Jaylen Brown scores 29 points before Celtics beat Timberwolves 107-105 with late defensive standsport betting prediction app 。

The funding for re-lighting six Montrose bridges over I-69 is uncertain as city officials redirected the previously approved $2.6 million back to the city. What's happening? Houston City Council originally approved splitting $4 million with the Houston First Corporation to repair and/or replace the decorative lighting on the Southwest Freeway bridges in September 2023. However, over a year later, Finance Director Melissa Dubowski said the $2.6 million given to Houston First for the project is being sent back to the city. "In looking at all of the needs that we have at the city, in working with the administration and working with Houston First, that project isn't going to be moving forward at this time," Dubowksi said during a Dec. 4 city council meeting. Some context The lighting on the six Montrose bridges was originally completed in 2017 ahead of Houston's last Super Bowl at NRG Stadium, but the lights went out and became defunct the following year. According to previous Community Impact coverage, the lights were initially installed and maintained by the Montrose Management District, which dissolved in 2018, but relaunched in 2024. The approved agreement with Houston First included installation of the new technology and maintenance for the next decade. The discussion Council member Abbie Kamin, who's district encompasses the bridges, voiced her displeasure with the city's decision to give back funds that were already pre-approved. "When council has authorized funding, directed funding, and then it's redirected... that deserves transparency in the light of day," she said. Kamin also noted that the project wasn't just about the decorative lighting, but about creating a safe environment for drivers and pedestrians crossing the bridges. "There's no lighting for drivers on dark bridges," she said during the council meeting. "There's no street lamps. There's no nothing. It's not about the decorative lighting, but there has to be some form of lighting for drivers and pedestrians across the dark bridge." Dubowski said the bridges were inspected over the summer by the Texas Department of Transportation, but no evidence was found that the bridges posed a safety issue. What to expect Mayor John Whitmire hinted during the city council session that the redirected $2.6 million could be used for other important initiatives, including his recently announced plan to address homelessness in Houston. However, as of Dec. 4, the funds have not been fully transferred back to the city yet. Houston First CEO Michael Heckman said the corporation did finish the design work for the bridges and will be happy to work with the city to find additional sources of revenue to complete the project.None

California Water Service Group Completes Purchase of Kukui’ula South Shore Community Services’ Wastewater System

NoneTexas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges

The past few months have been wild for Bachelor Season 28 star Joey Graziadei ; he's found his fiancée Kelsey Anderson on national television and made history for being the first-ever Bachelor to win Dancing With the Stars this past Season 33. Now that things have started to wind down for him and Kelsey, the pair are finally getting their living arrangements under control... slowly. After The Bachelor finale, the couple were living together in Kelsey's small apartment but they've revealed they've moved to LA. On Tuesday, the star took to his Instagram Story to reveal that he and his fiancee had reached another milestone in their relationship , getting their own apartment. "Alright, Kels what did we just do?" Joey asked as Kelsey replied: "We just moved into our new place." Joey let out an excited shriek as Kelsey giggled in the background. "It's a mess," Joey then admitted before explaining how they "have no furniture" as Kelsey playfully tried to obstruct the camera. Despite their lack of furnishings, the tennis coach gushed: "We are very excited," as he leaned in to kiss Kelsey on the lips. "Officially LA residents!!!" the 29-year-old penned atop the video, adding: "Help we have no furniture." Then, a day later, Joey shared another update on their living arrangements. The video began showing Joey, but he quickly flipped the camera to film Kelsey, eating Chipotle on the floor. He wrote on top: "Day 2 of no furniture.... At least we have our @chipotle." The couple's updates come after some rumors of a rift between them. Rumors have been following the two since Joey was announced to be a part of the Dancing With the Stars cast and grew as Kelsey missed key events, forcing her to clarify where they stood as a couple. Don't miss: Dancing with the Stars fans furious over 'fix' as favorite is 'robbed' in finale [LATEST] DWTS fans accuse producers of 'damage control' after Carrie Ann backlash [INSIGHT] DWTS fans fume over 'rivalry of the fake showmances' during Season 33 finale [UPDATE] The two have also admitted to having some disagreements when it comes to key points about their future as well. And while Joey is still