ace fishing wild catch underleveled Weber St. 68, Pepperdine 53The CPI(M) on Monday backed politburo member A Vijayaraghavan’s controversial remarks on Muslim fundamentalists’ support behind the victories of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. The party defended his remarks, stating that they were aimed at exposing the “unholy alliance” between Congress and “communal” outfits like the SDPI, the political arm of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Welfare Party of India, the branch of Jamaat-e-Islami. CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan told reporters, “Both majority and minority communal forces have strengthened their attacks on our party over the years. But we are not ready to make any compromises with them. SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami are among the tiny communal forces within the Muslim community.” “Congress is an ally of those communal forces. We saw both in the Lok Sabha elections and the Palakkad assembly bypoll that the two parties worked just as an ally of the Congress and UDF. It will have far-reaching consequences,” he said. He emphasised that a majority of the people in that community stand for secularism. The consequences of allying with such “extremist” outfits will be disastrous for the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a long-standing ally of the Congress, as well, he said, adding that Vijayaraghavan’s position was correct and that the party stood with it. While the SDPI and Welfare Party are not part of the UDF in Kerala, in recent elections, they have pitched support for the Congress-led alliance. LDF convenor TP Ramakrishnan too supported the politburo member. “He has only criticised the move of the Congress and the IUML to seek support from extremist outfits like SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami. Didn’t the SDPI hold a victory celebration after the win of the UDF candidate in the Palakkad bypoll? There is nothing ‘communal’ about Vijayaraghavan’s remarks. His words are only aimed at protecting the society from communal forces,” he said. The LDF support for Vijayaraghavan came days after the Congress and IUML slammed his remarks, calling them “cruel” and “unbecoming” of a senior Left leader. Vijayaraghavan was quoted saying at the party’s district conference in Wayanad last week, “Two people had recent back-to-back victories here (Wayanad). With whose support did Rahul Gandhi win? Without the support of the Muslim fundamentalist elements, would Rahul Gandhi have entered Parliament? He is the leader of opposition there. Then Priyanka Gandhi came. Who were at the front and back of her roadshows? Weren’t there members of minority extremist elements there? Didn’t they support her?” Meanwhile,leader of opposition in the Kerala assembly VD Satheesan on Monday accused the CPI(M) of moving towards a position that aligns with the Sangh Parivar’s agenda of creating communal divisions in the state. He further said that CPI(M) leaders made made their stance clear that, after the parliamentary elections, the Left party’s agenda has changed, and “it has emerged with a majority communal appeasement that even shames the Sangh Parivar”. “CPI(M) is moving towards a position that aligns with the Sangh Parivar agenda of creating communal divisions in the state. To say that Priyanka Gandhi’s victory in Wayanad was due to the support of extremists is an insult to the people of Wayanad,” the LoP said. He said the people voted for Rahul and Priyanka without any caste or religious differences.”Attempting to create communalism in the name of that victory shows that the distance between CPI(M) and the Sangh Parivar is not very far,” he said. With PTI inputs

