slotvip777 (BPT) - The new year is a good time to reset. From a fresh start on lifestyle choices, hobbies or pursuits, to the less exciting — but no less important — aspects of life, like memberships, contracts and even health insurance. Health insurance deductibles reset in the new year, so it's a good idea to keep that in mind as you plan for healthcare expenses. Any changes made to your health insurance plan during open enrollment go into effect as well. "Even if you spent hours researching your health plan before making a selection, there's always a possibility for the occasional surprise once coverage kicks in, which is why it's important to assess your healthcare coverage and address any gaps before January 1," said Doug Armstrong, Vice President of Health Products and Services at AARP Services, Inc. "AARP members can take advantage of benefits available to them to help find the coverage and savings information they seek." 1. Examine your vision coverage Eye health is important to quality of life, both in terms of moving around safely and appreciating your surroundings. Regular eye exams with an ophthalmologist or optometrist can help make sure your vision is sharp while also monitoring for any issues. However, many health insurance plans don't include vision coverage. If you do see a gap in your coverage, AARP members have access to information on vision insurance options that offer individual and family plans, featuring a large doctor network, savings on frames, lens enhancements, progressives and more. 2. Plan for prescriptions While several health plans offer coverage for prescription drugs, discounts can vary, especially when it comes to different types of medication. AARP ® Prescription Discounts Provided by Optum RX ® can help with savings. This program offers a free prescription discount card that can be used at over 66,000 pharmacies nationwide for savings on FDA-approved medications. Additional benefits for AARP members include home delivery, deeper discounts on medications, coverage for dependents and more. 3. Confirm your primary care With a new health insurance plan, you might find that your primary care physician is no longer in-network or that they no longer accept your insurance. Perhaps you have relocated and are in the market for a new doctor. Whatever the case, there's no time like the present to search for a new primary care physician who meets your needs. If you're on Medicare, Oak Street Health can be a great resource. The only primary care provider to carry the AARP name, Oak Street Health provides primary care for adults on Medicare and focuses on prevention with personalized care to help keep you healthy — physically, mentally and socially. Benefits include same-day/next-day appointments where available, convenient locations, a dedicated care team and a 24/7 patient support line. AARP membership is not required to visit an Oak Street Health location. 4. Protect your smile Optimal dental care includes daily brushing and flossing and a visit to the dentist every six months. During your visit, the dentist can monitor for and treat any issues, such as cavities or gum disease. However, not all plans include dental insurance, which means you might end up paying out of pocket for your cleaning and other procedures. To avoid that, take a look at your coverage. If needed, explore information on dental insurance options that offer individual or family coverage for the most common dental procedures. Dental insurance generally pays for regular check-ups, so many people who purchase protection will benefit from it immediately. 5. Clarify your hearing coverage Hearing loss is a common age-related ailment. According to the National Institute on Aging , one-third of older adults have hearing loss, and the chance of developing hearing loss increases with age. Hearing aids can be an enormous help, improving socialization, boosting confidence and even helping to increase balance. However, many insurance plans do not include coverage for hearing aids. AARP ® Hearing SolutionsTM provided by UnitedHealthcare ® Hearing provides savings on hearing aids and hearing care . Members can save an average of $2,000 per pair on prescription hearing aids and 15% on accessories — no insurance needed. Plus receive a hearing exam and consultation at no cost and personalized support through a large nationwide network of hearing providers. 6. Consider physical therapy Often, the only times that people consider whether their health insurance covers physical therapy is if they already participate in it or after the doctor has prescribed it. As we age, though, physical therapy can be a useful tool in improving balance or recovering from an injury or procedure to help you remain active. Fortunately, the question of coverage or finding an in-network location doesn't have to derail you. AARP ® Physical Therapy At HomeTM by Luna accepts most insurances and Medicare and is available to members and non-members alike. Plus, Luna's experts come to you, so you can receive quality care from the comfort of your home. If you're creating an end-of-year to-do list, consider adding an assessment of your healthcare coverage. After all, the best time to realize you have a gap in coverage is before you need it. To learn more about AARP member benefits, visit aarp.org/benefits . AARP and its affiliates are not insurers, agents, brokers or producers. AARP member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details.Joel Dahmen's 'half-court' putt keeps PGA Tour status aliveApple Seeks AI Integration with Chinese Giants

