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WASHINGTON—A “Grand Bargain” from major center-left and center-right think tanks that proposed common-ground solutions to the country’s pressing issues was met with approval but some criticism from Biden economic advisers who reviewed it at an event on Dec. 3. “I very much agree with the tax system critiques,” Bernstein said onstage at the Brookings Institution on Dec. 3. The report “Toward a Potential Grand Bargain for the Nation” calls for taxation to be tilted toward a more progressive direction, advocating an inheritance tax system and, as one of two options, a value-added tax for most households in place of income taxes. Bernstein was concerned about the absence of discussion of money for the Internal Revenue Service in the report. “Funding the IRS should be an absolute, required part of any Grand Bargain,” the White House official said. Bernstein also departed from the report on industrial policy, which was popular with elements of the Biden and Trump administrations. The Grand Bargain characterized industrial policy as interventionist, stating that it often amounted to circumstances in which “the government picks winners and losers.” “The train has left the station on that, given the extent of money in politics and the depth of lobbying. The federal government will not stop picking winners and losers,” Bernstein said. He also said the lack of discussion on housing in the report was “such an acute shortfall.” Additionally, the absence of anyone closely tied to the incoming Trump administration underscores this challenge. “This report touts itself as a bipartisan effort. I’ve read through the names in the report. I don’t see anyone in there who I could see being even potentially hired by the Trump administration,” said Jeff Stein, The Washington Post reporter moderating the talk. The White House’s Bernstein was joined by Ben Harris, an economist who worked for Joe Biden during his vice presidency and presidency, when Harris was assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy. Harris echoed Bernstein on what he described as an urgent need for more IRS funding. Some report contributors who spoke, including William Hoagland of the Bipartisan Policy Center, stressed that the Grand Bargain wasn’t designed with political feasibility front of mind, at least in the short term. “Politically, we’re in a bad place,” said Brookings’s Isabel Sawhill, who noted that interest payments on the debt now exceed defense spending—an inauspicious first in the nation’s history. The Trump administration will come into power with Republicans controlling the House and Senate. While the GOP has historically called into question the financial viability of Social Security, which consumes one-fifth of the federal budget, Trump campaigned on ending taxes on Social Security benefits. “Neither candidate has presented plans to fix Social Security’s finances,” the committee wrote.slot fortune gems 。

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Scheifele scores winner as Jets beat Blackhawks 4-2 in Sorensen’s debut

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The final stretch of the season is here. The AFC playoff race is just about set, the NFC is duking it out and there’s a host of teams just waiting to be officially eliminated from the playoffs. This week’s Four Verts starts with a division that's the very definition of duking it out. Coming into the season, all four teams in the NFC North had a reason for hope. Three of them still do, with the Lions, Packers and Vikings each being this season. All three of those teams are likely going to make the playoffs, barring catastrophe over the final few weeks. The Lions have command of this division as one of the best teams in the NFL, but the Packers’ chances as the division winner can increase with a huge game on Thursday night at Detroit. The Bears, well, are still having a Bears-like season, but the rest of the division is primed to make noise in the playoffs. The Lions have been just an incredibly dominant team this season, especially on offense. According to TruMedia, the Lions’ offense ranks first in success rate (48.6%), points per drive (2.84), first downs and touchdowns per play (6.44), success rate on dropbacks (53.1%) and rushing attempts (46.9%). They also rank in the top five of most expected points stats and have converted 45.7% of their third downs. They’ve combined competent quarterback play, arguably the best running back duo in the league and a rock star offensive line to just mow down opposing defenses. Ben Johnson has a huge chest of talent to reach into, making his job as a play-caller much easier. Their defense, which has been good this year, faces a tough test against the that’s been among the league’s best over the past month of the season. Since Week 9, the Packers rank first in yards per play (6.6), fourth in points per drive (2.76) and third in success rate on dropbacks (51.8%). This offense is playing like a machine and the defense, while inconsistent down-to-down, is getting enough turnovers to the point where they’re consistently giving the ball back to an offense that’s on fire. At 9-3, they're still very much alive for the division title and a high playoff seed if they can play their cards right and get a little lucky. Minnesota is sandwiched in between them with a 10-2 record as one of the upstart teams in the league that might be outperforming expectations. The Vikings' defense has been one of the best in the NFL this year and Sam Darnold has been steady enough to lead the offense to a potential playoff berth. They still have to play the Packers and Lions (and Bears) one more time before the close of the season, but Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores deserve a ton of credit for raising the expectations in Minnesota, even while their personnel might not be as well-known as what the Lions and Packers have. It’s tough to tell whether or not this is a real Super Bowl contender, but their defense will certainly give them a chance in January. Then there’s the Bears. At this point, they’re just trying to get to 2025, which is a fair mindset to have following their masterclass on Thanksgiving. Man. It’s been about a week since the Bears' unprofessional blunder to lose to the Lions on Thanksgiving and it’s still unbelievable. The Bears had no choice but to after this loss, but it’s still hard not to be in awe at how messy the was — and it was partly the Bears' fault by the end of all of it. The timeout blunder has been spoken about ad nauseam, but it really is just one of the craziest unforced errors seen at any level of football. The Bears, down 23-20, had a timeout on the edge of field goal range with roughly 30 seconds left on a running clock. The optimal way to play it would have been to run another play, gain some yards, call a timeout and then try to kick the field goal. However, the Bears players really never got set in a timely fashion, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was taking too long to move things along, and the Bears found themselves running out of time in a hurry. With just six seconds left, Williams snapped the ball, threw a prayer to Rome Odunze that landed incomplete and the game ended. Sloppy play by the players on the field, no doubt about it. Still, the timeout should have been used. They could have kicked a difficult field goal, which is certainly better than what they did. Once Eberflus saw the original plan had just gone to complete crap, the timeout simply had to be burned. No discussion. Call the timeout. After a six-game slide from 4-2 to 4-8 with this latest failure being so pronounced, Eberflus had to go. That part makes sense. What didn’t make sense is . For whatever reason, Eberflus was able to have a media conference with reporters the Friday after the game where he said he had turned his focus to preparing for the 49ers. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that Eberflus was fired, which seemed a bit in poor taste. Why make him speak on the mistake if he’s not going to have a chance to rectify it? Just let him go after the game and move on. That part was a bit weird. The Bears' season has turned into a shame festival, which is fair for how some of their games have ended. Their season is certainly over, but at least they have a . Could be worse, you could be the Raiders. Reject the quarterback mind hive! Don’t let the media make you think they’re the only players on the field! There have been a playing well for their experience level, who deserve praise for their performances this year, but there is one rookie who is playing like one of the best players in the entire NFL — Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers has been sensational and should be the hands-down favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year as one of the best tight ends in the league. According to data from TruMedia, Bowers has been arguably the most productive tight end in the league, especially when considering his volume of targets (and that he’s really the only scary offensive threat that the Raiders have). Among all tight ends with at least 40 targets this season, Bowers is first in receptions (84), yards (884), targets (113) and targets per route (0.28). He also ranks fourth in both yards per route run (2.18) and first downs and touchdowns per route (10.6%). That’s pretty great! Again, not just for a rookie, but that makes him one of the most productive tight ends in the league. This isn’t a situation that’s exactly conducive for success for a rookie skill player. The Raiders have had a turnstile at quarterback with Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder. The Raiders have had one of the worst run games in the league this season. Davante Adams was traded early in the season, creating a huge target vacuum for the Raiders. Bowers had to be the man immediately for the Raiders' offense to be competitive this season, and he has been. On the whole, Bowers' 884 receiving yards rank fourth in the league and he leads the entire league in receptions. He’s having a historically great season as the focal point of the Raiders' offense. Yes, the Raiders' offense is bad, but they would be completely untenable without his presence. At this pace, he’s on track to have 1,252 receiving yards as a rookie, which would shatter the rookie yards