Donald Trump said Saturday that a surprise meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Florida was "very productive," days after the incoming US leader rattled Ottawa with a vow to impose tariffs on Canadian imports. Trudeau, on an unannounced visit, had been seen smiling Friday as he exited a hotel in West Palm Beach to head to a dinner at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Afterward, Trump posted on his Truth Social website that he had had "a very productive meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau." He said the two men had discussed issues including "the Fentanyl and Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration." He added, "Prime Minister Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of U.S. Families." Trudeau told journalists that he had had an "excellent conversation" with Trump, but did not elaborate. Trump has blamed Canada and Mexico for not stemming an influx of undocumented migrants and he blames them, and China, for drug problems in the United States. Trudeau's trip came after Trump sent shockwaves through the region Monday when he announced 25 percent import tariffs against Canada and Mexico and 10 percent against China if they failed to address the drug and migration problems. Such tariffs could have a devastating impact if imposed. More than three-quarters of Canadian exports, or Can$592.7 billion ($423 billion), went to the United States last year, and nearly two million Canadian jobs are dependent on trade. A Canadian government source had told AFP that Canada was considering possible retaliatory tariffs against the United States. Trudeau was the first foreign leader to meet with the US president-elect. But on Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke to Trump by phone and later ruled out a trade war with the United States. "There will not be a potential tariff war," she told reporters Thursday. Trump later said that Sheinbaum had "agreed to stop migration through Mexico... effectively closing our Southern border." But she said that there would be no closing of the border, stating: "Of course we do not agree with that." Some have suggested Trump's tariff threat was bluster, or an opening salvo in future trade negotiations. But Trudeau rejected those views when he spoke with reporters earlier in Prince Edward Island province. "Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out," Trudeau said. "There's no question about it." amc/jgc/nro/bbk/bfmIt’s official: Dodgers sign Blake Snell for 5 years, $182 millionpanaloko download 。

The world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery producer, CATL, has unveiled two standardized battery models in a bid to streamline electric vehicle battery swapping. The company also announced that it will build the first 1,000 battery swap stations in the coming year. The next 10,000 stations will be developed with partners, with a final total of 30,000 swap stations planned across China. The company’s founder and CEO, Robin Zheng, emphasized that CATL will continue to promote the standardization of battery swapping, with a key focus on standardizing battery size. Electric alternative to gasoline octane grades The 20# and 25# Choco-SEB (Swapping Electric Blocks) battery packs from CATL support both lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistries. Similar to how gasoline is available in 92 and 95 octane grades in China, the 20# and 25# Choco-SEB modules provide an electric alternative, the company adds. The 20# battery swap block is designed for A0 class vehicles, providing a range of up to 310 miles (500 km) under CLTC. A0 class vehicles in China include small city cars and subcompact hatchbacks. The 25# battery swap block is suited for A and B class electric vehicles, offering up to 373 mile (600 km) range. A class vehicles in China are compact cars like the BYD Dolphin, while B class includes mid-size cars like the BYD Seal. Yang Jun, CEO of CATL’s battery swapping arm CAES, explained that the #20 LFP battery pack offers 42 kWh with a 248 mile (400 km) range, while the NMC version provides 52 kWh and a 310 mile (500 km) range. The #25 LFP pack offers 56 kWh with a 310 mile (500 km) range, and the NMC version has 70 kWh and a 373 mile (600 km) range. Moreover, Choco-Swap’s advantage lies in its need-based energy use, allowing users to pay according to usage rather than purchasing entire battery packs, maximizing each battery’s value. Transforming EV energy replenishment by 2030 Zeng announced that all new battery technologies from CATL will be applied to Choco-Swap models in the future. This standardization is expected to lower development costs for battery-swappable vehicles, reduce new vehicle development cycles by over six months, and resolve the “quality, performance, and cost” trilemma. “We are addressing the challenges faced by the electric vehicle industry as the industry goes into uncharted waters. The simpler the solutions we provide, the better our automotive partners can leverage their strengths in intelligence and personalization to create value for users,” said Yang Jun added . CATL also announced that 10 electric vehicles featuring swappable Choco-SEB battery packs will launch starting next year. The company collaborated with GAC, BAIC, Wuling, and FAW to develop these models. The company officially entered the battery swap market in January 2022 with the launch of its EVOGO battery swap brand. Zheng stated that by 2030, battery swapping is expected to meet one-third of the energy replenishment needs for electric vehicles.Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk's X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner's support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta's Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually intended to replace Twitter's core mechanic . That's unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky's growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It's not just human users who've been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing 25 million — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was briefly banned in Brazil . “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to attract new users , such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta's platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” Bluesky said on its blog in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who've grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, posting plagiarized articles or making seemingly automated divisive comments in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots' messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky posted earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn't respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won't be Bluesky's only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they're “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren't — see Meta's platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news. ___ The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Growing up without the security blanket of a visa allowing a permanent place in Australia leaves asylum-seeking children with worse mental health because of parental stress, a study shows. or signup to continue reading Trauma and adversity are passed down to children when there is a lack of psychological security and safety, the study found in the of academic journal Development and Psychopathology, published in November. Researchers from UNSW Sydney and the University of Sydney examined the wellbeing of 68 Tamil children aged 10 to 18 and their mothers who sought asylum in Australia over a decade ago. A 43-year-old Tamil mother of two, who participated in the study but declined to give her name for fear of jeopardising her citizenship application, said it was a long struggle to feel stable. The woman boarded a ramshackle boat in 2012, along with about 70 other asylum seekers, carrying her nine-month-old baby and eight-year-old son and landing on Cocos Islands - remote Australian territories near Indonesia. She and her young sons were detained in several immigration detention centres for a year including Christmas Island. The woman was escaping civil war in Sri Lanka, where her husband still remains missing. After more than 12 years of visa insecurity, she is finally applying for her citizenship, along with her sons. "When my dad passed away in Sri Lanka, I couldn't go and I was very sad," she told AAP. "Maybe next year once we get passports we can visit." With dreams of becoming a teacher or a police officer, her eldest son wasn't able to enter university as a domestic student. He would have to pay exorbitant international student fees because of his visa status. "I was very upset for him because he felt like he was not like everyone else." Lead researcher Lux Ratnamohan says these disappointments of feeling like second-class citizens pile up and add to the sense of not feeling settled, which can have dire mental health consequences. "These families are coming here under lots of adversity and they just don't get a chance to build any sort of social capital or any sort of social network," Dr Ratnamohan said. "When families are subjected to prolonged visa insecurity, a higher proportion of refugee children develop along trajectories of risk rather than resilience." The former Abbott coalition government established an assessment scheme to resolve the visa applications of more than 30,000 asylum seekers who arrived by boat between 2012 and 2014. But the policy has been criticised, with some 10,000 people left in legal limbo with restricted work and study rights on their visas. Dr Ratnamohan said compared to other refugees, the legacy caseload were left severely unsupported in a new nation trying to figure it out with structural barriers put in place. "If you compare families coming in on humanitarian visas, from the outset, they're getting lots of social support whether it's through work, through education or through direct support services and gradually over time that accrues," the child and adolescent psychiatrist said. "Whereas for these asylum seeking families, they are not getting any of those opportunities and the flow-on effect is adverse." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement

A Democratic senator said whomever his party nominates as its presidential nominee in 2028 must be able to “talk like a normal person.” The Democratic Party has faced calls from a number of its own members since the November election to reinvent its strategies. Democratic lawmakers have argued Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President-elect Donald Trump because the party failed to relate to most voters, with multiple saying the party needs “soul-searching.” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, told Politico he believes the Democratic Party is now looking for a political figure who can “plausibly fit in as a human being all across the country.” “I think whomever we nominate [in 2028] has to talk like a normal person. That is to me the most important thing,” Schatz said Friday. “Normal doesn’t mean that they have an affect that is identifiable midwestern or southern or some sort of regional — but this person is real,” he said. “If you had them over for dinner, you could understand what the hell they were talking about.” Schatz said he is unsure who that person will be for the Democratic Party, adding he will “never” run for president. “But the challenge is going to be, how do you maintain your progressive values and not sound like you just got your post-doctoral thesis in sociology. And God bless those people,” he said. Schatz also agreed that “for better or for worse,” Trump speaks “like a normal person,” which strengthens the president-elect’s appeal. Outgoing Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., shared similar sentiments with Democrats last month. He explained via X the Democratic Party needs to evaluate why many Americans are not “aligned” with it, urging members against falling to “elitism or laziness.” Bowman also advised Democrats to “speak to everyday Americans’ needs and aspirations” by placing “kitchen table issues” at the forefront of their efforts. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, slammed the Democratic Party after Harris’ election loss for abandoning “working class people.” “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders wrote in a statement last month. The White House later pushed back against the accusation, touting President Joe Biden’s “pro-union” record.Parade by Rachel Cusk Harper Perennial, $29.99 Reading “Parade” is like driving quickly in a tiny car up the side of a steep mountain. Cusk, the author of the Outline trilogy, switchbacks bracingly between multiple narratives — all about different artists named G — as she races past comforting fictions about motherhood and art on her way to something more true. Sentence by sentence, Cusk’s command is stunning. —Zak Black Annihilation by Michel Houellebecq Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $40 Houellebecq has said that “Annihilation” will be his last novel . Like its predecessors, it offers a clear-eyed (if exaggerated) portrait of the emptiness of contemporary bourgeois life and the fragility of a decadent society. Unlike its predecessors, though, the novel works its way dreamily toward a surprisingly serene conclusion. Houellebecq here orchestrates his own authorial annihilation with uncharacteristic warmth. —Zak Black “Annihilation,” by Michel Houellebecq, 544 pages, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $40. Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner Scribner, $39.99 One of the most exciting contemporary American novelists hits her stride in a book about international espionage, French social movements and Neanderthals. Kushner handles a bewildering range of topics with depth, clarity and gusto. The result is a wry thriller that manages to marry a fast-paced plot to an intricate investigation of perennial questions about that dubious creature, Homo sapiens. —Zak Black “Creation Lake,” by Rachel Kushner, 416 pages, Scribner, $39.99. Wrong Norma by Anne Carson New Directions, $26.95 This apparently ramshackle collection includes Carson’s first forays into short-story writing (“1 = 1” featured on the New Yorker Fiction podcast), an autobiography written by the sky, a cartoon about Martin Heidegger and Paul Celan, and some excellent short poems. Carson continues her restless exploration of what a book can be, holding it all together with her distinctive ironic wisdom. —Zak Black “Wrong Norma,” by Anne Carson, 192 pages, New Directions, $26.95. The Swan’s Nest by Laura McNeal Algonquin, $38 When Elizabeth Barrett — invalided for decades in her father’s home, where she’s treated with opiates for mysterious ailments — meets fellow poet Robert Browning, she’s determined to get well to live life on her own terms. By the time they secretly wed and leave London for Pisa in 1846, they’ve exchanged 573 letters. This irresistible page-turner is a gorgeous tribute to resilience and true love. —Janet Somerville “The Swan’s Nest,” by Laura McNeal, 320 pages, Algonquin, $38. Interpretations of Love by Jane Campbell Grove Press, $42.95 A polyphonic tale that richly imagines the interior lives of characters whose experiences are shaped by the Second World War. The perspective artfully shifts between Dr. Agnes Stacey, her uncle Professor Malcolm Miller and her one-time therapist Dr. Joseph Bradshaw. Rife with rumbling family tension and a startling revelation kept secret since 1946, this assured debut is as true as life itself. —Janet Somerville “Interpretations of Love,” by Jane Campbell, 240 pages, Grove Press, $42.95. Diva by Daisy Goodwin St. Martin’s Press, $39 In 1957, gossip columnist Elsa Maxwell introduces opera diva Maria Callas to shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, their ensuing affair lasting years. The engrossing story shifts between Maria’s professional life on stage and her personal one. When Onassis weds Jackie Kennedy, Maria is dining with director Franco Zeffirelli and acts the role of her lifetime: a woman unbowed by her broken heart. Told with tenderness and flair. —Janet Somerville “Diva,” by Daisy Goodwin, 336 pages, St. Martin’s Press, $39. The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang and Kate Quinn William Morrow, $25.99 Feng Suling, an embroiderer, and Gemma Garland, a soprano with the Metropolitan Opera’s touring company, are thrown together in the chaos of San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake. Through a dangerously charming railroad magnate their paths cross, and they discover his penchant for stealing ornate collectibles, including the rare phoenix crown that disappears when he does. A whiplash narrative drive gilds this enlightening and immersive tale. —Janet Somerville “The Phoenix Crown” by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang, 400 pages, William Morrow, $25.99. The Hunter by Tana French Viking, $25.99 “Whenever it stays hot for too long, I’m just waiting for things to get messy.” So says former Chicago cop Cal Hooper about a third of the way through French’s latest novel, and he won’t have to wait long. When Cal’s teenage protégé’s wayward father returns to the small Irish town of Ardnakelty with a money-making scam involving a wealthy Englishman and a rumoured vein of gold running underneath the land, Cal realizes trouble is afoot. This sequel to 2020’s “The Searcher” unfolds with deliberation, but that does not denude the interest or the effect of French’s narrative, the pleasures of which are located as much in the carefully wrought depictions of the town and its various colourful inhabitants as in the thriller elements. —Steven W. Beattie “The Hunter,” by Tana French, 480 pages, Viking, $25.99. Smoke Kings by Jahmal Mayfield Melville House, $19.99 A group of vigilantes (which takes its name from the work of noted civil rights leader W.E.B. DuBois) seeks retributive justice by kidnapping and extorting the descendants of slavers and others who engaged in anti-Black racism. When they accidentally murder the brother of a vicious white nationalist, the hunters become the hunted. Add in a racist white cop from Alabama also hot on their trail and the result is one of the most scorching thrillers in recent memory. Debut author Mayfield does not play it safe: all his characters are flawed, and he confronts his readers with uncomfortable questions about the nature of justice and the corrosive legacy of racial animus in the U.S. —Steven W. Beattie “Smoke Kings,” by Jahmal Mayfield, 400 pages, Melville House, $19.99. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallet Atria, $26.99 Playwright and screenwriter Hallett marshals all her talents for ventriloquism into this found-footage novel. She deploys WhatsApp messages, script pages, interview transcripts and archival files to tell the story of a true crime writer pursuing a cold case centred on the ritualistic murder and mutilation of three cult members who believed that a missing child is the antichrist. While the serpentine plot keeps the pages turning, it’s the bravura stylistic pyrotechnics that vault this one over most other thrillers to appear in the past 12 months. —Steven W. Beattie “The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels,” by Janice Hallett, 448 pages, Atria, $26.99. Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon Mira, $23.99 Oakville, Ontario’s McKinnon focuses on the commingled depth and acidity of female friendships in this story of an all-girl rock group whose van goes off the road in the winter, forcing the survivors to take refuge in an abandoned cabin where they start to turn on one another. McKinnon develops the central relationship, between band leaders Vienna and Madison, clearly and with nuance; the novel has much to say about the perils of ambition and the nature of fame in our celebrity-obsessed culture. A mid-novel twist throws the entire narrative askew, making readers question everything that has come before. It may not all pass the plausibility test, but the propulsive engine under the hood keeps this one humming right to the end. —Steven W. Beattie “Only One Survives,” by Hannah Mary McKinnon, 400 pages, Mira, $23.99. High Vaultage by Chris Sugden and Jen Sugden Gollancz, $36 A delightful steampunk fantasy that has a pair of detectives investigating reports of missing persons and strange bank robberies taking place in the overgrown megalopolis of London in an alternative 19th century. As with most steampunk adventures, the authors have a lot of fun imagining new and creative ways science and technology might have evolved; it’s a great story too. —Alex Good “High Vaultage,” by Chris Sugden and Jen Sugden, 390 pages, Gollancz, $36. The Fabulist Play Cycle by Hugh A.D. Spencer Brain Lag, $20 Spencer doesn’t just write SF books, but books about SF and its broader cultural significance and meaning. “The Fabulist Play Cycle” is a bit of both, being a collection of radio plays tracking the lives of a group of writers in America’s golden age of science fiction. The results are both entertaining and provocative, especially as they explore the close connection between fandom and cult behaviour. —Alex Good “The Fabulist Play Cycle,” by Hugh A.D. Spencer, 388 pages, Brain Lag, $20. Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby Tor, $36.99 The leaders of a Canadian tech start-up are trapped on an island whose only structure is a black cube of a glass house. As the techies begin being eliminated one-by-one, the damaged final girl reflects on the steps that brought her to this point. It’s a smart thriller that Ashby lets grow, taking the story in a lot of unanticipated directions. —Alex Good “Glass Houses,” by Madeline Ashby, 272 pages, Tor, $36.99. The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler Tordotcom, $35.99 A timely science fable about a Russian scientist named Damira whose consciousness is uploaded into the matriarch of a herd of woolly mammoths that have been brought back from extinction. Nayler uses the story of Damira’s attempt to save the herd from poachers as a way to reflect on how we are all embedded in a world that isn’t just globalized in terms of international markets but in a way that links all life in a kind of universal mind. —Alex Good “The Tusks of Extinction,” by Ray Nayler, 112 pages, Tordotcom, $35.99. We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer Atria/Emily Bestler Books, $34.99 What begins as a strange home invasion takes a number of turns for the weird and terrifying in Vancouver writer Kliewer’s debut novel. While there’s been a lot of talk about the book’s origin (it began as a short story on a horror sub-Reddit), it reads like a master class in dread and slow-burning chills. —Robert Wiersema “We Used to Live Here,” by Marcus Kliewer, 320 pages, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, $34.99. The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones S&S/Saga Press, $36.99 Unlike most of the film and fiction trilogies and series that shaped his writing, Stephen Graham Jones’ masterful Indian Lake trilogy builds strength upon strength until we arrive at this, its grand finale. Jade Daniels — former high school slasher freak, recent inmate — returns to Proofrock, Idaho to find the Lake Witch waiting for her. Gloriously bloody and profoundly moving, this is a sterling example of what horror can do. —Robert Wiersema “The Angel of Indian Lake,” by Stephen Graham Jones, 464 pages, S&S/Saga Press, $36.99. The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean Simon & Schuster, $25.99 From the moment Ellie Black steps onto a forest path, having been missing for two years, Jean’s debut thriller never lets up. Black refuses to talk, even to Detective Chelsey Calhoun, whose sister disappeared in much the same manner decades before. Jean, who lives in Washington state, captures the constant foreboding and grey chill of the forests and hidden valleys of the Pacific Northwest, and the intricacies of the human heart. —Robert Wiersema “The Return of Ellie Black,” by Emiko Jean, 320 pages, Simon & Schuster, $25.99. William by Mason Coile G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $24 Toronto horror writer Andrew Pyper has created both a new name for himself and one of the most vicious, visceral horror novels of the year. William is an AI, created by agoraphobic engineer Henry, who has placed the AI’s consciousness into a partly constructed robot, as well as connecting him into the main controls of his smart home. Will things go wrong? Do you even have to ask? William is a slim, headlong rush into nightmare, from a truly dark imagination. —Robert Wiersema “William,” by Mason Coile, 224 pages, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $24.

