card game 21 rules BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — 2024 was a brutal year for the Amazon rainforest, with rampant wildfires and extreme drought ravaging large parts of a biome that’s a critical counterweight to climate change. A warming climate fed drought that in turn fed the worst year for fires since 2005. And those fires contributed to deforestation, with authorities suspecting some fires were set to more easily clear land to run cattle. The Amazon is twice the size of India and sprawls across eight countries and one territory, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm the planet. It has about 20% of the world’s fresh water and astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species. But governments have historically viewed it as an area to be exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its Indigenous peoples, and experts say exploitation by individuals and organized crime is rising at alarming rates. “The fires and drought experienced in 2024 across the Amazon rainforest could be ominous indicators that we are reaching the long-feared ecological tipping point,” said Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch, an organization that works to protect the rainforest. “Humanity’s window of opportunity to reverse this trend is shrinking, but still open.” There were some bright spots. The level of Amazonian forest loss fell in both Brazil and Colombia. And nations gathered for the annual United Nations conference on biodiversity agreed to give Indigenous peoples more say in nature conservation decisions. “If the Amazon rainforest is to avoid the tipping point, Indigenous people will have been a determinant factor,” Miller said. Wildfires and extreme drought Forest loss in Brazil’s Amazon — home to the largest swath of this rainforest — dropped 30.6% compared to the previous year, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. The improvement under leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva contrasted with deforestation that hit a 15-year high under Lula’s predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies. In July, Colombia reported historic lows in deforestation in 2023, driven by a drop in environmental destruction. The country’s environment minister Susana Muhamad warned that 2024’s figures may not be as promising as a significant rise in deforestation had already been recorded by July due to dry weather caused by El Nino, a weather phenomenon that warms the central Pacific. Illegal economies continue to drive deforestation in the Andean nation. “It’s impossible to overlook the threat posed by organized crime and the economies they control to Amazon conservation,” said Bram Ebus, a consultant for Crisis Group in Latin America. “Illegal gold mining is expanding rapidly, driven by soaring global prices, and the revenues of illicit economies often surpass state budgets allocated to combat them.” In Brazil, large swaths of the rainforest were draped in smoke in August from fires raging across the Amazon, Cerrado savannah, Pantanal wetland and the state of Sao Paulo. Fires are traditionally used for deforestation and for managing pastures, and those man-made blazes were largely responsible for igniting the wildfires. For a second year, the Amazon River fell to desperate lows , leading some countries to declare a state of emergency and distribute food and water to struggling residents. The situation was most critical in Brazil, where one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries dropped to its lowest level ever recorded. Cesar Ipenza, an environmental lawyer who lives in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, said he believes people are becoming increasingly aware of the Amazon’s fundamental role “for the survival of society as a whole.” But, like Miller, he worries about a “point of no return of Amazon destruction.” It was the worst year for Amazon fires since 2005, according to nonprofit Rainforest Foundation US. Between January and October, an area larger than the state of Iowa — 37.42 million acres, or about 15.1 million hectares of Brazil’s Amazon — burned. Bolivia had a record number of fires in the first ten months of the year. “Forest fires have become a constant, especially in the summer months and require particular attention from the authorities who don’t how to deal with or respond to them,” Ipenza said. Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana also saw a surge in fires this year. Indigenous voices and rights made headway in 2024 The United Nations conference on biodiversity — this year known as COP16 — was hosted by Colombia. The meetings put the Amazon in the spotlight and a historic agreement was made to give Indigenous groups more of a voice on nature conservation decisions , a development that builds on a growing movement to recognize Indigenous people’s role in protecting land and combating climate change. Both Ebus and Miller saw promise in the appointment of Martin von Hildebrand as the new secretary general for the Amazon Treaty Cooperation Organization, announced during COP16. “As an expert on Amazon communities, he will need to align governments for joint conservation efforts. If the political will is there, international backers will step forward to finance new strategies to protect the world’s largest tropical rainforest,” Ebus said. Ebus said Amazon countries need to cooperate more, whether in law enforcement, deploying joint emergency teams to combat forest fires, or providing health care in remote Amazon borderlands. But they need help from the wider world, he said. “The well-being of the Amazon is a shared global responsibility, as consumer demand worldwide fuels the trade in commodities that finance violence and environmental destruction,” he said. Next year marks a critical moment for the Amazon, as Belém do Pará in northern Brazil hosts the first United Nations COP in the region that will focus on climate. “Leaders from Amazon countries have a chance to showcase strategies and demand tangible support,” Ebus said. ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records show

