Now that Union Center’s own Governor Larry Rhoden has announced that he’s running for the job he currently has, it appears Toby Doeden now thinks he should change his image, bought a hat, and will start using AI in his videos to give the appearance that he can speak with a west river drawl. As he announces a “rocking western” event. Related.
https://dakotawarcollege.com/larry-rhoden-announces-for-governor-toby-buys-a-hat/
Bloomberg Intelligence’s Mandeep Singh explains what’s driving the wave of glowing reviews for Google’s latest Gemini artificial intelligence model and what it means for the stock. He joins Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-11-19/google-s-gemini-3-receives-rave-reviews-video
Whether you’re hosting a big family Thanksgiving or are just hitting a few Friendsgivings this year, you know there’s going to be someone there who’s trying to avoid carbs, doesn’t eat meat, follows a gluten-free or vegan diet, or just wants to get some more veggies into their life. The traditional Thanksgiving menu doesn’t exactly work for many dietary restrictions, which is where these recipes come in. We’ve rounded up 18 festive, holiday-worthy meals that work for a variety of diets and preferences, so everyone at your Thanksgiving can enjoy the feast. From creative takes on the classics to side dishes, mocktails, desserts, and mains that will shake up the traditional Thanksgiving menu, these recipes ensure that no one will be missing out on the fun this year. Make or bring these for an extra-inclusive Thanksgiving-we know your keto aunt, vegan sister, sober friend, and everyone else at your table will be so thankful.
https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/thanksgiving/g69463562/special-diet-thanksgiving-recipes/
A former president of Harvard University, Larry Summers, continues to suffer fallout from his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, with the prominent economist resigning from yet another corporate board position following the release of email correspondence between the two men. Mr. Summers, who served as Treasury Secretary under the Clinton administration and was President Obama’s director of the National Economic Council, announced on Wednesday his departure from the board of directors at the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company, OpenAI. “In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI,” Mr. Summers stated. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company and look forward to following their progress.” His position at OpenAI is just one of many roles that Mr. Summers has stepped back from in the weeks since the federal government made public more than 20, 000 emails from Epstein’s estate that shed new light on Mr. Summers’ intimate relationship with the convicted sex offender. That includes his role as chairman of the board at the Center for Global Development and his board positions at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Yale’s Budget Lab, and the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project. Mr. Summers was also dropped from the New York Times Opinion section, where he was hired in January 2025 to serve as a contributing writer. The Times’ executive director for media relations stated on Tuesday that the outlet does not intend to renew his contract when it concludes at year-end. The released correspondence showed that Mr. Summers maintained regular contact with Epstein from 2013 through July 2019 years after the financier’s 2008 conviction on charges involving solicitation of prostitution from a minor exchanging messages on topics ranging from personal matters to professional advice. On several occasions Mr. Summers sought romantic counsel from Epstein, including regarding a woman he described as a mentee. “Think for now I’m going nowhere with her except economics mentor,” Mr. Summers wrote in November 2018. “I think I’m right now in the seen very warmly in rear view mirror category.” In one 2018 exchange, Epstein went as far as to refer to himself as Mr. Summers’ “wing man.” Mr. Summers’ was married at the time. The final email between the two was sent just one day before federal authorities arrested Epstein on new sex-trafficking charges in July 2019. Although Mr. Summers shared his plans to retreat from all public commitments, he will continue to teach at Harvard and serve as the director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. This semester Mr. Summers is currently teaching five courses, including two large undergraduate economics classes. Mr. Summers, however, opened a Tuesday economics class by apologizing to his students for his association with Mr. Epstein and asking for the class’s “permission” to “go forward and talk about the material” for the course. “Some of you will have seen my statement of regret expressing my shame with respect to what I did in communication with Mr. Epstein and I’ve said I’m going to step back from public activities for a while,” Mr. Summers said in a video taken by a Harvard student and posted to social media. “But I think it’s very important that I fulfill my teaching obligations.” Also on Tuesday the chairman of Harvard’s economics department, Elie Tamer, sent an email to students expressing his regret for “the recent items that you have read about our faculty members.” Mr. Tamer, who refrained from directly naming Mr. Summers, apologized to students who “are hurt, angry or simply exhausted by the news” and emphasized the school’s commitment to creating a community where “students can learn, research, and work without fear of favoritism, coercion, or retaliation.” “We have been through a lot this past year and again, to you our students I say: you belong here,” he added. “You deserve advisors who champion your work and a community that chooses integrity. If you need anything-clarity, or simply a human conversation ask. I will show up.” Harvard, meanwhile, announced its decision to open a new investigation into Mr. Summers, who served as president from 2001 to 2006, and his relationship with Epstein. A Harvard spokesman told the Crimson on Tuesday that “the University is conducting a review of information concerning individuals at Harvard included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to evaluate what actions may be warranted.” Several other Harvard figures were also featured in the files, including Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, who served on Epstein’s legal team in a 2008 criminal case, and Mr. Summers’ wife, professor Elisa New.