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Once-promising seasons hit new lows for the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers last week. Another late-game meltdown sent the Bears to their sixth straight loss and led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus. The 49ers suffered their second straight blowout loss and more crushing injuries to go from Super Bowl contenders to outside the playoff picture in a matter of weeks. The two reeling teams will try to get back on track on Sunday when the Bears (4-8) visit the 49ers (5-7) in Chicago's first game under interim coach Thomas Brown . “I told them a minute ago after practice there is no confidence loss at all as far as what I think about them,” Brown said Wednesday. “I don’t care what anybody else thinks about them. I think we have a very talented football team. It’s about just putting the work in every single day to give us an opportunity to win.” The Bears are hoping to get an emotional boost from the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history. Over the last 10 seasons, teams with interim coaches are 13-11 in their first game with the new coach. Those teams had a .284 winning percentage at the time they fired their coaches. “I wouldn’t say a new voice was needed. I would say there was change that was needed," rookie quarterback Caleb Williams said, pointing to a need for more accountability and better communication. The Niners came into the season as the favorites to get back to the Super Bowl from the NFC after losing the title game to Kansas City last season. But a series of key injuries, bad losses and spotty play have left them in last place in the NFC West with only slim hopes of even reaching the postseason. San Francisco lost 38-10 to Green Bay and 35-10 to Buffalo in back-to-back weeks and lost star running back Christian McCaffrey to a knee injury last week that will sideline him for at least the rest of the regular season. The Niners already lost key players Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Hargrave to season-ending injuries and are preparing to be without stars Nick Bosa and Trent Williams for a third straight week. “It’s just been a rocky mountain for real with the injuries and other stuff we’ve had to go through this season,” receiver Deebo Samuel said. “Our record don’t show how really good we are as a team. We're still believing in this locker room.” Williams described Eberflus’ firing as “interesting” and “tough” and vowed to “roll with the punches” while insisting the chaos and turnover of the past few weeks could help him handle similar situations in the future. Just 12 games into his NFL career, the prized quarterback is on his second head coach and third offensive coordinator, though Brown will continue to call plays. How does he keep the faith that his career is in good hands with this organization? “The first part is understanding I can’t control,” Williams said. “Even if I understand or don’t understand, that doesn’t matter. I have to roll with the punches like I said before. I don’t control everything.” With McCaffrey and Jordan Mason injured, the Niners running game will turn to rookie Isaac Guerendo . The fourth-round pick has 42 carries for 246 yards and two TDs this season and will be making his second start in either college or the pros. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the progress Guerendo has made since training camp makes him ready for his new role as he sees him running with more “urgency.” “I think it takes guys some time,” Shanahan said. “You start to get a feel for it the more, if you’ve got the right stuff, the more you get reps, the more you can adjust to it. How hard you’ve got to hit stuff, how quick those holes close, how when there is a hole how you have to hit it full-speed and can’t hesitate at all or it closes like that. We’ve seen that stuff get better in practice and we’ve seen it carry over into games.” San Francisco's usually stout run defense has been anything but that this season. The Niners have struggled to slow down the opposition on the ground all year with the problem getting worse recently. The 49ers allowed 389 yards rushing the past two weeks. “It’s been so frustrating because I know what is supposed to look like,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “That’s not it.” Stopping the run also continues to be a sore spot for Chicago. The Bears rank 25th overall against the run and 29th in yards allowed per rush after another difficult outing last week. They gave up 194 yards, including 144 in the first half as the Lions grabbed a 16-0 lead. Losing veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a torn pectoral muscle last month did not help. He was injured in a Week 9 loss at Arizona and is expected to miss the remainder of the season after having surgery. AP Sports Writer Andrew Seligman contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLGuwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma proposed a series of initiatives aimed at capitalizing on Assam’s strategic location in alignment with India’s Act East Policy. These initiatives include establishing bio-foundries and bio-manufacturing hubs to enhance local industries and stimulate innovation, particularly within the bio-resources sector. Sarma participated in the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2024 at IIT Guwahati.Sarma emphasized the IISF as a testament to India's steadfast commitment to innovation, excellence, and the crucial role that science and technology play in driving national development and prosperity. He noted that this event embodies the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose leadership has been instrumental in the development of the Northeast, particularly through the transformative influence of scientific progress. He contended that in our contemporary landscape, a nation's progress is intricately linked to the harmonious integration of