showing appreciation for his fiancee in her social media posts that have addressed haters, some are now wondering if the couple’s next move is a bad sign for their future. Joey confessed that the two of them had some opposing feelings about New York in a new podcast interview, and shared where they were going to set up a new home together. Appearing on the Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis, Joey admitted that he and Kelsey had now decided to settle in Los Angeles , a departure from their original plans–and one that was potentially geared a little more towards him. “We'd been going back and forth for a bit, but we kind of knew when Dancing came around that we were going to get a real taste if we like L.A.,” he said. “I think that I was more interested in L.A. than New York and she was probably more interested in New York than L.A., but realized she would probably still be happy here, and I don’t know know that I would have been able to find the things I love to do as much in New York ,” he added. “When you’ve lived in Hawaii, the closest lifestyle that you can get in the U.S. might be in Los Angeles or somewhere in California , because it’s really hard to be able to play tennis, golf, and surf and do all of these activities that I love anywhere else,” he continued. “So we said why don’t we do this, because we wanted to be in a place where there was more going on.”Japan holds first memorial for 'all workers' at Sado gold mines but blurs WWII atrocity. Why?

Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. Any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. Finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. "Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation's highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic.Helios Technologies officer sells $215,920 in common stockNo. 9 Kentucky, focused on getting better, welcomes Jackson St.

Earnings Breakdown: Petco Health and Wellness Q3No. 12 Boise State (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West, No. 12 CFP) at Wyoming (2-8, 2-4,) Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (CBSSN) BetMGM College Football Odds: Boise State by 22 1/2. Series record: Boise State leads 17-1. Boise State enters its final conference game of the season with an eight-game winning streak - its longest single-season winning streak since 2014 - and with its sights set on a potential top-four seed in the College Football Playoff. With Boise State in front of BYU, the Broncos became the provisional No. 4 seed in the playoff with two weeks left in the regular season. Despite being mired in a two-win season, Wyoming would love to play the spoiler role against the Broncos. Wyoming’s rushing defense against Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty. The junior running back comes into this one leading the nation in several categories, including rushing yards (1,893), rushing touchdowns (26), total touchdowns (27) and all-purpose yards (1,991). The Cowboys rank 116th in the nation in allowing 201.2 yards rushing per game. Boise State: WR Cameron Camper continues to play a pivotal role for the Broncos. As Jeanty draws the attention of opposing defensive units, it creates space in the secondary for Camper to operate. The senior leads the Broncos with 665 yards receiving with 40 catches, including four touchdowns. Wyoming: DE DeVonne Harris has proven to be effective for the Cowboys since missing time earlier this season with an injury. Harris registered a season-high six tackles with a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery at Colorado State and has three tackles for loss this season. Harris could be tasked to slow Jeanty in the running lanes while also applying pressure to Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen. Boise State and Wyoming are two of the best teams on third downs on both sides of the ball with the Broncos’ offense checking in third nationally in third-down conversion percentage (52.7%) and Wyoming’s defense ranked fifth in the country in third-down conversion percentage against (.285). ... The Broncos, who own the third-best rushing offense in the country with 258.7 yards rushing per game, have run for 200 or more yards in eight games this season. ... Wyoming linebacker Connor Shay ranks second on the team with 62 tackles this season. His 6.2 tackles per game rank 20th in the conference. .. Wyoming has won 65.9% of its games in War Memorial Stadium, though the Cowboys are just 1-4 in Laramie this season. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football .Commerce Bank Has $2.35 Million Holdings in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX)

