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After coaching a full practice and speaking to the media for nearly 17 minutes Friday, Mike Brown received a phone call from Kings general manager Monte McNair informing him that . The . Brown was getting ready to board the plane set for Los Angeles that several players and staff already were on. But the organization maintains there was no specific purpose or malice intended with the timing or execution of his release, The reported Saturday, citing team sources. Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé had the final say and ultimately gave the green light to pull the plug after practice Friday. But the decision to fire Brown was McNair's, Amick and Slater reported, citing team sources. “This was a difficult decision and I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to the organization,” McNair said Friday in a press release. Ranadivé has had a front-row seat to the madness that resulted in a pathetic 0-5 homestand that topped off the Kings' 12th loss in 17 games. Sitting courtside at Golden 1 Center, he has been notably upset and frustrated with the team's performance. Still, team sources insisted to Amick and Slater that the decision originally stemmed from McNair. Additionally, the organization is choosing to back the front office of McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, Amick and Slater added, who still are considered "safe" despite all of Sacramento's struggles. The Kings' depth -- or lack thereof -- led to a lot of difficult rotation issues for Brown. It's a weakness the front office acknowledged and still hopes to fix by the upcoming Feb. 6 trade deadline. So they felt comfortable parting ways with their head coach knowing they had personnel moves to make. And apparently, Thursday's loss to the Detroit Pistons was the final straw. A defensive blunder by De'Aaron Fox gave the Pistons a one-point lead that sealed their unimaginable victory. After the loss, Brown didn't hold back in his criticism of Fox and the rest of the guys. But that was no different than how Brown handled other pressers: Holding players accountable and never mincing his words. Still, Brown's press conference remarks were "beginning to wear on some players," Amick and Slater reported, citing team sources, and were part of the decision to part ways with Brown. While Brown's press conference critique was directly aimed at Fox on Thursday, Fox's wife Recee emphasized on social media that Fox had no say in the firing. False — Recee Fox (@Cee_Caldwell) This could not be more off base. — Recee Fox (@Cee_Caldwell) Now, Doug Christie will serve as the interim head coach, and the eighth under Ranadivé's ownership. The former Kings guard and current assistant coach met with the Kings brass and accepted their offer of a promotion to replace Brown on an interim basis, leaping lead assistant and former Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano. There's a lot to be determined moving forward, and it all begins Saturday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

The case has raised important questions about the legal and moral obligations that come with transferring property within families. In China, property ownership is often seen as a symbol of wealth and social status, and disputes over property rights can quickly escalate into bitter conflicts. In this particular case, the emotional bonds between parents and children have been strained, as each party grapples with feelings of betrayal, hurt, and resentment.

The consequences of falling victim to this car loan scam are severe and far-reaching. Many individuals find themselves facing bankruptcy, foreclosure, and even legal action as a result of their involvement in this fraudulent scheme. The emotional toll of realizing that they have been duped and manipulated by unscrupulous actors takes a heavy toll on their mental well-being and sense of trust in others.DANBURY — The American Legion Sports Complex will have military flags added to the property. Danbury City Council approved a donation and placement for military flags given by the Danbury Civic Club. The American Legion Sports Complex in the 15000 block of Quail Ridge Road is city property, so the Civic Club had to come before council for approval to erect the flags, Mayor Sue Powell said. There will be eight flag poles with the military flags — Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, POWs and the American flag by the American Legion sign. Lights will be placed atop the poles to illuminate the flags. All the poles are made from aluminum and will be placed in concrete within the ground so they can handle harsh weather conditions. They will be placed inside the fence at the complex to make it easier to maintain the grass around them. Another item approved by the council was an invoice for more than $91,000 from the county for streets and roads built in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Council also approved two miles of roads throughout the city for the 2025 county road repairs. The city has an interlocal agreement with Brazoria County for road projects. “When we have the county do work for us, we do not pay for labor, just materials that are needed to do the job,” Powell said. The county completed the roads in the summer, she said. In other business, Police Chief Chris Henken updated the council on the citywide camera project. There will be cameras at the ballpark, Skrabanek Park, water tower, Community Center, septic plant and some streets. The new cameras, and current ones, can help secure activity around the city. “The camera project is relatively done,” Henken said. Previously, council approved changing the city’s internet provider from AT&T to Comcast to help with the camera system. They will install a router in City Hall and at the wastewater treatment plant. Having a router in City Hall will help provide better internet. The Utility Department has received flashing school zone signs that will be installed soon, Utility Supervisor Rodney Garrett said.

Antero Midstream: Buybacks Likely To Be Limited

Fluence Energy, Inc. Announces Closing of Offering of $400.0 Million of Convertible Senior Notes due 2030India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92

INOVIO Announces Proposed Public OfferingIn recent news, Tencent Video has implemented a new policy that limits the number of devices that can be logged in with a single membership account. This move is aimed at cracking down on account sharing and improving the overall security and user experience on the platform. Such restrictions are not uncommon in the entertainment industry, as streaming services worldwide are grappling with the issue of unauthorized account usage.

RICHMOND, Va. , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) ("Universal" or the "Company"), a global business-to-business agriproducts company, today announced that, as expected, on November 19, 2024 , it received a notice (the "NYSE Notice") from the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") that the Company is not in compliance with Section 802.01E of the NYSE Listed Company Manual as a result of its failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the "Form 10-Q") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") prior to November 18, 2024 , the end of the extension period provided by Rule 12b -25 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The NYSE Notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company's common stock on the NYSE. The NYSE Notice informed the Company that, under NYSE rules, the Company has six months from November 18, 2024 , to regain compliance with the NYSE listing standards by filing the Form 10-Q with the SEC. If the Company fails to file the Form 10-Q within the six-month period, the NYSE may grant, in its sole discretion, an extension of up to six additional months for the Company to regain compliance, depending on the specific circumstances. The NYSE Notice also noted that the NYSE may nevertheless, in its own discretion, commence delisting proceedings at any time during such period. As previously disclosed in the Company's Notification of Late Filing on Form 12b-25, filed on November 12, 2024 (the "Form 12b-25") with the SEC, the Company was unable to file the Form 10-Q on a timely basis due to an ongoing internal investigation. As a result of the additional time required to complete its internal investigation, the process of finalizing financial statements for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 could not be completed on a timely basis. The Company is committed to completing a deliberate, thorough investigation while diligently working to fulfill all reporting obligations and currently expects to file the Form 10-Q within the six-month period granted by the NYSE Notice; however, there can be no assurance that the Form 10-Q will be filed within such period. About Universal Corporation Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is a global agricultural company with over 100 years of experience supplying products and innovative solutions to meet our customers' evolving needs and precise specifications. Through our diverse network of farmers and partners across more than 30 countries on five continents, we are a trusted provider of high-quality, traceable products. We leverage our extensive supply chain expertise, global reach, integrated processing capabilities, and commitment to sustainability to provide a range of products and services designed to drive efficiency and deliver value to our customers. For more information, visit www.universalcorp.com . CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Among other things, these statements include statements regarding expectations about the Company's filing of its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 . These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of words such as we "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "could," "should," "may," "plan," "will," "predict," "estimate," and similar expressions or words of similar import. These forward-looking statements are based upon management's current knowledge and assumptions about future events and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, prospects, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the uncertainty of the ultimate findings of the ongoing internal investigation, as well as the timing of its completion and costs and expenses arising out of the ongoing internal investigation process and its results; the impact of the ongoing internal investigation on us, our management and operations, including financial impact as well as any litigation or regulatory action that may arise from the ongoing internal investigation; the impact of the internal investigation on our conclusions regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures; our ability to regain compliance with NYSE listing requirements; success in pursuing strategic investments or acquisitions and integration of new businesses and the impact of these new businesses on future results; product purchased not meeting quality and quantity requirements; our reliance on a few large customers; our ability to maintain effective information technology systems and safeguard confidential information; anticipated levels of demand for and supply of our products and services; costs incurred in providing these products and services including increased transportation costs and delays attributed to global supply chain challenges; timing of shipments to customers; higher inflation rates; changes in market structure; government regulation and other stakeholder expectations; economic and political conditions in the countries in which we and our customers operate, including the ongoing impacts from international conflicts; product taxation; industry consolidation and evolution; changes in exchange rates and interest rates; impacts of regulation and litigation on its customers; industry-specific risks related to its plant-based ingredient businesses; exposure to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change; changes in estimates and assumptions underlying our critical accounting policies; the promulgation and adoption of new accounting standards, new government regulations and interpretation of existing standards and regulations; and general economic, political, market, and weather conditions. Actual results, therefore, could vary from those expected. Please also refer to such other factors as discussed in Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Universal's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 , and related disclosures in other filings which have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . All risk factors and uncertainties described herein and therein should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements, and all of the forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements contained or referred to herein and therein. Universal cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as these statements speak only as of the date when made, and it undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made, except as required by law. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universal-corporation-receives-nyse-notice-regarding-filing-of-form-10-q-for-the-fiscal-quarter-ended-september-30-2024-302314579.html SOURCE Universal CorporationNEW YORK — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin, gold and other investments also drove higher. Here’s a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. 1998 Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball’s Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year’s spurt of 24.2%. 57 The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. 3 The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. 1,508 That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world. The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. $100,000 The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It’s been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump’s election. He’s turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he’s named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. 26.7% Gold’s rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It’s also benefited from the Fed’s cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. $420 It’s a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it’s also a threshold that Tesla’s stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share. Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk’s close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. $91.2 billion That’s how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia’s chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia’s worth to more than $3 trillion in total. 74% GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “meme stock craze” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October. 1.6%, 3.0% and 3.1% That’s how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. 20.1% This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody’s. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. 3.73 million That’s the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024’s home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.

Israel's military carried out a series of devastating strikes on targets connected to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen . Three ports along the western coast and Sanaa International Airport came under attack on Thursday. Jets bombed the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations as well as military infrastructure in the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Kanatib. A total of three people were killed and 11 others were injured during the bombardments. Two died in the strikes on the airport and one person was killed at one of the ports. Unverified video footage circulating on social media shows what appears to be one of the ports engulfed by a raging inferno. The head of the World Health Organisation narrowly escaped death, as he waited for his flight to depart Sanaa airport moments before the attack. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was about to board a flight from Sanaa with UN and WHO staff when "the airport came under aerial bombardment". "One of our plane's crew members was injured," he wrote in a post to his X account. He added: "At least two people were reported killed at the airport. "The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge - just a few meters from where we were - and the runway were damaged." Dr Ghebreyesus said he and his colleagues were safe and sent "our heartfelt condolences" to the relatives of those who died. Israel's prime minister confirmed the attacks, vowing to carry out more until the "task is complete". Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We are determined to sever this terror arm of Iran's axis. "We will persist in this until we complete the task." The Israeli attack appears to be in response to a Houthi missile strike on Tel Aviv over the weekend, which injured 16 people.In conclusion, the issue of professional associations accepting members based solely on their ability to pay fees is a cause for concern that needs to be addressed. Upholding the value and credibility of these organizations requires a commitment to maintaining high standards of professionalism and ethics. Professional associations must prioritize the quality of their membership base and ensure that all members meet the required criteria to uphold the integrity of the profession.只。On the other hand, Pere Guardiola has carved out his own niche in the football industry, working as a football agent and representing a host of high-profile players and coaches. While his brother Pep commands the touchline and orchestrates matches from the dugout, Pere operates behind the scenes, negotiating deals and managing the careers of his clients.

Tencent Video Limits Device Login for Members, LoveTy Teng Also Cracks Down on Account SharingAthletic Bilbao, under the leadership of Muniain, have been in impressive form this season, consistently challenging some of the top teams in La Liga and Europe. Muniain's leadership on the field has been instrumental in guiding his team to important victories and maintaining a strong position in the league standings.

As details surrounding Liu's death continue to emerge, questions have been raised about the safety of cosmetic procedures and the risks associated with elective surgeries. The tragic incident serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of thorough research, careful consideration, and proper medical supervision when undergoing any form of cosmetic enhancement.Antero Midstream ( NYSE: AM ), out of a few select buying opportunities like after the post pandemic crash, has not been a great long term outperformer in midstream. There are some obvious reasons for that, most of which investors are keenly aware of at Are you an investor looking for quality research within the oil and gas industry? Energy Investing Authority is the source. While commodity prices are up and so too are shareholder dividends, it can be easy to chase yield and buy the wrong firms. Income investors cannot afford those mistakes. Deep dive analysis forms the foundation of the platform. Hundreds of companies fall under the coverage universe, from pipelines to renewables to producers. Receive actionable research to keep your portfolio outperforming benchmarks - the EIA portfolio has done so six out of the past seven years. Sign up for a NO OBLIGATION FREE TRIAL today! Michael Boyd is an energy specialist with a decade of experience in both the investment advisory and investment banking spaces, with stints in portfolio management, residential mortgage-backed securities, derivatives, and internal audit at various firms. Today, he is a full-time investor and "independent analyst for hire.” Michael leads the Investing Group Energy Investing Authority . The service focuses on finding total return opportunities within the energy sector, ranging from upstream producers to pipelines to refineries. Features include: model portfolios, real time trade alerts, high quality research, and an active and vibrant chatroom of professional investors. Learn More . Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs earned a much-deserved extended rest after their Christmas Day rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which capped an unbeaten stretch of three games in 11 days and clinched them the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. That extended rest? Well, it can be just about as long as Chiefs coach Andy Reid wants it to be. The Chiefs (15-1) face the Broncos in their regular-season finale next weekend, a game whose kickoff remains up in the air. But it will be at least 10 days after their 29-10 win in Pittsburgh, a nice rest for a weary team whose bye was back in Week 6. But with nothing to play for in that game, Reid could conceivably give some of his most important players the entire week off ahead of the playoffs. And now that the Chiefs have a first-round bye, that means they wouldn't face anybody until at least Jan. 18 in the divisional round, meaning a full 24 days between games. “It's been almost 10 weeks of football, grinding on this short schedule at the very end of the year,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We'll see how Week 18 goes — who plays, who doesn't play. That's up to Coach. But having this break, getting healthy, getting ourselves ready for the playoffs, it was super important, especially with the guys we have banged up.” The Chiefs dominated the Steelers without four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who was resting his sore calf on Wednesday. They also have not had cornerback Chamarri Conner, who has been out with a concussion, or D.J. Humphries, the former Pro Bowl left tackle who appeared in one game for Kansas City before straining his hamstring. All of them figure to be healthy for the playoffs. The same for guys who have been dealing with minor injuries, such as right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who played against the Steelers despite straining his hamstring the previous week against Houston, and running back Isiah Pacheco, who dinged up his ribs in the win in Pittsburgh. “It will definitely help with some of the guys that are banged up, to get guys back, freshened up a little bit,” said Reid, who has rested important players in Week 18 in the past, including last season against the Chargers. “I think it will be a positive for us.” The trick is to decide exactly how much rest to give everyone. For those dealing with injuries, that full 24-day span without a game could be exactly what they need. For others, it might be too long between games, and getting at least a half of play against the Broncos would help prevent some rust from setting in. “I was just talking to my family about it,” Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie said. “My rookie year, we were able to get, you know, all home games, and you just can't be out (on the road) in the playoffs. I mean, I'm excited to go out there. I know we got the first round, you know, off, but I mean, I can't wait to play now.” What’s working The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last season with a wide receiver group that — outside of Rashee Rice — was lacking in dynamic ability. But with the trade for DeAndre Hopkins, the return of Hollywood Brown from an injury and the emergence of rookie Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs have gone from a position of peril to one of profound strength. What needs help The Chiefs have struggled to the run the ball consistently the past few weeks. Pacheco gained just 18 yards on six carries before hurting his ribs against Pittsburgh, and Kareem Hunt was held to 20 yards on nine carries — a 2.2-yard average. Stock up Worthy has smashed through the rookie wall, just as Rice did at this point last season, and has proven to be more than a speedster. He had eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown Wednesday, giving him at least five catches in each of his past five games. Stock down Pacheco has not been the same after missing more than two months to injury. He has been held to 55 yards rushing or fewer in each of his past five games, and he's averaging just 2.7 yards per carry over his past three. Injuries There were no significant injuries sustained against the Steelers. Key number 77 — Travis Kelce caught his 77th touchdown pass, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs record. Kelce finished with eight catches for 84 yards and a score against Pittsburgh, making him the third tight end in NFL history with at least 1,000 receptions. Gonzalez had 1,325 and Jason Witten had 1,228 while Kelce has 1,004 and counting. Next steps The Chiefs get the long weekend off before deciding who will play in Denver in their regular-season finale.

Title: Father's Involvement in 14-Year-Old Daughter's Social Life: Love or Control?Ultimately, understanding the differences between year-end bonuses and thirteenth salaries sheds light on the intricacies of compensation management and employee rewards. While both forms of bonuses serve as valuable incentives for employees, their distinct characteristics and allocation methods highlight the diverse approaches that organizations take to recognize and reward their workforce.

President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as United States health secretary presents new challenges for how media will report on health matters. Kennedy is an anti-vaccine activist and believes in various conspiracies about the COVID-19 pandemic . His nomination landed with a thud among health experts and the mainstream media . This appointment, coupled with Trump’s frequent complaints about a liberal bias in the mainstream media that he claims exaggerate and distort the world around us, will make it difficult for media trying to maintain credibility when reporting health news . The pandemic provides a good place to draw some lessons. Despite claims of the demise of mainstream media , there are still many people who refer to traditional news sources, particularly in uncertain times when accurate information is at a premium. Based on a global study of the early stages of the pandemic , most people regardless of age ranked traditional media outlets (newspapers, television and radio) and the social media accounts belonging to these outlets as their primary sources of information during COVID-19. Media in the pandemic The pandemic resulted in an increase in demand for traditional media. In Canada, an April 2020 survey found that less than 10 per cent of respondents relied on social media as their main source of information; 51 per cent relied on local, national and international news outlets, and 30 per cent relied on daily briefings from public health agencies and political leaders. All major daily television news programs nearly doubled their year-to-date, average-minute audience. Media coverage was indispensable during the pandemic for three reasons: First, the media communicated important health and economic information to the public. Second, the media highlighted the struggles of vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic when non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that typically addressed such issues were struggling themselves. Almost half of charities and NGOs received no support from permanent donors during the pandemic . Finally, the media played an important role in supporting democratic accountability when government policymaking was frequent and spending was high but parliamentary and legislative checks were reduced . When comparing legislative sittings between 2018-19 and 2020-21, for example, provincial legislatures met anywhere from 5.5 per cent (Alberta) to 62.5 per cent (Nova Scotia) less often . Despite these important roles, there were important limitations to how the media reported the uncertainty of the pandemic. Lessons from COVID-19 Media is prone to exploiting cognitive biases. According to risk psychologists, people are typically more concerned about risks that are unknown and have high dread characteristics . A pandemic has many of these characteristics, which made it fertile ground for sustained and, at times, sensationalized coverage, focusing on conflict and emotion, excluding probability data, oversimplifying complex matters, and vilifying those who went against the grain. Here are some salient examples. Despite the frequent claims to “follow the science” that featured so prominently in the media, U.S. research showed that coverage of the pandemic by American publications with a national audience tended to be more negative than the coverage by scientific journals, international publications and regional media. In 2020, 87 per cent of COVID-19 coverage in U.S. media was deemed negative, emphasizing bad news and amplifying conflict and disagreement over government policies, regardless of whether different voices represented a small minority or a sizeable amount of the population. Psychologists refer to identifiable-victim effect , when people focus on individuals and consequences and omit probability data. COVID-19’s serious toll in long-term care (LTC) homes, and the poor conditions found in some of those homes, was widely covered in 2020. However, even among those with loved ones in long-term care, over 78 per cent commented that they were satisfied with the service of the LTC facility — a fact that was virtually unobtainable if one depended solely on popular media for information. During the third wave of the pandemic, the media ran stories about Canadian children becoming seriously ill even though youth made up only two per cent of hospitalizations . While it is true that stories about sick kids are newsworthy, they can also be sensationalist and exploitative . After more than a year of COVID-19 stories and high death counts, at times it was difficult to distinguish between lower-probability and higher-probability cases, which is a fundamental characteristic of any risk problem. The media also tended to vilify young people when they broke public health orders and gathering limits . Despite being at low risk of severe illness throughout the pandemic, young people paid a very heavy price for governments’ responses. One study found that younger adults had to implement more behavioural changes than older individuals to comply with COVID-19 restrictions . The political priorities of young people — housing, social justice, environment and affordability — received much less attention from the media during the pandemic. RFK Jr.’s nomination The role of the health secretary is partly an advisory role. RFK Jr. would influence as much as lead . Still, his appointment would be consequential. Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director at the American Public Health Association , said of Kennedy’s nomination: “ More people will get sick, and I’m really concerned more people will die .” Decentralized technology is changing the way we consume media. Despite Trump’s use of unconventional media strategies during the election campaign , it’s clear that the mainstream media play a disproportionately important role in how we consume information. Part of the challenge lies in how news sources maintain trustworthiness among their audiences. Trustworthiness depends on being transparent, knowledgeable and concerned . Mainstream media will now have to develop new standards for transparency, particularly on how it uses and communicates scientific data. Media need to ensure that emotive stories that animate coverage are informed by appropriate probability and consequence data. This will help ensure that the audience knows whether the cases in media are shown as exceptions to the norm, or pervasive. More transparent use of probability data will help ensure this.Six unsolved Wigan murders