casino games uk The storm is coming. Manchester United will be found out. They were Ruben Amorim ’s words, yet he was neither scaremongering nor indulging in needless negativity. The 39-year-old has cut a smiling but demanding figure so far; by his own admission, he was a little surprised by the sheer size of United and yet, while he faces a huge task to restore them to past glories, he is aware patience will not be infinite. He faces the toughest test of his brief reign to date with Wednesday’s visit to Arsenal. He admires Mikel Arteta , seeing a manager further on his journey of reviving a fallen giant as something of a role model and yet stresses that United are a different case. They always are. Back-to-back wins, the first against Bodo/Glimt and then, in United’s biggest Premier League victory since 2021, 4-0 against Everton , have suggested swift progress is being made under the newcomer. Triumph at Arsenal and there is a danger of inflating expectations too quickly . But Amorim counselled: “I would like to say different things, but I have to say it again: the storm will come. I don't know if you use that expression, but we are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games. And I know that because I'm knowing my players and I know football and I follow football.” Part of his challenge is to encourage United to believe again while retaining a sense of realism. It is the duality of club that can describe itself as the biggest in the world when Amorim inherited a team in 13th place. “I know it's really hard to be a Manchester United coach and say these things in press conferences,” he reflected. “We want to win all the time, no matter what, we are going to try to win, but we know that we are in a different point, if you compared to Arsenal.” The fifth anniversary of Arteta’s appointment comes later this month. The Spaniard has a lone trophy, fewer than Erik ten Hag won for United, but has mounted two genuine title challenges: United, in contrast, have none since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. “I think he’s done an amazing job,” Amorim said. “Sometimes coaches are just judged about the titles, but what he has been doing in Arsenal, I think is amazing. It transformed the team. He bought some youngsters that now are the big talents in this country. I hope to have the same mindset that he had in the difficult moments. I think it's a very good characteristic in in Mikel, so I think he did a great job.” As Amorim indicated, there is much to emulate: Arteta has forged a team with a combination of coaching pedigree, faith in emerging players and his own vision. If Ten Hag may have had the same intention, the Arsenal manager has sustained his impact for longer, had a better record in recruitment and fashioned a side who were genuine rivals to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. And yet it has not always been easy. Arteta was a mid-season appointment, as Amorim is now, and won the FA Cup in his first few months in charge. At Christmas of the following season, his side were marooned in 15th after going seven games without a win. Arsenal supported him in a slump. “That is also always important for a coach to have that confidence, but we have to acknowledge that Manchester United is a little bit different,” noted Amorim. “All the attention that you guys put in here, all the time. I know that sometimes is not possible to have all that time. So we will try to do things a little bit more fast knowing that here is a massive attention and massive judgement every day.” Everything is magnified at United in a way it might not even be at Arsenal. One of Arteta’s setbacks came courtesy of Amorim, his Sporting side knocking Arsenal out of the Europa League in 2023. Arsenal’s evolution means he cannot simply deploy the same blueprint. “Arsenal this year, they play a little bit different,” he explained. “Two years ago when we faced them with Sporting, you knew how to press because you can understand better the structure. Now it's more fluid with [Riccardo] Calafiori and [Jurrien] Timber in different sides. One coming inside, the other going outside, also [Martin] Odegaard changed the team.” If Amorim was employed to bring change, with his trademark 3-4-3 formation the start, United has provided a culture shock to him. “I can say I was a little bit surprised,” he said. “Because you don't know how life is at this kind of club. So it's always a surprise. I think I can manage that, but you have to do so much more than coach the team. So you improve in yourself as a coach, you have to manage the time in a different way. You have less time to prepare the games.” And, as a manager with a two-and-a-half year contract, less time to make an Arteta-esque impact.