With state approval, number of recreational marijuana dispensaries in Carroll could doubleUS budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, setting another new high above $99,000 overnight. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Australia rejects Elon Musk's claim that it plans to control access to the internet MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian Cabinet minister has rejected X Corp. owner Elon Musk’s allegation that the government intends to control all Australians' access to the internet through legislation that would ban young children from social media. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Friday that Musk’s criticism was “unsurprising” after the government introduced legislation to Parliament that would fine platforms including X up to $133 million for allowing children under 16 to hold social media accounts. The spat continues months of open hostility between the Australian government and the tech billionaire over regulators’ efforts to reduce public harm from social media. Parliament could pass the legislation as soon as next week. Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 has been federally indicted in connection with alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in California. The Texas-based company is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater containing excessive amounts of oil and grease. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment on Thursday. Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. An arraignment date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company said it was cooperating with prosecutors. US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it heads for a winning week Stocks gained ground on Wall Street, keeping the market on track for its fifth gain in a row. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in afternoon trading Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 352 points and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts' estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called of its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. European markets were mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. Apple and Google face UK investigation into mobile browser dominance LONDON (AP) — A British watchdog says Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers. The watchdog's report Friday recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year. The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker’s tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. The CMA’s report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers “the clearest or easiest option.” Apple said it disagreed with the findings. German auto supplier Bosch to cut 5,500 jobs in further sign of carmakers' woes FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany's technology and services company Bosch is cutting its automotive division workforce by as many as 5,500 jobs in the next several years, in another sign of the headwinds hitting the German and global auto industries. The company cited stagnating global auto sales, too much factory capacity in the auto industry compared to sales prospects and a slower than expected transition to electric-powered, software-controlled vehicles. Some 3,500 of the job reductions would come before the end of 2027 and would hit the part of the company that develops driver assistance and automated driving technologies. About half those job reductions would be at locations in Germany. At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 160,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration.

3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q3 Earnings, Stock Drops 11.4%None

University of Phoenix Supports Arizona Diamondbacks® Annual Winter Classic Celebration

To lure Juan Soto, Mets created a video of his statue outside Citi Field next to Tom Seaver'sUniversity of Phoenix Supports Arizona Diamondbacks® Annual Winter Classic Celebration

Democrats Have a Problem Much Bigger Than Donald Trump

Kaapo Kakko's late goal lifts Rangers past CanadiensPHILADELPHIA -- A South Jersey woman turned to our Investigative Team after she said she was the target of a malicious online attack. She said the perpetrator created sexually explicit images of her by using artificial intelligence , or AI, and then distributed the photos to friends. She shared her story as a warning to others. "I wanted to know, like, who was making them? Like, obviously, what was the source? What was the reason?" said Alyssa Rosa. Rosa said she learned of the pornographic images with her likeness after a woman contacted her on social media. She said the woman told her she found them on her boyfriend's phone, and she tracked down Rosa to make her aware. "That kind of content never existed of me before, and now it does, and it's completely without my consent," said Rosa. "I was mad. I was mad." Rosa said she channeled that anger into action. She learned the images were likely being created by a guy she'd befriended on a social dating app. The same guy she told our Investigative Team also had access to her Facebook photos. "He would comment on my photos, like, say, 'thank you,' 'you're so beautiful.' Comment on photos with my son, like, you know, 'he's so handsome.'" Most worrisome to Rosa is she hasn't seen most of the content that is allegedly out there since the woman only agreed to share a portion of the photo and text messages with her. But Rosa said those sexually explicit images were likely altered from a version of her real photos. "One thing that really stuck with me when in the screenshot she sent me is that he said, 'I made so many clips of what that ***** would do.' Like, it's disgusting. Like, how dare you?" U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania has introduced the bipartisan No Fakes Act. It would help protect victims of "deepfakes". "AI is moving so fast, sometimes for very good outcomes and sometimes for very tragic. We have to put the guardrails in place," said Dean. "It gives a property right to you and to me, to our voice and likeness." Deepfakes circulating on the web are quickly increasing. Dean said there needs to be laws to punish those who create or distribute them. Two other pieces of bipartisan legislation moving through Congress would also require images to be removed and give law enforcement more teeth when going after the creators. "The Shield Act creates a new criminal offense for someone who knowingly mails or distributes intimate visual depictions," added Dean. The legislative push comes after recent high-profile cases, including one earlier this year, which involved pop star Taylor Swift where AI-generated pornographic pictures were distributed on X and went viral. Rosa said she feels violated. She hopes the person who did this destroys the content, and she hopes laws are put into place to protect victims. "That's just way too much power for someone to have access to my likeness and do whatever they want," she added. A new Pennsylvania law will go into effect later this month that will make it illegal to create this AI-generated sexually explicit material. House Bill 125 just passed and prohibits AI from being used to generate child sexual abuse images. And last week, the United States Senate passed the Take Down Act would force social media companies to remove sexually exploited images including deepfakes of any person within 48 hours of being notified by a victim. That bill still needs to pass in the House of Representatives.

LAHAINA, Hawaii — The Colorado men’s basketball time finally found its mettle in Maui. And they were rewarded with a monumental victory. Bouncing back from the trouncing CU received in its opening game of the Maui Invitational, the Buffs pulled off a stunner on Tuesday, topping No. 2, two-time defending national champion 73-72 at the Lahaina Civic Center. Andrej Jakimovski converted the winning points on a driving bucket with 5.9 seconds remaining, the Buffs recorded one final stop to pull off the upset. The victory tied the second-highest ranked win in CU’s program history. UConn led 40-32 at halftime, but early in the second half the Buffs reeled off 11 consecutive points to take their first lead at 48-46. The Huskies led 72-j69 after a putback basket by Jaylin Stewart with 1 minute, 29 seconds remaining. Elijah Malone converted the last of his 16 points to get CU within 72-71, and after a huge defensive play by Javon Ruffin got the ball back for the Buffs, Jakimovski was able to score the game-winner. CU (5-1) went 9-for-16 on 3-pointers and outrebounded UConn 28-26, one day after Michigan State outrebounded the Buffs by 13. Senior guard Julian Hammond III went 4-for-5 on 3-pointers and shared the team lead with 16 points, while Jakimovski recorded his first double-double with CU, finishing with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. The Buffs will play Tuesday’s winner between No. 5 Iowa State and Dayton in the Maui finale on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. MT.European markets are poised to open lower Friday as investors digest the European Central Bank's latest rate cut decision, in what was a busy day for monetary policy in the previous session. The FTSE 100 was seen opening 22 points lower at 8,287, Germany's DAX was down 35 points at 20,391, France's CAC was 21 points lower at 7,400 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 38 points at 34,799, according to IG data. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are The European Central Bank on Thursday cut interest rates by 25 basis points in its fourth trim this year, and signaled the possibility of more reductions in 2025. The Swiss National Bank also cut rates by a larger than anticipated 50 basis points, while Denmark's central bank announced a 25 basis point reduction. Central bank watchers are now turning their attention to next week and rate decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England. On Friday, investors will keep an eye on France's latest inflation print and three-month gross domestic product data from the U.K. U.K. consumer confidence data is also due. There are no corporate earnings. Money Report New AI winners beyond Big Tech are set to emerge, UK fund manager predicts Europe can make up the Ukraine funding shortfall if the U.S. withdraws, analysts say Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell overnight, led by losses in China after Beijing affirmed its recent policy shifts and stressed plans to boost growth after a high-profile meeting Thursday. U.S. futures lost steam following a losing session on Wall Street . CNBC Pro: Want to cash in on the emerging market boom? Here are 2 of HSBC's 'best stock ideas' with over 50% upside potential A pick-up in consumer demand, improving economic growth and attractive stock market valuations have contributed to the popularity of emerging markets (EM) this year. HSBC is sticking to its "cautiously constructive" stance on them in 2025, as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to office in January. "There is no sugar coating that tariffs and a strong USD are downside risks," the investment bank's analysts said, as they revealed their best stock ideas. Among their picks were two lesser-known names, both with over 50% upside potential. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner European markets: Here are the opening calls European markets are poised to open lower Friday as investors digest the European Central Bank's latest rate cut decision, in what was a busy day for monetary policy during the previous session. The FTSE 100 was seen opening 22 points lower at 8,287, Germany's DAX was down 35 points at 20,391, France's CAC was 21 points lower at 7,400 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 38 points at 34,799, according to IG data. — Karen Gilchrist Also on CNBC Dow futures are little changed after index posts longest losing streak since April: Live updates Inflation reckoning coming in 2025? Investors continue to ignore stubborn readings Texas House introduces bill to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve