casino game quest 2
Tumblr is taking a page from Reddit and Facebook with its new "Communities" feature, which are digital spaces like subreddits and Facebook groups. "Communities are a new and easy way to connect with the people on Tumblr who get it," Tumblr said in a post announcing the feature . "You can invite mutuals who share your obsessions to a private Community or start a public Community for the things you love and watch all the new friends pile in. Like a clown car, Communities can fit (almost) as many people in ‘em as you want." Communities — which allows users to create a space for anything from a D&D campaign to cat photos — has been available to some users in beta but officially launched across the platform on web, iOS, and Android on Thursday, Dec. 12. You can get started by browsing though Communities that already exist, like aesthetic , writing , and TV shows , or you can create your own Community . It's not a huge surprise that Tumblr would copy its more successful social media sisters. The platform has been struggling to maintain relevancy after it banned porn in 2018, and it's kind of the Thing Platforms Do — copy whatever else is successful and see if you can't make it slightly better. Look at Instagram Reels copying TikTok , or Facebook Stories copying Snapchat . So...TikTok Communities when?
5 developments that could shape County Durham - from houses to retail parksConor Johnston Touted as Front-Runner for SF District 2 Supervisor Amid Tense Political Climate
Santa Ana’s sole independent bookstore LibroMobile may be closing its doors. “In the last six months, our book sales have been incredibly low, and so on top of that, California state arts funding was cut, which means we lost two big grants, like $50,000 worth of funding that we normally get for our programming,” says owner and founder Sarah Rafael García. “We don’t have enough money projected for 2025. Right now, we’re not even sure we’re going to make it to June.” SEE ALSO : Sign up for our free Book Pages newsletter about bestsellers, authors and more García, who works another full-time job that runs through May, has had to cancel LibroMobile’s annual literary festival and events programming and she’s been dipping into her own income to keep the doors open at the store, which has two employees and additional student help. “I have been contributing my own personal funds to keep it going,” she says. “We’re grassroots – I’m not a rich person, you know? I started the bookstore with a $10,000 yearly income, so I always tell people, I know how to survive off of very little money.” She plans to continue doing pop-up sales events and the quarterly open mic night, although the money crunch has affected that event as well. “We cannot pay our headliners. So whatever poet chooses to accept the invite to headline, they’re doing it for free,” she says. The problem, she says, is not enough book buyers. “We won’t be able to maintain a brick and mortar if people don’t buy books,” she says. “If we don’t increase book sales significantly in the next couple months, then in March I’m going to have to probably announce that we’re definitely closing in June.” And while she says she’ll find a way to keep doing pop-ups and other events – she launched LibroMobile with a hand-me-down garden cart that gave the venture its name – “We won’t have a brick and mortar store, which is a really sad thing for our city, as the only independent bookstore in Santa Ana.” García makes one thing clear: Don’t blame her landlords. “We don’t pay market-rate rent. So when people say, ‘Oh, it’s your landlord, they should decrease it.’ That’s not true. They have been 100% supportive. They have not increased our rent because they know we’re in this situation,” she says. “They want to figure out how to make it work.” She says LibroMobile reciprocates by creating community events in English and Spanish at the Bristol Swap Meet to bring people to the food courts as well as by helping to fund the site’s murals with grant money and city support. “We’re more than a bookstore. We’re creating a place for our community where they can explore literature and the arts without having to pay for it,” she says, but adds that there are always costs to cover. “We have to pay a DJ. We have to pay for the equipment. Sometimes we have to rent chairs if we expect a bigger crowd for an event. So all those are additional costs.” But she’s committed to serving the community. “This is home for me ... Santa Ana is where I went to school and keep returning, even though I have nobody left here, other than friends and chosen family, my godparents. But it’s still what I call home.” Her father, Rafael Castillo García, worked for The Orange County Register for 10 years until he died unexpectedly in 1988 at age 36. She recalls how her father – who studied the paper to improve his language skills, attended community college and wrote poems he’d leave on the family refrigerator – would leave the house dressed in crisp slacks and a dress shirt. “He always dressed sharp to go to work, to try to impress us to have better jobs,” says García, who would learn about the physical nature of his work after his death. “I didn’t know he was a labor worker. I had to go empty his locker out, and I found the coveralls.” García says she has considered suggestions to start a crowdfunding campaign but ultimately decided against it. “I know I could probably set up a GoFundMe, but where would that take us a year or two from now? We’ll be in the same position. If I don’t cultivate the culture and the tradition in Santa Ana and Orange County, then we’re still not creating sustainability,” she says. “I’m trying to cultivate the want and the need of books, not just holding rent.” So what can local readers do to help? “I want them shopping at the bookstore. [laughs] We go days without someone buying a book sometimes,” she says. “We are the only bookstore in Santa Ana, but not just that. We’re the only bookstore in Orange County that prioritizes Black, Indigenous, and People of Color books, as well as Spanish, multicultural and bilingual books. We have a whole beautiful collection of BIPOC cookbooks – like, who does that, right? – on top of a special collection that prioritizes ethnic studies, gender studies and academic books at affordable prices.” SEE ALSO : Bestsellers, authors, books and more can be found in the Books section García underscores her commitment to keeping prices reasonable – or even free. She stocks a Little Free Library at the Bristol Swap Meet, too. “Maybe that’s why we’re not making enough money. But that’s the whole point of keeping books that are relevant to our community accessible and affordable,” she says. While she says that the store is proudly political, García thinks LibroMobile has something that benefits the entire community. ”If you don’t like our politics, there’s still plenty of other books you can read in our store,” she says. “We have something for everyone, but we’re also not going to hide our political stances for the sake of capitalism.” For more stories about : Sign up for our free Book Pages newsletter about bestsellers, authors and moreOpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic converted 11 of 15 from the free throw line and scored 20 points as California held off a late rally to post an 83-77 win over Sacramento State in the Cal Classic tournament on Sunday. Cal came into its tournament without three starters, Jovan Blacksher Jr., DJ Campbell and BJ Omot and the Golden Bears earned back-to-back wins over Air Force and the Hornets. Stojakovic scored a career-high 21 points and freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson stepped up with career-best 23 points against the Falcons. Against Sacramento State, Wilkinson came off the bench to score 16 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.SHOPPERS are rushing to buy a new festive chocolate bar that doubles up as a fun Christmas game. Bargain retailer Asda is selling Merry Chocolate bars which can be turned into a classic game of dominoes this festive season - and it only costs £3. Advertisement 2 Asda is selling a chocolate bar which doubles as a Christmas game Credit: Getty 2 Merry Chocolate bars can be turned into dominoes for you to enjoy with family this festive season Credit: facebook/ExtremeCouponingAndBargainsUK An eagle-eyed shopper spotted the steal dead at the bargain chain. Posting about the proud discovery on Facebook, they wrote: "Chocolate Dominoes Spotted At Asda." The post wracked up hundreds of likes and comments with many group members expressing their Christmas excitement. One such user said: "One way to win is to eat them when others are not looking." Advertisement read more in money WRAPPED UP Asda has the perfect stylish buy for £14 that will keep you warm in the cold BARGAIN BUY Asda shopper's glee over £1.62 item ideal for keeping warm without heating on Another said: "Need to buy this asap." One sceptic user wrote: "As kids it was knocked into us not to play with your food." Shoppers can play the Dominoes and have fun during festive gatherings using the chocolate bar. How to play Chocolate Dominoes? 1. Place all the chocolate dominoes face down on the table. 2. Divide the dominoes equally between players, leaving any spares in a pile. 3. Each player sets their dominoes up on their sides facing them. 4. The player holding the double-six, or failing that the double-five and so on, plays first and places the domino face up. 5. Continuing clockwise the next player places a domino matching one of the numbers shown and places it short end to short end. Double numbers are placed long end to short end. 6. If you cannot match a number, then pick one domino from the spares pile. If no spares remain the player knocks on the table and play passes to the next player. 7. The winner is the one who uses up all their hand first and is rewarded with a 'winner!' chocolate. Meanwhile, a chocolate classic is getting a revival just in time for Christmas . Advertisement Most read in Money FESTIVE BEER Full list of Wetherspoons opening in Scotland on Xmas Day, is one near you? WINTER WONDERLAND First look inside award-winning Santa's Grotto just 20mins from Glasgow FARM LIFE Farm with Scotland's only lake up for sale LUXURY LIVING Scots tycoon smashes house sale record at neighbourhood loved by celebs Shoppers are flocking to Iceland to get their hands on a new confectionary before it sells out. Mars Wrigley has announced the launch of a new take well-loved product to be sold in Iceland - Milky Way Dessert Cups. The sweet treats were discontinued by Mars Wrigley back in 2022. Eagle-eyed shoppers locked eyes with them earlier this year in both Home Bargains and B&M. Advertisement Inside major change at supermarkets - to help make visits less stressfull for shoppers And now, retailer Iceland has started stocking the treats again. Posting a photo of the new Milky Way chocolates, Facebook group Newfoodsuk wrote: "Brand new MilkyWay Dessert Cups from Iceland Foods. The confectionery company is responsible for a range of popular chocolates including M&Ms, Snickers, Skittles and of course Mars bars. Milky Way fans have already been treated to the return of a discontinued favourite in 2024. Advertisement Milky Way Crispy Rolls were discontinued by Mars Wrigley back in 2022, but earlier this year were spotted in both Home Bargains and B&M. It comes as B&M shoppers also went wild for a new twist on the Dream bar. Read more on the Scottish Sun FESTIVE FIZZ Coca-Cola Christmas truck in Scotland: Dates, locations & all you need to know AND RELAX Scots seaside hotel with outdoor hot tub and firepit named UK's top spa resort Meanwhile, chocolate lovers raved about a new type of M&M - the Candy Popcorn M&M Minis . Nestle also added a new chocolate to its Quality Street "Favourites Golden Selection" pouch: the Toffee Penny. Advertisement
ServiceTitan to Announce Fiscal Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results on January 9, 2025
Negros Occidental declares state of calamity after Kanlaon blastSena vs Sena: Shinde’s party defeats Uddhav’s outfit in 36 constituencies, loses in 14Texans foiled by mistake after mistake in 32-27 loss to Titans
AIR FORCE 82, MERCYHURST 48Walmart is selling an 'amazing' $150 office chair for only $52 ahead of holiday shoppingCowboys G Zack Martin, CB Trevon Diggs out vs. CommandersRepublican lawmakers in South Carolina have reintroduced legislation that would make abortion at any stage of pregnancy equivalent to murder under state law, meaning that a person who obtains the procedure could potentially face the death penalty for doing so. The South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act, which was introduced originally in 2023 but dropped from consideration in early 2024, has been refiled by state Rep. Rob Harris (R) . The bill has seven other Republican co-sponsors , and is set to be considered by the state House Judiciary Committee early next year. The bill defines fetuses and embryos at any stage of pregnancy as legal persons , thus defining any type of abortion — including those that happen before the state’s six-week abortion ban — as homicide, effectively creating a total abortion ban. Although the legislation’s language makes exceptions for cases where a person’s life is endangered due to their pregnancy or a miscarriage, critics of the original bill noted that the proposal requires a person to prove their own innocence in such cases, meaning that even those who meet the exception criteria could be subjected to criminal punishment. Notably, exceptions for miscarriages or to save the life of a pregnant person are rarely granted , as these kinds of laws generally have ambiguous language regarding exceptions, leaving health professionals unsure of when a situation qualifies. The latest iteration of this bill’s life exception also requires “reasonable steps” to be taken before a life-saving abortion can occur, likely resulting in lengthier delays to such care, including in cases where immediate action is necessary to save a person’s life. The authors of the legislation make no effort to hide their far right religious agenda, referring to life as being “created in the image of God” in the text of the bill in an attempt to justify its passage. Advocates of abortion rights spoke out against the advancement and passage of the bill, recounting how it was defeated almost a year ago and how the legislation — sponsored by members of the state legislature’s Freedom Caucus — is a hypocritical stripping of people’s freedoms. “We can never become so immune to the dangerous and ridiculous antics of SC’s House Freedom Caucus that we simply ignore that they have introduced a bill to punish women who obtain abortions with the DEATH PENALTY,” Vicki Ringer, director of public affairs at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, posted on Bluesky . “And they call themselves ‘pro-life.'” “In South Carolina, our far-right ‘Freedom’ Caucus is full of abortion abolitionists that want to execute women that have abortions,” wrote Emily Taylor , professor of world literature and women’s and gender studies at Presbyterian College. “It’s not enough for them that women are already dying because of maternal healthcare deserts in our state and our horrific ban.” And in her daily newsletter Abortion, Every Day , journalist Jessica Valenti wrote that South Carolina Republicans, in introducing this bill once more, “have demonstrated again and again that they believe women’s lives are expendable — worthless, really, if not for our reproductive ability.” “Yet we’re expected to sit here and react to that violence as if it’s simply politics,” Valenti continued. “As if it’s perfectly fine that our suffering and deaths are being debated in statehouses and courtrooms as if we’re not human beings, but thought exercises and legal arguments.” While South Carolina Republicans appear to be fixated on criminalizing abortion, their “pro-life” beliefs don’t seem to extend to after birth, as the infant mortality rate in the Palmetto State is 7.3 deaths for every 1,000 live births . That rate is much higher than the U.S. average of 5.6 deaths per 1,000 births , and nearly two times higher than the average rate in OECD countries.
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic converted 11 of 15 from the free throw line and scored 20 points as California held off a late rally to post an 83-77 win over Sacramento State in the Cal Classic tournament on Sunday. Cal came into its tournament without three starters, Jovan Blacksher Jr., DJ Campbell and BJ Omot and the Golden Bears earned back-to-back wins over Air Force and the Hornets. Stojakovic scored a career-high 21 points and freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson stepped up with career-best 23 points against the Falcons. Against Sacramento State, Wilkinson came off the bench to score 16 points. Sacramento State took an early 12-7 lead after Emil Skytta hit a pair of free throws five minutes into the game, but Wilkinson hit back-to-back buckets and Stojakovic drew a foul on a three-point attempt and hit all three foul shots to take a 14-12 lead and the Bears pulled away to take a 40-33 lead at intermission. Julian Vaughns knocked down a trey three minutes into the second half to pull Sacramento State even at 43 and his free throw put the Hornets in front. Ryan Petraitis and Wilkinson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Cal up 51-47 and the Bears never trailed the rest of the way. Petraitis finished with 13 points, five assists and three steals for Cal (5-1). Joshua Ola-Joseph and Mady Sissoko each added 10 points. Jacob Holt scored 25 points with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal to lead Sacramento State (1-4). Vaughns scored 18 points and EJ Neal added 16. The game was just the third meeting between schools separated by roughly 80 miles, and first since 1992. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college basketball: and
BJP-led Mahayuti alliance sweeps Maharashtra
Should You Forget Super Micro Computer and Buy These 2 Millionaire-Maker AI Stocks Instead?
Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old dispute between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications. Stock market today: Wall Street slips at the end of a bumpy week Stocks slipped as Wall Street closes out a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 was up less than 0.1% in afternoon trading Friday and headed for a weekly loss. The benchmark index hit its latest in a string of records a week ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 58 points. The Nasdaq composite was up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. European markets were mostly lower and Asian markets mostly fell. Next Week: Retail sales, Fed policy update, existing home sales The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales Tuesday. Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest update on U.S. home sales Thursday. African Union chairperson candidates advocate for permanent UN Security Council seats NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three African leaders seeking to head the African Union have detailed their plans for regional security amid conflicts and political coups while strongly advocating for inter-Africa trade. The race for chairperson debate was held Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Kenya’s Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato are seeking to be elected as chairperson for the 55-member state African Union. They had a two-hour debate Friday in which they all advocated for two permanent seats for African countries at the U.N. Security Council to effectively represent the continent with the youngest population. The three are seeking to convince most African countries before the February election to succeed the African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki.After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key rolesRevolutionizing Insurance Accessibility Through AI Innovation: Balaji Govindarajan's Transformative Journey
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans made mistakes in every facet of the game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans to lose for the third time in four games. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, the defense gave up multiple big passing plays and Ka′imi Fairbairn missed a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it late in a 32-27 loss . “Just a disappointing loss for us,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We didn’t do anything well enough to win this game. Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives, too many negative plays.” Jimmie Ward had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. Danielle Hunter led the group with a season-high three sacks and Will Anderson Jr. added two in his return after missing two games with an ankle injury. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries. But Ryans refused to blame the offense for the loss. “Our offense did plenty," Ryans said. "They gave us enough points. On defense, we have to be able to stop them.” Chig Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled 70 yards for a touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. It was the last of three big passing plays the Titans had Sunday. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got in front of the defense and was wide open for a 38-yard TD catch that made it 10-7 late in the first quarter. Calvin Ridley had a 63-yard reception that set up their next touchdown in the second. “It was just way too many negative plays,” Ryans said. “Defensively, unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We didn’t play good across the board and that starts with me.” Despite this, the Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Fairbairn’s short field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. “The most frustrating part about it is out of all the bad things that happened, we still had a chance to finish the game,” Ryans said. “Everything that could go wrong, it went wrong. We still had a chance there to tie it up and finish the game, and we didn’t.” The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions Sunday give him five combined in the past three games. He now has more interceptions in 12 games this season (nine) than he had in 15 games as a rookie last season (five). “It’s no secret that I haven’t been playing well ... I’ve got to be harder on myself,” he said. “I’m not going to hold my head down. I know I can be a great player, but I’ve got to make better plays.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflInternational Artist Nikhil Chopra to Curate Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025