The PGA Tour is making the most sweeping changes to its eligibility in more than 40 years by eliminating 25 tour cards, along with shrinking the size of its fields. The all-exempt tour had been in place since 1983, meaning the top 125 players from the official money list — now the FedEx Cup standings — kept a full PGA Tour card the following season. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took the ruling ally, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, to task on Saturday for making unilateral decisions despite lacking the electoral mandate to back such moves. The PPP chairman, whose party is in alliance with the PML-N at the federal level, alleged that the government acts as if it enjoys a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, exempt from consulting anyone. "But the ground realities suggest otherwise," he said while addressing a press conference in Larkana. He reminded the ruling party that its parliamentary strength does not mirror the two-thirds majority it enjoyed in the 1990s. "Today, their mandate is to take all allied parties on board for collective decision-making." Bilawal also lambasted the PML-N government for riding roughshod over provincial concerns, particularly Sindh's objections to six proposed canals on the Indus River. He pointed out that decisions were not only arbitrary but controversial as they violated the fundamental rights of water, accusing the government of violating the IRSA Act and Water Accord 1991 while ignoring objections raised by Sindh. Regarding the proposed construction of six new canals on the Indus River, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari lamented that despite Sindh's formal objections, the government has chosen to disregard them. "There was a time when someone [former prime minister Nawaz Sharif] decided to build the Kalabagh Dam, but tell me, where is that dam today?" he remarked. He argued that the planning for these canals was as controversial and unilateral as the Kalabagh Dam was, adding that other political parties throwing their weight behind the government also disapproved of its one-sided approach. He recalled that the PPP helped the PML-N elect its prime minister based on an assurance of equitable financial support for all provinces. However, he expressed regret that the agreement was not being implemented properly. However, he hoped that the PPP's concerns would be addressed through meaningful dialogue, which he sees as essential for resolving provincial grievances. Digital woes Bilawal also slammed the government's handling of digital rights, deploring its decision to slow down internet speeds and restrict access in some areas. Instead of these regressive steps, he stressed the need to provide high-speed internet and expand connectivity to currently underserved regions. He chastised the PML-N for prioritizing motorways and metros, which he acknowledged as essential infrastructure in the 1990s but argued that the current digital age demands a focus on digital infrastructure. "You slowed down the internet without consulting anyone, and that too in a country where 70% of the population is under 30 years of age," he stressed. "So, one decision of yours has alienated 70% of the population. You've done it, but I won't." The Bhutto scion also raised alarm over recent Western attention on Pakistan's missile technology, noting that some foreign politicians, who had previously commented on Pakistan's internal politics, have now shifted focus to its missile technology. He expressed scepticism over support for PTI Chairman Imran Khan from quarters that consistently back Israel. "This is why I demanded yesterday [at PPP's December 27 public meeting] that he [Khan] should not only condemn those countries but also the individuals who, on one hand, express support for him and, on the other, oppose Pakistan's atomic and missile programs," he said. Bilawal reiterated that Pakistan is the only Muslim nation to possess such advanced weapons technology, which he claimed the West is eager to see dismantled. He credited his grandfather, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and his mother, Benazir Bhutto, for gifting Pakistan nuclear power and missile technology. "I don't need to remind you; it's part of history. The sacrifices for this achievement were borne by the martyrs buried in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh," he said, referring to his grandfather and mother. He stressed the need to take the nation into confidence on this sensitive issue, urging unity among political parties to thwart conspirators seeking to exploit internal divisions. He also criticised PTI for shifting its stance on foreign relations, citing its accusations against the US and later Saudi Arabia for allegedly toppling its government in 2022. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our

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Holiday Bowl festivities kick off Thursday with the Snapdragon Bowl Bash in the Gaslamp Quarter at 5 p.m. The bash features the 6 p.m. Battle of the Bands between the Syracuse and Washington State marching bands, at the corner of 5th Avenue and Market Street. In addition to the bands, the free event includes live music, games, contests, photo opportunities and more. The street fest is a prelude to Friday’s main events. Support timely, comprehensive news. We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. DONATE TODAY! The Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade begins at 10 a.m. on the bayfront near the San Diego County Administration Building, with marching bands, floats, drill teams and a procession of enormous balloons. The Holiday Bowl, 5 p.m. Friday at Snapdragon Stadium, features a clash between Syracuse, from the ACC, and Washington State, of the Pac-12. Tickets remain available. Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments.

Swinney and Brown at memorial service for ‘giant of a man’ Alex Salmond

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Apple on Wednesday hit out at Meta Platforms, saying its numerous requests to access the iPhone maker's software tools to its devices could impact users' privacy and security, underscoring the intense rivalry between the two tech giants. Under the European Union's landmark Digital Markets Act that took effect last year, Apple must allow rivals and app developers to inter-operate with its own services or risk a fine of as much as 10% of its global annual turnover. Meta has made 15 interoperability requests thus far, more than any other company, for potentially far-reaching access to Apple's technology stack that could affect users' privacy and security, the latter said in a report. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Chris Reese)

Gerry Hutch is in danger of having to give up his Dail seat if he is elected to Leinster House to represent the Dublin Central Constituency . Under the rules of the Oireachtas and the constitution no member can serve in the Dail if they are serving a current jail sentence of six months or more. The Monk is currently out on bail and facing serious money laundering accusations in Spain. READ MORE - Dee Devlin accompanies Conor McGregor in court as sex assault case jury resumes deliberations READ MORE - Mountjoy prisoner rushed to hospital after being slashed in stomach by fellow inmate However, if he is charged and convicted by the authorities in Lanzarote he will face a lengthy jail sentence and a very hefty fine. Hutch was given bail of more than €100,000 a few weeks ago so he could return home to stand in the General Election. He had been living in Lanzarote most of the time since he was released from jail over 18 months ago following his acquittal at the Special Criminal Court over the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne. He had pleaded not guilty. It could take prosecutors on the Canary Islands at least a year before deciding if the Monk has a case to answer. They are investigating where he got the cash to pay for a large number of rental holiday homes and apartments which he owns in Lanzarote. Hutch denies any wrong-doing and claims it is all paid for by legitimate income. The bookies and many political pundits believe Hutch could be the surprise package in the General Election and has a good chance of winning one of the four seats in the constituency. No private opinion polls have been carried out in the constituency so no one has a clue how he is doing. There is no love lost between Hutch and the Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. A Sinn Fein source said: "We definitely have not carried out any private polling but we do not believe Gerry Hutch is a danger to Mary Lou McDonald's seat. "The ironic thing is if he is charged and then convicted in Spain and the sentence is more than six months he will have to resign his Dail seat if he is elected under the Constitution and then be sent to Spain to go to jail. There will be some fun and games then. "But the voters should know what the rule is before they elect him." There is no issue with people with previous criminal convictions serving in the Dail. Ironically, a number of those who did are former Sinn Fein members like infamous IRA gun runner and Kerry TD Martin Ferris and Dessie Ellis the Dublin North-West Sinn Fein TD who was convicted and sentenced to 10 years jail here for making bombs for the IRA . Deputy Ellis was extradited to Britain and accused of both the 1982 Hyde Park and Regents Park bombings in London as well as the 1983 Harrods bombing. However he was acquitted of all charges in 1991. Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher after flipping between gains and losses several times during the day. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 461 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Nvidia rose just 0.5% after beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue yet again, but it was still the strongest force pulling the S&P 500 upward. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations due to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia’s revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” The stock meandered through Thursday as well, dragging the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. How Nvidia’s stock performs has more impact than any other because it’s grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.7% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 8.3% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 ended up rising Thursday, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.7%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 4.7% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. All told, the S&P 500 rose 31.60 points to 5,948.71. The Dow jumped 461.88 to 43,870.35, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.28 to 18,972.42. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before pulling back toward $98,000, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin got a further boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said Thursday he would step down in January . Gensler has pushed for more protections for crypto investors. Bitcoin and related investment have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early Thursday gain of 14.6% for its stock quickly disappear. It finished the day with a loss of 16.2%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Stock indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.

SUSS program in PH: Let’s ‘Level Up’Asia shares rose slightly in holiday-thinned trade yesterday, extending gains from earlier in the week with little news or data in the way to alter their direction of travel, while the dollar was perched near a two-year high. As the year-end approaches, trading volumes have begun thinning out and the main focus for investors remains that of the Federal Reserve’s rate outlook. Markets in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand were closed for a holiday yesterday. Since Fed Chair Jerome Powell primed markets for fewer rate cuts next year at the central bank’s last policy meeting of the year, traders are now pricing in just about 35 basis points worth of easing for 2025. That has in turn lifted US Treasury yields and the dollar, with the greenback’s renewed strength a burden for commodities and gold. The benchmark 10-year yield was last steady at 4.5967%, having risen above 4.6% for the first time since May 30 earlier in the week. It is up roughly 40 basis points for the month thus far. The two-year yield similarly firmed at 4.3407%. “Given December’s hawkish cut, we believe the Fed will skip at the January FOMC meeting and wait for more data before definitely resuming, or potentially ending, this cutting cycle,” said Tom Porcelli, chief US economist at PGIM Fixed Income. “Given the Fed’s shift to less accommodation paired with continued focus on both sides of the dual mandate, we believe the market will have more intense emphasis on economic events in the new year.” In currencies, the dollar was perched near a two-year high against a basket of currencies at 108.15, and was on track for a monthly gain of more than 2%. The Australian and New Zealand dollars were meanwhile among the biggest losers against a dominant greenback on Thursday, with the Aussie falling 0.45% to $0.6241. The kiwi slid 0.51% to $0.5650. The euro eased 0.18% to $1.0398, while the yen languished near a five-month low and last stood at 157.45 per dollar. Japan’s government was set to compile a record $735bn budget for the fiscal year starting in April due to larger social security and debt-servicing costs, adding to the industrial world’s heaviest debt, a draft seen by Reuters showed. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan ticked up 0.04% and was headed for a weekly rise of nearly 2%, taking a cue from its counterparts on Wall Street earlier in the week. S&P 500 futures edged 0.02% higher, while Nasdaq futures advanced 0.13%. World stocks looked set to end the year on a high with a second consecutive annual gain of more than 17%, unfazed by escalating geopolitical tensions and various economic and political headwinds globally. That is mostly thanks to a second year of huge gains for shares on Wall Street as artificial intelligence fever and robust economic growth sucked more global capital into US assets. “At first glance, markets appear to suggest exceptional exuberance that has presided over 2024,” said Vishnu Varathan, head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan at Mizuho Bank. “Notably, US bulls high on American exceptionalism have not trampled on ebullience elsewhere.” Japan’s Nikkei jumped 0.38% and was on track to end the year with a more than 17% gain. China’s CSI300 blue-chip index fell 0.26% while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.22%, though both were headed for yearly gains of more than 10% each, helped by a step-up in support from Chinese authorities in recent months to shore up an ailing economy.

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