78 niceph
2025-01-10   

WASHINGTON , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected Sierra Lobo , Inc. of Fremont, Ohio , to provide for test operations, test support, and technical system maintenance activities at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi . The NASA Stennis Test Operations Contract is fixed-price, level-of-effort contract that has a value of approximately $47 million . The performance period begins July 1, 2025 , and extends three years, with a one-year base period and two one-year option periods. The contract will provide test operations support for customers in the NASA Stennis test complex. It also will cover the operation and technical systems maintenance of the high-pressure industrial water, high-pressure gas, and cryogenic propellant storage support areas, as well as providing welding, fabrication, machining, and component processing capabilities. NASA Stennis is the nation's largest propulsion test site, with infrastructure to support projects ranging from component and subscale testing to large engine hot fires. Researchers from NASA, other government agencies, and private industry utilize NASA Stennis test facilities for technology and propulsion research and developmental projects. For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-test-operations-contract-302313691.html SOURCE NASA78 niceph 。

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden had long pledged that he would not pardon his son, Hunter, who was set to be sentenced this month for gun and tax convictions. But on Sunday, the president did it anyway. The sweeping pardon covers not only Hunter Biden's convictions in two cases in Delaware and California, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” Biden is hardly the first president to deploy his pardon powers to benefit those close to him. But it was still a surprising reversal for a man who pledged to restore norms and respect for the rule of law. The U.S. Constitution says that a president has the power to grant clemency, which includes both pardons and commutations. A pardon forgives federal criminal offenses; a commutation reduces penalties but isn't as sweeping. The power has its roots in English law — the king could grant mercy to anyone — and it made it over the ocean to the American colonies and stuck around. The U.S. Supreme Court has found the presidential pardon authority to be very broad. And presidents use the power a lot: Donald Trump granted 237 acts of clemency during his four years in office and Barack Obama granted clemency 1,927 times in his eight years. Presidents have forgiven drug offenses, fraud convictions and Vietnam-era draft dodgers, among many other things. But a president can only grant pardons for federal offenses, not state ones. Impeachment convictions also aren't pardonable. Hunter Biden was convicted in June of lying on a federal form when he purchased a gun in 2018 and swore that he wasn’t a drug user. Just months later, he pleaded guilty to charges accusing him of a scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes. Prosecutors alleged he lived lavishly while flouting the tax law, spending his cash on things like strippers and luxury hotels — “in short, everything but his taxes.” Both cases stemmed from a period in Hunter Biden’s life in which he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse before becoming sober in 2019. After the gun trial aired salacious and unflattering details about Hunter Biden’s life, the president’s son said he agreed to plead guilty to the tax charges to spare his family another embarrassing criminal trial. The tax trial was also expected to showcase details about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, which Republicans have seized on to try to paint the Biden family as corrupt. Hunter Biden was supposed to be sentenced this month in the two cases by judges in California and Delaware who were nominated to the bench by Trump. Special counsel David Weiss’ office had not said whether prosecutors had planned to seek prison time. The tax charges carried up to 17 years behind bars and the gun charges were punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines were expected to call for far less time and it was possible the younger Biden would have avoided prison time entirely. Biden’s legal team filed Sunday night in both Los Angeles and Delaware asking the judges handling his gun and tax cases to immediately dismiss them, citing the pardon. But Weiss' team is opposing the dismissal of the cases, arguing the dockets should merely be marked "closed." Prosecutors also strongly pushed back on the claim that the cases were tainted by politics. "The Government does not challenge that the defendant has been the recipient of an act of mercy," prosecutors wrote in court papers. But they added: "That does not mean the grand jury’s decision to charge him, based on a finding of probable cause, should be wiped away as if it never occurred. It also does not mean that his charges should be wiped away because the defendant falsely claimed that the charges were the result of some improper motive or selective prosecution.” Yes. Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2020. He reached a deal with federal prosecutors and was supposed to plead guilty last year to misdemeanor tax offenses and would have avoided prosecution in the gun case as long he stayed out of trouble for two years. But the plea hearing quickly unraveled when the judge raised concerns about unusual aspects of the deal. He was subsequently indicted in the two cases, and he’s claimed that he was singled out because he is the president’s son. The president told reporters earlier this summer that he would not pardon his son. “I’m extremely proud of my son Hunter. He has overcome an addiction. He is one of the brightest, most decent men I know,” he said. “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said as recently as Nov. 8 that Biden would not pardon his son. In his statement Sunday, Biden said that his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.” Biden has been concerned — as Hunter Biden was — about his political adversaries. Also, the president is no longer running for office. He made his no-pardon pledge before he dropped out of the presidential race in June. In his statement, the president said it was clear that his son was treated differently from other defendants in similar predicaments. The plea deal unraveled and Biden’s political opponents took credit for pressuring the process, he said. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” Yes. In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Trump over the weekend announced plans to nominate the elder Kushner to be the U.S. envoy to France in his next administration. President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton in 2001, after he had completed a prison term for drug charges. Clinton also pardoned his former business partner Susan McDougal, who had been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in the Whitewater real estate deal.

