winner 777 casino login A downtown Derry project touted as being a magnet for business and community support got one more step approved in the process. Town councilors recently approved a master development agreement to help get the long-awaited Abbott Court development project on track, a move that will, when the project is done, bring parking, housing and retail to a property long on the town’s radar. The agreement, between the town and development partner Lansing Melbourne Group, helps move the project forward. The project has been the subject of many town gatherings to talk about downtown progress and what might be best to bring to the community to support local business and residents. The town signed a memorandum of understanding with Lansing Melbourne back in 2021 to determine what opportunities may lie at the Abbott Court location, forming a partnership to move forward with the project. The town also expanded a tax-increment financing district, or TIF, into the downtown to help support development. There were some legal challenges to the project brought by abutters that have since been resolved, clearing the path forward. Abbott Court has a long downtown history. The site includes several parcels of land including land off Central Court the town acquired beginning in the mid-1980s. The property is in the downtown district that allows for mixed use and a variety of other permitted uses including retail, commercial and residential. Phase I of the project will bring a 275-space parking structure to the property and 117 residential spaces offering studio, one- or two-bedroom units. Next phases will include retail/commercial development and additional housing. The land is also adjacent to Derry’s rail trail and within walking distance to Broadway and its businesses. Many ideas about what to do with Abbott Court have floated through town boards over the years. There have been at least 10 studies done over the past three decades associated with Abbott Court and what might work best on that property. “And the last two master plans identified the redevelopment of Abbott Court as critical to the downtown’s development,” Town Manager David Caron said in a recent report to Council. Caron added at a recent Council meeting that the project has been a “multi-decade goal of the community.” “Abbott Court (and the downtown) has been a consistent goal of the Town Council for at least the past six or seven years,” Caron said at the recent meeting. With the legal obstacles removed, Caron said the project is moving forward. Parking garage construction could get started as part of the plan’s first phase next year, with housing to follow. The project could be complete by October 2027. ldnews@unionleader.com {/div}ORCHARD PARK — Cole Bishop’s eyes glanced the wrong way for less than a second. That’s all it took for Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins to run by for an easy 67-yard touchdown. Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas gave Bishop an earful before Collins even crossed the goal line. It was Week 5 and Bishop’s first NFL start after being drafted in the second round in April. The day after Bishop was drafted, Bills general manager Brandon Beane made it known how excited the Bills were to have gotten Bishop, while simultaneously pumping the brakes on any ideas he was an immediate replacement for Jordan Poyer or Micah Hyde. Safety is among the most difficult positions to learn in the NFL and it’s even harder in Buffalo’s scheme. Rookie safeties almost never start for coach Sean McDermott, dating back to his days as a defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. The communication and disguising are more important than physical traits once the ball is snapped and a newcomer to the system can feel like they are drowning. Bishop had his struggles subbing for Taylor Rapp while he recovered from a concussion early in the season and he had a few in his second career start against the Detroit Lions in Week 15. But Bishop’s lightbulb appears to have turned on and it’s brightening with every start he gets. “I’m just learning,” Bishop told GNN Sports. “I’ve gotten a lot more reps (since earlier in the season). In practice, in games, every rep is just helping you feel more comfortable out there.” Is simply winning a game no longer enough for #Bills fans? How much goodwill can the #Sabres get back after a 13-game losing streak? And just how much coal did @billhoppe.bsky.social get in his stocking? fireside.fm/episode/sMvb... [image or embed] Bishop’s NFL beginnings were stunted when he injured his shoulder on the third day of training camp and his recovery extended almost the entire preseason. He was already battling veterans Damar Hamlin and Mike Edwards for a starting job and Hamlin seized it through his knowledge of the defense and injuries to prolonged Bishop and Edwards. When Hyde didn’t re-sign in the offseason and Poyer was released, not only did the Bills draft Bishop and re-sign Rapp, but they also added four veterans between free agency and the preseason. When Week 1 arrived, the Bills named Rapp and Hamlin, the two safeties with most experience in the defense as the starters, but even Rapp needed a full season in the system to get comfortable. “It took Po and I a full season to really get comfortable with all the adjustments we needed to make week-to-week,” Hyde said. “... Going on our second season is when we started to know the playbook like the back of our hand and we’ve been through and installed plenty of times. ... I don't know how he was in the beginning, but I know that now he's an intelligent football player and instinctive. So I'm eager to see him finish off this season.” When Bishop arrived in Buffalo, he quickly latched on to Edwards, who was signed on a one-year deal after spending four years with the Buccaneers and last year with the Chiefs. But after being a healthy scratch six times in the first nine weeks, Edwards requested his release and it was granted. When Hyde re-signed to the practice squad Dec. 5, Bishop immediately started seeking his advice. But whether it’s coaches or veterans, Bishop is constantly trying to pick up more information and feedback, which is why Hyde is strategic when he gives input so that Bishop isn’t overloaded. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Bishop is a longer, heavier safety than they have used under McDermott. Bishop showed his explosiveness at the NFL scouting combine by running a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and recording a 39-inch vertical leap. But what Bishop adds to the defense is a safety who can play near the line of scrimmage and be an enforcer against the run. In three seasons at Utah, Bishop played 73% of his snaps near the line of scrimmage. If the Bills bring a safety into the box or blitz one, it’s typically Hamlin, who is roughly 10 pounds lighter. “He's already, to me, a freak athlete. Just how big he is and how well he can move,” Bills cornerback Taron Johnson said. “But what sets him apart, I think, is his mindset and how he's so coachable, always listening to the coaches and talking to the older guys, trying to see how they see things. And I feel like he's going to be a really good player.” Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said Bishop is improving with each rep. But for most of the season, Bishop wasn’t getting many. At least not during games. While Bishop was learning in practices and watching film, there is no way to simulate how to execute all of the information gleaned at the speed in which games are played in the NFL. For Bishop, that wasn’t an easy transition, especially for a player who was used to learning by doing in college. In Bishop’s first true action over 2 1⁄2 games, it seemed like the Bills were trying to bring him along slowly. He played in the box roughly 53% of the time as Buffalo preferred a two-high safety look. But against the New England Patriots, Bishop played in the box on 50 of 73 snaps. In Bishop’s three starts, the Bills have allowed 89.3 yards rushing on 3.7 yards per carry, compared to 125.5 yards on 4.8 yards per carry in the other 12 games. And it’s also easy to see Bishop becoming a better communicator on the field. On safety Cam Lewis’ interception, Bishop effectively communicated a Banjo coverage with linebacker Dorian Williams, where the outside defender takes the inside receiver, and without that communication, Lewis isn’t able to bait Patriots quarterback Drake Maye into throwing at Williams’ receiver. “When we get the game plan, I try to get all the fundamentals of it, all the details and just try and execute it,” Bishop said. “So whatever they’re asking, I just try to execute to the best of my ability.” NOTES: S Damar Hamlin (rib), DB Cam Lewis (shoulder), S Taylor Rapp (neck) and WR Curtis Samuel (rib) all wore red non-contact jerseys and were limited in Thursday’s practice. ... OL Tylan Grable did not practice for personal reasons.

Land Transfer For NIT Pulwama Campus UnderwayBrock Purdy will travel with the San Francisco 49ers for their Week 12 game against the Green Bay Packers, but it will be Brandon Allen making his first start for the team—and his first since 2021. Allen learned on Friday that he would start after Purdy, dealing with a shoulder injury sustained last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, was ruled out for this weekend's matchup. "It's an opportunity," Allen told reporters. "The circumstances are what they are, but I think our team, all year long, we've been kind of dealing with injuries here and there, and it's been a big next-man-up mentality. "So it's definitely an opportunity for me to go out and play well and put our guys in a good position to win the game. And obviously, we want Brock back and healthy and all that, but for the time being, it is an opportunity for me." Despite Purdy missing Sunday's game, Allen expressed confidence that the injury won't affect the quarterback long-term. "I know this is like the first time Brock's missed a game, probably in his life," Allen said. "He's a tough guy. I'm sure he'll bounce right back. So, I'm not too worried about it. I don't think any of our guys are. He'll rehab and get back as fast as he can. ... I don't think it'll be anything lingering or long-term for him." Now in his second season with the 49ers, Allen has a solid grasp of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense and feels prepared for the upcoming challenge. "I feel very comfortable in the offense," Allen shared. "Definitely, going back to last year, and then all through this year, just being in the system, calling the plays, seeing them play out, all that. So, I definitely feel comfortable in this offense." Shanahan voiced his confidence in the veteran quarterback. "I think Brandon's a really good thrower, runs our offense well," the coach said. "He's done a really good job since he's been here. He's been here two years now, and guys believe in him, and he'll give us a good chance to win." Shanahan added that Allen's insertion into the lineup doesn't require significant changes to the game plan. "This is something that we didn't think would happen early in the week," Shanahan explained. "So we were fully preparing for Brock to go and getting a little surprised by this yesterday. Nothing has to change, so that's a good deal for us." At 32 years old, Allen takes a day-by-day approach to his career, a mindset that has served him well as a backup quarterback. When asked if he ever doubted he'd get another opportunity to start, he kept the focus on the present. "For me, it's my opportunity now, so I'll take advantage of it now," Allen said. "But those things really don't cross your mind, how long you're going to play and all that. There's definitely guys older than me still playing, so that usually doesn't come across my mind." This article first appeared on 49ers Webzone and was syndicated with permission.Qatar tribune Agencies In Vietnam’s heavily polluted capital Hanoi, teenage taxi driver Phung Khac Trung rides his electric motorbike through streets jammed with two-wheelers belching toxic fumes. Trung, 19, is one of a growing number of Generation-Z workers driving an e-bike trend in the communist nation where 77 million - largely petrol - motorbikes rule the roads. A cheap set of electric wheels can now be had for as little as $500, but issues include wasting hours at charging stations and people finding it hard to give up their habits. Trung has long hated riding in Hanoi, rated among the world’s top 10 polluted capital cities in 2023 by air quality technology firm IQAir. The air “is unbearable for motorbike riders”, said Trung, who is working as a motorbike taxi driver before applying to university. “When stopping at T-junctions... my only wish is to run the red light. The smell of petrol is so bad,” he told AFP after a morning rush-hour shift in air labeled “unhealthy” by IQAir. More than two thirds of the poisonous smog that blankets Hanoi for much of the year is caused by petrol vehicles, city authorities said last year. The World Bank puts the figure at 30 percent. Vietnam officials have ordered that a quarter of two-wheelers across the country must be electric by 2030 to help battle the air crisis. In 2023 just nine percent of two wheelers sold were electric, according to the International Energy Agency - although only in China was the share higher. Low running costs and cheap prices are pulling in students, who account for 80 percent of electric two-wheeler users in Vietnam, transport analyst Truong Thi My Thanh said. But for older drivers, it is harder to give up what they know. Fruit vendor Tran Thi Hoa, 43, has been driving a petrol motorbike for more than two decades and has no intention of switching. “The gasoline motorbike is so convenient. It takes me just a few minutes to fuel up,” she said. “I know e-bikes are good for the environment and can help me save on petrol, but I am too used to what I have,” Hoa told AFP from behind her facemask. Although most electric two-wheelers can easily be charged at home, fears over battery safety cause many to instead use one of the 150,000 EV power points installed by Nasdaq-listed VinFast across the country. After a fire last year in Hanoi that killed 56 people, several apartment buildings temporarily restricted EV charging - before police later ruled out battery charging as a possible cause. But some remain fearful, while others living in crowded apartment shares have no space to power up. Trung, whose VinFast scooter has a 200-kilometre range, spends up to three hours a day drinking tea and scrolling on his phone while he waits for his battery to charge - time he could be picking up fares. But home-grown start-up Selex, which makes e-bikes and battery packs, has pioneered a quick-fix - stations where riders can instantly swap a depleted battery for a new one. Bowen Wang, senior sustainable transport specialist at the World Bank, told a news conference this month, that it was delivery and taxi firms, as well as rural drivers, who could really benefit. They “typically drive much longer distances than urban users”, he said. “That’s where the swapping is critical.” Selex, which is now backed by the Asian Development Bank, has partnerships with delivery giants Lazada Logistics and DHL Express, who use e-bikes for some of their shipments. Vingroup - helmed by Vietnam’s richest man - runs a taxi company with a fleet of thousands of e-bikes, mostly in major cities. Selex founder Nguyen Phuoc Huu Nguyen, who left his job on a top-secret defense ministry research project to set up the company, urged the government to help drive momentum through incentives. He suggested that a vehicle registration fee waiver for EVs would help “end-users see the benefits of buying an e-bike”. “We all understand that EVs are good for the environment. But it needs investment.” Transport analyst Thanh emphasizes that Hanoi must also embrace public transport alongside EVs if it wants to free up gridlocked streets. But if a shift to electric cannot fully solve Hanoi’s issues, the growth in ownership “is a beacon of hope”, Thanh said. Copy 06/12/2024 10

Syrians rejoice as Assad flees, ending brutal reign

By Aijaz Hussain and Ashok Sharma | Associated Press NEW DELHI — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament’s Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi. Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Associated Press Writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.PUBG’s creator has an ambitious plan for multiple new games

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. The tsunami warning was in effect for roughly an hour. It was issued shortly after the temblor struck and covered nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California’s Monterey Bay north into Oregon. “It was a strong quake, our building shook, we’re fine but I have a mess to clean up right now,” said Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed with food, wares and souvenirs that is a main attraction in Ferndale. “We lost a lot of stuff. It’s probably worse than two years ago. I have to go, I have to try and salvage something for the holidays because it’s going to be a tough year,” Kreitzer said before hanging up. The region — known for its redwood forests, scenic mountains and the three-county Emerald Triangle’s legendary marijuana crop — was struck by a 6.4 magnitude quake in 2022 that left thousands of people without power and water. The northwest corner of California is the most seismically active part of the state since it’s where three tectonic plates meet, seismologist Lucy Jones said on the social media platform BlueSky. Shortly after the quake, phones in Northern California buzzed with the tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.” South of San Francisco in Santa Cruz, authorities cleared the main beach, taping off entrances with police tape. Numerous cities urged people to evacuate to higher ground as a precaution, including Eureka. “I thought my axles had fallen apart,” said Valerie Starkey, a Del Norte County supervisor representing Crescent City, a town of fewer than 6,000 about 66 miles (106 km) north of Eureka. “That’s what I was feeling ... ‘My axles are broken now.’ I did not realize it was an earthquake.” Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has signed off on a state of emergency declaration to quickly move state resources to impacted areas along the coast. State officials were concerned about damages in the northern part of the state, Newsom said. Crews in Eureka, the biggest city in the region, were assessing if there was any major damage from the quake, Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel said. Bergel, who works as a resource aid at a middle school, said lights were swaying and everyone got under desks. “The kids were so great and terrified. It seemed to go back and forth for quite a long time,” she said. Some children asked, “Can I call my mom?" The students were later sent home. In nearby Arcata, students and faculty were urged to shelter in place at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. The campus in was not in the tsunami hazard zone and after inspections, “all utilities and building systems are normal and operational,” the university said in a statement. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said residents experienced some cracks in their homes’ foundations, as well as broken glass and windows, but nothing severe. There also have been no major infrastructure problems, building collapses or roadway issues, and no major injuries or deaths have been reported, he said. Honsal said he was in his office in the 75-year-old courthouse in downtown Eureka when he felt the quake. “We’re used to it. It is known as ‘earthquake country’ up here,” he said. “It wasn’t a sharp jolt. It was a slow roller, but significant.” Michael Luna, owner of a Grocery Outlet in Eureka, said that besides a few items falling off shelves, the store on Commercial Street was unscathed by the earthquake. “We didn’t have any issues but a couple of deodorants fall off.... I think the way the earthquake rumbled this time, it was a good thing for our store because the last earthquake was a huge mess," he said. They evacuated customers and closed their doors temporarily until officials lifted the tsunami warning, he said, rushing off the phone to attend to a growing line of customers at check-out. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator for the Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, said the computer models indicated that this was the type of earthquake that was unlikely to cause a tsunami and gauges that monitor waves then confirmed it, so forecasters canceled the warning. This quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, unlike the more vertical types, said National Weather Service tsunami program manager Corina Allen in Washington state. The California Geological Survey says the state’s shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis since 1800, and while most were minor, some have been destructive and deadly. On March 28, 1964, a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake in Alaska smashed into Crescent City hours later. Much of the business district was leveled and a dozen people were killed. More recently, a tsunami from a 2011 earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast, much of it in Crescent City. Dazio reported from Los Angeles. AP writers Chris Weber and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles; Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, California; Sophie Austin and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California and Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Arsenal up to second after Kai Havertz goal sees off struggling Ipswich

WASHINGTON — Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter after earlier promising he would do no such thing, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That displeasure tracks with the bipartisan uproar in Washington that ignited over the president's about-face. The survey found that a relatively small share of Americans "strongly" or "somewhat" approve of the pardon, which came after the younger Biden was convicted on gun and tax charges. About half said they "strongly" or "somewhat" disapprove, and about 2 in 10 neither approve nor disapprove. The Democratic president said repeatedly that he would not use his pardon power for the benefit of his family, and the White House continued to insist, even after Republican Donald Trump's election win in November, that Biden's position had not changed — until it suddenly did. Hunter Biden leaves federal court Sept. 5 in Los Angeles after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. "I know it's not right to believe politicians as far as what they say compared to what they do, but he did explicitly say, 'I will not pardon my son,'" said Peter Prestia, a 59-year-old Republican from Woodland Park, New Jersey, just west of New York City, who said he strongly disagreed with the move. "So, it's just the fact that he went back on his word." In issuing a pardon Dec. 1, Biden argued that the Justice Department had presided over a "miscarriage of justice" in prosecuting his son. The president used some of the same kind of language that Trump does to describe the criminal cases against him and his other legal predicaments. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was a decision that Biden struggled with but came to shortly before he made the announcement, "because of how politically infected these cases were" as well as "what his political opponents were trying to do." The poll found that about 4 in 10 Democrats approve of the pardon, while about 3 in 10 disapprove and about one-quarter did not have an opinion or did not know enough to say. The vast majority of Republicans and about half of independents had a negative opinion. President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden walk Nov. 29 in downtown Nantucket Mass. For some, it was easy to see family taking priority over politics. "Do you have kids?" asked Robert Jenkins, a 63-year-old Democrat who runs a lumber yard and gas station in Gallipolis, Ohio. "You're gonna leave office and not pardon your kid? I mean, it's a no-brainer to me." But Prestia, who is semiretired from working for a digital marketing conglomerate, said Biden would have been better off not making promises. "He does have that right to pardon anybody he wants. But he just should have kept his mouth shut, and he did it because it was before the election, so it's just a bold-faced lie," Prestia said. Despite the unpopularity of his decision, the president's approval rating has not shifted meaningfully since before his party lost the White House to Trump. About 4 in 10 Americans "somewhat" or "strongly" approve of the way Biden is handling his job as president, which is about where his approval rating stood in AP-NORC polls since January 2022. Still, the pardon keeps creating political shock waves, with Republicans, and even some top Democrats, decrying it. Older adults are more likely than younger ones to approve of Biden's pardoning his son, according to the poll, though their support is not especially strong. About one-third of those ages 60 and older approve, compared with about 2 in 10 adults under 60. The age divide is driven partially by the fact that younger adults are more likely than older ones to say they neither approve nor disapprove of the pardon or that they do not know enough to say. President Joe Biden walks with his son Hunter Biden on July 26 as he heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. About 6 in 10 white adults disapprove of the pardon, compared with slightly less than half of Hispanic adults and about 3 in 10 Black adults. Relatively large shares of Black and Hispanic Americans — about 3 in 10 — were neutral, the poll found. "Don't say you're gonna do something and then fall back," said Trinell Champ, 43, a Democrat from Nederland, Texas, who works in the home health industry and said she disapproved of the pardon. "At the end of the day, all you have is your word." Champ, who is Black, voted for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump. "I just had my hopes up for her, but I wasn't 100% positive," she said. Champ also said she does not approve of Biden's handling of the presidency and thinks the country is on the wrong track. "While he was in office, I felt like I really didn't see a lot of changes," she said. "I just felt like everything just kind of stayed the same," Champ said. Overall, though, the pardon did not appear to be a driving factor in many Americans' assessment of Biden's job performance. The share of Black Americans who approve of the way he is handling his job as president did fall slightly since October, but it is hard to assess what role the pardon may have played. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) carries both of his sons, Joseph R. III, left, and Robert H., during an appearance at the Democratic state convention last summer, 1972. At center is his wife Neilia Biden, who was killed in an auto crash, Dec. 20, 1972. With them are Governor-elect Sherman W. Tribbitt and his wife, Jeanne. (AP Photo) Joseph Biden, the newly-elected Democratic Senator from Delaware, is shown in Washington, Dec. 12, 1972. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin) 1972 - Is first elected to the Senate at age 29, defeating Republican Senator J. Caleb Boggs. Wins re-election in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2002. The newly-elected Democratic senator from Delaware, Joe Biden, is shown, Dec. 13, 1972. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) kisses the cheek of an unidentified friend who offered consoling words after a memorial service in Wilmington, Del., Dec. 22, 1972, for Biden's wife Neilia, their 13-month-old daughter Naomi Christina, who perished in a car-truck crash. Biden's two sons were hospitalized with serious injuries. (AP Photo/Bill Ingraham) December 18, 1972 - While Christmas shopping, Biden's first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and daughter, Naomi Biden, are killed in a car accident. His sons are badly injured, but survive. January 5, 1973 - Is sworn in as US senator of Delaware at son Beau Biden's bedside in the hospital. In this Jan. 5, 1973 file photo, four-year-old Beau Biden, foreground, plays near his father, Joe Biden, center, being sworn in as the U.S. senator from Delaware, by Senate Secretary Frank Valeo, left, in ceremonies in a Wilmington hospital. Beau was injured in an accident that killed his mother and sister in December 1972. Biden's father, Robert Hunter, holds the Bible. (AP Photo/File) 1987-1995 - Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, rubs his temples while speaking during confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork, Sept. 17, 1987, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/John Duricka) June 9, 1987 - Enters the 1988 presidential race, but drops out three months later following reports of plagiarism and false claims about his academic record. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) waves from his train as he leaves Wilmington, Del., after announcing his candidacy for president, June 9, 1987. At right, son Beau carries daughter; to Biden's right is his wife Jill and son Hunter. (AP Photo/George Widman) February 1988 - Undergoes surgery to repair an aneurysm in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), wearing a University of Delaware baseball cap, leaves Walter Reed Army Hospital accompanied by his son Hunter Biden, Thursday, March 24, 1988, Washington, D.C. Biden had been in the hospital for 11 days so that surgeons could implant a small umbrella-like filter in a vein to prevent blood clots from reaching his lungs. (AP Photo/Adele Starr) In this Oct. 12, 1991 file photo Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Biden, D-Del., points angrily at Clarence Thomas during comments at the end of hearings on Thomas' nomination to the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. looks on at right. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson, File) January 20, 1990 - Introduces a bill that becomes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The act addresses sexual assault and domestic violence. It is signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), left, stands behind a flag as Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), second from right, along with other congresswomen meet reporters on Capitol Hill, Feb. 24, 1993, to discuss the Violence Against Women Act. From left are: Sen. Biden; Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.); Rep. Pat Schroeder (D-Colo); Sen. Boxer; and Rep. Constance Morella of Maryland. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma) In this April 9, 1993, file photo Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. stands in front of a Danish armored personnel carrier at the UN-controlled Sarajevo Airport, making a statement about his trip to the besieged Bosnian capital. (AP Photo/Michael Stravato, File) Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, meets reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003 to discuss the United Nations-Iraq vote. (AP Photo/Terry Ashe) Democratic presidential hopeful, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., presides over a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007 to discuss the remaining options in Iraq. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden D-Del., smiles during the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Presidential Forum Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007, in Waterloo, Iowa. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) January 31, 2007 - Files a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission to run for president. August 1, 2007 - His memoir, "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics," is published. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., left, listens as Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., responds to a question during the first Democratic presidential primary debate of the 2008 election hosted by the South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC., Thursday, April 26, 2007. At right is Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaks at a Caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Biden abandoned his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after a poor showing in the state's caucuses. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) In this Jan. 3, 2008, file photo, Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., rests his head on the shoulder of his wife, Jill, as they stand in a hallway awaiting his introductions for a rally at the UAW Hall in Dubuque, Iowa on the day of the Iowa caucus in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Mark Hirsch, File) August 23, 2008 - Is named the vice-presidential running mate of Barack Obama. In this Aug. 23, 2008 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., and his vice presidential running mate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., appear together in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, file) In this Sept. 16, 2008 file photo, then Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. arrives by Amtrak in Wilmington, Del., (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) In this Oct. 2,2008 file photo, Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., left, and Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin face off during the vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam, File) November 4, 2008 - Is elected vice president of the United States. President-elect Barack Obama, left, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden wave to the crowd after Obama's acceptance speech at his election night party at Grant Park in Chicago before giving his acceptance speech Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) January 20, 2009 - Is sworn in as vice president of the United States. Vice President Joe Biden, left, with his wife Jill at his side, taking the oath of office from Justice John Paul Stevens at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) February 7, 2009 - Delivers his first major speech as vice president at a security conference in Germany. US Vice President Joe Biden addresses the participants of the International Conference on Security Policy, Sicherheitskonferenz, at the hotel "Bayerischer Hof" in Munich, southern Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. September 1, 2010 - Presides over a ceremony in Iraq to formally mark the end of the US combat mission in Iraq. US Vice President Joe Biden, left, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, center, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen, right, stand while the US National Anthem is played during the United States Forces-Iraq change of command ceremony in Baghdad on Wednesday Sept. 1, 2010, as a new US military mission in Iraq was launched ending seven years of combat. (AP Photo/Jim Watson Pool) November 6, 2012 - Obama and Biden are reelected, defeating Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Vice President Joe Biden exits with his wife Jill Biden after voting at Alexis I. duPont High School, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Greenville, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Vice President Joe Biden, with his wife Jill Biden, center, holding the Biden Family Bible, shakes hands with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor after taking the oath of office during an official ceremony at the Naval Observatory, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) October 2, 2014 - Speaking at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Biden tells attendees that ISIS has been inadvertently strengthened by actions taken by Turkey, the UAE and other Middle Eastern allies to help opposition groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In this Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden speaks to students, faculty and staff at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Biden is due to headline a Democratic campaign rally in Las Vegas, with a downtown appearance Monday, Oct. 6, 2014, to talk about raising the minimum wage. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson,File) May 30, 2015 - Biden's eldest son, Beau Biden, passes away from brain cancer at age 46. In this June 6, 2015 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his family, holds his hand over his heart as he watches an honor guard carry a casket containing the remains of his son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, into St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del. for funeral services. Beau Biden died of brain cancer May 30 at age 46. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) October 21, 2015 - Says he will not seek the presidency, announcing that the window for a successful campaign "has closed." December 6, 2016 - Doesn't rule out running for president in 2020, saying "I'm not committing not to run. I'm not committing to anything. I learned a long time ago fate has a strange way of intervening." President Barack Obama hugs Vice President Joe Biden as Biden waves at the end Biden's announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, that he will not run for the presidential nomination. Jill Biden is at right. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Vice President Joe Biden pauses between mock swearing in ceremonies in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, as the 115th Congress begins. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) January 12, 2017 - Obama surprises Biden by presenting him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a White House ceremony. President Barack Obama presents Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) February 1, 2017 - Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, launch the Biden Foundation, an organization that will work on seven issues: foreign policy; Biden's cancer initiative; community colleges and military families; protecting children; equality; ending violence against women; and strengthening the middle class. February 7, 2017 - Is named the Benjamin Franklin presidential practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He will also serve as the founding chair of the University of Delaware's Biden Institute, the university announces. March 1, 2017 - Biden receives the Congressional Patriot Award from the Bipartisan Policy Center. He receives the honor in recognition of his work crafting bipartisan legislation with Republicans and Democrats. Former Vice President Joe Biden tucks notes into his jacket after speaking at an event to formally launch the Biden Institute, a research and policy center focused on domestic issues at the University of Delaware, in Newark, Del., Monday, March 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) In this March 26, 2019, file photo, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Biden Courage Awards in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) April 25, 2019 - Announces he is running for president in a campaign video posted to social media. Hours later, the Biden Foundation board chair, Ted Kaufman, announces the immediate suspension of all the organization's operations. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Wilmington train station Thursday April 25, 2019 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden announced his candidacy for president via video on Thursday morning. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) In this June 6, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the "I Will Vote" fundraising gala in Atlanta. Biden shifted to oppose longstanding restrictions on federal funding of abortion during his remarks. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden signs a copy of his book "Promise Me, Dad" at a campaign rally at Modern Woodmen Park, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, after winning the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary election night campaign rally Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) August 20, 2020: Joe Biden accepts the Democratic nomination for president Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., raise their arms up as fireworks go off in the background during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. Looking on are Jill Biden, far left, and Harris' husband Doug Emhoff, far right. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, with moderator Chris Wallace, center, of Fox News during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, and former President Barack Obama greet each other with an air elbow bump, at the conclusion of rally at Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to speak at a rally at Belle Isle Casino in Detroit, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, which former President Barack Obama also attended. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President-elect Joe Biden gestures on stage after speaking, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, file photo, from left, Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Harris, President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, stand on stage together, in Wilmington, Del. The theme for Biden’s inauguration will be “America United." Unity is an issue that’s long been a central focus for Biden but one that’s taken on added weight in the wake of the violence at the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File) President-elect Joe Biden announces his climate and energy team nominees and appointees at The Queen Theater in Wilmington Del., Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Joe Biden speaks about his domestic agenda from the East Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) U.S. President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Pope Francis as they meet at the Vatican on Oct. 29, 2021. (Vatican Media via AP) President Joe Biden removes his face mask as he arrives in the East Room of the White House to speak about the evacuation of American citizens, their families, special immigrant visa applicants and vulnerable Afghans on Aug. 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, speaks after President Joe Biden announced Brittney Griner's release in a prisoner swap with Russia on Dec. 8, 2022, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Also attending are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris. President Joe Biden holds the microphone to Chocolate, the national Thanksgiving turkey, during a pardoning ceremony Nov. 21, 2022, at the White House in Washington. President Joe Biden holds an Atlanta Braves jersey during an event celebrating the Major League Baseball 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves in the East Room of the White House on Sept. 26, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden receives his COVID-19 booster from a member of the White House medical unit during an event in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus on Oct. 25, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to give treats to trick-or-treaters on the South Lawn of the White House, on Halloween on Oct. 31, 2022, in Washington. U.S. President Joe Biden, left, talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during their bilateral meeting ahead of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 14, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia. President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv. President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington, about the war in Israel and Ukraine. President Joe Biden arrives to speak at the Amtrak Bear Maintenance Facility on Nov. 6, 2023, in Bear, Del. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young, left, and Women's Alzheimer's Movement founder Maria Shriver, right, gives first lady Jill Biden a kiss after giving her the pen he used to sign a presidential memorandum that will establish the first-ever White House Initiative on Women's Health Research in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 13, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks to reporters in Nantucket, Mass. on Nov. 26, 2023, about hostages freed by Hamas in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy depart a news conference in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. President Joe Biden speaks during a funeral service for retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the Washington National Cathedral on Dec. 19, 2023, in Washington. O'Connor, an Arizona native and the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court, died Dec. 1, 2023, at age 93. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on the economy on June 28, 2023, at the Old Post Office in Chicago. President Joe Biden, right, stands as an Army carry team moves the transfer case containing the remains of U.S. Army Sgt. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga., at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Feb. 2, 2024. Sanders was killed in a drone attack in Jordan on Jan. 28, 2024. President Joe Biden speaks during the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill on March 7, 2024, in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson listen. Vice President Kamala Harris embraces President Joe Biden after a speech on health care in Raleigh, N.C., on March. 26, 2024. President Joe Biden greets Zion Schrode, 8 months, of Marin County, Calif., as he is held by his mother Erin Schrode during a Jewish American Heritage Month event, on May 20, 2024, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, left, and CEO Clark Hunt, right, watch as President Joe Biden, center, puts on a Chiefs helmet during an event with the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs on the South Lawn of the White House, on May 31, 2024, to celebrate their championship season and victory in Super Bowl LVIII. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk in the Normandy American Cemetery following a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, on June 6, 2024, in Normandy. U.S. President Joe Biden, right, greets Pope Francis ahead of a working session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa-Mediterranean, on day two of the 50th G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia, southern Italy, on June 14, 2024. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater on June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, participate in a presidential debate hosted by CNN on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. First lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff view the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House, on July 4, 2024, in Washington. President Joe Biden, right, and the Rev. Dr. J. Louis Felton pray at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ on July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on July 14, 2024, about the assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks at the Biden campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., on Feb. 3, 2024. President Joe Biden walks on stage to speak during the NAACP national convention July 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. President Joe Biden walks between tombstones as he arrives to attend a mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on July 6, 2024. The poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutions

AP News Summary at 2:04 p.m. EST

LA Smart Blinds Unveils Eco-Friendly Exterior Solar Shades for PatiosNicaragua approves reforms boosting power of President Ortega and his wifeRepublican U.S. Sen.-elect Tim Sheehy this week claimed a firework-ignited grass fire set near his campaign sign west of Livingston was a politically motivated arson. A Park County sheriff’s deputy on Dec. 21 notified dispatchers of a fire near Interstate 90 and West End Road. On social media, the sheriff’s office said winds that night were clocked at 50-to-60 mph and helped push the fire out to 26 acres. Image of the area west of Livingston burned by someone discharging fireworks into the grass on Dec. 21, 2024. (courtesy Park County Sheriff's Office) Authorities issued evacuations for the nearby residents and firefighters knocked the blaze down in roughly an hour and a half, according to the sheriff’s office post. The fire "definitely" started near a Sheehy campaign sign, the rural fire district chief . And while law enforcement has obtained video of the suspect's vehicle fleeing the area after starting the fire, it appeared Friday that no one had been charged yet. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy addresses supporters early Wednesday morning at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman. On Tuesday Sheehy appeared near the scorched scene and issued a social media post of appreciation for the responders, which, , included neighbors to the threatened properties. He also posted a picture with two Montana Department of Transportation employees, whose facility was adjacent to the burned area, as well as a photo of a blackened building. Initial reports from the sheriff’s office did say the incident was being investigated as a criminal act but did not imply political motivations, although Sheehy appeared certain of it in a video posted to his social media. "We just visited with the Jensen family here, four beautiful young kids, it was actually their third daughter’s birthday the night that these arsonists started the fire to burn down our sign and started about a 30-acre wildfire, burned their grazing land, harmed their property and its just sad that would happen here," Sheehy said. "We can still disagree, we can still respect each other in this country. We don't have to do things like this." Grateful to the Montanans who helped respond to this fire on Saturday before it did even more damage. While the investigation remains underway, this type of dangerous, reckless violence has no place in Montana. Terrible way for these folks to start the Christmas week, but they... The Park County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook on Monday it had obtained video evidence of a person shooting a firework out of a moving vehicle and igniting the dry grass before heading west on I-90. "It was definitely someone setting off fireworks at the sign," Park County Rural Fire District Chief Dann Babcox , referencing law enforcement reports. A call to the sheriff's office on Friday seeking any update or arrest information was not immediately returned. "Very disappointing, really tough way for these families to enter the Christmas week," Sheehy continued in his video. "It's effected several families here, including some structures, its a tough way for these people to have to start the holiday season." Seaborn Larson has worked for the Montana State News Bureau since 2020. His past work includes local crime and courts reporting at the Missoulian and Great Falls Tribune, and daily news reporting at the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. State Bureau Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Qatar tribune Agencies In Vietnam’s heavily polluted capital Hanoi, teenage taxi driver Phung Khac Trung rides his electric motorbike through streets jammed with two-wheelers belching toxic fumes. Trung, 19, is one of a growing number of Generation-Z workers driving an e-bike trend in the communist nation where 77 million - largely petrol - motorbikes rule the roads. A cheap set of electric wheels can now be had for as little as $500, but issues include wasting hours at charging stations and people finding it hard to give up their habits. Trung has long hated riding in Hanoi, rated among the world’s top 10 polluted capital cities in 2023 by air quality technology firm IQAir. The air “is unbearable for motorbike riders”, said Trung, who is working as a motorbike taxi driver before applying to university. “When stopping at T-junctions... my only wish is to run the red light. The smell of petrol is so bad,” he told AFP after a morning rush-hour shift in air labeled “unhealthy” by IQAir. More than two thirds of the poisonous smog that blankets Hanoi for much of the year is caused by petrol vehicles, city authorities said last year. The World Bank puts the figure at 30 percent. Vietnam officials have ordered that a quarter of two-wheelers across the country must be electric by 2030 to help battle the air crisis. In 2023 just nine percent of two wheelers sold were electric, according to the International Energy Agency - although only in China was the share higher. Low running costs and cheap prices are pulling in students, who account for 80 percent of electric two-wheeler users in Vietnam, transport analyst Truong Thi My Thanh said. But for older drivers, it is harder to give up what they know. Fruit vendor Tran Thi Hoa, 43, has been driving a petrol motorbike for more than two decades and has no intention of switching. “The gasoline motorbike is so convenient. It takes me just a few minutes to fuel up,” she said. “I know e-bikes are good for the environment and can help me save on petrol, but I am too used to what I have,” Hoa told AFP from behind her facemask. Although most electric two-wheelers can easily be charged at home, fears over battery safety cause many to instead use one of the 150,000 EV power points installed by Nasdaq-listed VinFast across the country. After a fire last year in Hanoi that killed 56 people, several apartment buildings temporarily restricted EV charging - before police later ruled out battery charging as a possible cause. But some remain fearful, while others living in crowded apartment shares have no space to power up. Trung, whose VinFast scooter has a 200-kilometre range, spends up to three hours a day drinking tea and scrolling on his phone while he waits for his battery to charge - time he could be picking up fares. But home-grown start-up Selex, which makes e-bikes and battery packs, has pioneered a quick-fix - stations where riders can instantly swap a depleted battery for a new one. Bowen Wang, senior sustainable transport specialist at the World Bank, told a news conference this month, that it was delivery and taxi firms, as well as rural drivers, who could really benefit. They “typically drive much longer distances than urban users”, he said. “That’s where the swapping is critical.” Selex, which is now backed by the Asian Development Bank, has partnerships with delivery giants Lazada Logistics and DHL Express, who use e-bikes for some of their shipments. Vingroup - helmed by Vietnam’s richest man - runs a taxi company with a fleet of thousands of e-bikes, mostly in major cities. Selex founder Nguyen Phuoc Huu Nguyen, who left his job on a top-secret defense ministry research project to set up the company, urged the government to help drive momentum through incentives. He suggested that a vehicle registration fee waiver for EVs would help “end-users see the benefits of buying an e-bike”. “We all understand that EVs are good for the environment. But it needs investment.” Transport analyst Thanh emphasizes that Hanoi must also embrace public transport alongside EVs if it wants to free up gridlocked streets. But if a shift to electric cannot fully solve Hanoi’s issues, the growth in ownership “is a beacon of hope”, Thanh said. Copy 06/12/2024 10

Solar D banks on robotic panel installer

Arizona (7-8) at Los Angeles Rams (9-6) Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL odds : Rams by 6 1/2. Against the spread: Cardinals 9-6; Rams 8-7. Series record: Rams lead 50-41-2. Last meeting: Cardinals beat Rams 41-10 in Glendale, Ariz. on Sept. 15. Last week: Cardinals lost to Carolina 36-30, OT; Rams beat New York Jets 19-9. Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (5), pass (20), scoring (14). Cardinals defense: overall (20), rush (22), pass (13), scoring (T-13). Rams offense: overall (15), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (17). Rams defense: overall (24), rush (25), pass (19), scoring (21). Turnover differential: Cardinals minus-4; Rams plus-5. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has had a relatively productive rookie season with 51 catches for 726 yards and seven touchdowns. But it’s also true that he hasn’t always looked like the true franchise changing force the Cardinals expected when they took him with the No. 4 overall pick. Arizona might be out of the playoff race, but Harrison’s development continues to be a major focus for the team down the stretch. RB Kyren Williams is coming off his best game of the season after rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to help Los Angeles grind out a win at the Meadowlands. He hardly factored into the first meeting against Arizona, a game the Rams trailed 14-0 halfway into the first quarter and 24-3 at halftime, getting 12 carries and running for 25 yards and a touchdown behind a battered offensive line. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray vs. Rams defensive line. Los Angeles had no answers for Murray in September as he threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and added 59 yards rushing. But their defensive front is much more cohesive than it was in the second week of the season, with rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske proving to be menaces in the backfield. If Murray feels that pressure and can’t keep his eyes downfield, the Rams will be in much better shape to limit Arizona’s passing game. The Cardinals have been beat up over the past two games. Both of the starting tackles — Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) and Jonah Williams (knee) — are out for the season after they were put on injured reserve this week. Others such as RB James Conner (knee), LB Baron Browning (neck), LB Mack Wilson Sr. (concussion) and DL Darius Robinson (calf) have been limited during practice. ... The Rams are in good shape, a far cry from where they were to start the season. RT Rob Havenstein was the only name on their injury report through Wednesday, when he was limited because of a shoulder injury. Arizona has not swept the season series since 2014 when the Rams were playing in St. Louis. ... The Rams and Cardinals have split the past four meetings. Arizona had dropped 11 of the previous 12 in the series. ... Los Angeles is 3-2 against Arizona since moving into SoFi Stadium in 2020, kickstarting its run to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season with a 34-11 win in an NFC wild-card game. The Cardinals have lost four of their past five games and were eliminated from the playoff race after last week’s 36-30 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals have made the playoffs just once over the past nine seasons. That was in 2021 ... Harrison had four catches for 130 yards and two TDs vs. the Rams in Week 2. All of that production came in the span of seven plays in the first quarter. ... The Cardinals are No. 5 in the NFL with 145.8 yards rushing per game. They also rank No. 2 with 5.28 yards per carry. ... Chad Ryland has made 25 field goals since his debut in Week 5, which ranks fourth in the NFL over that span. ... Safety Budda Baker has a career-high 148 tackles this season, which broke his previous high of 147 set in 2019. ... James Conner has 1,500 yards from scrimmage this season, including 1,090 rushing and 410 receiving. ... Trey McBride has caught 91 passes this season, which is a franchise record at tight end for the Cardinals. ... The Rams can clinch a playoff spot with a win and either a Seahawks loss or tie or a series of results elsewhere to secure the strength of victory tiebreaker. ... Rams QB Matthew Stafford threw for 110 yards against the Jets. Los Angeles has won all four games this season where Stafford has finished with fewer than 200 yards through the air. ... WR Puka Nacua had a record-setting rookie season, but Arizona was the one team that kept him in check. Nacua made four catches in each of the two meetings in 2023, finishing with 26 and 27 yards. ... The Rams didn’t have LT Alaric Jackson (suspension), LG Steve Avila (knee) or Nacua (knee) in the Week 2 game against the Cardinals. ... Los Angeles has run for at least 132 yards in four straight games, with Williams accounting for at least 87 yards in each outing that span. Cooper Kupp likely sank many a fantasy title push with his limited production over the past month, and the Rams WR should remain on benches this week for any owners still in the mix. Kupp has topped 44 yards receiving once in his past five games against Arizona. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLNone