 72 yards. Kenny Odom had eight receptions for 70 yards. Both defenses set the tone in the first quarter. The UTEP defense allowed just one first down to the Southeastern Conference team in three ugly series in the opening quarter and only 22 yards. In the second quarter, Sampson ended a 68-yard drive by dashing up the middle for 14 yards for the record-setting score to take a 7-0 lead with 13:22 remaining before halftime. After Bailey's fumble recovery, Iamaleava flipped a screen pass that White took 9 yards to the end zone nearly six minutes later. Davis put the Volunteers up 21-0 when he grabbed a short pass for a 1-yard TD. Iamaleava then found Bru McCoy from 18 yards with eight seconds left in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead. McCoy caught his second TD and Peyton Lewis rushed for a pair for a 49-0 lead in the third quarter, but the biggest roar from Volunteers fans came when it was announced Florida beat No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17, to enhance the Volunteers' College Football Playoff hopes. Cameron Seldon's 3-yard run capped the scoring as the Volunteers finished the season undefeated at home for the second time in four years. --Field Level Media

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City will be his final managerial job in club football. The inspirational former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has won 18 trophies since taking charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016. He ended speculation over his short-term future last month when he signed a contract extension through to 2027 but he is now thinking about life after City. Speaking in an interview on the YouTube channel of celebrity chef Dani Garcia, the 53-year-old did not indicate when he finally intended to step down but said he would not be returning to club football after doing so. Guardiola said: “I’m not going to manage another team. I’m not talking about the long-term future but what I’m not going to do is leave Man City, go to another country, and do the same thing as now. “I wouldn’t have the energy. The thought of starting somewhere else, all the process of training and so on. No, no, no! Maybe a national team, but that’s different. “I want to leave it and go and play golf but I can’t. I think stopping would do me good.” Guardiola has previously expressed an interest in coaching at international level later in his career. Getting #UCL ready! 💪 pic.twitter.com/3fXkjuxDiU — Manchester City (@ManCity) December 10, 2024 His immediate concern, however, is arresting City’s recent uncharacteristic slump in form. The Premier League champions for the past four seasons have won just one of their last nine games in all competitions, a run that has included six defeats. After Saturday’s frustrating 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace, City face a tough week with Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Turin to face Juventus followed by a derby against Manchester United next weekend. “Right now we are not in the position, when we have had the results of the last seven, eight games, to talk about winning games in plural,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference in Italy. “So we have to win the game and not look at what happens in the next one yet.” The loss of Rodri through injury for the rest of the season has been a major blow to City but Guardiola insists the solution to the problems should not be complicated. He said: “It’s not a mental thing. It’s about doing the simple things better. “They are professionals and as much as we are all together, we will be a stronger team. “The way we want to play is not going to be changed for obvious reasons, because our success was there. “I know when we are able to do it, we are able to play good.” Defender Ruben Dias also believes City will emerge stronger from this tough period. The Portuguese said: “That people doubt us is the one thing that brings you strength, inspires you to be greater. “This is our legacy – more than the treble, four in a row. All of it is spectacular but I do believe what defines a legacy is how you react in the most difficult moments of your career. “I’m a true believer that those moments are the ones that define you. We embrace it. Those are the ones I’ll for sure remember later.”Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Middle East latest: Bethlehem marks a somber Christmas Eve amid war in Gaza TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Palestinian city of Bethlehem is preparing for another somber Christmas under the shadow of war in Gaza. Most festivities cancelled and crowds of tourists absent in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Winter is hitting the Gaza Strip and many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by the devastating 15-month war with Israel are struggling to protect themselves from the wind, cold and rain. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about one hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 1,447 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed. Twenty-eight flights were canceled. Millions of travelers are expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Major storm pounds California's central coast, blamed for man's death and partially collapsing pier SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A major storm has pounded California’s central coast bringing flooding and high surf that was blamed for fatally trapping a man beneath debris on a beach and later partially collapsing a pier, tossing three people into the Pacific Ocean. The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet Monday as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest. Some California cities have ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon. Forecasters have warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day. Medellin Cartel victims demand truth and justice as cartel boss Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — The return of the notorious drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia, following his deportation from the United States, has reopened old wounds among the victims of the Medellin cartel, with some expressing their dismay at the decision of Colombian authorities to let the former mafia boss walk free.Some of the cartel victims said on Tuesday that they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history, and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning. Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark’s only the fourth women’s basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931. Amsterdam court sentences 5 men over violence linked to Ajax-Maccabi soccer game THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An Amsterdam District Court has issued sentences of up to six months in jail against 5 men who were involved in violent disorder after a soccer match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in November. The riots caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate anti-Semitic attacks. The violence following a UEFA Europa League match left 5 people in hospital. More than 60 suspects were detained. The court on Tuesday sentenced one man to 6 months in prison, another to 2 1/2 months, two to 1 month and one to 100 hours of community service. France has a new government, again. Politics and crushing debt complicate next steps PARIS (AP) — France’s president and prime minister have managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Now comes the hard part. Crushing debt, pressure from the nationalist far right, wars in Europe and the Mideast. The hallenges abound for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou. They already had a tumultuous 2024. The most urgent order of business is passing a 2025 budget. Financial markets, ratings agencies and the European Commission are pushing France to bring down its deficit. It is threatening the stability and prosperity of all countries that share the euro currency. Legendary Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal dies at age 90 NEW DELHI (AP) — Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after chronic kidney disease. He was 90. His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He came into the limelight with films that challenged mainstream Bollywood by dealing with the social realities of a poor nation. He also was a mentor to top Indian actors. India's prime minister says he is “deeply saddened” by Benegal's death.

The Duke of York has said he “ceased all contact” with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after receiving advice from the Government . Andrew met the individual through “official channels” with “nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed”, a statement from his office said. The businessman – known only as H6 – lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. He brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023. H6 was described as a “close confidante” of The Duke. A statement from Andrew’s office said: “The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. “The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. “He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.” Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials “that could be leveraged for political interference purposes”. They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew, 64, represented a threat to national security. At a hearing in July, the specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by an adviser to Andrew that he could act on the duke’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Andrew’s birthday party in 2020. A letter referencing the birthday party from the adviser, Dominic Hampshire, was discovered on H6’s devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021. In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, dismissed the challenge. Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tonbridge who served in the Cabinet as minister of state for security under the previous government, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday: “The United Front Work Department which is a branch of the Communist Party is seeking influence across the UK in everything across social, academic, financial, industrial, and various other ways.” Asked whether Andrew’s advisers should have been aware of H6, Mr Tugendhat said: “It’s not immediately obvious, it could be someone who’s British who’s working in China and who’s come under the influence, so it’s not quite as black and white as it may first appear – but it’s certainly extremely embarrassing. “It demonstrates I’m afraid that the Chinese state is extremely clear that what its ambition is is to secure influence over foreign countries. “They always talk about no interference in other people’s business when people talk about human rights in China, but they do nothing but interfere in the UK and in many countries across the world.”