https://www.nysun.com/article/larry-summers-asks-harvard-students-for-permission-to-continue-teaching-as-epstein-fallout-widens
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez offered too tantalizing of a package for Perry Minasian to turn down, despite the risk. A day after the Angels acquired a pitcher who has been hurt for nearly a season and a half, Minasian said the current reports of his Rodriguez’s and the potential he offers were sufficient to be worth sending the Baltimore Orioles one of their best power hitters, Taylor Ward. “Is there risk? Yes, there’s risk,” the Angels’ general manager said Wednesday. “It’s eyes wide open on the risk. That being said, it’s four years of control. It’s somebody that, when he pitches, can beat anybody on any given night. The weapons he has and the ability to throw strikes, it’s a combination that some of the best in the game have. We’ve got high expectations. He’s somebody we’re really excited to have.” Rodriguez, 26, is a former first-round pick with a 100-mph fastball. He had a 3. 25 ERA over a 31-start stretch from July 2023 to July 2024. He struck out 193 and walked 53 over 182⅔ innings in that span. His walk rate is slightly better than the major-league average. However, he hasn’t thrown a pitch in a regular season game since July 31, 2024. Rodriguez suffered a lat strain that cost him the last two months of the 2024 season, and he missed all of 2025 with a similar strain and then elbow problems. He had surgery to have a bone spur removed in August. “We need him to be healthy,” Minasian said. “We like where he’s at. Obviously, we felt like the medical (report) was in a good enough place to where this was a chance, a gamble worth taking. We expect him to be healthy in spring. He’s throwing bullpens in January. We’ve talked to him. He’s very motivated, very excited. Somebody that can really give us a jolt in the rotation.” Rodriguez is scheduled to talk to the media Wednesday afternoon. For now, any report of his health has to be taken with caution. No team would give up an established starting pitcher with four years of control for a hitter with one year of control under normal circumstances. Mike Elias, the Orioles president of baseball operations, told the Baltimore media recently that Rodriguez was a “wild card.” “There’s nothing going on right now that would hold him back,” Elias said. “He’s not injured right now and he’s preparing for spring training, but the poor guy’s missed a year and two months basically, and we’ve got to be mindful of that, and I think he’s a really nice wild card talent for us, and I’m really optimistic and bullish about it. But the fact that he’s missed so much time recently, we just have to be prudent about that. “We don’t want to plan around him too heavily, but I really like where he’s at.” If Rodriguez is healthy, he would join a rotation that includes right-hander José Soriano and left-handers Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers. Soriano is 27 and Detmers and Rodriguez are 26. The Angels control Detmers and Soriano for the next three years, and Rodriguez for the next four. The Angels still need another starter, and to that end the deal helps by freeing up some money. Ward was set to make around $14 million in arbitration, and Rodriguez will make just over the major-league minimum of $780,000. “The more flexibility, the better,” Minasian said. “That was discussed too. It’s not only acquiring somebody we feel like can impact the rotation, but freeing up some money to maybe get into areas where we wouldn’t have been able to before.” The Angels will need to replace Ward’s production at the plate. Last season, he hit 36 homers and drove in 103 runs with a . 792 OPS. The Angels still have Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler to play the corner outfield spots. Trout and Soler likely can’t handle full-time outfield duty, so the Angels would probably look to have them split time in the outfield and at designated hitter. Adell could also play center, but perhaps now the Angels are more likely to get a true center field and keep Adell in one of the corners. “It’s a long offseason,” Minasian said. “We’ll continue to look.” More to come on this story.
https://www.sgvtribune.com/2025/11/19/angels-gm-perry-minasian-grayson-rodriguez-is-a-gamble-worth-taking/
By KEN SWEET, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) President Trump nominated Stuart Levenbach as the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, using a legal maneuver to keep his budget director Russell Vought as acting director of the bureau while the Trump administration continues on its plan to shut down the consumer financial protection agency. Levenbach is currently an associate director inside the Office of Management and Budget, handling issues related to natural resources, energy, science and water issues. Levenbach’s resume shows significant experience dealing with science and natural resources issues, acting as chief of staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during Trump’s first term. Levenbach’s nomination is not meant to go through to confirmation, an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Under the Vacancies Act, Vought can only act as acting director for 210 days, but now that Trump has nominated someone to the position, that clock has been suspended until the Senate approves or denies Levenbach’s confirmation as director. Vought is Levenbach’s boss. The CFPB has been nonfunctional much of the year. Many of its employees have been ordered not to work, and the only major work the bureau is doing is unwinding the regulations and rules it put into place during Trump’s first term and during the Biden administration. While in the acting director role, Vought has signaled that he wishes to dismantle, or vastly diminish, the bureau. The latest blow to the bureau came earlier this month, when the White House said it does not plan to withdraw any funds from the Federal Reserve, which is where the bureau gets its funding, to fund the bureau past Dec. 31. The White House and the Justice Department used a legal interpretation of the law that created the bureau, the Dodd-Frank Act, that the Fed must be profitable in order to fund the CFPB’s operations. Several judges have rejected this argument when it was brought up by companies, but it’s never been the position of the government until this year that the CFPB requires the Fed to be profitable to have operating funds. “Donald Trump’s sending the Senate a new nominee to lead the CFPB looks like nothing more than a front for Russ Vought to stay on as Acting Director indefinitely as he tries to illegally close down the agency,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, in a statement. The bureau was created after the 2008 financial crisis as part of the Dodd-Frank Act, a law passed to overhaul the financial system and require banks to hold more capital to avoid another financial crisis. The CFPB was created to be a independent advocate for consumers to help them avoid bad actors in the financial system.
https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2025/11/19/trump-cfpb-nomination/
A Como man was charged with murder after a pedestrian was struck and killed on Saturday, Nov. 15, on Hwy. 51, just north of the Como town limits. Initial reports said the incident happened near the convenience store that supervisors have received complaints about in recent months. Willie B. Hill, 34, of Abe Hill Road […]
https://panolian.com/2025/11/19/woman-killed-by-car-on-51n/
In a significant blow to a booming scooter rental industry, the Houston City Council on Wednesday enacted a curfew on “micromobility devices” from 8 p. m. to 4 a. m. across the city. “This has been a challenge in the downtown area for some time,” said council member Joaquin Martinez, who represents the area. “We’ve seen a lot of joyriding in downtown when it comes to scooters letter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox. “Personally owned vehicles” are exempt from the curfew “for certain commuting purposes,” according to the agenda item. The curfew applies to both electric and foot-powered scooters. The measure also bans rentals from tents and other “temporary structures” a common tactic by popup vendors. While the new regulations represent a walkback from what was initially proposed as a full ban in the central urban core, the scooter rental industry has previously expressed consternation about a curfew at night the busiest hours for the business. “It’s technically the safest time to operate because there’s less cars in the road there’s less pedestrians so if safety is a concern, that’s typically better for scooter rental because there’s less traffic,” Abraham Levitz, co-owner of scooter rental business EYRD, told Houston Public Media in August. “It’s very hot here in Houston and very humid, so the reason why you see a lot of people riding at night as well is because it’s a lot more comfortable to be outside.” According to a coalition of scooter rental companies that advocated against the ban, total rentals across three leading brick-and-mortar vendors soared from about 86, 000 in 2021 to more than 176, 000 in 2024. According to the city, from 2021 through 2025, 51 riders received citations, about 3, 000 received warnings, five guns were seized and eight people were arrested. Council member Julian Ramirez expressed his intention to tag the item, which would have pushed it back until the next meeting on Dec. 3. But in a rare move, other council members threatened to override his tag, forcing a vote. In a tense exchange with Whitmire, Ramirez said he supported the revised proposal, but council members and residents didn’t have access to details on the curfew and regulation until Friday. “What’s the greater good?” Whitmire said. “You do realize the danger you’re putting those Houstonians to and the disruption of our holiday season. I think that’s a false choice, frankly,” Ramirez responded. “I think transparency is paramount in government.” After a 15-minute recess, Ramirez withdrew his tag with the understanding that a committee meeting would be held in early December for further public engagement followed by potential amendments. He ultimately voted in favor of the item, along with 11 other council members and the mayor. The nighttime ban might not be the last action on scooters in the downtown area. Council member Twila Carter expressed support for a full ban in the central urban core, while Martinez expressed support for a city-contracted vendor “that could also ensure that we could still have micromobility within downtown.”.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/city-of-houston/2025/11/19/536590/scooter-curfew-houston-city-council-rentals/
By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO NEW YORK (AP) Target’s third-quarter profit tumbled as the retailer struggles to lure shoppers that are being pressed by stubbornly high inflation. The Minneapolis company said Wednesday that it expects its sales slump to extend through the critical holiday shopping season. The company also announced that it’s planning to invest another billion dollars next year to remodel stores, build new ones, increasing the total cost for the makeover to $5 billion. Investors have punished Target’s stock recently, sending it down 43% over the past year. Shares were essentially flat in early trading Wednesday. Turning around the 19% profit slide in the most recent quarter is the latest challenge for incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran who is replacing CEO Brian Cornell in February. The handover arrives as the retailer tries to reverse a persistent sales malaise and to revive its reputation as the place to go for affordable but stylish products. Comparable sales those from established physical stores and online channels dipped 2. 7% in its latest three-month period. That’s worse then the 1. 9% drop in the previous quarter and the third straight quarterly decline. Target’s troubles stand in stark contrast to rival Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, which is thriving. Walmart reports on its most recent quarterly performance Thursday. Target announced in October that it was eliminating about 1, 800 corporate positions to streamline decision-making and accelerate company initiatives. The cuts represent about 8% of Target’s corporate workforce. To pump up sales, Target is offering more than 20, 000 new items, twice as many as last year, and it has lowered prices on thousands of groceries and other essential items. “The environment around us continues to evolve, whether it’s shifting consumer demand, changing competitor dynamics, or broader macroeconomic pressures,” Fiddelke said on an earnings call Wednesday. ”But let me be clear. We are not waiting for conditions to improve. We are driving the change ourselves right now.” With about 1, 980 U. S. stores, Target has struggled to find its footing since inflation caused Americans to curtail much of their discretionary spending. At the same time, Target customers have complained of messy stores lacking the budget-priced niche that long ago earned the retailer the nickname “Tarzhay.” Consumer boycotts since late January, when Target joined rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back its corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, have compounded the predicament. Other, more recent macro headwinds, are buffeting the entire retail sector. For almost a year, retailers have struggled to navigate President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs on imports and his immigration crackdown that threatened to shrink the supply of workers available to U. S. companies. The just ended 43-day federal shutdown is expected to be another drag on an economy. Government contract awards have slowed and many food aid recipients have seen their benefits interrupted, both of which can cut into consumer spending at places like Target. Fiddelke told reporters that the company saw a weaker September but he said it was “tricky for us to isolate” the different factors behind that. The retailer’s profit fell to $689 million in the three-month period ended Nov. 1, or $1. 51 per share. Adjusted per share results added up to $1. 78. That is better than the $1. 71 that Wall Street was expecting, according to a poll by FactSet, but below the $1. 85 per share the company earned in the same period last year. Sales fell 1. 5% to $25. 27 billion, just shy of analyst projections. Sales gains in food and beverages were offset by continued weakness in discretionary goods, with anxious shoppers focused increasingly on buying essentials, even during the holidays. For example, customers this year customers bought candy and costumes for Halloween, but spent less on decorations, said Rick Gomez, chief commercial officer for Target. Gomez thinks they will make similar tradeoffs during the winter holiday season. “We think the consumer will prioritize what goes under the tree versus what goes on the tree,” he said. Target also announced a partnership with OpenAI on Wednesday that will let users browse Target items through the tech company’s app ChatGPT. When customers are ready to buy, they’ll be directed to the Target app. For the fourth quarter, Target expects that comparable sales will decline by low single digits. For the full year, it now expects earnings per share to be in the $7 per share to $8 per share range, down from its earlier forecast of $7 to $9.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/19/target-results/
After months of anticipation, the Cleveland Browns are finally starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders on Sunday, Nov. 23, against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road. Sanders has been patiently serving as a backup quarterback all season, but the Browns’ starting quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, suffered a concussion during the team’s game on Sunday, Nov. 16, against the Baltimore Ravens, and won’t be able to take the field in Week 12. So, this is Sanders’ chance to shine. He didn’t have a great performance during his NFL debut, and the Browns fell to the Ravens with a 23-16 final score. At the final buzzer, Sanders had 4-of-16 for 47 yards, was sacked twice and threw one interception. But that’s in the past, and now, Sanders is getting his first NFL start and the chance to make history. Ahead of the game, the Cleveland Browns have announced multiple roster moves to get the team ready for Geno Smith and the Raiders. On Wednesday, the team announced that they’re adding cornerback D’Angelo Ross from Houston’s practice squad and cornerback Sam Webb from Tennessee’s practice squad to their lineup. Ross, according to the team, is in his fourth season out of New Mexico. “Originally signed by New England as an undrafted free agent in 2019, he has appeared in 29 career games with the Patriots (2021) and Houston Texans (2023-25), including three games this season,” the Browns state on their official website. Ross will wear No. 20 on his jersey. Webb, meanwhile, is in his third season out of Missouri Western State. “Originally signed by Las Vegas as an undrafted free agent 2022, he has appeared in 29 career games with the Raiders (2022, 2024) and Carolina Panthers (2023),” the team states, adding that Webb will wear No. 27. While these players are on the defense end, if the defense can hold Smith and the Raiders, that will certainly help the former Colorado standout. Following Sanders’ NFL debut, he was honest about his performance. Read more: Browns Make Final Shedeur Sanders Decision for Week 12 “I don’t think I played good,” Sanders said after the game. “I don’t think I played good at all. I think there’s a lot of things we need to look at during the week and go and just get comfortable with even throwing routes with Jerry [Jeudy] and throwing routes with all those guys. I think that was my first ball to him all year. But other than that, I just think overall, we just got to go next week and understand, so that we have a week to prepare stuff I like to do.” Read more: Shedeur Sanders Predicted to Get One-Upped for Browns’ Starting Job Now, Sanders has a chance to show the NFL what he’s capable of against the Las Vegas Raiders.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/browns-announce-roster-moves-before-shedeur-sanders-first-nfl-start-11075682