record for a tight end set by Mike Ditka in 1961 (1,076). He’s also on pace to join Ditka and Kyle Pitts as the only tight ends in NFL history to have 1,000 yards as a rookie. If this isn’t worth rookie of the year, get rid of the award. Bowers being on a bad team shouldn’t be held against him here. Everyone knows the Raiders' problems run deep and tight ends ultimately have a limited impact on winning if they’re the only top players on the team. He should be the leader for this award and win it outright if he can keep this going. The Raiders didn’t overthink their draft strategy and went straight “Best Player Available” and grabbed an absolute superstar in the making. At least they did one thing right! Let’s keep this brief: Doubt the Chiefs at your own risk. given the absurd standard that they’ve set for themselves over the past few years, but this is still one of the best teams in the league. I care about every person who takes the time to read this column and I would hate for them to incur the wrath of Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs fight and claw their way to homefield advantage for the playoffs. Ignore scraping past mediocre-to-downright terrible teams. Ignore the Bills beating them earlier in the season. You know what the deal is with this team. The data doesn’t matter. Just wait until the playoffs before you even think about doubting what this team is capable of. Mahomes is reading everything. Make sure you keep your team safe and don’t add fuel to the fire.Boss Jimmy Thelin says Aberdeen ‘pushed it to the limit’ in 1-0 top-of-the-table showdown loss to Celtic

Dialogue held on nutrition and food systems

NoneMike Macdonald credits Seahawks’ effort in win given the circumstancesBraun's agenda: Tax relief, public safety

CORNELIUS, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Cyclum, an innovator in zero carbon fuels and next generation travel centers, is proud to announce a new executive team to lead its next phase of growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122090369/en/ Brian Profitt, CEO (Photo: Business Wire) Cyclum plans to build 400 state-of-the-art travel centres nationwide, catering to diverse fueling needs. These centers will offer traditional fuels along with next generation zero carbon solutions such as hydrogen and renewable compressed natural gas (CNG) as well as vehicle electric charging. Cyclum’s travel centers will set a new standard for convenience and comfort on the road with superior fresh food and a modern rest stop experience. Brian Profitt joins as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Polly Flinn as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Pat O’Hagan as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Brian Profitt brings over 30 years of experience in retail and travel centre management. Most recently, he served as Division Director at 7-Eleven, overseeing strategic operations. Before that, he spent 18 years with WilcoHess, where he led its operations division during the company’s acquisition by Speedway LLC. Following the acquisition, Profitt continued at Speedway for three years, contributing to the seamless integration of WilcoHess operations and overseeing travel plazas and restaurant management. Profitt’s extensive expertise positions him to guide Cyclum’s growth and innovation as the company continues to redefine the travel centre experience through renewable energy integration. Polly Flinn , a transformative leader with over 30 years’ experience, joins Cyclum after her tenure as President of Giant Eagle’s GetGo Cafe+Market, where she was the executive leader of the chain spanning five states. Her career includes C-suite roles at Walmart, BP, Castrol and Arco ampm where she led brand transformations, operational turnarounds and business growth. Flinn’s operational and customer-centric expertise will play a pivotal role in delivering Cyclum’s growth goals. Pat O’Hagan brings a wealth of financial expertise with over 20 years in financial leadership roles. Most recently, he served as Controller at Times Oil Corporation and as CFO at Brewer-Hendley Oil Company for 14 years. O’Hagan’s deep experience in financial accounting and operations will be critical as Cyclum scales its innovative travel centre network. “These appointments reflect our commitment to building a leadership team capable of driving Cyclum’s mission to transform the travel centre industry,” said Cyclum’s Board of Directors. “Brian, Polly, and Pat bring unparalleled expertise and vision to propel us into a new era of innovation and sustainability.” View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122090369/en/ CONTACT: Email:info@gocyclum.net Phone: 980.483.7537 Website: https://gocyclum.net/contact KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NORTH CAROLINA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER ENERGY TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OTHER SCIENCE ENERGY SCIENCE SOURCE: Cyclum Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 03:57 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 03:57 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122090369/en