technology, resources, and capital, highlighting technology as the primary catalyst for transformation. Such advancements, he posited, are crucial for achieving social equity, reducing poverty, and improving living standards. He noted that from agriculture to healthcare, environmental science, energy production, and communication, science acts as the engine of innovation, significantly enhancing human existence and paving the way for a sustainable future. The CM reflected on India’s storied scientific heritage, tracing the nation's rich legacy of intellectual and technological achievements from ancient centers of learning such as Takshashila and Nalanda to the pioneering contributions of renowned figures like Aryabhata, Charaka, and Sushruta. This enduring legacy, he asserted, affirms India's historical role as a reservoir of knowledge and a vanguard in the pursuit of scientific progress. Focusing on Assam’s own scientific lineage, he remarked on the region's tradition of intellectual inquiry, epitomized by the ancient title of Pragjyotishpur, which denotes Assam's historical significance in astrology and astronomy. He cited the Navagraha and Surya temples as historic artefacts reflecting this heritage while highlighting medieval Assam's notable contributions to planetary science, medicine, and veterinary practices, as evidenced by seminal works such as Vaidyakalpataru and Hastividyarnava. Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Java 21 Essentials for Beginners: Build Strong Programming Foundations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Web Development Intermediate C++ Skills: Master Pointers, Structures and File Stream By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Finance Startup Fundraising: Essential Tactics for Securing Capital By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Sarma acknowledged India’s recent achievements in the realms of science and technology under the progressive leadership of Prime Minister Modi. He noted that India is now ranked among the top three countries globally concerning scientific research publications and is nurturing a vibrant start-up ecosystem. The nation stands poised to emerge as a global leader in innovation, illustrated by unprecedented patent filings. This remarkable advancement is mirrored in India’s climb up the Global Innovation Index, ascending from 81st place in 2013 to 40th in 2023. He pointed to significant investments in space exploration, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy as critical to reshaping society and improving the lives of millions. Milestones such as the Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan missions, he noted, have positioned India at the forefront of space exploration, while initiatives like the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) have catalysed vital collaborations across academia, industry, and government, creating a robust research ecosystem. The CM proposed a series of initiatives aimed at capitalizing on Assam’s strategic location in alignment with India’s Act East Policy. These initiatives include establishing bio-foundries and bio-manufacturing hubs to enhance local industries and stimulate innovation, particularly within the bio-resources sector. He underscored Assam’s unique bio-resources, including Agar and indigenous flora, which hold significant economic promise, especially in the global fragrance and essential oils markets. To this end, Sarma requested the creation of a dedicated fragrance vertical by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) in Assam, alongside an incubation unit and R&D facility by the Department of Biotechnology. He outlined other initiatives aimed at propelling scientific and technological progress in Assam, including the creation of SC/ST cells under the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) to tackle community-specific challenges through science and technology. He recommended the establishment of Skill Vigyan Centres to train technicians, entrepreneurs, and students in collaboration with academic institutions such as Tezpur University, Gauhati University, NIPER-Guwahati, and Biswanath College of Agriculture. He proposed the creation of the Northeast Institute for Climate Studies and Adaptation, intended to address the region’s climate vulnerabilities while preserving its rich biodiversity and integrating indigenous knowledge into climate adaptation strategies. The CM also highlighted the significance of the 200 bighas of land allocated by the Assam government for ISRO’s NETRA Project, aimed at enhancing spatial situational awareness in the region, and stressed the necessity of establishing a radar and communication training center as part of this initiative to empower the youth of Northeast India. He proposed the establishment of the fourth Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) in Assam, focusing on pioneering research in hydrogen generation, energy storage, and the use of 2D materials. Sarma reaffirmed his conviction that these initiatives possess transformative potential for Assam and the Northeast and earnestly called for the support of all stakeholders to bring these aspirations to fruition, thereby fostering scientific innovation along with regional economic and social development. Event was attended by Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science & Technology. 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Louise CasperSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Once-promising seasons hit new lows for the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers last week. Another late-game meltdown sent the Bears to their sixth straight loss and led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus. The 49ers suffered their second straight blowout loss and more crushing injuries to go from Super Bowl contenders to outside the playoff picture in a matter of weeks. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week