Morgan Rogers looked to have given Unai Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home at the death, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. Emiliano Martinez had earlier displayed why he was named the best goalkeeper in the world as his wonder save kept his side level in the second half. The Argentina international paraded his two Yashin Trophies on the pitch before kick-off at Villa Park and then showed why he won back-to-back FIFA awards when he denied Francisco Conceicao. Before Rogers’ moment of drama in the fourth minute of added time, the closest Villa came to scoring was in the first half when Lucas Digne’s free-kick hit the crossbar. But a draw was a fair result which leaves Villa out of the top eight on goal difference and Juventus down in 19th. Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. The opening 30 minutes were forgettable before the game opened up. Ollie Watkins, still chasing his first Champions League goal, had Villa’s first presentable chance as he lashed an effort straight at Di Gregorio. Matty Cash then had a vicious effort from the resulting corner which was blocked by Federico Gatti and started a counter-attack which ended in Juventus striker Timothy Weah. Villa came closest to breaking the deadlock at the end of the first half when Digne’s 20-yard free-kick clipped the top of the crossbar and went over. Martinez then produced his brilliant save just after the hour. A corner made its way through to the far post where Conceicao was primed to head in at the far post, but Martinez sprawled himself across goal to scoop the ball away. Replays showed most of the ball went over the line, but the Argentinian got there with millimetres to spare. At the other end another fine goal-line block denied John McGinn as Manuel Locatelli got his foot in the way with Di Gregorio beaten. The game looked to be petering out until a last-gasp free-kick saw Rogers slam home, but whistle-happy official Gil Manzano halted the celebrations by ruling the goal out.During his brief weekly media availability last week, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens answered questions related to the previous week’s game against the Cleveland Browns by invoking that infamous Marshawn Lynch line, “ I’m just here so I don’t get fined .” With the Browns again on the schedule this week, Pickens couldn’t lean on the looking-ahead-and-not-back crutch when he spoke with reporters Friday. So, Pickens delivered some precise daggers aimed about two hours to the northwest. When word quickly spread to the Browns headquarters in Barea, Ohio, the Browns shot right back. It was that kind of afternoon Friday, the type that adds more spice to one of the NFL’s longest-standing rivalries in advance of Sunday’s game between the Steelers and Browns. Fifteen days after Pickens said in the aftermath of a 24-19 defeat to the Browns in Cleveland, “ I don’t really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all ,’ Pickens took a pragmatic approach to doubling down. “I Just go by the record,” he said. At 3-9, Cleveland will be eliminated from playoff contention after their next loss. But does Pickens worry that his comments will motivate the Browns to again beat the Steelers (9-3)? “Uh, I don’t know what motivates them, ” Pickens said. “I am just focused on what we can do. “I am not focused on them.” Fair enough. But it was during that Nov. 21 meeting in the snow at Huntington Bank Field that Pickens appeared to be preoccupied with what Browns cornerback Greg Newsome was doing rather than making an attempt at a desperation Hail Mary pass into the end zone as time was expiring. Pickens tussled with Newsome as the ball was in the air and was engaged with him out of the back of the end zone and into the first row of seats as the ball fell incomplete and the game ended. Newsome after that game posted to his X account, “ Fake tough guy .” Pickens surely had to be made aware of that. But in a move that evoked a true heel turn by top-flight professional wrestlers, Pickens had a response ready when asked if he intended to approach or speak to Newsome before Sunday’s game. “I don’t even know who that is.” Less than 40 minutes after Pickens said that, Newsome again took to social media in response, sharing a screenshot of a May 2019 direct message Pickens sent to Newsome about four months before Pickens’ began his freshman season at the University of Georgia. Newsome accompanied the screenshot with emojis of a laugh and of a clown. Newsome was even more pointed in his comments to media in Cleveland . “I am all about the team,” Newsome on Friday told reporters who cover the Browns. “Obviously, he’s a guy who cares more about himself, and you can see that in the penalties that he causes.” Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct during this past Sunday’s Steelers win at the Cincinnati Bengals. To that end, Pickens on Friday echoed what he said after the game – that it was the officials who were to blame for the flags thrown on him. “I am out here making plays and doing the same celebrations that every other receiver is doing, so I am not sure,” Pickens said at one point Friday. Moments later, he added: “That comes from playing hard. When you’re playing hard the league has a target on your back, you possibly – I am not saying 100% — but you possibly can get flags.” Newsome, meanwhile, wasn’t finished. Pressed by reporters for reaction to Pickens’ thinly-veiled disparagement, Newsome said he wouldn’t allow it to carry over to the field Sunday. “I’m an ultimate professional, so it’s easy for me,” Newsome said. “A guy like him, it’s obviously hard. That (pushing/shoving incident) happened our game. He got two more penalties the next game. So, that’s just a trend that he does. But me, I am a professional so I would never let somebody make me do something that would hurt my football team.” Multiple times, Newsome dismissed Pickens’ comments. “I don’t take it as disrespectful” Newsome said, “because I don’t care about the dude at all.” It’s become routine for Pickens to be at the center of attention or embroiled in controversy after or in advance of a game. On top of everything else Friday, Pickens was added to the league-mandated status report because of a hamstring injury apparently suffered Friday. He is officially listed as questionable to play Sunday. Pickens, who has never missed a game in his three-year NFL career, was asked if he feels as if opponents and officials have placed a proverbial target on his back. “I don’t know,” Pickens said. “I hope not. I’m just out here playing like any other receiver.”Michigan rolls to 112-64 victory over Western Kentucky

What a year it was for the stock market in 2024. The ripped higher by more than 27% as the bull market continued for a second year. A large share of those gains came from the "Magnificent Seven" stocks, some of the world's largest tech and companies. These mega-cap companies have market caps ranging from $1.5 trillion to $3.8 trillion, so a positive move for any of these stocks can have an outsized impact on the broader index. Almost all of the Magnificent Seven enjoyed big gains in 2024. With the Magnificent Seven morphing into the Fateful Eight, can these stocks carry the market again in 2025? The Magnificent Seven plus one analyst Michael Hartnett coined the term Magnificent Seven in 2023, grouping several stocks that demonstrated dominance from the financial, market, and technological innovation perspectives. Here's how the Magnificent Seven stocks performed this year through Dec. 25: data by Every stock in the Magnificent Seven outperformed the broader market except , and the average performance of the Magnificent Seven was close to 69%. This is a big deal because the Magnificent Seven accounts for roughly a third of the value of the market-cap weighted S&P 500 and more than 50% of the value of the . Recently, the podcast, hosted by Wall Street veterans Dan Nathan, Guy Adami, Danny Moses, and Liz Young Thomas, coined a new name for a group of key tech giants: Their "Fateful Eight" starts with the Magnificent Seven, but adds chipmaking and software giant . Broadcom's market cap recently surpassed $1 trillion, and the stock is up by more than 45% in the past month. What can we expect from the Fateful Eight in 2025? After an epic year, here are forward earnings ratios for the Fateful Eight companies: data by These are pretty lofty valuations, with breaking away from the pack and and looking more reasonable. In light of that, many market watchers question whether the major indexes will perform well next year, given that these eight companies make up so much of their value. Still, most Wall Street analysts expect the market to continue to perform well in 2025, though not as well as it did over the last two years. With the market up by about 57% over the last two years, it seems improbable that it could replicate such a strong performance for a third consecutive year. However, leading up to the dot-com crash, the market soared for five straight years in the late 1990s, and the tailwinds from AI seem powerful given how big the potential markets are and how impactful AI is expected to be in our daily lives. I think inflation and Treasury yields will play large roles in the performance of these stocks next year. With the 10-year Treasury yield close to 4.6% (as of Dec. 26), investors are certainly concerned about the prospect of inflation reigniting in 2025. The Federal Reserve is projecting only two interest rate cuts in 2025, down from four cuts it previously anticipated. In addition, some worry about the impact that President-elect Donald Trump's policies will have on the economy. That said, better data from the labor market or the Consumer Price Index, which would put more interest rate cuts in play without the prospect of a recession, could lift stocks, particularly those in the tech sector that trade better in a "risk-on" environment. Other market strategists think the Fateful Eight will become defensive plays due to the uncertainty ahead. I expect the market to experience turbulence in 2025. However, I don't expect Broadcom's inclusion in the Fateful Eight will have a significant impact on the group, and I don't expect the Fateful Eight to outperform the Magnificent Seven in 2025 considering the stocks have elevated valuations, tougher earnings comps, and economic challenges from renewed inflation or a potential recession. These stocks may still end 2025 at higher levels than they trade at now, but I wouldn't expect them to deliver booming results like those they put up in 2024.Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records

DPW workers and city residents gathered in front of City Hall on Saturday afternoon to demand change within the agency. One by one, workers and residents took the stand and spoke out against workplace safety, pay, and toxic and hostile environments within the Department of Public Works. “We’ve got the 4th most dangerous job in America. Understand that. The 4th most dangerous job in America,” DPW worker Clarence Thomas said. “A lot of people would not go out there in those alleyways or anything of that nature. I’ve had guns put in my face. I’ve been bitten by rats – it’s almost a part of my forearm. I’ve been hit by cars while doing my job.” The group alleges that they’re not valued or respected despite their importance to the city. They said if DPW workers didn’t come by to pick up the city’s trash, the water and air would become heavily polluted. “Why are they paid some of the lowest wages in the city for one of the most dangerous jobs and one of the most vital to keeping our residents safe?” said a city resident. This rally happened just a few weeks after Timothy Cartwell, a DPW solid waste worker, died while doing his job on November 8. Police say Cartwell was picking up trash along a narrow alley near Fulton and Baker streets when he became trapped between the garbage truck and a wooden light pole. Cartwell’s tragic death occurred only a few months after DPW worker Ronald Silver also died on the job. Silver died while working as a solid waste worker on August 2 due to overheating, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. “Every worker within DPW should be here. We need to support each other. We’re all a brotherhood,” said a DPW worker. Have a news tip? Contact Alexa Dikos at aadikos@sbgtv.com .

NC Election Board rejects challenges in Supreme Court race

SHERIDAN — President-elect Donald Trump’s Agenda 47 campaign pledged to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., in an effort to send all education work back to the states. Although eliminating the department would not only require congressional approval but also a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate, according to a Washington Post article, local school superintendents recently shared their thoughts on the possible future of education. “It would take time. This is not something that immediately would take place, even if Congress were to vote to basically dissolve the department,” Sheridan County School District 2 Superintendent Scott Stults said. “I don’t believe that the suggestion is that not only you dissolve the Department of Education, but you also dissolve the money and the money doesn’t go to education. I think the premise behind that is that there should be more local control of where that money goes. I’m always a proponent of local control.” Agenda 47 is a collection of formal policy plans of Trump, many of which would rely on executive orders and significantly expanded executive power in order to be executed, according to USA Today. “We want (the states) to run the education of our children because they’ll do a much better job of it. You can’t do worse,” Trump said in an Agenda 47 September 2023 video, which was posted on his platform page. “We’re going to end education coming out of Washington, D.C..... We’re going to send it all back to the states.” In the September 2023 video, Trump announced his 10 educational principles for Agenda 47, which included project-based learning, freedom to pray in school, universal school choice and other principles shared on his platform page. Trump also announced he plans to cut federal funding for any school or program pushing critical race theory, gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content onto our children,” in his January 2023 video regarding education. Established in 1980, the U.S. Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. The department establishes policies relating to federal financial aid for education, administers distribution of those funds and monitors their use. It also enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal funds and ensures equal access to education for every individual, according to its website. The department has no say in developing curriculum, determining requirements for enrollment and graduation, and much of the structure of education finance in the U.S. reflects the primary state and local role, according to the department’s website. Sheridan County School District 1 Superintendent Jeff Jones said he was open to the idea of localizing control of educational decisions. “This ‘help’ over the last century (from the DOE) has turned into one-size-fits-all mandates for all schools across the country. We have more than enough information at our fingertips in 2024 to know what does and doesn’t work in education. We also have ways to access new information that doesn’t involve traveling in a horse and buggy,” Jones said in an email to The Sheridan Press. “I am much more confident in the people in our state and local communities knowing what is best for students in our school district than those working in Washington D.C.” Sheridan County School District 3 Superintendent Chase Christensen said he could see a situation where the department could go away and the states would then be granted the funding streams to decide how and where to allocate them. What concerns Christensen on potentially seeing funding streams move from the federal level to the state level is the possibility of allocation on a per pupil basis, he said. “As the smallest district in the state, I often see situations where, when we’re funded on a per pupil basis, the dollars just don’t add up to be enough that they’re able to make the difference that we would hope that they do,” Christensen said. Stults said there can be some advantages to local and state control on federal money, if the department were to be removed and the money were to go directly to the states. “If money is given, then there needs to be expectations as to what that should look like and how it should be spent, and there should be some guidance in regards to that,” Stults said. “If the U.S. Department of Education goes away, the money goes directly to the states and the money is still there as far as quantity or more, and then the state gets to dictate how that works and we have some say in that? I think there’s some advantages to that because we know where the money would be best spent and how it would have the greatest impact on student learning.” Fremont County School District 6 Superintendent Troy Zickefoose said although he is anxious about the proposed changes, he does not feel fearful. “For me, if it helps eliminate some bureaucracy and some of the requirements, the burdens that are put on districts, I’m game to see what happens. It does make people nervous, but the path that we’re on right now just doesn’t seem as beneficial as it could be. I think there’s some things that can be done to streamline things,” Zickefoose said. “The consolidated grant — which is Title I, Title II, Title III — it is anything but consolidated. It’s numerous mini grants piled into one program. So if some things like that could be addressed and streamlined, give the money to the state or to districts and then let them decide how best to spend it, instead of all the stipulations (and) requirements, I’m game to see what happens.” Ultimately, Christensen said schools need to continue to meet diverse needs. “We’re going to continue to see students that need to be prepared in different ways for the workforce and meeting them where they’re at and making sure that they’re ready for the future is going to take some preparation on our part,” Christensen said. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.

RA Capital Management Announces Close of $1.4 Billion Acquisition of Aliada Therapeutics by AbbVieAston Villa denied last-gasp winner in Juventus stalemate

How major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 12/3/2024

Highly touted high school QB commits to Colorado, possible indicator Sanders is staying in BoulderThe ghosts of Stonewall are watching: How trans activists are channeling history in the fight for their livesMichigan rolls to 112-64 victory over Western Kentucky