(BPT) - Consumers are facing increasing costs on virtually every purchase these days and auto insurance is no exception. While skyrocketing costs of this auto-related expense can be attributed to everything from parts replacement to service — even health costs as a result of accidents — consumers can better manage these increases with thoughtful study and attention to detail. Some of the common causes for higher insurance rates are Inflation, car accidents, extreme weather conditions such as hail, hurricanes and wind, along with increased vehicle theft claims. Mercury Insurance has partnered with financial literacy influencer Sam Jarman to highlight specific ways consumers can address these rising costs. "Your car is the second biggest expense for most people, right behind your home, and car insurance is a big part of that," said Jarman. "Checking rates and coverage with your Mercury Insurance agent makes sense along with choosing a car with low maintenance costs." According to Consumer Price Index data released earlier this year, car insurance rates are up almost 21% year-over-year for the 12 months which ended in February. The last time car insurance rates rose that much on an annual basis was 1976. Here are some auto insurance statistics recently released from Forbes : "Our goal is to help our customers get the best rates possible because we know that every dollar counts." said Justin Yoshizawa, Director, Product Management, State. "We encourage consumers to build a close relationship with their agent and discuss what discounts they may be eligible to receive. The answer might be surprising." Mercury offers the following tips for lowering your insurance costs: Review your deductibles with your insurance agent – It is recommended that you review your coverage and deductible with your Mercury agent at least once a year. Their wisdom and experience can help you make wise decisions regarding your insurance. Explore car insurance discounts – In addition to bundling your home and auto insurance, Mercury offers discounts for multi-car, good drivers, good students and auto pay. Your agent may have additional discounts to offer. Let Your Insurer Track Your Driving – Most insurers offer discounts for customers who install telematics. This technology allows your insurance company to collect information regarding your mileage and driving habits. This can also provide valuable information regarding your driving as well as saving you money. Drive a safe car with low repair costs – According to Bankrate , some of the cheapest cars to insure are the Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V and Honda Pilot. Also, look for cars with lower repair costs such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius and Tesla Model 3. Doing some research before you purchase a vehicle can save you money over the length of ownership. Install an anti-theft device on your car – Drivers may receive an additional discount on your auto insurance if you install an anti-theft device on your car. Before you buy a car, compare insurance costs – You can get a fast and easy quote from your Mercury Insurance agent. To receive a quote, you can reach us at 844-514-2893. To learn more about common types of auto insurance discounts, visit https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/auto/understanding-types-of-auto-insurance-discounts.html . For more information on your auto insurance, you can reference the Insurance Information Institute .super 8 warehouse 。

A Look at the Geopolitical Landscape Heading into 2025Feds suspend ACA marketplace access to companies accused of falsely promising ‘cash cards’None

Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film 'Romeo and Juliet,' dies at 73

As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.NoneWeek 13 features only three games between two teams with winning records. All three matchups are on Sunday. Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry face off when the streaking Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) take on the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) in a potential Super Bowl preview. Barkley leads the NFL with 1,392 yards rushing and Henry is next at 1,325. The Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) visit the Atlanta Falcons (6-5) in a matchup between first-year coaches who’ve turned their teams around. Two surprise teams meet when the Minnesota Vikings (9-2) host the Arizona Cardinals (6-5). It’s a full schedule with no byes, beginning with three games on Thanksgiving and another on Black Friday. Five road teams are favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Pro Picks aims for another winning week. Line: Cowboys minus 3 1/2 The Giants are a total mess. General manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are barely hanging onto their jobs. Drew Lock could become the third starting QB in three games. Standout rookie receiver Malik Nabers called his team “soft” after they played like a group that’s quit last week. The Cowboys aren’t much better, though they fought hard in an upset win at Washington. Cooper Rush had his best game filling in for Dak Prescott. A soft schedule has Dallas thinking the playoffs aren’t out of reach. The Cowboys can’t overlook New York. They’re 0-6 in their past six home games but have won seven straight matchups vs. the Giants. BEST BET: COWBOYS: 26-17 Line: Rams minus 2 1/2 The Saints are 2-0 under interim coach Darren Rizzi and are coming off a bye with a chance to keep their playoff hopes alive. An offense that was unstoppable in the first two games this season is getting back on track thanks to an improved run game and back-to-back sharp outings from Derek Carr. Alvin Kamara should be excited to get the ball against the Rams, who just gave up 255 yards rushing to Saquon Barkley. Los Angeles needs to protect Matthew Stafford better and give him time to get the ball to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. UPSET SPECIAL: SAINTS: 24-23 Line: Lions minus 9 1/2 The Lions have lost seven straight games on Thanksgiving, including three times to the Bears. It would be a major upset if that happens again. Detroit has won nine straight games since losing to Tampa Bay in Week 2. The Lions are not only winning but dominating opponents with six victories by a double-digit margin during their streak. Jared Goff leads a prolific offense while the defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown the past two games. The Bears are trying to snap a five-game losing streak. Caleb Williams hasn’t thrown a pick in 193 passes. Detroit is 15-3 against the spread in its past 18 division games and 8-1 ATS in the past nine games overall this season. LIONS: 31-19 Line: Packers minus 3 1/2 Tua Tagovailoa suffered a season-ending concussion the previous time the Dolphins faced Green Bay on Christmas Day in 2022. He has 11 TDs and only one interception in the five games since returning from his latest concussion and has led Miami to three straight wins. The Packers face a tough test in the middle of a stretch where they play three games in a 12-day span with a showdown against the Lions looming next Thursday. Jordan Love has bounced back from two rough games to play two solid ones. He’ll face a strong challenge against Miami’s top-10 defense. PACKERS: 23-21 Line: Chiefs minus 13 The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs keep finding ways to win barely. They’ve won 12 straight games decided by seven points or fewer, the longest streak in NFL history, and have won five games decided on the final play this season. Patrick Mahomes is the difference-maker in many of the close ones. Kansas City could use a rout. The struggling Raiders provide an opportunity for a lopsided victory. Las Vegas has lost seven straight and lost quarterback Gardner Minshew last week. The team will turn to Aidan O’Connell back off injured reserve to start on Black Friday. The Chiefs are due for an easy one, but they’re 0-5 ATS in the past five games. CHIEFS: 27-16 Line: Chargers minus 2 The Chargers hit the road on a short week after losing the “Harbowl” at home to the Ravens. Their offense could be without running back J.K. Dobbins and the defense has allowed 57 points in the past two games after giving up just 13.6 per game the previous five. Meanwhile, the rested Falcons are coming off a bye and eager to snap a two-game losing streak to maintain their hold on first place in the NFC South. FALCONS: 23-22 Line: Bengals minus 3 The AFC North-leading Steelers are road underdogs following a road loss at Cleveland. Russell Wilson has been hitting his deep throws but needs better protection. A usually stingy defense that couldn’t make stops against Jameis Winston in the snow now has to contain Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The underachieving Bengals need to stack wins to have any shot at climbing back into the playoff race. Cincinnati is 1-3 ATS as a home favorite this season. BENGALS: 24-23 Line: Vikings minus 3 1/2 Stout defense and solid play by QB Sam Darnold has helped Minnesota become the surprise team in the NFL this season. Only the Lions and Chiefs have a better record. The Cardinals are in a four-way battle in the NFC West. A disappointing offensive performance led to their four-game winning streak being snapped. It won’t be easy for Kyler Murray and Co. to score against the Vikings. VIKINGS: 23-17 Line: Colts minus 2 1/2 It’s no longer Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning in this rivalry. Anthony Richardson and Drake Maye go head-to-head in a matchup between young QBs taken in the top five of the draft over the past two seasons. The Colts can’t get their offense and defense to play well in the same game. That could turn around against the lowly Patriots. COLTS: 20-16 Line: Seahawks minus 2 Geno Smith faces the team that drafted him after turning his career around on his fourth stop and going to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons. The Seahawks are fighting for the playoffs while the Jets have fallen apart. Their coach and GM already have been fired. Aaron Rodgers’ future is uncertain. Yet, the team still has plenty of talent. SEAHAWKS: 20-17 Line: Commanders minus 6 Jayden Daniels and the Commanders have hit a detour on their road to the playoffs, losing three straight games. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense has stalled during Washington’s recent skid. The Titans are coming off a big upset in Houston and Will Levis has asserted himself since returning from an injury a month ago. Tennessee has the No. 2 defense in the league so it’ll be tough for Daniels and the Commanders to get back on track in this one. COMMANDERS: 24-17 Line: Texans minus 4 1/2 C.J. Stroud and the Texans are having some issues this season. Not even close to Jacksonville’s troubles, though. The Jaguars could have Trevor Lawrence back after he missed two games. That won’t be enough. Houston has won 11 of the past 13 games vs. Jacksonville. The Texans are 2-6 ATS in their past eight games vs. AFC opponents. The Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in their past five games. TEXANS: 24-20 Line: Buccaneers minus 6 Panthers coach Dave Canales has the team playing better and Bryce Young is showing some of the potential that made him a No. 1 overall pick. Canales’ familiarity with Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay’s offense should help Carolina’s defense. The Buccaneers can’t afford a letdown as they try to make a push to get back in the playoff race. They’re getting key players healthy, their three-headed rushing attack has added balance to the offense and the defense needs to build off a solid performance last week. BUCCANEERS: 24-20 Line: Ravens minus 3 Both teams are coming off impressive wins in the same stadium in Los Angeles one night apart. The Ravens had shorter rest following the Monday night win. Barkley has been a sensational addition for the Eagles. Henry has made a major impact in Baltimore. Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson go head-to-head for the first time. The Ravens have won two in a row in the series. Philadelphia has the better defense and that could be the difference. EAGLES: 26-23 Line: Bills minus 7 The inconsistent 49ers need Brock Purdy, Trent Williams and Nick Bosa back from injuries. The defending NFC champions have lost two in a row, but they’re only one game back in their division. The rested Bills have won six in a row and are coming off a bye. Josh Allen in the MVP favorite and Buffalo can clinch another division title this weekend. BILLS: 26-23 Line: Broncos minus 5 1/2 Maybe Jameis Winston gets to play in the snow again. Winston has reinvigorated the Browns, though too late for it to matter this season. Rookie QB Bo Nix has helped turn the Broncos into a playoff contender with plenty of help from receiver Courtland Sutton and a strong defense. BRONCOS: 23-19 Last week: Straight up: 9-4. Against spread: 8-5. Overall: Straight up: 121-68. Against spread: 97-80-2. Prime-time: Straight up: 28-12. Against spread: 21-18-1. Best Bet: Straight up: 8-4. Against spread: 7-5. Upset Special: Straight up: 7-5. Against spread: 7-5.

CARMEL, Ind. , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Merchants Bancorp ("Merchants") (Nasdaq: MBIN ), parent company of Merchants Bank of Indiana , today announced the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 9,200,000 depositary shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of its 7.625% Fixed Rate Series E Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the "Series D preferred stock"), with a liquidation preference of $25.00 per depositary share. As a result of the public offering Merchants received proceeds of approximately $222.8 million , net of estimated expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, UBS Securities LLC, Piper Sandler & Co., and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. acted as joint bookrunning managers for the offering. A shelf registration statement, including a prospectus, with respect to the offering was previously filed by Merchants with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and was declared effective by the SEC on August 17, 2022 . A prospectus supplement relating to the offering has been filed with the SEC. The offering has been made by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to these securities may be obtained free of charge by visiting the SEC's website at www.sec.gov , or may be obtained from Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, Second Floor, New York, NY 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by emailing [email protected] ; UBS Securities LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, by telephone at (888) 827-7275 or by emailing [email protected] ; Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Debt Capital Markets, 1 Greenwich Plaza, 1st Floor, Suite 111, Greenwich, CT 06830, or by emailing [email protected] ; Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Attention: Equity Syndicate, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, by telephone at (800) 248-8863 or by emailing [email protected] . ABOUT MERCHANTS BANCORP Ranked as a top performing U.S. public bank by S&P Global Market Intelligence, Merchants is a diversified bank holding company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana operating multiple business segments, including Multi-family Mortgage Banking that offers multi-family housing and healthcare facility financing and servicing (through this segment Merchants also serves as a syndicator of low-income housing tax credit and debt funds); Mortgage Warehouse Financing that offers mortgage warehouse financing, commercial loans, and deposit services; and Banking that offers portfolio lending for multi-family and healthcare facility loans, retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking, agricultural lending, Small Business Administration lending, and traditional community banking. Merchants, with $18.7 billion in assets and $12.9 billion in deposits as of September 30, 2024, conducts its business primarily through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, Merchants Bank of Indiana , Merchants Capital Corp., Merchants Asset Management, LLC, Merchants Capital Investments, LLC, Merchants Capital Servicing, LLC, and Merchants Mortgage, a division of Merchants Bank of Indiana . For more information and financial data, please visit Merchants' Investor Relations page at investors.merchantsbancorp.com. SOURCE Merchants BancorpEurope’s ambition to develop a robust homegrown EV battery industry to reduce dependence on China is faltering, with Chinese and Asian manufacturers stepping in to fill the void. The most notable setback has been the collapse of Northvolt , a Swedish startup once celebrated as a cornerstone of Europe’s green energy vision. Despite securing the EU’s largest-ever green loan and support from Volkswagen and BMW, Northvolt filed for bankruptcy protection in the US , with its cofounder and CEO, a former Tesla executive, stepping down. Across Europe, 12 out of 16 planned European-led battery factories have been delayed or canceled. In contrast, 10 of 13 projects in Europe led by Asian manufacturers, such as China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) and South Korea’s Samsung SDI , are moving forward, underscoring a widening gap in the race for EV battery dominance. Europe’s original vision, driven by massive government subsidies, included factories in Sweden , Poland , Germany , and Canada , designed to produce greener batteries using 100% recycled materials like nickel, manganese, and cobalt. However, this ambition is now unraveling. Industry experts warn of severe repercussions. Andy Palmer, former CEO of Aston Martin, stated that the failure to establish domestic battery production jeopardizes Europe’s automotive industry , risking factory closures and job losses as automakers consider relocating to regions with stronger supply chains. Other projects are also faltering, with Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis delaying plants in Germany and Italy, while Volkswagen has pushed back capacity targets for its European facilities. The UK’s Britishvolt collapsed last year, further compounding the region’s struggles. China, supplying 80% of the world’s lithium-ion batteries , has outpaced Europe with massive investments in its domestic EV sector . Companies like CATL and BYD have become global leaders, while European automakers are now scaling back their electrification strategies and canceling battery orders, leaving the continent’s dreams dimming.Jayud Global Logistics Regains Compliance with Nasdaq's Minimum Bid Price Requirement

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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three African politicians seeking to head the African Union detailed their plans on Friday for regional security amid conflicts and political coups while strongly advocating for inter-Africa trade among other issues. Raila Odinga of Kenya, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar are seeking to be elected as chairperson for the 55-member state African Union. They participated in a two-hour debate Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in which they all advocated for two permanent seats for African countries in the U.N. Security Council to effectively represent the continent with the youngest population. Odinga said that two permanent seats with veto power were “a must for Africa” and that this was “only fair” since the continent has more than 50 countries. Randriamandrato urged member states to cease the opportunity and “speak with one voice on the choice of who will represent Africa in the UNSC.” The three are seeking to convince most African countries before the February election to succeed African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki, who has served for two terms. The African Union has faced several challenges that include conflict in member countries and political coups that have seen five member states expelled from the union, making regional security a major theme in Friday’s debate. Youssouf said that regional security could be enhanced if the resources for a regional standby force were increased to reduce the overreliance on foreign partnerships for resources. “When there is no unity of purpose among neighboring countries peace will be compromised,” Youseff said. Randriamandrato encouraged countries to take charge of their internal security while cautioning that foreign military bases should be “a thing of the past” because they “could be a source of conflict.” Despite the continent’s young population of 1.3 billion that is set to double by 2050, regional trade has faced challenges that were addressed in the Friday debate. Odinga said that Africa had a “huge domestic market” that it could leverage on for economic transformation by opening up opportunities for trade between African countries. Youssouf proposed a payment compensation system that would ensure countries don't lose out while trading in different currencies adding, “are we going to have a single currency, why not?” Randriamandrato said that regional economic blocs like the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa had a huge role to play in easing inter-Africa trade. The African Union has several proposed reforms on its structure and leadership aimed at achieving its purpose, and all candidates promised to implement the reforms if elected. Youssouf said that key reforms in the union were facing a funding bottleneck and that “it has to change,” adding that he wouldn't impose it on member states but would “advocate for it.”Hangzhou, China Launches New Direct Cargo Flight to the U.S. for Cross-Border E-commerce 11-25-2024 09:20 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: The China Box On November 12, a full cargo aircraft carrying over 40 tons of cross-border export goods took off from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, bound for Los Angeles. This marked the opening of a new channel for exporting cross-border e-commerce goods. Adding to the three cargo routes to Miami, Vancouver, and Osaka launched earlier this year, this is the fourth full cargo flight route opened by Hangzhou's airport in 2024. As of now, the airport operates 16 regular full cargo flight routes, with more than 100 cargo flights per week. On March 7, 2015, the China (Hangzhou) Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone was established, making it the first pilot zone of its kind in the country. Over the past year, the Hangzhou pilot zone has maintained its leading position as a national model, achieving remarkable results. As the origin of cross-border e-commerce institutional innovation, Hangzhou was the first city in China to pilot various business models such as "small parcel exports," "direct mail imports," "bonded imports for online shopping," cross-border B2B exports, and bonded exports. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/308737fc48ab7a0d46c30fa048ec1108.jpg Hangzhou's cross-border e-commerce platforms and independent websites have developed with great diversity, with two-thirds of China's cross-border e-commerce retail export platforms choosing to set up operations in the city. The application of new cross-border e-commerce technologies has facilitated trade connectivity with Europe, the Americas, and emerging markets along the Belt and Road, reaching 220 countries and regions. The number of cross-border e-commerce enterprises in Hangzhou has grown from fewer than 2,000 in 2014 to 63,436 in 2023. The Hangzhou pilot zone has cultivated exemplary industrial parks and created the nation's best cross-border e-commerce ecosystem, with 35 cross-border e-commerce industrial parks established and 218 supporting service facilities in place. Aiming to become a "world-class hub for cross-border e-commerce," Hangzhou will continue to lead the development of cross-border e-commerce in China, contributing its wisdom and strength to the advancement of the global e-commerce industry. Media Contact Company Name: EBRUN Contact Person: Yu Qian Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=hangzhou-china-launches-new-direct-cargo-flight-to-the-us-for-crossborder-ecommerce ] Phone: +86151 0117 1786 Country: China Website: http://www.ebrun.com This release was published on openPR.

MasterChef winner responds to Gregg Wallace experience with one wordScott Maxwell: A young man with cerebral palsy, a senior who uses her sewing skills to help the downtrodden and a tiny church that makes a huge impact were all honored by Orlando's Christian Service Center

Brendan Malone knew how brutal and unstable the basketball coaching profession is. He worked in college and the NBA and had many stops during a long 50-year coaching career. He always thought he was lucky to have lasted that long but didn't want his son Michael to take the risk. Still, Mike was always around the gym because of his dad. He played college basketball and wanted to be around the game even if he didn't make it to the pros. So shortly before graduation from Loyola University in Baltimore, he sent out 75 letters to Division I coaches, hoping to get a job. He received several replies, including from Dean Smith at North Carolina, but all said they had no opening. "I wanted him to go get married and have kids," said the elder Malone. "But after he graduated from college and I was with the Pistons, he was living with us and got a call from Greg Kampe, the coach at Oakland University in Detroit, to be a volunteer assistant. Michael helped clean the gym to supplement his salary. Then he just decided to be a Secret Service agent." He almost ended up becoming a law enforcer But just as difficult it was to get a basketball job, so was becoming a Secret Service officer. Malone's initial application was rejected. But a friend told him that if he first worked two years as a State Trooper, he would get accepted the next time he applied. The Malones had many family members who were in law enforcement, so Michael was interested in that. He took the Michigan State Police physical and written exams. He passed both and was accepted to Trooper Recruit School. "Well, Michael was two weeks away from going to the barracks when Pete Gillen, the coach at Providence College, called the house," added Brendan. "I thought he wanted to talk to me, and Pete said no, I want to talk to Michael. He offered Michael a job. Michael didn't go to the Secret Service." Related: Ice Cube shares his struggles watching Larry Bird dominate: "I just couldn't understand how he was as good as he was" Michael has been coaching since then Mike got his first break in 2001 as an assistant for the Knicks. He also served as deputy for the Cavs, Hornets, and Warriors before his first head coaching gig in Sacramento. That did not end well, but it led him to Denver. In his second year with the Nuggets , he traded Jusuf Nurkic so he could promote Nikola Jokic as starting center. That was the best move he ever made as a coach. "I'm talking to myself," Malone told ESPN . "This kid was All-Rookie as a center, and here I am, bringing him off the bench and playing him as a four and a five. And I said, 'Screw everything.' Nikola's a center. He's our center. And for the next game, I started him at center. From that point in time, our offense, our team, our winning, everything just went straight up." Jokic rewarded Malone's trust by turning in MVP awards in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, The Joker led the Denver Nuggets to the first championship in franchise history. Now, just imagine if Gillen didn't phone Brendan in 1995. Right now, Michael would be standing next to the U.S. President rather than "The Joker." Related: Mike Malone on his relationship with LeBron in Cleveland - “I wasn’t trying to kiss his a**”

It has been reported that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is due to visit India during the latter part of December. He and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to have talks on grant assistance projects from India, debt restructuring, people centric digitisation (identity cards, for instance), finality of the Economic and Technological Co-operation Agreement (ECTA), housing projects from India, solar electrification of religious places, agricultural development, defence cooperation, infrastructure development in the north and collaboration in human resource development. President Dissanayake is expected to raise with Premier Modi the issue of Indian fishermen fishing in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters (Sunday Times, 1 December 2024). It is clear from the foregoing report that the scale and scope of India’s agenda overwhelmingly outweighs Sri Lanka’s agenda that is limited to a single issue, namely, “Indian fishermen fishing in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters”. Notwithstanding this serious imbalance, Sri Lanka could gain considerable mileage by expanding the scope of this single issue in its agenda to two issues that would make a significant impact not only to Sri Lanka’s security and its national interests but also to the wellbeing of the Sri Lankan fishing community. The two issues are as follows: These two issues are interlinked because it is the determination of the international boundary, based on international law, that becomes the basis to establish claims for reparations. Therefore, it is only by establishing the location of the international boundary, based on a judgment by the ICJ, that lawful assessment of the claim for reparations could be established. One of the issues that was of significant concern to Sri Lanka and India in the early 1970s was the “ownership” of the island of Katchativu since it was pivotal to the establishment of the maritime boundary between the two countries. This issue was resolved with the signing of the 1974 Agreement by the Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka and India and revised in 1976. However, since these Agreements are based on traditional practices of citizens in both countries and, therefore, had “no legal resolution of ownership” (MDD Peiris, November 24, 2024), at the operational level, adherence to the obligations in the Agreements are fluid. Consequently, the ceding of Katchativu by India to Sri Lanka as per the Agreements is considered by India to be an act of treachery; even Prime Minister Modi is of a similar view. As long as such perspectives persist at the highest level in India, attempting to resolve these contentious issues through dialogue is a futile exercise even if the highest level is committed to policies such as “Neighbourhood First”. Therefore, the only option for Sri Lanka and India, as members of the UN Charter, is to jointly or separately refer the matter to the ICJ for a legal resolution of all issues involved, if there is to any justice under the policy of “Neighbourhood First”, for it to mean what it states and not India First in the neighbourhood. According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Article 56) the exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing living and non-living natural resources of a Coastal State within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a sovereign right. Despite this, thousands of trawlers from India enter Sri Lanka’s EEZ and not only exploit its resources but also destroy marine resources by resorting to bottom trawling, evidence of which abound. In a United Nations-Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme of 2016, Aruna Maheepala claims: “There are over 5,000 mechanised trawlers in Tamil Nadu and nearly 2,500 of them enter Sri Lankan waters on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and often coming at 500 m of the shoreline (emphasis added) ... More than 50,000 marine fishers live in the Northern fisheries districts (Jaffna, Kiliinochchi, Mannar, Mulative), which is around one fourth of the marine fishers of the country. Before the commencement of the war (1982) around 40% of the fish production of the country came from Northern fishery districts (except Killinochchi). However, the contribution of the fish production in the Northern fishery district drastically dropped to 5% in the peak period of the war (2008) and gradually increased after 2009. Furthermore, livelihoods of Sri Lankan fishers’ have been drastically affected as a result of the Indian poaching”. News 1st reported on 14 April 2021: “Indian fishing vessels illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters pillage around Rs, 900 billion worth of valuable marine resources in the Northern seas of Sri Lanka” (Northern Province Fisheries Asso. Chief, M.V. Subramanium). “Assessing reparation of environmental damage by the ICJ”, (Questions on International Law, QIL) cites the case of compensation for environmental damage in Nicaragua/Costa Rica, the ICJ’s Judgment was: “To shed light on the case, the Court sought support in international law and decisions of arbitral tribunals. In 1927, the ICJ already underlined in its judgment related to the Factory of Chorzów that a breach involves an obligation to make a reparation ‘in an adequate form’. The Court recalled that it had in a previous judgment, in 2015, assigned sovereignty over the area to Costa Rica, and Nicaragua’s activities were, therefore, in breach of that sovereignty. As such, the obligation for Nicaragua to make reparation was no longer to be disputed. Reparation in the form of compensation, as applied in the present case, was determined by the judgment in 2015. Before addressing the issue of compensation in itself, the Court deemed it appropriate to follow a two-fold approach. The Court first determined the existence and extent of the damage to environmental goods and services caused by Nicaragua’s wrongful activities, and then went on to assess the existence of a direct and certain causal link between such damage and Nicaragua’s activities. This section will successively examine the Court’s analysis of the points of contention, its choice of method, and the assessment of the damage as established by the Court”. Basis for maritime boundaries in international law A meeting was held in 1921, between the Colonial Governments of India and Ceylon “in order to avoid over-exploitation of maritime resources and the possibility of competition between the fishermen of India and Sri Lanka in the same waters for their catch, the colonial Governments of Madras and Colombo agreed to delimit the waters in the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay. The two parties met in Colombo on October 24, 1921. The Indian team was led by Mr. C. W. E. Cotton and the team representing the government of Ceylon was headed by Hon. B. Horsburg”. “Both parties accepted the principle of equidistant and the median line could be the guiding factor”. However, since at Kachchathivu the principle of equidistant “would considerably narrow the area of operations for the Indian fishermen”, the Ceylon delegation proposed a line that was three miles west of the island “so that there would be an equitable apportionment in the fisheries domain for both Sri Lanka and India”. The proposal by the Ceylon delegation was based on the fact that “Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over Kachchathivu was never in question, was beyond any doubt and was not a matter for negotiation. He (Hon. B. Horsburg) quoted from the correspondence that the Survey Department and the Department of Public Works in Colombo had exchanged with the counterparts in India, in which the sovereignty of Sri Lanka over Kachchativu had been taken for granted by the Indian authorities... After discussion the delimitation line was fixed three miles west of Kachchativu” (Jayasinghe, p. 14,15). Agreement between the two parties is reflected in the letter from the head of the Indian delegation, C. W. E. Cotton, in which he states: “... we unanimously decided that the delimitation of the new jurisdiction for fishing purposes could be decided independently of the question of territoriality. The delimitation line was accordingly fixed, with our concurrence three miles west of Kachchativu and the Ceylon representatives thereupon agreed to a more orderly alignment south of the island than they had originally proposed...” (Ibid, p. 130). What is relevant from all of the above is that regardless of the basis for establishing a boundary under colonial rule, such boundaries morph into territorial boundaries of independent states under the “Doctrine of Uti possidetis”. Black’s Law Dictionary has defined the legal Doctrine of “Uti possidetis juris” as “the doctrine that old administrative boundaries will become international boundaries when a political subdivision achieves independence (Hansal & Allison, “The Colonial Legacy and Border Stability”, p. 2; quoting Garner 1999). The principle behind this doctrine dates back to Roman times. The principle first emerged in the modern sense with the decolonisation of Latin America when each former Spanish colony agreed to accept territories that were “presumed to be possessed by its colonial predecessors” (Ibid). The same doctrine was accepted by former colonies in the African continent. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has “argued for its relevance across the world” (Ibid). “This principle was stated most directly in the ICJ’s 1986 decision in the Frontier Dispute/Burkina Faso Republic of Mali case. The ICJ had been asked to settle the location of a disputed segment of the border between Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which had been part of French West Africa before independence. In their judgment over the merits of this Frontier Dispute case the ICJ emphasised the legal principle of uti possidetis juris”: “The ICJ judgment in the Mali-Burkina Faso Dispute case also argued that the principle of uti possidetis should apply in any decolonisation situation regardless of the legal or political status of the entities on each side of the border”: “The territorial boundaries which have to be respected may also derive from international frontiers which previously divided a colony of one State from a colony of another, or indeed a colonial territory from the territory of another independent State...There is no doubt that the obligation to respect pre-existing international frontiers in the event of State succession derives from a general rule of international law, whether or not the rule is expressed in the formula of uti possidetis” (ICJ 1986, Ibid). Based on the ICJ Judgment, the Maritime Boundary between India and Sri Lanka should be what existed during Colonial times and continue as the International Maritime Boundary when India and Sri Lanka gained independence. The fact that Sri Lanka failed to use the provision of Uti Possidetis has cost Sri Lanka’s economy dearly and continues to do so in terms of treasure and human suffering. The issue of Indian fishermen fishing in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters was resolved in 1921, when the Colonial Government of India and then Ceylon unanimously agreed on what the maritime boundary was to be. Accordingly, the island of Kachchativu was to be part of Sri Lanka’s sovereign territory as it had been before Ceylon was colonised. Following independence of both countries, the boundaries that were recognised while under colonial rule should have been recognised as the boundaries of independent India and Sri Lanka in keeping with the internationally recognised doctrine of Uti Possidetis cited above. Instead of staking Sri Lanka’s claim on the principle that colonial boundaries transform into international boundaries upon gaining independence, Sri Lanka opted to base their claim on traditional and historical practices and agreements were signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Sri Lanka.in 1974 and revised in 1976. The opportunity to stake Sri Lanka’s claim on the basis of international law was lost, perhaps due to unfamiliarity with related legal provisions. While sovereign countries are free to forge agreements between themselves, their durability is dependent on varying personal political agendas of political actors in each country. Consequently, what is acceptable today may be unacceptable tomorrow. Since these agreements are not based on international law, Indian political leaders, such as Prime Minister Modi, refuse to accept them. These perspectives have emboldened Indian fishermen to violate maritime boundaries and destroy marine resources by resorting to bottom trawling. Furthermore, the numerous discussions between the two governments have failed to resolve substantive issues and have resulted ONLY in the India government’s focus being on the release of arrested Indian fishermen and their vessels. Therefore, since the issue of maritime boundaries has a direct bearing on illegal entry into Sri Lanka’s sovereign territory and destruction of marine resources, the ONLY durable way to resolve this contentious issue is to seek the assistance of the ICJ to rule on a legal determination as to the location of maritime boundaries based on the principle of Uti possidetis, on which depends claims for reparations for damages to maritime resources inflicted over decades. In this regard, Sri Lanka should be encouraged by the ICJ determination in the case of Nicaragua and Costa Rica in 2015 cited above. The opportunity presented by the forthcoming visit of President Dissanayake to India should not be missed by the new Government because all previous Governments and their advisors have failed to address this all-important issue, either because of their timidity or ignorance of relevant international laws. If Dissanayake fails to inform India that Sri Lanka has no option but to seek the assistance of the ICJ to resolve the issue of maritime boundaries, Sri Lanka will have to accept the bitter prospect of the plunder of its resources and the sovereign rights of the people and the nation forever.

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Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck lost draft stock since undergoing UCL repair surgery earlier this season, but that hasn't stopped him from moving forward. Beck posted to social media on Friday officially declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. "First off I want to thank God, for blessing me with the opportunity to play the game I love. Through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, everything that this game produces and provides i'm eternally grateful for. Football has taught me lessons that will last a lifetime and has grown me into the person I am today," Beck said on Instagram . Beck endured the elbow injury on the final play against Texas in the SEC Championship game on Dec. 7. He underwent the surgery on Monday in Los Angeles, ending his college football career, and is expected to make a full recovery. Though it could all still make things more hazy for Beck as he prepares for the draft. Carson Beck announces he's declaring for the NFL Draft in an Instagram post. He says he'll be there to support UGA this season however he can. Beck recently had elbow surgery, which will complicate his pre-draft process significantly. pic.twitter.com/1azPRWSj55 The 6-foot-4 signal-caller is completing his fifth season at Georgia, which he was granted because of the COVID disruptions in 2020 and having only appeared in three games in the season that followed. In the past two seasons, Beck has started under center for the Bulldogs, having led them to a 24-3 record in that span. Beck didn't post the same numbers he did in 2023 despite beginning the campaign as a Heisman candidate. The 2023 All-SEC second-team honoree who had thrown for almost 4,000 yards slipped with interception rates midway through this year, tossing 11 of his 12 total during a five-game stretch. More News: Saints Determine Playing Status for Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara vs Raiders He was still an effective quarterback, however, touching 3,485 passing yards and 28 total touchdowns. However, the losses of offensive cornerstones in wide rreceiverLadd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers have proven to have affected Beck's output. "To my teammates, i've been blessed to play with not only so many talented guys, but guys who are good people," Beck said in his post. "There's so many bonds that have been built that will last a lifetime and the people in that locker room is what I'll miss most. I enjoyed every second of being with you guys and love you guys like brothers. It's been an honor and I wouldn't want to go to war with anyone else. There's unfinished business still this season and i'll be here to support however I can, finish strong!" Heading into the 2024 season, ESPN's Mel Kiper had ranked Beck as a top-two quarterback for the upcoming draft alongside Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. His latest rankings have Beck listed at No. 4 in this quarterback class with Miami's Cam Ward and Alabama's Jalen Milroe climbing above him. Once projected a first-round pick by CBS Sports, its projections now reflect Beck's drop into the second round of the draft. For more on NCAA Football or the NFL , head to Newsweek Sports .

Lorenz scores 20, Wofford downs Kentucky Christian 100-55Find the links between the words to win today's game of Connections. Looking for Monday’s Connections hints and answers instead? You can find them here: Hey, there! This will already be the last work or school day of the week for many people ahead of a travel day tomorrow. In any case, I hope your week’s off to a terrific start. Today’s NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, November 26, are coming right up. How To Play Connections Connections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the NYT website or Games app. You’re presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part. There’s only one solution for each puzzle, and you’ll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them. This Viral Smart Bassinet Is 30% Off With The Snoo Black Friday Sale The 50 Best Black Friday Deals So Far, According To Our Deals Editors Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay. Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and you’re incorrect, you’ll lose a life. If you’re close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that you’re one word away from getting it right, but you’ll still need to figure out which one to swap. If you make four mistakes, it’s game over. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen with the help of some hints, and, if you’re really struggling, today’s Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, it’s easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats. If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the Connections archive . This includes every previous game of Connections , so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed. Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints for each grid via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query. What Are Today’s Connections Hints? Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of today’s Connections groups, I’ll reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them. Today’s 16 words are... And the hints for today’s Connections groups are: What Are Today’s Connections Groups? Need some extra help? Be warned: we’re starting to get into spoiler territory. Today’s Connections groups are... What Are Today’s Connections Answers? Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Connections answers. This is your final warning! Today’s Connections answers are... I got a little lucky with a 50/50 shot on my last life to extend my streak to five wins. Here's how I fared: 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟦🟪🟪 🟪🟦🟪🟪 🟪🟦🟪🟪 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 It probably says a lot about me that the first thing I thought of when I saw PLAZA was Die Hard (as in Nakatomi Plaza) and The Shining for OVERLOOK (the hotel where the film is set). RITZ is a hotel name too, but I didn't see a fourth word that quite fit. Nonetheless, I got the yellows first. Easy enough. OVERLOOK made sense with the rest of the greens, so I got those next. I thought that TURTLE, GOLDFISH, RITZ and ANIMAL might make up a group of crackers as the blues, so I went with the other four words. That left me one away from a group. I swapped out CLUB for RITZ, but I was still one away. Same thing with ANIMAL. Darn. I was confident that GOLDFISH had to be a cracker, so I tried TURTLE, and that fit the bill. The blues were left for the win. I am unfamiliar with CLUB crackers. I am also sure that I have never in my life heard of the ELOISE series of kids books. I would have had no chance with that group if I didn't have a solid idea about the crackers. And, yes, I did have to use Google for a clue that made sense for the purples. That’s all there is to it for today’s Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog for hints and the solution for Wednesday’s game if you need them. P.S. Let's go with a pair of tracks from a Welsh band that had a couple of hits in the mid-2000s. Every so often, "Monster" and its incredibly hooky chorus will get lodged in my brain and stay there for weeks on end. Follow-up single "Raoul" is a fun one too: If you’re so inclined, please do follow my blog for more coverage of Connections and other word games and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot!