lunar calendar for cockfighting 2024
2025-01-10   

lunar calendar for cockfighting 2024

UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New YorkWith the holidays taking up much of your time, you may not be concentrating on retirement moves to make before 2025. But if you’re the type of person who does everything to the max, investing in your future retirement now could be a game changer. In 2024, you can invest up to $23,000 into your 401(k) retirement plan as per IRS contribution limits. If you’re over 50 and need to play catch-up, you can invest an extra $7,500. That means your total possible contribution for 2024 is $30,500. If that seems like a lot, it is. But you don’t have to max out your contributions if you can’t afford it. Employer matching can help. In 2025, you can invest $23,500, bringing your possible contribution up to $31,500. If you’re over 50, the catch-up contribution remains at $7,500 for 2025. But a huge change was made in SECURE 2.0 for employees aged 60 to 63 who participate in workplace retirement plans. Starting in 2025, this super catch-up contribution limit is $11,250 instead of $7,500. People are also reading... North Iredell Holiday Classic Basketball Schedule 2 women arrested at Food Lion on Old Mountain Road in Statesville on drug charges Rowan County shooting suspect apprehended at Statesville motel Foxy Roxy's Pizza prepares to bring pizza perfection to downtown Statesville, one slice at a time Mooresville duo leads list of Iredell's top football players in 2024 2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent 'friendly fire' incident, US military says 5 newsmakers in 2024: North Iredell football snaps drought, Mooresville coach remembered Initial realignment draft puts 5 Iredell schools in same 6A/7A conference Cauthen, Statesville pull off road win in conference opener No. 8 seed South Iredell upends top seed West Iredell to cap first day of North Iredell Holiday Classic What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2024? Pine Lake Prep's Ramanata leads list of 20 All-County honorees on the pitch Iredell Memorial Hospital named one of nation’s top hospitals Rudolph had a shiny nose and terrible name, former Statesville teacher writes Fear of white coats: How to overcome iatrophobia, a fear of doctors 1. Figure out how much you contributed. If you’ve contributed as much as possible for the year, you’re in good shape going into 2025. If you’re not sure, you changed jobs or haven’t contributed consistently in 2024, you still have time to make adjustments to max out your 401(k) contributions for the year. 2. Check your employer’s match. Employer matching is a job benefit not to be overlooked. After all, for every dollar you save in your 401(k), your employer matches your contributions dollar-for-dollar or offers a partial match up to a certain percentage of your wages. Knowing where you stand can help you make the most of this opportunity. For example, let’s say you earn $50,000 per year and contribute $3,000 to your 401(k), or 6% of your salary. If your employer offers to match 50 cents of each dollar you contribute up to 6% of your pay, they would add $1,500 each year to your 401(k) account, boosting your total annual contributions to $4,500. 3. Look at your budget. Maxing out your 401(k) is always a good move. However, retirement planning can be a balancing act; sometimes, your budget is downright against it. If you have high debt or no money set aside for emergencies, you may want to hold off a bit. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contribute to your retirement plan at all. Maintaining contributions is important, even if it means not maxing it out. Still, if you wait too long to save, you’ll have to play catch-up. If you save too much, you may have to tap into your account early, which can mean early withdrawal penalties if you are under age 591⁄2. 4. Boost your contributions. If you have enough cash stashed away to cover a large lump sum contribution to your 401(k), you could max out your 401(k) contributions before the end of the year. You can do this by increasing the percentage you contribute monthly from your paycheck. You’ll want to speak with your employer or HR department to see if this is possible and fill out the necessary paperwork. Keep in mind that how often you increase it or even if you can will depend on your plan rules. You may also want to check to be sure your contributions are still automatic. Since it’s usually easier to save money if it’s automatically deducted from your paycheck, it may be worth reviewing your budget to see if you can boost your contribution amount to max out your 401(k). If you haven’t set up automatic payroll contributions, now is a good time to do so. 1 in 4 people say they’ll go into debt for the holidays. Is social media to blame? Katie Kelton, Bankrate.com Maxing out your 401(k) has some clear benefits. This is especially true if you’ve fallen behind on your savings goals or you simply want to grow your retirement nest egg faster. The main advantage is that you’ll have more money saved for retirement. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2024 Planning & Progress Study, most retired Americans believe they will need nearly $1.5 million in the bank to retire comfortably. That’s a 15% increase — which far outpaces the 3% to 5% inflation rate — over 2023 and is up 53% from 2020. The money you put into your 401(k) lowers how much you’ll pay in taxes for the year, which may put you in a lower tax bracket. Also, 401(k) investments grow tax-deferred, so you won't pay taxes on the money until you withdraw the funds in retirement. If you have a Roth 401(k), you don't get a tax break on contributions because you fund your account with after-tax dollars. But the money you contribute grows tax-free and you won’t pay any taxes on your withdrawals in retirement. Maxing out your 410(k) each year may not be enough to retire comfortably, but it is a great start. That’s why enlisting the help of a financial adviser in 2024 can help you get a head start on 2025 and a happy retirement down the road. 4 tips to help you experience exceptional cruise dining | PennyWise podcast Nat CardonaLee Media Studio You need to make $108,000 to afford a home in America Samantha DelouyaCNN Americans who bought homes in 2024 were older and richer than ever Samantha DelouyaCNN Why you shouldn't store your money in payment apps By CORA LEWISAssociated Press Kathryn Pomroy is a contributing writer at Kiplinger.com . For more on money topics, visit Kiplinger.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!

With the right choices and a long-term approach to investing, a can be a lucrative way to help fund retirement. Admittedly, retirement may seem a long way away for many people, but in my opinion that is why it makes sense to act ! The further off retirement is, the more time one has to let money get to work in the SIPP. As an example, here is how an investor could aim to turn a £50K SIPP into one worth five times that much. Growing value while closely managfng risks Few shares yield 10.3%. But ( ) does and I feel it is worth considering. If an investor put £50K into a share that yielded 10.3% and reinvested the dividends, after 17 years the investment would be worth over . If they waited just seven years more, it would be worth over ! SIPP SIPP hooray! That demonstrates the power of long-term investing. But there are a couple of important points to note about this example. First, I would never put all my SIPP in one share – it is important to be diversified as a way to manage risk. Secondly, the 10.3% yield is unusually high. That can be a warning signal that the dividend may be cut in future. Some dividends get cut without any warning (hence the need for diversification). Accumulating wealth in a SIPP is similar to doing it in an ISA. And just as with an ISA, it could be slow and steady or quick. Compounding at 5% annually, for example, the SIPP would exceed half a million pounds in value after 33 years. At 15%, by contrast, it would take only 11 years (and after 33 would be worth !) Finding wealth-building shares to buy I do think M&G faces risks. For example, the first half saw its policyholders withdraw more funds than they put into its main business. If that trend continues, it could eat into profits and the dividend could be at risk. But the also has a number of characteristics I typically look for when investing, such as a large market of possible clients, a big base of existing customers and a distinctive, well-known brand. So although a high yield can be a red flag for investors, it does not necessarily mean that the dividend will not last. To try and understand that, I think it makes sense (indeed, is essential) to consider the commercial prospects of a firm over the coming years and even decades. Past financial reports can provide some basis for that: things like the direction of travel for profit margins and whether sales are growing or shrinking. But it is important to face forward and consider what might change a company’s prospects in future, for better or for worse. With the right research, buying excellent shares at a good price and managing risks carefully, I think an investor could realistically aim to turn a £50K SIPP into one worth a quarter of a million pounds, while sticking to blue-chip companies with proven business models.

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Former North Carolina State wide receiver Kevin "KC" Concepcion is transferring to Texas A&M. He confirmed the transfer on his Instagram account Sunday. Concepcion, who has two years of eligibility remaining, caught 124 passes for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, and rushed for two more, in 25 games over two seasons for the Wolfpack. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, when he set program records for a freshman with 71 receptions and 10 TDs. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds, Concepcion is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 15 player overall and No. 6 receiver in the transfer portal. Texas A&M already has added receivers Micah Hudson, a transfer from Texas Tech, and Mario Craver (Mississippi State). The Aggies have 10 transfer commitments. Concepcion also considered Alabama, Colorado, Florida State, Miami and South Carolina. --Field Level MediaOTTAWA - Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin says she is “disappointed’ that Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer used clean drinking water legislation as a political “tactic.” Bill C-61 recognizes First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water and commits the government to providing “adequate and sustainable” funding for water services in First Nations. It remains stalled at third reading in the House of Commons because of an ongoing privilege debate that has prevented the consideration of bills since late September. Today Liberal MP Jaime Battiste asked for unanimous consent to forward the First Nations Clean Drinking Water Act to the Senate but several MPs said no. Scheer, who’s riding includes Cowessess, rose immediately afterward for a similar motion that also condemned the Liberal government for inaction but it was also defeated. While Cowessess doesn’t currently have a boil water advisory, Beaudin says people in her community rely on bottled water because they don’t trust what comes from their taps. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was one of several senior executives at the company under investigation by the Department of Justice when he was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday. Thompson — who was killed in what police called a targeted shooting outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown — exercised stock options and sold shares worth $15.1 million on Feb. 16, less than two weeks before news of the federal antitrust probe went public, according to a Crain’s New York Business report from April. The stock price dropped sharply after the revelation that the DOJ was investigating whether the company had made acquisitions that consolidated its market position in violation of antitrust laws, a source familiar with the probe told the outlet. Thompson’s stock options reportedly had several years until expiration, and the sale of shares was his first since assuming the helm of parent company UnitedHealth’s insurance division in 2021. Thompson, 50, along with UnitedHealth Group chairman Stephen Helmsley, chief people officer Erin McSweeney and chief accounting officer Tom Roos, sold a combined $101.5 million in shares, with Helmsley personally netting just shy of $85 million, according to the report. Charles Elson, founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, told Crain’s that share sales by firm principals are typically scrutinized by a company’s general counsel, who can determine whether any additional disclosures to the market may be required before the trades are executed. Earlier this year, UnitedHealth was hit by one of the largest health care data breaches in US history, the company estimating that as many as one-third of Americans’ private data — potentially including Social Security numbers — were compromised in the ransomware attack. The company wound up paying the hackers a $22 million ransom, CEO Andrew Witty told a congressional panel in May. The massive firm — with annual revenue of around $372 billion — later said it estimated its financial cost as a result of the hack to be around $705 million, Reuters reported. Originally published as UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was facing DOJ probe for insider trading when he was killed in targeted NYC shooting

Blame it on the food and drink?OTTAWA - Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin says she is “disappointed’ that Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer used clean drinking water legislation as a political “tactic.” Bill C-61 recognizes First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water and commits the government to providing “adequate and sustainable” funding for water services in First Nations. It remains stalled at third reading in the House of Commons because of an ongoing privilege debate that has prevented the consideration of bills since late September. Today Liberal MP Jaime Battiste asked for unanimous consent to forward the First Nations Clean Drinking Water Act to the Senate but several MPs said no. Scheer, who’s riding includes Cowessess, rose immediately afterward for a similar motion that also condemned the Liberal government for inaction but it was also defeated. While Cowessess doesn’t currently have a boil water advisory, Beaudin says people in her community rely on bottled water because they don’t trust what comes from their taps. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.2 Top Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Buy in January

ARIES Today, focus on studies, career, and enjoyment. Finance: Expect expenditures on children, entertainment, education, house, and health. Career: Success for people in education, government jobs, politics, banking, medical, and occult fields. Domestic & Love Life: Family harmony is indicated, but there may be health concerns for family members. Health: Possible issues with back pain, blood pressure, throat, skin, or ear. Lucky Number: 9 Lucky Colour: Red TAURUS Today, focus on enjoyment, travel with care, and study. Finance: Expect expenses on property, travel, education, and family needs. Career: Success in tourism, journalism, politics, networking, entertainment, and occult science. Domestic & Love Life: Family disputes may arise, but family time is prioritized. Health: Possible issues with back pain, throat, ear, cough, or heart. Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Pink GEMINI Today is for travel, household activities, and communication. Finance: Expenses likely for education, family needs, travel, and health. Career: Success for speakers, politicians, doctors, and government-related jobs. Domestic & Love Life: Possible family outing; disputes could arise. Health: Issues may include throat, toothache, eye, or breathing problems. Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Green CANCER Today, focus on travel, investments, and health. Finance: Expected expenses for health, travel, and family needs. Career: Opportunities for those in journalism, literature, politics, medical, and tourism fields. Domestic & Love Life: Travel with family or minor family health issues may arise. Health: Possible issues with cough, cold, toothache, throat, or fever. Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Silver LEO Today, you may gain maturity in investments or enjoy travel. Finance: Expenses expected for travel, education, and entertainment. Career: Benefits in finance, tourism, medical, and consultancy fields. Domestic & Love Life: Long journey with family; some may face family health issues. Health: Potential issues with skin, throat, blood pressure, or back pain. Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Orange VIRGO Today, focus on career and study. Finance: Possible expenditures on travel, health, and education. Career: Success for people in communication, consultation, tourism, and sports. Domestic & Love Life: Family time may be limited due to work responsibilities. Health: Issues may include knee pain, bronchitis, or back pain. Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Green LIBRA Today, prioritize work, study, or short travel. Finance: Expenses likely for travel, communication, or business. Career: Benefits for those in banking, journalism, hotel, and law. Domestic & Love Life: Potential for a family journey or meeting siblings. Health: Possible issues with throat pain, feet, or knee pain. Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Pink SCORPIO Today, handle studies, earnings, and family balance. Finance: Expect expenses in education, premiums, or health. Career: Success for people in politics, education, occult science, and banking. Domestic & Love Life: Balance family and work; possible stress may affect happiness. Health: Possible issues with skin, knee pain, asthma, or cough. Lucky Number: 9 Lucky Colour: Red SAGITTARIUS Today, resolve issues and embrace challenges. Finance: Expect expenses for health, travel, and premiums. Career: Success in maintenance, insurance, occult, and tourism fields. Domestic & Love Life: Family disputes or health issues may arise. Health: Possible issues with indigestion, body ache, or injury. Lucky Number: 3 Lucky Colour: Yellow CAPRICORN Today, success in business or job but challenges in personal life. Finance: Expenses expected for spouse, education, and medical treatments. Career: Success for people in finance, banking, insurance, and medical. Domestic & Love Life: Marital issues or disputes may occur. Health: Potential lumbar pain, eye, or heart problems. Lucky Number: 8 Lucky Colour: Blue AQUARIUS Today, plan carefully due to possible losses. Finance: Expect expenses for business, health, and family. Career: Success for those in politics, government, medical, and cyber security. Domestic & Love Life: Family member's ill health may require attention. Health: Possible stomach, eye, skin, or blood pressure issues; surgery may be needed. Lucky Number: 8 Lucky Colour: Black PISCES Today, celebrate, earn, or study. Finance: Expenses for education, job, or family celebrations. Career: Success in law, journalism, banking, arts, and sports. Domestic & Love Life: Enjoy family time and resolve relationship issues. Health: Possible issues with cough, asthma, back pain, or heart problems. Lucky Number: 3 Lucky Colour: Yellow

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Victor Wembanyama took over New York this past week but continues to make his presence felt within the city. The Spurs star dominated against the Knicks and Nets in back-to-back games. But now that the games are over, Wemby has chosen to stay and dominate the city in another game. The French star made his way to Washington Square Park to face off against the locals in a game of chess giving fans another memorable experience. San Antonio has some downtime ahead of their next game against the Timberwolves on December 29. On a rainy Saturday morning, Wemby could’ve stayed inside and rested. Instead, he couldn’t contain his competitive fervor, which he displayed in chess matches against fans as he won 2-1 against locals. Wemby didn’t make this move completely on a whim. Last night, Wemby took to X to ask fans for the best spots to play chess in New York City. Plenty of people responded to his question, providing several places the Frenchman could visit. However, the most popular destination mentioned was Washington Square Park. He didn’t provide any updates to his initial question until this morning around 9:30 am when he shockingly sent a challenge out to fans. He asked, “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square Park to play chess? I’m there.” Despite the rain, Wemby sat down with multiple fans for methodical matches of chess. His willingness to freely be among fans in a natural setting earned him plenty of fans on social media, as people expressed their gratitude toward the superstar. However, Wembanyama took to X to share his thanks for the people who showed up. In a post, he captioned, “Thanks for everyone who pulled up in the rain.” Aside from his excellent chess play, Wembanyama has shown obvious results on the basketball court this season. Wemby’s elevated level of play So far in his sophomore season, Wembanyama has seemingly elevated his play to the All-Star and All-NBA status. Many players go through a sophomore slump, but the Spurs star is experiencing a sophomore surge. His performance in his first Christmas Day game is a perfect example of how great he’s been this season. In the Spurs’ matchup against the Knicks on Christmas, Wemby rose to the occasion. Despite losing 117-114, Wembanyama made a statement to the basketball world. He finished the game with 42 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks. His impact on both ends of the court is something the league hasn’t seen before. Wemby led the league in blocks in his rookie season with 3.6 blocks per game. He’s added to that mark this season averaging 4.0 blocks per game. He’s increased his points total to 25.2 points per game, which ranks 12th in the league. The rapid growth of improvement at such a young age is a scary trend for what Wemby could become at the absolute peak of his career.

The Pirates have signed right-hander Isaac Mattson to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com and relayed by the player himself on his Instagram page . He has been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis for now but will presumably receive an invite to big league spring training. Mattson, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Bucs for the 2024 season as well. He was selected to the roster in September and was able to throw 5 1/3 innings over three appearances, allowing three earned runs. He also got into four games with the Orioles in 2021, giving him a 5.59 ERA in seven major league games at this point in his career. He was outrighted off the roster at the start of the offseason. That’s obviously not much of a sample size to make conclusions from, but the Bucs just got an up-close look at Mattson in Triple-A for most of the 2024 season. He tossed 60 innings over 29 appearances at that level with a 3.15 ERA. His 12.9% walk rate there was on the high side but his 29.8% strikeout rate was quite strong. That’s generally been the case for him at the upper levels of the minors. He has thrown 138 1/3 minor league innings over the past four years with a 4.10 ERA, 27.9% strikeout rate and 14.5% walk rate. There’s no harm in a minor league deal, so the Bucs will bring him back in a non-roster capacity. If he can take a step forward in terms of control, that would obviously improve his utility. If he earns his way back onto the roster, he is still has two option years and has very little service time, meaning he can potentially be cheaply retained in a depth role for quite some time. This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission.(Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday picked former congressman Billy Long to be commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service tax body. Trump cited Long's previous experience in real estate and as a business and tax advisor in a post on social-media site Truth Social, where he made the announcement. (Reporting by Costas Pitas) Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

NoneWhen Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, he did something no other Democrat has been able to accomplish since — win Texas. Part of his victory can be chalked up to where the state was politically at the time. “We should understand the 1976 election in Texas as part of a gradual transformation that occurred over several decades,” Mark Lawrence, the director of the LBJ Presidential Library, told The Texas Newsroom. It was President Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican, who won Texas in both presidential elections in the 1950s. But the next decade was a different story. In the 1960s it was three Democratic candidates — President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Hubert Humphrey — who won Texas’ popular vote. “But thereafter you see that the state really shifted pretty dramatically toward the Republicans,” Lawrence said. “The one exception was 1976 when Jimmy Carter won by a small margin.” Carter snagged Texas from Republican candidate Gerald Ford by just 4 points. Overall, Carter received 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 240. So, why was Carter the exception? Lawrence cited several elements that contributed to Carter’s victory here, including “Carter’s stature as a white Southerner.” “I think Texas voters, like voters across the South, were inclined to give him a close look, because he looked like them, sounded like them, came from the South — which was somewhat unusual in the history of the United States after the Civil War,” Lawrence said. From left, President Gerald Ford, Lady Bird Johnson and President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ Presidential Library on April 13, 2000. Natasha Altema McNeely, an associate professor of political science at University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, said Carter was also able to win because he garnered the Black and Hispanic votes in states across the South. “His success in Texas is a more specific example of his success across the South,” McNeely said, adding that he also earned the vote of southern non-Hispanic voters and unions. But Carter’s presidency was as short-lived as his support from Texas voters. In his 1980 reelection bid, Carter lost to Republican Ronald Reagan by a landslide. Reagan beat Carter by 14 points in Texas. McNeely said the 1980 political environment created new difficulties for Carter. It was a controversial — and transitional — time in America. “With the candidacy of Ronald Reagan, you have Republicans really emphasizing religious beliefs ... smaller government, more effective government ... states rights,” McNeely said. In contrast, McNeely said Carter’s focus on human rights and social welfare “didn't quite appeal to many voters across the South, including Texas.” Another key moment McNeely said led to Carter’s defeat was the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. That’s when, as the U.S. Department of State describes it, “Iranian students seized the embassy and detained more than 50 Americans, ranging from the Chargé d’Affaires to the most junior members of the staff, as hostages.” The Americans were held hostage for 444 days. Many sharply criticized Carter for how he handled the hostage negotiations, including his Republican opponent. While McNeely acknowledges Carter’s significant impact on American politics, she believes his greatest legacy — particularly in Texas — happened after he left the Oval Office. For 35 years, Carter partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for people. In Texas, they built homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. “He was here in Texas in 2014 in Dallas, helping to build houses and repair houses,” McNeely said. “So, I think that was one of the many lasting components of his legacy outside of his political career." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.LPGA, USGA to require players to be assigned female at birth or transition before puberty

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