Central Vic abattoir stops small kills leaving farmers without processorALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Jurors in New Mexico have awarded a man more than $412 million in a medical malpractice case that involved a men’s health clinic that operates in several states. The man’s attorneys celebrated Monday’s verdict, saying they are hopeful it will prevent other men from falling victim to a scheme that involved fraud and what they described as dangerous penile injections. They said the jury award for punitive and compensatory damages is likely the largest in history for a medical malpractice case. The award follows a trial held in Albuquerque earlier this month that centered on allegations outlined in a lawsuit filed by the man’s attorneys in 2020. NuMale Medical Center and company officials were named as defendants. According to the complaint, the man was 66 when he visited the clinic in 2017 in search of treatment for fatigue and weight loss. The clinic is accused of misdiagnosing him and unnecessarily treating him with “invasive erectile dysfunction shots” that caused irreversible damage. “This out of state medical corporation set up a fraudulent scheme to make millions off of conning old men by scaring them with a fake test,” Nick Rowley, the man’s attorney, wrote in a social media post that detailed the verdict. Rowley went on to say that the scheme involved clinic workers telling patients they would have irreversible damage if they didn’t agree to injections three times a week. NuMale Medical Center President Brad Palubicki said in a statement issued Tuesday that the company is committed to high-quality and safe patient care. He said NuMale disagrees with the verdict and intend to pursue all available legal remedies, including an appeal. A message seeking additional comment was left Wednesday with the company and its attorney. NuMale also has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin. According to court records, jurors found that fraudulent and negligent conduct by the defendants resulted in damages to the plaintiff. They also found that unconscionable conduct by the defendants violated the Unfair Practices Act. The Associated Press

( MENAFN - Newsroom Panama) You're witnessing a seismic shift in the entertainment industry, driven by technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences. The metaverse is projected to generate up to $5 trillion in value by 2030, with over 50% of live events expected to occur within this immersive digital realm. Data-driven diversity and inclusion initiatives are influencing box office success and consumer engagement. Strategic partnerships and M&A activity highlight the importance of collaboration in adapting to changes in content distribution. Personalization through AI-driven technologies can boost revenues by 15%, while intuitive interfaces promote natural interactions with entertainment. Embrace these trends to stay competitive in the evolving global entertainment landscape. Two key trends are driving the future of entertainment: the rise of the metaverse and the growing demand for immersive experiences. As the metaverse is projected to generate up to $5 trillion in value by 2030, it's clear that this virtual reality landscape will play a significant role in shaping how we consume and interact with content. You can expect over 50% of live events to occur within the metaverse by 2030, signaling a major shift towards digital transformation in the entertainment industry. Content creators and companies investing in metaverse-related technologies will be at the forefront of innovation, redefining how we experience entertainment. The integration of gaming and filmed entertainment will blur the lines between passive and interactive content consumption, creating new opportunities for immersive experiences. With the virtual reality industry expected to reach $22 billion by 2025, it's evident that the demand for immersive entertainment will continue to grow. Embracing these trends will be crucial for staying relevant and competitive in the rapidly evolving entertainment landscape, as the metaverse and immersive experiences become the new norm. Alongside the metaverse and immersive experiences, data-driven diversity and inclusion initiatives are transforming the entertainment industry, including Canadian IPTV . Authentic representation in films significantly impacts box office success, with movies featuring fewer than 11% underrepresented actors underperforming by 20%. Additionally, 64% of consumers report being influenced by diverse advertisements, highlighting the importance of representation in marketing strategies. However, companies face challenges in effectively recording Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) data: Despite these challenges, 59% of executives have increased their investments in DEI initiatives over the past year, reflecting a growing commitment to fostering inclusive environments in the media and entertainment industry. As the industry evolves, data-driven diversity and inclusion will play a crucial role in shaping personalized content and ensuring authentic representation across all platforms, ultimately driving the future of entertainment. Strategic partnerships and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are transforming the entertainment industry as companies adapt to the rapidly evolving content and distribution landscape. In the realm of entertainment, storytelling formats are undergoing a profound transformation, driven by technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences. Modern creators are leveraging mixed reality, participatory