'Duck Dynasty' star Phil Robertson diagnosed with Alzheimer's, family confirmsThe Texas Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that state Attorney General Ken Paxton testify in a whistleblower lawsuit at the heart of impeachment charges brought against him in 2023. The court on Friday said Paxton’s office does not dispute any issue in the lawsuit by four former Paxton employees and agreed to any judgment in the case. “In a major win for the State of Texas, the state Supreme Court has sided with Attorney General Paxton against former OAG employees whose effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the agency has wasted public resources for years," a statement from Paxton's office said. An attorney for one of the plaintiffs declined immediate comment, and a second attorney did not immediately return a phone call for comment. The former employees allege they were improperly fired or forced out for bringing to the FBI allegations that Paxton was misusing his office to protect a friend and campaign donor, who in turn, they said, was helping the attorney general to conceal an extramarital affair. The Supreme Court ruling noted that the Texas governor and Legislature have expressed a desire to hear testimony from the witnesses prior to agreeing to appropriate funds to settle the lawsuit. The court said forcing Paxton, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Chief of Staff Lesley French Henneke and senior advisor Michelle Smith to testify earlier could improperly be used for legislative purposes in deciding any appropriation. Under the preliminary deal , Paxton agreed to apologize to the former employees for calling them “rogue” employees, settle the case for $3.3 million and ask the state to pay for it, prompting the state House to reject the request and begin its own investigation, leading to the vote to impeach him. Paxton was ultimately acquitted after a Senate trial. The Supreme Court termed its ruling conditional upon the lower trial court complying with the decision, while saying it is “confident the trial court will comply” with the order.Cowboys feel hurt after botch costs them gamesuperph casino download 。

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The 1% Club viewers complained the quiz show had been 'dumbed down' for the new series. The 1 quiz show, hosted by comedian , has just returned with its fourth series, but fans felt there was too much focus on the 'quirky' contestants, and that it distracted from the questions. The second episode of the new series aired on Tuesday, 10 December and saw Mack chatting to contestants in between questions - including an accountant whose dream was to retire and buy an ice cream van, a drama student who worked in an escape room and another who had changed his name to that of a Transformer. And with six contestants making it to the 1% question final, many claimed the questions were too easy. Hit game show The 1% Club has become increasingly popular since it launched in 2022. It is not based on general knowledge, but styled like an IQ test, with questions that require logic and common sense to realise the correct answer. That often leaves viewers and complaining the questions are too difficult. But during Tuesday night's episode they were complaining the questions were too easy and that the show had been 'dumbed down' to showcase Mack's jokes. During the game show Mack chatted to several audience members. The first contestant he spoke to, James, revealed he was was hoping to pay for a vasectomy with the prize money if he won, as he had three children under five and added: "I haven't slept in a bout five years and I'm done". Another contestant, accountant Natalie revealed she would like to buy an ice cream van and retire early, "just work summers, that's nice". There were several couples among the 100 contestants, and a brother and sister who shared the surname Mistry. Contestant Antony revealed his middle name was Optimus Prime, as he had changed it by deed poll because he was such a big fan of when he was younger. Six male contestants made it through to the final to answer the 1% question. prompting some to claim the questions were too easy. But all of them failed to answer the last question correctly - which was to identify what word was represented by a picture of the number '8' in a box. Ladies & gentlemen, THE 1% question! 🤩 🤩 🤩 — The 1% Club (@1PercentClubITV) The answer was 'incubate'. Many viewers felt Mack's chats with the audience distracted from the thrill of playing along with the gameshow. One on social media platform X: "What’s happened to this show. It’s forgot it’s a quiz show, It’s turned into an audience of cranks just for Lee to get laughs... Quiz dumbed down, Audience dumbed up #The1PercentClub" Another : "They've dumbed it down this series #The1PercentClub" And someone else : "Why do these programmes all go from normal people as contestants to wannabes who seem despo for fame." But other liked the interesting audience members and wanted to know more. One : "I love the banter between Lee and the contestants. But the questions need to be harder. #the1percentclub" Other viewers felt the questions were too easy, especially when so many made it through to the final. One : "If you have this many people at the end then it means the questions are too easy i fear #The1PercentClub" Another : "Either I'm a bloody genius or these questions are way too easy... #The1PercentClub" And somebody else : "Why is it so easy today? I've got nearly every answer! #The1PercentClub" Many viewers could not believe contestant Antony had really changed his middle name to Optimus Prime. One : "Did he just call himself Optimus Prime? Is he a human Transformer? #The1PercentClub" Another on Blue Sky: "This guy named himself after Transformers? He must be Michael Bay's favourite person. #The1PercentClub" And someone else : "Why would you add Optimus Prime to your name? #The1PercentClub"Cousins Properties Announces Public Offering of 9,500,000 Shares of Common Stock

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Officials have missed several obvious facemask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games. “When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slow-mo,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league’s winter meetings. “When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the facemask can be the same color as the gloves. There’s a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that’s a big miss. That’s a big foul. That’s why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that (penalty flag) on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right." Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his facemask and brought down in the end zone to end Minnesota’s comeback attempt against the Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call. On Oct. 3, officials missed a facemask on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field-goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Falcons to an overtime victory. “That is one this year, the facemask seems like it was the obvious one” Vincent said. “That keeps showing up.” Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, the fair catch, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist. Current rules only allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field. The NFL’s Competition Committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist. Vincent was emphatic about the league’s desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries. “The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game,” Vincent said. “You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck. All the work that we’ve done for the head and neck area, all the things that we’ve taken out of the game, this is the right time for us to remove the low block out of the game. Be consistent with high school. Be consistent with college. Every block should be above the knee and below the neck.” The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis. “We need to look at that. That’s a dead play,” Vincent said of the onside kick’s low success rate. “That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick.” Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession. The Washington Commanders’ search for a new stadium site includes options in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and work has escalated on one in particular. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and controlling owner Josh Harris met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week about the RFK Stadium site in Washington, which requires a bill getting through Congress to transfer the land to the District government before anything else can happen. “I think there’s a bipartisan support for this,” Goodell said, adding he’d like to see it get to a vote soon. “We hope that it will be addressed and approved so that it’s at least an alternative for the Commanders if we go forward. I grew up in Washington, and I know would be exciting for a lot of fans.” The NFL continues to discuss a potential 18-game season, but would need approval from the players’ union. “We are doing analysis I would say, but we are not finalizing any plans at this point,” Goodell said. “They’ll share that analysis with the players’ union, which would need to agree to any change.” AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflTrump to Ring Opening Bell on Wall Street’s NYSE for First Time

Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha In a significant step towards enhancing Qatar’s digital economy and industrial capabilities, the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), hosted the event ‘Towards Digital Transformation & Industry 4.0’ at Msheireb Downtown Doha. The event aimed to explore global developments, foster promising ventures, and outline strategies to accelerate digital adoption across Qatar’s industries and trade sectors. The event featured a panel discussion that brought together industry experts and decision-makers from leading multinational corporations, local stakeholders, and SMEs. The discussions centered on the integration of advanced digital manufacturing capabilities, Qatar’s strategic plans for its industrial sectors, and its leadership in embracing cutting-edge technologies. The panel highlighted how these efforts are driving the nation’s industrial evolution and enhancing its global competitiveness. Recognising local innovation, Qatari manufacturing companies that graduated from QDB’s Factory One programme were honoured for their exceptional performance in adopting advanced digital solutions. These companies demonstrated their ability to integrate transformative technologies through initiatives such as the Digital Transformation program, Advanced Industry program, and Lean and Transform program, showcasing their readiness to lead in the new industrial era. The event also included two specialised workshops on advanced manufacturing and trade technologies. These sessions provided participants with in-depth insights into the latest developments in Industry 4.0. Topics included the role of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and other modern technologies in revolutionising manufacturing, logistics, and trade. Additionally, the workshops explored how digital solutions can streamline customs operations, enhance SMEs’ access to trade finance, and reduce operational costs while improving efficiency. Abdulaziz Khalid Al Ali, director of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) at the Ministry of Finance, emphasised the importance of such initiatives in fostering collaboration and innovation. He stated that the event marked one of the Centre’s first major initiatives since its launch on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2024. Al Ali highlighted that the workshops showcased initiatives from members of the World Economic Forum’s C4IR network, facilitating dialogue and knowledge exchange among government, private, and academic entities. He praised QDB’s pivotal role in driving Qatar’s digital transformation and looked forward to future collaborations that align with the National Development Strategy. QDB Executive Director of SMEs Development Hamad Salem Mejegheer also underscored the significance of the event in light of rapid technological advancements. He expressed the bank’s commitment to ensuring that Qatari companies and factories adopt the latest advanced manufacturing technologies. He unveiled QDB’s new Digital Transformation Initiative, which enables SMEs to assess their digital readiness using the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI). The initiative includes financial support through Digital Grants for startups and low-interest Digital Loans for SMEs. Additionally, the Digital Transformation Program, a two- to three-month initiative, allows SMEs to explore and test over 18 digital solutions at Factory One, empowering them to identify technologies tailored to their needs. To further bolster Qatar’s industrial sector, QDB signed three significant Memoranda of Understanding with Tulip, TUV SUD, and the International Centre for Industrial Transformation (INCIT). These agreements aim to enhance technical and operational development, promote partnerships in the private sector, and support Qatar’s economic diversification efforts. The event exemplified Qatar’s dedication to advancing its digital economy and strengthening its industrial ecosystem. It demonstrated how the nation is leveraging 4IR technologies to achieve sustainable growth and economic diversification, aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030. By fostering innovation and encouraging collaboration across sectors, Qatar continues to solidify its position as a regional leader in digital transformation. Copy 11/12/2024 10

Saturday Night Live pulled out all the stops for Election Season this year. Maya Rudolph returned to play Kamala Harris alongside fellow series alum Andy Samberg, who played Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff. Another exciting surprise was Dana Carvey returning to the show to play a perfect Joe Biden, and SNL also utilized the impressionist to do other characters, with one being Elon Musk . Now, Carvey is sharing an honest take on his performance as the tech mogul, and one point he made could potentially resonate with Musk himself. In the post-election cold open , SNL kicked off with the cast glibly expressing their support for former President Trump after he was re-elected. Towards the end of the sketch, Dana Carvey came out as Elon Musk in his signature blazer with an ironic T-shirt under it and a MAGA hat. He started jumping around the stage, imitating Musk’s actions at a rally and doing his unmistakable voice. Carvey admitted that his impression isn't that solid and told David Spade on their Superfly podcast just why it's so challenging: I can't do Elon Musk very well. But I can do something that sounds not like anything. He has an incredible accent... South Africa via Canada, via Pennsylvania. It's almost like, it's a little bit of Australian in there, a little bit of British. But it’s not totally that. Due to the various places Elon Musk has lived, his accent is a mix of a bunch of different regions, making his voice very unique. He’s from South Africa, but his parents are from other areas as well, and Musk has lived in the States for a large part of his life. The Wayne's World alum noting the singular nature of Musk’s speaking voice and calling it “incredible” would likely flatter the famous billionaire, and it may not be the only point he'd agree with the comic on. As the Master of Disguise star mentioned, he can't impersonate the businessman "very well," and Musk disliked Carvey’s impression of him . In Musk's estimation, "Dana Carvey just sounds like Dana Carvey." Via another social media post, the Space X founder then insulted the late-night show for its inclusion of Kamala Harris herself on the pre-election installment. Given that, it's possible that Musk would co-sign the shortcomings of Carvey's impersonation. This can be included in the line of conflicts that the NBC mainstay has had with Musk over the years. For example, most recently, series cast member Bowen Yang claimed a guest host made some cast members cry. Sometime later, Chloe Fineman said it was Elon Musk who made her cry when hosted back in 2021. Musk didn’t deny the accusation and responded by saying the writing was not funny at the time. Despite the conflict surrounding Dana Carvey's impression, the bit seems to have been received well by a number of viewers, based on the social media reactions. While the accent may not have been spot on, one could argue that it was apparent what Carvey was going for. Given the comedian's latest thoughts, it's hard not to wonder tell whether the Tesla bigwig will feel compelled to weigh in. You can revisit Dana Carvey’s impression of Elon Musk by checking out Saturday Night Live 's post-election episode, which is now streamable with a Peacock subscription . The late night show is also bringing back more former cast members, as well as exciting hosts and musical guests for its 50th anniversary season . So make sure to check out new episodes when they air on NBC on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET. CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment NewsArticle content TORONTO — Canada’s premiers are meeting virtually Wednesday with the prime minister to discuss the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he hopes to talk about the country’s approach to negotiations. Recommended Videos It comes two weeks after the premiers’ last meeting with Justin Trudeau, where they discussed how to respond to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s warning that he will impose a 25 per cent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico when he takes office next month. The federal government promised at the last meeting to update the premiers, Ford said. “They said they were going to come back with a plan to put together a proposal, No. 1 to strengthen our borders and hopefully meet our two-per-cent NATO commitment,” Ford said. Trudeau has committed to meet NATO members’ pledge to spend at least two per cent of GDP on national defence by 2032. Trudeau recently flew to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to dine with the president-elect and some of his cabinet nominees for an informal discussion on trade and border security. News of the first ministers’ meeting comes the same day as Trump tauntingly took to social media to say it was a pleasure to dine with “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada,” a nod to a joke he made at the dinner that he might make Canada the 51st U.S. state. Trump has said the tariffs would remain in effect until Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the U.S. Ontario has produced a slick ad to highlight the mutually beneficial trade connections between the province and the United States, and recently began rolling it out in a massive campaign that includes Fox News prime time, NFL football games and at Washington, D.C., airports over the holidays. The ads will also run in Washington on transit shelters and billboards, as well as across target states via digital channels and prime placement for Super Bowl streaming on the Fox Sports app, the premier’s office has said. Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade was in Washington, D.C., this week meeting with officials from the U.S. Senate and Congress, and said they had all seen Ontario’s ads. “They also caught the subtleties, like we’ve got the critical minerals that you need,” Vic Fedeli said. “They need us for these things that are very valuable for their military or chips that they want to make. So there’s a lot of things they’re going to need from us, and that’s why we’re running commercials. That’s why we’re taking these trips down there to make sure that all the right people are talking about all the right points.” On Fedeli’s last trip to the U.S. he met with both Republicans and Democrats, but this time focused solely on Republicans, he said. “We’ve got to start focusing now on people who are going to be crafting laws if these things happen to be done by legislation,” Fedeli said. He is heading back to the U.S. in January, to Nevada, California, Michigan and to Washington, D.C. on inauguration day.

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All-star Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko will make his first start of the season Tuesday. Head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed after morning skate that Demko will be in net when the Canucks host the St. Louis Blues. The 28-year-old netminder from San Diego, Calif., last played on April 24 when the Canucks bested the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series. He suffered an injury to the popliteus muscle in his knee during the game and has been working his way back ever since. A number of factors led to Demko starting Tuesday, Tocchet said. “You want him to feel comfortable. You want to, obviously, communicate with him,” he said. “(Kevin Lankinen) was playing well, too. So there wasn’t a pressing issue to get him in. But we want to get him in. We’re excited. Obviously he’s a huge part of our team.” Demko had a 35-14-2 record with a .918 save percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts in regular-season play last year and played in the all-star game for the second time in his career. The veteran goalie is managing his personal expectations as he returns to game action, however. “I think it’d be foolish to say that I’m going to come back and be perfectly sharp and feel like I have my ‘A’ game in game one. Obviously, that takes a little bit of time,” Demko told reporters last week. “Just seeing game reps and things is kind of a last step of fully doing rehab. So I’m not really putting an expectation on that. “Obviously, the way Lanks has played kind of takes a little bit of pressure off of myself to come in and not feel like I have to save the world.” Demko returned to Vancouver’s lineup last week, backing up Lankinen for games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canucks signed Lankinen to a US$875,000 deal during training camp and the Finnish goaltender has split the crease with Arturs Silovs this season, backstopping Vancouver to a 14-8-4 record. Lankinen has been “unbelievable” this season, Demko said. “It’s been really fun to get to know him and be able to watch him play,” he said. “It’s a challenging position he was put in, coming into a new team and being able to manage the workload that he’s been given.” Demko’s return to the crease should act as motivation for the Canucks’ skaters as the team takes on the Blues, Tocchet said. “I think, when you look at the way Demmer has worked hard to get back, a lot of lonely times by himself, it should give guys juice that you want to play well in front of him,” the coach said. You’d be crazy not to. “Maybe there’s extra shot blocking, situations to get the puck in deep when we’re tired to give him a break, things like that. I think we need to do that tonight for him.”After lengthy public hearing, Warren supervisors OK new library boardNone

Goalie Thatcher Demko poised to make first Canuck start of the season

BOONE, N.C. (AP) — South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has been hired as head coach at Appalachian State and will receive a five-year contract, athletic director Doug Gillin announced Saturday. The 44-year-old Loggains replaces Shawn Clark, who was fired Monday after the Mountaineers finished 5-6 for their first losing season since 2013. Loggains was South Carolina's offensive coordinator for two seasons and an assistant at Arkansas, his alma mater, for two seasons before that. He spent 16 years in the NFL as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Tennessee, Cleveland, Chicago, Miami and the New York Jets. “He brings experience as a leader and play-caller at the highest levels of professional and college football," Gillin said. "He is a great recruiter and believes strongly in building relationships. He is aligned with our core values of academic integrity, competitive excellence, social responsibility and world-class experience. This is a great day for App State.” Loggains' offense at South Carolina featured LaNorris Sellers, one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks, and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Sellers and Sanders led the Southeastern Conference's third-ranked rushing offense. Loggains spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as Arkansas' tight ends coach, and he worked with Sam Darnold, Jay Cutler, Mitchell Trubisky, Brian Hoyer and Vince Young during his time in the NFL. The Mountaineers, the preseason favorites in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division, tied for fifth with a 3-5 record in league play. App State was 40-24 under Clark, but the Mountaineers have failed to reach a bowl game two of the past three seasons. 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-footballNEW YORK -- Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google released its annual “Year in Search” on Tuesday, rounding up the top trending queries entered into its namesake search engine in 2024. The results show terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year — ranging from key news events, notably global elections , to the most popular songs, athletes and unforgettable pop-culture moments that people looked up worldwide. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated Google's overall trending searches in 2024. Copa América topped those search trends globally, followed by the UEFA European Championship and ICC Men's T20 World Cup . Meanwhile, the U.S. election led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about excessive heat and this year's Olympic Games followed. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump topped searches in Google's people category this year — followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales , U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif , who also led athlete-specific searches. Meanwhile, the late Liam Payne , Toby Keith and O.J. Simpson led search trends among notable individuals who died in 2024. In the world of entertainment, Disney and Pixar's “Inside Out 2” was the top trending movie of the year, while Netflix's “Baby Reindeer” led TV show trends. And Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” dominated song trends. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Queries for the Olympic village's chocolate muffin , made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen over the summer games, led Google's global recipe trends this year. The New York Times' “Connections” puzzle topped game searches. And in the U.S., country-specific data shows, many people asked Google about online trends like the word “demure” and “ mob wife aesthetic .” You can find more country-specific lists, and trends from years past , through Google’s “Year in Search” data published online . The California company said it collected 2024 search results from Jan. 1 through Nov. 23 of this year. Google isn't the only one to publish an annual recap or top trends as 2024 draws to a close. Spotify Wrapped , for example, as well as Collins Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s words of the year, have offered additional reflections for 2024.Texas Board of Education passes Bluebonnet Learning curriculum