Relive your childhood summer holidays at these 10 retro Victorian stays

Leinster's Leo Cullen remains wary ahead of facing an old adversary, Pat LamNoneWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has selected a former soldier and Iraq War veteran to serve as his secretary of the Army . Daniel P. Driscoll, who is from North Carolina, had been serving as a senior advisor to Vice President-elect JD Vance, whom he met when both were attending Yale Law School. He ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates. “Dan will be a fearless and relentless fighter for America’s Soldiers and the America First agenda,” Trump said on his social media platform. If confirmed, Driscoll, 38, would take the helm of a military branch that has been struggling to overcome recruiting shortfalls through a sweeping overhaul of its programs and staffing. The Army is also undertaking a widespread effort to revamp and modernize its weapons systems. Since his graduation from Yale in 2014 and his tour in the Army, Driscoll has worked at several investment banking and consulting firms in North Carolina. According to the Army, Driscoll served as an armor officer from August 2007 to March 2011, deploying to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010. He completed Army Ranger school, earning a Ranger tab, but it was not immediately clear when that occurred. Completing the course allows a soldier to wear the tab but does not mean that he served as a Ranger in the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, which is part of the Army’s special operations command and requires significantly more training. He left the military service at the rank of first lieutenant. He also graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Driscoll’s military awards include the Army Commendation Medal and the the combat action badge, which are meritoriously earned. His other awards are often given due to completion of service during a military campaign and include National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon.Chasing those childhood summer feels? From reinvigorated motels to bush cabins laced with luxury, here are some of our favourite nostalgia-inducing spots across the state. MOTEL MAGIC Sunnymead Hotel, Aireys Inlet Why If the bright-yellow Billy Buttons and kangaroo paw plantings swaying in the breeze don’t win you over, the sunshine-shaded rooms of this retro motel in Aireys Inlet, an hour-and-45-minute drive from Melbourne, will. This 20-room motel is also home to a boutique day spa (with an ochre-toned steam room, communal bathhouse and treatment menu); a restaurant, Santara, which serves up “sunny hour” $12 cocktails and chicken-salted crispy oyster mushrooms from Friday through Tuesday; and a pool that’s studded with loungers and yellow umbrellas. Plan in advance and order a continental “breakfast bag” featuring local sourdough, butter, jam and juices. In the cooler months, a fire pit blazes. Rooms from $150. See sunnymeadhotel.com.au Nearby Pick up a new beach read at Great Escape Books . Sandy Gully Beach is a 10-minute walk away. A 30-minute drive up the road, farming social enterprise and cafe Common Ground Project offers pastries and scenic vistas; the hub of Lorne – with its beach and eateries – is 25 minutes in the other direction. Holbrook Motel, Holbrook Why The ideal stopover for Melbourne-Sydney road trips, the recently renovated Holbrook Motel is a small-town gem. Just 40 minutes north of the Victorian border, 18 meticulously refreshed (and generously sized) rooms are anchored by king beds, blue-tiled showers with shampoo scented with native botanicals, and a patio overlooking a central pool. Your undercover parking spot features a bucket with a squeegee: a thoughtful addition that makes clearing the bugs collected on the Hume that little bit easier. Rooms – including one accessible – from $130. See holbrookmotel.com.au Nearby Famous for its 90-metre landbound submarine, HMAS Otway, Holbrook is also home to two ripper second-hand bookstores and the National Pottery Museum . Order locally reared steak at the Holbrook Hotel , just down the road. Soak in the view from the Yambla View “Wambariga” Lookout. River Drive Motel, Tarwin Lower Credit: Nicky Cawood Why This five-room boutique motel in Tarwin Lower, on the way to Wilsons Prom, packs a punch for its size. The one-acre property enjoys gardens shaded by established trees, big hooded barbecues and the quintessential summer song of string tennis games. It’s all about the family here, so grab a cruiser (and helmet) or a game from the garden shed and head down to the beach, or settle in and cook up with the full kitchen and minibar. It’s all style in the rooms, with angular timber detailing, dark shades of blue and green (and bubblegum pink retro bathroom tiles), and eclectic modern art on the walls. Rooms from $320. See riverdrivemotel.com.au Nearby Swim at Walkerville South Beach. Grab dinner at the Riverview Pub . Pick up produce at Flock, Stock & Basil ’s Saturday farmgate shop. Cast a line from one of Tarwin’s many wooden fishing platforms along the Tarwin River Boardwalk. Pick up a one-of-a-kind handmade mug at Valley Plains Pottery . PUB LIFE The Victoria, Rutherglen Credit: By George Photography Why Transformed over two years by a Corowa local and her husband, this 1894 pub in Rutherglen – a three-hour drive from Melbourne – is now a decadent High Country hotel with a fire-inspired restaurant turning out venison tartare and flame-licked scotch fillet. Generous rooms (including eight more by mid-2025) sport king-size beds, brass fixtures, sitting areas and – in some – soaking tubs. History oozes from the original double-hung windows, bounces between walls covered with custom pony-patterned wallpaper, and echoes beneath the heritage-listed four-metre ceilings. Sit out on the guest-only verandah, wrapped with a replica of the original wrought iron balustrade, and you’ll be transported to yesteryear. Rooms from $245. See victoriahotelrutherglen.com.au Nearby Experience Rutherglen’s wine bounty at female-owned Stanton & Killeen . Explore the heritage facades now home to a candle shop, eateries (including Grace. ) and boutiques. Pick up an e-bike from Rutherglen Radler and cycle around to see them all. Portarlington Grand Hotel, Portarlington Why This 18-room beachside hotel an hour-and-45-minute drive from Melbourne has been a part of Portarlington since 1888, once a resting place for weary travellers – whether visiting by ship or horsedrawn buggy. Now a boutique hotel, it features sumptuous wood-toned interiors, custom Australian-made furniture and dramatic carpet fashioned with William Morris art. Grand Bay rooms enjoy harbour views from private balconies, but all have generous bathrooms and minibars stocked with Geelong-based Love Tea and Sideroads coffee. Indulge in bowls of Portarlington mussels and play giant Jenga on the lawn (which was once a drive-through bottleshop). Rooms – including two accessible – from $255. See portarlingtongrandhotel.com.au Nearby Jump on a Portarlington Mussel Tours boat for a seafood journey or visit in January for the annual mussel festival. Grab potato and broccolini pizza at Staple Eatery . Visit the historic Portarlington flour mill. Bunyip Hotel Cavendish, Cavendish Why Currently hosting guests from Thursday through Sunday, this country hotel a 31⁄2-hour drive west of Melbourne is a powerhouse of good food and regional hospitality. The head chef shears sheep on his days off and the hotel celebrates produce – from flowers to eggs to cured meats – from hyper-local suppliers. (The owners’ other business recycles plastic farm refuse, such as bale wraps and discarded drip lines, so they walk the regional talk.) Three rooms share communal bathrooms, which feature vintage meat safes as cabinetry, and an 11am checkout. Add an affordable five-course dinner onto your stay: it’s well worth it. Rooms from $120. bunyiphotelcavendish.com Nearby Wander Settlers Walk to go (way) back in time, or skip rocks along the Wannon River. Buy stamps, fishing bait and a coffee at Bridge Cafe . Time your visit to co-ordinate with local festivals in April (Red Gum Festival) and November (Fleece & Flower Show). CAMPING OUT Bright Discovery Park, Bright Why Wake up to birdsong and spot roaming wild deer at this family-run caravan park on the banks of the Ovens River in Bright, a 31⁄2-hour drive north-east of Melbourne. Newly built cabins enjoy rain shower heads, four-burner gas cooking, gas fireplaces and personal patios (perfect for a game of Sequence). Kids bounce off the kanga pad in the gated playground or ride on bikes beneath snow gums, but you’ll feel like a kid with a game of tennis or a song around the brick-and-steel campfire. The owners planted garden beds stocked with rosemary, mint, oregano and lettuces; take what you need to elevate your dinner. Campsites from $34. Cabins – including one accessible – from $153. See discoveryholidayparks.com.au Nearby Buy locally made cheese at The Peak Artisan Cheesemakers . Wander alongside baby emus at Red Stag Deer & Emu Farm . Pick up gems at the monthly Bright Farmers Market. Soak in the view from Sullivans Lookout. Anywhere, Parks Victoria Credit: Tourism Victoria Why Grab the tent and pack the ute: from December 30 until June 30, 2025, travellers can enjoy free access to 131 normally paid campsites across the state with Parks Victoria. Loading That includes dog-friendly camping at designated sites at Banksia Bluff campground, beach-access camping at Blanket Bay, and camping closer to the inner city, including at picturesque Lake Eildon. Further afield, top spots to take advantage of include hike-camping in Alpine National Park (for experienced, self-sufficient campers – and even those with horses through the Bogong High Plains) and Tidal Bluff, a 484-site-strong campground at Wilsons Prom. Bookings are essential to manage demand and access. Some campsites have access to hot showers and shelters, but many do not; research and plan accordingly. See parks.vic.gov.au The writer travelled as a guest of some properties; other travel was self-funded. How we travel Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Top 10s Travel tips Family holidays Road trips Riley Wilson is a desk editor at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and the creator of the Greater Good newsletter. Connect via email . Most viewed on Traveller Loading