The Dallas Mavericks' Naji Marshall has been suspended four games without pay and the Phoenix Suns' Jusuf Nurkic is suspended three games without pay for their altercation in a game on Friday night, the NBA announced Saturday. Mavericks forward P.J. Washington was suspended one game without pay for escalating the fight by pushing Nurkic to the floor. The incident started with 9:02 left in the third quarter of Dallas' 98-89 road victory over Phoenix. Nurkic committed an offensive foul and the center had words with Marshall. Nurkic swung his arm and hit the Mavericks forward on the top of his head, and Marshall retaliated by punching Nurkic in the face. Game officials and players attempted to separate the players when Washington shoved Nurkic, who fell to the floor. All three players were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game. Marshall tried to "engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms," the NBA said in a statement. Marshall will begin his suspension and Washington will serve his on Saturday night when the Mavericks visit the Portland Trail Blazers. Nurkic starts his suspension on Saturday night in a road game against the Golden State Warriors. Marshall, 26, is averaging 10.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 23.2 minutes in 26 games (eight starts) this season. He has career averages of 7.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 19.9 minutes in 256 games (44 starts) with the New Orleans Pelicans (2020-24) and Mavericks. Nurkic, 30, has averages of 8.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 24.3 minutes in 23 games (all starts) this season. Chicago selected him 16th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and the Bulls traded him on draft day to the Denver Nuggets. Nurkic has career averages of 12.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 24.6 minutes in 562 games (481 starts) for the Nuggets (2014-17), Trail Blazers (2017-23) and Suns (2023-present). Washington, 26, is averaging 12.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 32.4 minutes in 25 games (24 starts) this season. The Charlotte Hornets selected him 12th overall in the 2019 draft out of Kentucky. Washington has career averages of 12.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 30.4 minutes in 358 games (288 starts) for the Hornets (2019-24) and Mavericks. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

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Happy New Year! It’s crazy how fast time seems to fly by. As we review how this past year has gone, we are delighted with how much was accomplished. Over $1,158,783 worth of improvements were made in 2024, such as building the Interurban Trail, finishing Lancaster Park, and maintaining our other facilities. Large projects require lots of financial resources, and we are thankful to have been blessed with $332,590.26 in local donations and from our new partnership with Harrison Township. Our department also secured $494,023 in grants this year, helping us prepare for our 2025 projects. Next year looks to be just as busy as this year was, with multiple projects on the books. After the baseball season ends in early July, Roush Park will be closed for major parking lot upgrades, including installing drainage, adding ADA sidewalks, and repaving the basketball court. The Wabash River Stabilization project to repair 1,100 feet of the riverbank from Wayne Street to the Howard Rich Pavilion will also commence in the summer while the river is in a low position. If all goes well with funding, there is a good possibility that as soon as the pool closes for the season, construction on the new one can begin. We are so grateful for the continued community support; we truly could not do it without all of you! Have you always wanted to learn how to Crochet? Now is your chance to sign up for January’s Hooked on Crochet class! Learning to crochet will give you a lifetime of pleasure and relaxation. You can learn to create handmade items for yourself and those you love. Classes will be taught by Kathy Gehrett at City Hall (128 E Market) from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Jan. 9, 16 & 23. The cost for 3 one-hour group lessons is $20, due the first day. Yarn and instructions will be provided, and you will need to bring your own size H hook. Call the park office to pre-register at 824-6069 or email events@blufftonindiana.gov. The class is open to beginners and advanced students. The first Theater Thursday of 2025 is scheduled for January 16th at 10 am at the Wells County Public Library. The film will be 007 No Time to Die, rated PG-13. James Bond is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica after leaving active service. However, his peace is short-lived as his old CIA friend, Felix Leiter, shows up and asks for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond on the trail of a mysterious villain armed with a dangerous new technology. There is still time to make a New Year’s resolution to become more active! Over 200 people commit to the Wells Winter Challenge each year, and we have expanded the options for 2025! Wells Winter 100 Mile Challenge : Walk or run 100 miles by March 21! That’s just 10 miles a week — are you ready to go the distance? Wells Winter Fitness Minutes Challenge : Stay active with 1,800 minutes of any activity this winter (indoor/outdoor biking, walking, yoga, pickleball, etc.). Aim for 150 minutes a week (30 minutes five times a week), and you’ll be on track. Kids 50 Mile Challenge: For kids 12 and under—run or walk 50 miles and join in the fun. We also want to congratulate this year’s Gingerbread Contest winners : Lane McClure, Jada Gehrett, and Paige Watter. Each winner was awarded Chamber Bucks for all their creative work. Have a great week!

Bad Bunny announces a new album, 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos'Topline The House passed a bill Wednesday to greenlight a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year, provide raises for junior military members and enact a controversial provision banning gender-affirming care for children of military members, under a certain condition. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts : We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. What To Watch For The bill will be sent to the Democratic-led Senate and will go to President Joe Biden if passed. The president is expected to sign it . Key Background Gender-affirming care restrictions have been a target for Republicans, who successfully banned or restricted aspects of the treatment in a large group of states last year. As of this summer, gender-affirming care was restricted in 25 states including Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Georgia and Florida, according to NPR , which noted zero states had such laws just a few years ago. President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed during his campaign to roll back LGBTQ+ protections , said last year he would have federal agencies stop healthcare providers from providing gender-affirming services for minors. Trump has characterized the services as “child abuse” and “child sexual mutilation” and pushed for restrictions on federal funding allocated toward transgender issues. The president-elect, who will have a Republican majority in the House and Senate, has also vowed to “cut federal funding” for schools teaching “critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.” Further Reading Trump Promises Rollback On Trans Rights: Here's What He's Said (Forbes) North Carolina Restricts Gender-Affirming Care After Overriding Governor’s Veto—Here Are All The States With Similar Bans Or Restrictions (Forbes)

7 tips to prepare for next year’s taxes nowNonethis Thursday worldwide. ChatGPT, one of the most popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, stopped working. If you are a frequent user of this tool, here’s everything we know about this outage. The company, led by , has not provided details about the issue, so at this moment, . No, it’s not your internet. ChatGPT users are encountering difficulties in obtaining . The platform shows a generic error message, making it challenging to identify the root cause of the problem. Both the chatbot and Sora, OpenAI’s AI video generator, are currently out of service. ChatGPT is not the only artificial intelligence tool; besides this, you can use others, for example: Currently, ChatGPT has approximately . OpenAI, initially conceived as a non-profit entity dedicated to artificial intelligence research, has undergone a significant transformation in its corporate structure. To accelerate the development and deployment of its technologies, the organization founded OpenAI LP, a for-profit subsidiary operating under the umbrella of OpenAI Inc. This strategic shift has allowed the company to attract significant investments and establish strategic partnerships with tech giants like Microsoft. , a key figure in the tech industry, assumed the role of CEO of OpenAI LP, demonstrating visionary leadership in steering the company toward new horizons. Despite a brief interruption in his tenure at the end of 2023, Altman has continued to play a critical role in shaping OpenAI’s strategy and direction. The development of ChatGPT was made possible by the collaborative work of a team of artificial intelligence experts led by . Sutskever, co-founder of OpenAI and a pioneer in deep learning, contributed his extensive experience in image recognition and natural language processing. Meanwhile, Amodei, specializing in , ensured that the model was developed safely and ethically. ChatGPT is a versatile tool that excels in understanding and generating . Its applications are broad, ranging from content creation to translation, adapting to the needs of each user. OpenAI has made its ChatGPT search tool publicly available for free. Previously, this feature was exclusive to paid subscribers. Additionally, its speed and response time have been improved, and a feature has been added. Currently, free access to ChatGPT 4 is limited to just . Afterward, the tool will prompt you to purchase a paid ChatGPT plan for $20 per month. Cancela en cualquier momento Acceso exclusivo a rankings y radiografías. Análisis profundos y casos de estudio de éxito. Historial de la revista impresa en formato digital. ¡Disfruta de lo mejor del marketing sin costo alguno por unmes!