storytelling, and immersive theater to engage audiences in unprecedented ways. This shift is evident in: As technology continues to progress, the lines between creator and consumer will blur further, giving rise to even more interactive and personalized forms of storytelling. This evolution will not only reshape the entertainment landscape but also redefine how we connect with narratives and each other. The future of entertainment lies in the seamless integration of diverse formats, fostering deeper engagement and more meaningful experiences for audiences worldwide. Personalization and intuitive interfaces are poised to revolutionize the entertainment landscape, as AI-driven technologies and immersive experiences continue to shape consumer expectations. You'll find that personalization, powered by machine learning, can boost revenues by 15% through tailored customer experiences. Intuitive interfaces, such as gesture and voice recognition, will promote more natural interactions with entertainment, moving beyond traditional controls. As you demand more relatable content, immersive experiences designed with character recognition and emotional responsiveness will enhance your engagement. By 2030, your wearable devices will seamlessly integrate social, work, and entertainment environments, creating a personalized consumption experience. The rise of virtual reality and mixed reality technologies will redefine storytelling, allowing for personalization that enhances your interaction and engagement with narratives. Artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in driving these advancements, enabling entertainment providers to deliver highly customized content and experiences. As personalization and intuitive interfaces become the norm, you can expect a more immersive and engaging entertainment landscape that adapts to your preferences and behaviors, ultimately transforming the way you consume and interact with content in the future. You'll witness a transformation in entertainment, driven by content diversity and personalized experiences. Streaming competition will intensify, while virtual reality and AI redefine audience engagement. Prepare for a future of immersive storytelling and global cultural exchange. You'll witness streaming dominance, immersive experiences, and diverse content driving audience engagement. Virtual reality and cultural exchange will reshape entertainment, while data-driven insights and forward-looking strategies will be essential for success in this evolving landscape. You'll experience immersive entertainment through virtual reality and AI-driven storytelling on streaming platforms. Interactive media and personalized content, powered by advanced technologies, will reshape how you engage with and consume entertainment in the future. Globalization has transformed entertainment through cultural exchange and audience diversity. Streaming platforms now offer regional content, fostering global collaborations. As language barriers diminish, you can access a wealth of international films, shows, and creators like never before. MENAFN24122024000218011062ID1109028674 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

CDC breaks silence as mystery flu-like infection kills dozens of children and sparks Covid-era travel restrictions READ MORE: Health officials issue dire warning as mysterious illness emerges By LUKE ANDREWS SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:32 GMT, 5 December 2024 | Updated: 22:20 GMT, 5 December 2024 e-mail 31 View comments The CDC is 'standing ready' amid an outbreak of a mystery disease in Africa. There are rising concerns about the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where dozens of people have died from a flu-like respiratory illness. A source at the CDC told DailyMail.com they were 'aware' of the outbreak and were in contact with health officials there 'and stand ready to provide additional support if needed'. The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed a team to the southwestern province Kwango where the outbreak is being reported to take samples and test for the virus. DRC health minister Roger Kamba said his country was currently on 'maximum alert' as they try to work out what's behind the 'epidemic' that has killed up to 143 people . Most patients were children in their late teens, officials said, who suffered from symptoms including a fever, headache, cough and shortness of breath. The symptoms suggest a respiratory virus — and, already, parallels are being drawn to the early days of the Covid pandemic. Hong Kong became the first country to bring in health checks for arrivals from the DRC and Africa today, in an echo of measures taken to limit the spread of Covid. Officials are 'aware' of a mysterious outbreak in the Congo. The above is a stock image and shows a healthcare worker caring for an individual in Tehran, Iran, in March 2020 — at the start of the Covid pandemic A source at CDC told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'The CDC is aware of reports of an illness in southwest DRC. 'US Government staff, including those from US CDC's country office in Kinshasa [the DRC's capital], are in contact with the DRC's ministry of health and stand ready to provide additional support if needed.' It was not clear how concerned the CDC was over the outbreak, or whether the agency plans to alert the nation's doctors. Read More Health officials issue dire warning as mysterious flu-like illness kills 143 Tests on patients are currently being carried out in the DRC, with officials saying they expect to have the results before the end of the week. There are no direct flights between the US and Kinshasa, according to flight monitoring websites, although passengers can still arrive via connecting flights. This may include catching connecting flights in Johannesburg, South Africa, or in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Officials say it is taking days to establish the illness behind the outbreak because the cases are in a remote part of the country, which took two days for the health team to reach. It is not clear what disease could be causing the outbreak at this point, but officials say it could be a respiratory disease. Experts speaking to DailyMail.com said the symptoms were 'non-specific' and they needed more information. Dr Peter Hotez, pictured above, was speaking on MSNBC warning of the dangers posed by Dr Annie Rimoin, an epidemiologist at the University of California , Los Angeles , who has worked in Congo since 2002, told NBC News that diagnosing the illnesses may be complicated by underlying health issues in the local population, including malaria and malnutrition. 'I think it's really important to be aware of what's happening, and I think it's also really important not to panic until we have more information,' she said. 'It could be anything,' she added. 'It could be influenza, it could be Ebola , it could be measles. At this point, we really just don’t know.' Dr Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases expert and associate professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said that at this stage it was difficult to tell what was causing the outbreak because only general symptoms had been reported. 'We need more information,' she told DailyMail.com, 'the information that has been provided at present speaks of a number of diseases'. Asked whether it could be monkeypox or Ebola, she said: 'In what they are reporting, we have not seen any reports of skin rash or skin abnormality — which would go with mpox. 'Typically, with viral hemorrhagic fever [like Ebola] you would hear reports of coughing or throwing up blood, and that has not been reported either.' She added: 'The reports are concerning, but we need more data and more information about the symptoms they are seeing on the ground.' The above map shows the DRC, and highlights the province of Kwango where the outbreak has been recorded The above image shows Roger Kamba, who heads up the DRC's department of health Officials initially suggested that 143 people had died from the mystery disease, although authorities appear to have reduced that number to 71 deaths. These include 27 people who died in the hospital and 44 people who died in the community. Of the people who died in hospital, 10 died due to a lack of blood transfusions and 17 died as a result of respiratory problems — the health minister said. Most of the cases were children in their late teens, aged between 15 and 18 years old according to the BBC . Your browser does not support iframes. Dr Hotez, a leading supporter of lockdowns and mask mandates during the Covid pandemic, warned there were at least nine infectious diseases currently spreading in the US that could cause another pandemic — in a plea to the Trump administration not to cut disease research funding. Scientists are currently warning over a surge in bird flu cases in animals that are spilling into humans , as well as a resurgence in measles and whooping cough linked to falling vaccination rates. In an interview with MSNBC news , Dr Hotez said: 'Here's the reason why we need to care about this stuff. We have some big-picture stuff coming down the pipe. 'All that's going to come crashing down on January 21 on the Trump administration. We need a really really good team to be able to handle this.' World Health Organization Hong Kong BBC Share or comment on this article: CDC breaks silence as mystery flu-like infection kills dozens of children and sparks Covid-era travel restrictions e-mail Add comment“The Ultimatum” just returned for its third season with a twist that even the producers didn’t see coming. In the first episode, viewers were introduced to six couples who were ready to start the challenging experiment. For those who aren’t familiar with the show, the Netflix dating series follows couples at a crossroads: one person has issued the other an ultimatum to either marry them or break up. Before each contestant makes a decision, they must split from their original partner and select another cast member to date during a three-week trial period. When those three weeks end, the original couples reunite before revealing in the finale if they want to get engaged or end their relationship. During Seasons 1 and 2, some contestants quit early on in the experiment — one couple left to tackle their issues and another had a surprise proposal . In Season 3 of “The Ultimatum” — which released five episodes on Dec. 4 — the trend continued. After the six couples met, selected different partners and moved in together, the show unexpectedly announced in Episode 4 that four contestants had left. “Earlier in the day, Dave, Vanessa, Micah and Chanel secretly met off camera,” a title card informed viewers. “That evening, surveillance cameras captured them packing.” Footage then showed Vanessa Hattaway and Dave Adams, who had been dating for three years prior to signing up for “The Ultimatum,” and Micah Hardeman and Chanel Watkins, who had been together for two-and-a-half years, gathering their belongings in their separate apartments. “Dave, Vanessa, Micah and Chanel quickly departed, abruptly ending their experience,” the next title card said. The four contestants were not shown again. While Chanel and Dave chose to re-couple with each other, Micah selected Mariah Zernik and Vanessa partnered with Nick Tramontin. Following Micah and Vanessa’s departures, Mariah and Nick had to continue the rest of their three-week trial alone. Mariah told the cameras, “I had just come home from the mall, and Micah’s not here. His stuff was gone and the book he lent me was gone so I’m confused as to why he left and didn’t say a word.” Nick shared a similar experience. “I came back to the apartment and I’m alone,” he said. “Vanessa packed up her things and left. There was no goodbye.” After the episodes were released, Micah, Chanel, Vanessa and Dave cryptically addressed their time on the show and why they exited the experiment early on social media. Dave uploaded an Instagram post that showed his cast photo on one slide and the same photo on a second slide engulfed in flames. “How it looked on @ultimatumnetflix vs. how it felt. Season 3 out now,” he captioned the snap and included a grimacing face emoji and flame. When one social media user commented that Dave was wrong for leaving, he replied, “Beg to differ.” Vanessa also shared her cast photo on Instagram and reacted to fans beneath the post. In response to one viewer who disagreed with Vanessa choosing to leave, she wrote, “Aw I know I just had to do what was best for my mental health.” She added, “You’re only seeing 1%.” The same user responded and said Vanessa owed Nick an apology for how she left. Vanessa commented, “You don’t know what happened behind scenes I have nothing to apologize for.” Vanessa told multiple fans that she will possibly share more after the reunion airs. Chanel and Micah uploaded a joint post to Instagram that featured a series of sweet snaps of them holding hands and posing together. One fan commented and asked why the couple quit. “Whew! Long story you only seen 1% of it all there’s so much more to it but it’s not our story to tell...” Chanel answered. Micah spoke about on the show on his Instagram story. He shared a photo of him staring at Chanel when she chose to re-couple with Dave. “When you’re contemplating crashing out,” he captioned the snap and included two crying-laughing emoji. He also added Kendrick Lamar’s song “tv off” to the post. “The Ultimatum” creator Chris Coelen, whose production company Kinetic Content is also behind “Love Is Blind,” addressed the surprising exits in an interview with Variety . He said that after the contestants re-coupled and moved in together, showrunner Stephanie Boyriven called him and said Dave and Chanel told producers they were unsure they wanted to complete the experiment. “Then they snuck around. As a group, they secretly met. And listen, they’re adults. We don’t put restrictions on what people do or don’t do,” Coelen said. “But the expectation from the other participants is, ‘We’re going to be in trial marriages. Let’s actually do that, and not go hang out with our original partner.’” The creator shared, “The next call I got was that Micah was gone and didn’t have a conversation with anyone.” Coelen then spoke to Dave, Vanessa and Chanel and informed them, “‘We support whatever you want to do,’” he said. Coelen said it was apparent that the three did not want to stay. “We’re committed to supporting the participants and to being very transparent with them about what the experience is and that it can be very challenging,” he continued. “And if they are wanting to really commit to it and lean into it, then we are there with them the entire way, and if they aren’t, we’re also there with them the entire way.” He also explained why the show did not pair Nick and Mariah together. “I don’t feel like that would have been legitimate. The whole point of the dating week is for them to really choose — themselves — someone that they think has the qualities of someone that they could potentially marry, and then be in a trial marriage,” Coelen said. He confirmed that Dave and Vanessa participated in the reunion, which will stream Dec. 18, but revealed Chanel and Micah did attend. TODAY.com has reached out to Kinectic Content and Vanessa, Dave, Chanel and Micah for comment.

A century of tradition: Stock’s Bakery draws fans on Christmas Eve