QWP not to back undemocratic steps: SherpaoA Utah man was left stumped by a seemingly "impossible" word search puzzle for kids that was shared with him by an equally baffled friend. Word searches and other cognitively stimulating activities have been found to provide a boost to brain health, particularly as we get older. In 2021, a study published in the journal Neurology saw researchers ask 1,903 older individuals without dementia to report on how often they engaged in cognitively stimulating activities. These activities included things like reading books, writing letters, visiting the library and playing games like puzzles or board games. The study, which spanned seven years, found individuals with high levels of cognitive activity developed Alzheimer's at a later age - five years after those with lower levels of cognitive activity. Tom, a puzzle enthusiast from Millcreek, Utah, has been enjoying plenty of cognitive activity of late, though "enjoying" might not actually be the right word. A week or so ago, he was sent a seemingly innocuous children's word search by one of his friends. He remembers being a little confused because, firstly, it was for kids, and secondly, his friend told him they were having real trouble solving it. "The puzzle was in a little local newsletter that gets sent out about once a month," Tom told Newsweek . "My friend started working on it, and got stuck at some point and asked me for help." Though he's not usually one for kids' puzzles , there was something about the way his friend described the word search that made him intrigued. "They phrased it in a 'am I crazy or is this puzzle impossible ?' kind of way." The festive-themed puzzle, which came as part of "Milo's Kid Corner," listed 11 different words to find, including "snow," "icicle" and "skating." "Help Milo find some of his holiday favorites," the sheet read. "Circle the words in the puzzle and have fun." While Tom's friend had achieved the first of those two calls to action, they were not having a great deal of "fun" for reasons Tom eventually discovered. "This word search is missing several words," he said. "It took me like three attempts at scanning through letter by letter before I thought something was up." Online Assistance The apparent lack of words left Tom scratching his head. "It seems like such an easy thing to avoid, you know?" he said. Eager to get some second opinions, he posted a screenshot of the word search to Reddit under the handle u/the_portals . It sparked a healthy discussion. "We started coming up with theories for how this could've happened," he said. Eventually, a couple of interesting theories emerged. "Some of the commenters on the original post pointed out that the puzzle only asks you to find 'some' of the words, so technically it isn't broken," Tom said. "We also thought that they could've asked ChatGPT to generate the puzzle, and just copy-pasted it into the newsletter without double-checking." Tom has his own ideas about what led to this though. "Personally, I choose to believe it's intentionally missing words, so you set it in front of your kid to keep them busy for a while," he said. If that is the case, then credit to whoever came up with the word search. It hasn't only kept the kids busy, but a fair few adults as well.This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here . Mega automobile merger Nissan and Honda have begun official merger discussions , the two companies announced on Monday. The merged group has the potential to deliver revenue of 30 trillion yen ($191.4 billion) and operating profit of more than 3 trillion yen, said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. Shares of Honda popped 12.7% after Mibe's news conference. Taiwan tops Asian markets As of Dec. 23, Taiwan's Taiex had gained 28.85%, making it the best-performing stock market in Asia-Pacific in 2024. The Taiex's focus on tech and tech-related stocks helped supercharge its performance. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company soared 82.12% in 2024, and Foxconn — which trades as Hon Hai Precision Industry — advanced 77.51%. Positive start to holidays U.S. markets rose on Monday on the back of a strong showing by large tech stocks. The New York Stock Exchange closes early Tuesday for Christmas Eve. Europe's regional Stoxx 600 index added 0.14% . Shares of Volkswagen lost 2% as the automaker reached a deal with striking workers on Friday, which involve cutting 35,000 jobs by 2030. UK GDP not OK The U.K. economy failed to expand in the three months ending September, according to revised figure from the Office for National Statistics, published Monday. Previous estimates had pegged third-quarter gross domestic product at 0.1%. Earlier this month, data from the ONS showed the U.K. economy had unexpectedly contracted by 0.1% in October. [PRO] Stocks with room to grow in 2025 The S&P 500 has enjoyed two successive years when it's gained more than 20%. And there are still stocks with plenty of room to grow in 2025. CNBC Pro used its stock screener too l and found companies that have at least 30% potential upside in 2025 , based on consensus Wall Street price targets. U.S. markets began the trading week in holiday cheer. The S&P 500 gained 0.73% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average , recovering from earlier losses, ticked up 0.16%. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.98% on the back of strong performances from large tech firms such as Nvidia , Tesla and Meta Platforms . However, shares of bitcoin proxy MicroStrategy slumped 8.8% on its first day in the Nasdaq-100 index, following the cryptocurrency's price falling to below $93,000 on Monday. That said, MicroStrategy is still among the best-performing U.S. tech companies valued at $5 billion or more, according to FactSet data. Its shares have rocketed 426% so far this year, mostly thanks to the company's stockpile of bitcoins , which it started to amass in 2020. With the rally in bitcoin following Donald Trump's election victory, MicroStrategy's bitcoin holding is now worth around $42 billion. It's the basis for the company's market capitalization ballooning to $82 billion from roughly $1.1 billion from the time it began buying bitcoin in bulk. Investors looking to ride on MicroStrategy's explosive rise should remember that the company's share price is currently trading on the back of bitcoin prices. The flipside of it is that if bitcoin prices crater for any reason — volatile as cryptocurrency can be — MicroStrategy shares may stumble too. Trading is likely to be thin this week. Markets in the U.S. will close early on Tuesday and take a break on Wednesday for Christmas Day. But light trading doesn't mean small moves in markets. "With the market's primary uptrends still intact, we are not giving up on the potential for a Santa Claus to come to Broad & Wall this year," Craig Johnson, chief market technician at Piper Sandler, said in a note. As investors celebrate the festivities — and the S&P's 25.25% year-to-date pop — they might find an extra present underneath the tree. — CNBC's Yun Li, MacKenzie Sigalos and Ari Levy contributed to this report. CNBC Daily Open will be on hiatus and return next year. Happy holidays!

USC women move to No. 4 in AP poll as top three unchangedNone

Jim Dodge’s challenge to Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau heads to Cook County courtJodie Frink Now seems like a good time to reboot a favorite feature: We asked a supersized panel of community members to tell us about the kindest, most selfless act they’ve witnessed this year. “One of the most unselfish things that I’ve noticed in the past 30 days has been act by one of the disabled members of our congregation, Jodie Frink. Rev. Robert Freeman “When her church was trying to find ways to raise money for the building repairs, she decided to have a fundraiser to help. She went and found old cups and propagated plants from her own plants and then sold them at an estate sale. She donated the proceeds to her church. She raised over 400 dollars. She is our hero.” Susannah Scaroni shows off a couple of her medals before appearing on WDWS’ ‘Monday Night SportsTalk’ at the Esquire Lounge in September. “A friend and training partner of mine competed the Chicago marathon last month with a large group of men. He told me that during the race, the three leading athletes of this group exchanged leads just amongst themselves — i.e., they didn’t ask any of the other men in the back of the pack to help at the front, where most of the wind is felt. “Understandably, at the end of the race, my friend had more energy than the men who did more of the work and he was able to out-climb them on the final hill. However, he waited for them so that they could finish ahead of him as they had done more work.” “Two weeks ago, I was trying to get students on a bus for a field trip. One of my babies, eighth-grader Elijah, bends over and picks up a dollar that was on the ground. “He walked it over to me and said, ‘Here you go, Ms. Westfield. I know it was one of your tests you were giving us.’ Renayee Westfield “I told him that it actually wasn’t a test of mine and the dollar was his free and clear. We went back and forth because he seriously thought I had planted it as some life lesson. It took about four minutes for him to believe that he could actually keep the dollar. “Doesn’t sound like much, but to this particular group, it was. He finally took it and said, ‘Wow, I could use this dollar!’ “And I let him know it must have been one of life’s little blessings waiting just for him — I mean, about five of us walked over it and didn’t see it.” Cathy Rector “This past summer I witnessed such a beautiful showing of love, support and respect for a young woman in our community that had been battling cancer for several years, but, unfortunately, was spending her final days at home with her devoted husband and extended family. “Friends, family and well-wishers, many of whom hardly knew her, got together and put the word out that there was going to be a caravan for her, to let her know so many were thinking of her. “When my husband and I arrived that day to participate, we were moved by all of the cars that had filled a local parking lot and those that were parked along the street. Everyone gathered in a circle and prayed before the caravan began. As the procession passed the family home — with signs, balloons, flowers and quiet tears — we could see her in the front yard surrounded by her loved ones, smiling as each car passed, many yelling words of support and love. “That young woman passed less than 48 hours later, but knowing that so many members of our community came out, gave of their time and let her see how much she was loved and the impact she had on so many, was kindness at its best.” Diana Gonzalez “On November 6th, during my lunchtime walk on campus, I noticed a couple of students standing on the main quad holding a sign. As I passed them, I saw that the sign said they were offering hugs and encouragement to anyone who needed one today. “Seeing this kind and caring offer warmed my heart. I was reminded to give extra hugs to my family when I come home this evening.” Board chair Jewell White with United Way President/CEO Sue Grey. “We are so fortunate that there are many times that we get to witness kindness and goodness for those in need in our community. Most recently, there were some kids, whose parents were strong United Way volunteers. “They decided they wanted to do their part — thus, the most awesome lemonade stand you could ever have, was born. “The kids make their own signs, lemonade and marketing. We really are grateful for the kind hearts of Addie, Rowen, Kynzee and Leo. They have donated hundreds of dollars to United Way because they wanted to make a difference in their community. We have used their donations to help kids all across Champaign County.” Gene Robinson Director, UI Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology “An undergraduate was facing a difficult conversation with a university official and was quite nervous about advocating for herself for the first time in this context. “Learning this, a graduate student volunteered to accompany the undergraduate — even though she herself was not feeling well, with a non-contagious ailment. “She got out of her sick bed, helped the undergraduate get through it successfully and then promptly went back home. The undergraduate was extremely grateful and now has a powerful model to pay forward.” John Thies “For a number of years, Champaign-Urbana Kiwanis has had a relationship with the Swann School in Champaign. Club member Darrold Kennedy with Edward Jones has taken the lead in coordinating club volunteers who have gone on walks with the children and adults with developmental disabilities served by Swann — a wonderful community organization. “These walks take place most weeks during the warm weather months, and Darrold is an excellent manager of the club’s involvement. Thanks to volunteers like Darrold, Champaign-Urbana is a better place.” Ashley Mayor “I was checking out a new book at the Champaign Public Library when a young boy and a children’s librarian came up to the line and waited patiently. “I watched on as the young boy had a handful of magazines and explained that he wanted to donate to the library for others to enjoy too. The librarian was showing him how to make his donation. “Both librarians were so kind to him and appreciative of his generosity.” “Presiding over the Champaign County Drug Court, I am familiar with the difficulty many of our members have obtaining employment because of their prior convictions. Ben Dyer “Many people get discouraged during their job searches, and it would be natural for someone to get a job and be very protective of that opportunity for themselves. Yet this year, as in years past, we have seen just the opposite: numerous instances of our members doing everything they can to help one another find jobs, to recommend one another for employment, and to help them succeed at work if they are hired. “It’s refreshing to see them lift one another up and try to succeed together.” Connie Hilson “As a volunteer coach for Special Olympics, I witness selfless acts and kindness at almost every practice or sporting event. It could be as simple as an athlete helping another athlete or a coach giving their time when they don’t have a family member involved. “I really appreciate the teens and young adults who get involved. For example, Josie recently organized the U of I Best Buddies drumline and their performance at the Illini Marching Band Festival. It was smiles for every-buddy involved. “Or Ella, Charlotte and Xander, who volunteer to help athletes who need that extra assist to participate. They could be hanging out with friends or doing things that teens do. Instead, they selflessly give their time to help someone else. They are inspiring and will have amazing futures.” “Recently, we met a neighbor named Jordan visiting the Mattoon Community Food Pantry for groceries. She told us that in addition to caring for her two young children, she takes care of her younger brother. Kelly Daly “As a nurse, Jordan often works shifts that are 16 hours or longer, and was excited to find healthy snacks and easy meal options for her family. When she saw that the person shopping ahead of her got the last bags of frozen strawberries, she offered to trade her soft pretzel bites for the strawberries because her kids would love them. “However, there was no trade — instead, he offered the strawberries to her and told her to enjoy them with her children. The generous gesture exemplified the pantry’s mission statement that hung on the wall behind them: ‘We are committed to respond compassionately to those in need within our community.’” Danville High School sophomore Samantha Brown with her homemade cocoa bombs. “The Danville High student the past couple of years who epitomizes selflessness and helping others is sophomore Samantha Brown. “This will be Samantha’s third year running Sam’s Cocoa Co. Samantha taught herself to make custom holiday cocoa bombs, became home kitchen-certified and makes hundreds of cocoa bombs to sell over the holidays. “All profits are used to purchase supplies for the Vermilion County Humane Society. Last year, she raised over $1,500 to help stock the Humane Society and donated cocoa bombs to the Women’s Shelter so the residents and kids could have a cocoa party.”It’s almost Christmas. And today, Courtney and Michael will be hosting a Sunrise Christmas feast. Ingredients are from Coles . The mains include: Crispy skin ham; Potato salad; Christmas carrots; Nectarine salad. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today CRACKING CHRISTMAS CARROTS SERVES 4 Recipe By Courtney Roulston Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Ingredients 1 x 1kg bag Coles carrots, sliced lengthways 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds Sea salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup Greek yoghurt Juice and zest of 1⁄4 lemon 1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped 1⁄4 cup dill, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish 1 teaspoon honey 1⁄4 cup pinenuts 40g butter, cubed 2 teaspoons harissa paste Method Step 1. Pre heat the oven to 180 C. Line an oven tray with baking paper and place the carrots onto the tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and cumin seeds. Gently toss to evenly coat the carrots then place into the oven for 35 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly wrinkly. Step 2. While the carrots are cooking, mix together the yoghurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, pinch of salt, honey, mint and dill in a bowl and set aside. Step 3. Warm a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add in the pinenuts and butter and cook for 1 minute, or until the butter is frothy and the pinenuts are turning golden. Stir in the harissa paste and cook for a further minute, or until it turns a deep terracotta colour. Step 4. To serve spread the yoghurt mixture onto the base of a serving platter. Top with the carrots then spoon over the butter and pinenut mixture. Garnish with extra dill fronds before serving. EASY NECTARINE & TOMATO SALAD SERVES 4 Recipe By Courtney Roulston Prep time: 5 minutes Ingredients 2 large Coles Grandmas heirloom tomatoes, sliced2 nectarines, sliced200g tub buffalo mozzarella, drained, roughly tornSea salt & cracked pepper to taste3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1⁄4 cup basil leaves Method Step 1 Arrange the tomatoes and nectarine slices on a serving platter. Step 2. Tear the mozzarella over the top and season well either salt and pepper. Step 3. Drizzle with olive oil then scatter over basil leaves. This is best Left for 20 minutes to let the flavours melt together before serving. Potato, Ham and Pea Salad Ingredients 2kg Red Royal Potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup chicken or veg stock 1 cup of frozen peas 1⁄2 cup diced ham Dressing 1 cup mayo 1 jar baby capers, including juice 1⁄2 bunch parsley 1 bunch chives 1 bunch dill 1 lemon In a large saucepan boil the potatoes until they are falling apart. In a separate saucepan warm the stock, peas and ham. Once the potatoes are cooked drain and add to a large bowl then top with the stock. Mix together until evenly combined then allow to cool slightly. In another bowl mix together the dressing and season to your liking. Pour the dressing over the cooled potatoes and mix until combined. Serve with extra herbs on top.

Head coach Ryan Day looked a little shell-shocked as police were pepper spraying athletes in the aftermath of the Michigan Wolverine's upsetting his No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 13-10 on Saturday. Day has a 1-4 record against Michigan. The Wolverines have won four consecutive games in the series, with the Buckeyes' last win over Michigan coming in 2019. This loss for Ohio State feels different in 2024, as Jim Harbaugh wasn't on the opposite sideline of Day. The Wolverines entered the contest with a 6-5 record in an otherwise disappointing season. The Buckeyes blew an opportunity to clinch a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game with a win over their rival on Saturday. Now they must wait for help. Following the game, Michigan brought a team flag onto the field. Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer didn't like the gesture and would rip the flag away from the Wolverines as a brawl would break out at Ohio Stadium. Video on the field showed Sawyer talking to a member of Ohio State's staff, passionately yelling that Michigan wouldn't plant a flag on their field again. Ryan Day just appeared to stand in silence watching the scene unfold. A passionate Jack Sawyer after Michigan players attempted to plant their flag on the “Block O”. pic.twitter.com/t5XKLY0NeI Former Texas Longhorns and NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho called out Day on social media for his inaction during the situation. "Ryan Day, the HEAD coach, just stands there and does nothing as his senior Captain, Jack Sawyer, devastatingly cries out: “THEY’RE NOT (expletive) PLANTING A FLAG ON OUR (expletive) FIELD AGAIN” When coaches must lead, Coach Day freezes in the midst of Chaos," Acho posted . Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Many fans agreed in the comments. "Day should get fired and that team should sit out the CFP for this. Embarrassing," wrote a fan. "Day was caught up in the fog of war," posted another. Related: Fans Demand Justice After Michigan Player Was Unfairly Pepper Sprayed By Police

Ruby's Beers Bikes and Brats in downtown Davenport to close next week

Trump Weighs In On H-1B Visa Program Dividing MAGA WorldHow to buy Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots ticketsMarcus Johnson and Bowling Green take down New Mexico State 61-60

Related hot word search:

Previous: 6 rue nicephore niepce
Next: 88 niceph