Edmunds: Five dream-worthy vehicles you wish you got for the holidays Just about everyone dreams about cars they wish they could own, and there’s no better time than the holidays to make a list of vehicles you’d love to have in your driveway. Michael Cantu, The Associated Press Dec 25, 2024 5:14 AM Dec 25, 2024 5:35 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message This photo provided by Ford shows the 2025 F-150 Raptor R. The Raptor R has a V8 engine and a specialized suspension that helps it stay in control when driving off-road at high speed. (Courtesy of Ford Motor Co. via AP) Just about everyone dreams about cars they wish they could own, and there’s no better time than the holidays to make a list of vehicles you’d love to have in your driveway. The car pros at Edmunds rounded up five of their favorite dream-worthy vehicles. But rather than just list the most outlandish and expensive exotics, they focused on highlighting models that are expensive but not so pricey that it’d be completely unrealistic for you to own one one day. The vehicles are ordered in ascending order of price and include destination fees. Ford F-150 Raptor R Off-road trucks look fantastic and are extremely capable. What truck enthusiast wouldn’t have one topping their wish list? The king of the hill for 2025 is the F-150 Raptor R. The regular Raptor is already impressive, and the R takes it to the next level with a bonkers 720-horsepower supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine, upgraded Fox dual-value shock absorbers, and massive 37-inch all-terrain tires. An R-specific grille and hood are also part of the R’s upgrades. Thankfully, the Raptor R isn’t all bark and bite. It also has plenty of features to make it a livable truck for daily driving. Standard features include leather upholstery, cooling front seats, a premium sound system, and a surround-view camera to help make this big truck easier to park. Starting Price: $112,825 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Few sedans can match the Mercedes-Benz S-Class for opulence, luxury and prestige. This grand sedan showcases nearly every luxury, technology and performance innovation that Mercedes-Benz has concocted. Everything you touch inside is likely covered in leather, heated, or bathed in disco-worthy ambient light. A novel could be written about all of the S-Class’ luxury and comfort features, but one of the most notable is the E-Active Body Control system. It scans the road surface ahead and adjusts the suspension to deliver the best ride possible. The S-Class also boasts an extensive list of advanced safety features and has an augmented reality head-up display that projects images that appear to float in front of the car. For the ultimate S-Class, get the 791-horsepower AMG S 63 E Performance model. Starting Price: $118,900 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Who needs a European exotic car when the Corvette ZR1 is just as capable? A sports car fanatic’s wish list wouldn’t be right without the ZR1. The new Corvette hit a record-setting top speed of 233 mph, making it the fastest car ever built by an American automaker and the fastest current production car priced under $1 million, according to Chevrolet. The top speed record was possible thanks to the ZR1’s turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 engine that cranks out a staggering 1,064 horsepower. Its carbon-fiber aero package kept it glued to the track by generating over 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed. Chevrolet also says the ZR1 can accelerate through the quarter mile in less than 10 seconds. We expect the Corvette ZR1 to go on sale in early 2025. Estimated starting price: $150,000 Cadillac Escalade-V Does your wish list include a big and powerful SUV? If it does, the Escalade-V should top it. The big Caddy roars like a muscle car thanks to its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that churns out 682 horsepower and helps it hit 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. The Escalade-V also boasts enormous 24-inch wheels and large Brembo brakes that help bring the three-ton SUV to a stop. But the Escalade-V isn’t only about brute power. It also has three rows of seating, plenty of cargo space and offers impressive tech like Super Cruise, a hands-free highway driving system, and an enormous 55-inch curved display that spans the dashboard. Starting Price: $161,990 Lucid Air Sapphire What if we told you there was a car that could outpace almost anything on a drag strip, keep up with high-end sports cars on a racetrack, and be comfortable enough for daily errands? Well, if that sounds amazing, add the Air Sapphire to your dream list. The Air Sapphire is a high-performance electric luxury sedan made by Lucid, an electric vehicle startup. It’s one of the most powerful production cars in the world, producing an astonishing 1,234 horsepower from its three electric motors. Lucid says it has a top speed of 205 mph and can rocket to 60 mph in a mind-numbing 1.9 seconds. You can adjust the vehicle’s setting for exceptional track performance or simply provide a comfortable ride around town. Starting price: $250,500 Edmunds says Even if you can’t afford any of these vehicles, you can still picture one sitting in your driveway or imagine yourself cruising around town in it. And who knows, maybe holiday magic will give you the opportunity to own one in the future. ____ This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds . Michael Cantu is a contributor at Edmunds. Michael Cantu, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? 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Amazon extended tons of Black Friday deals over 50% off: here's what to get before they sell outKANSAS CITY, Mo. — As his team’s frantic last play from scrimmage was unfolding against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was under the impression officials had called the play dead. “We heard a whistle on our sideline,” Pierce said Saturday, less than 24 hours after the Raiders’ gut-wrenching 19-17 loss. Had Pierce’s initial understanding of the situation held up, the fumbled shotgun snap between Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson and quarterback Aidan O’Connell would have been moot. The Raiders would have gotten another chance to run a third-down play against the Chiefs. Or, just brought on kicker Daniel Carlson to attempt a game-winning field goal from 54 yards out. But after the officials huddled, they cited the Raiders (2-10) for an illegal shift rather than an illegal procedure. The Chiefs (11-1) immediately declined the penalty, which meant the fumble Nick Bolton recovered stood — as did one of the most improbable Raiders losses in years. Pierce, who said he would not have done anything differently tactically on the final play, said the Raiders will send a complaint to the NFL, as they typically do after most games when concerns are raised. The NFL, according to Pierce, typically responds within 24 to 36 hours. “We’ll read it and learn from it,” Pierce said. Big pass rush The Raiders registered a season-high four sacks against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Friday, the most they have had since Week 18 last year against the Denver Broncos. It was the 30th straight game the Raiders have recorded at least one sack. The key? Getting help alongside Maxx Crosby, who had one sack, two tackles for loss and four of the Raiders’ 12 quarterback hits. K’Lavon Chaisson added three tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits. Zach Carter added two tackles and a sack, and Adam Butler had six tackles and a half-sack. Pierce was impressed. “We just talked about being relentless. No different than every year we play Kansas City with Patrick,” Pierce said. “It takes everybody. It can’t be the Maxx Crosby show.” Injuries to Malcolm Koonce and Christian Wilkins have reduced what was expected to be a dominant Raiders pass rush. But on Friday, the Raiders finally put together a solid group effort. “Just the overall rush coordination, rush plan. The strain, the finish,” Pierce said. “I thought they all had some great opportunities, some great rushes where we were winning.” O’Connell’s huge day Playing in his first game after missing over a month with a fractured right thumb, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. The last time a Raiders quarterback threw for more than 340 yards without an interception was Derek Carr in 2021. O’Connell’s 116.4 passer rating on 35 pass attempts was the best rating for a Raiders quarterback with that many throws since Carr in 2021. O’Connell’s four games with a passer rating of 100 or better over his first 15 starts is the most in franchise history. O’Connell said he would have traded it all for a win. “It’s been a hard season,” O’Connell said. “I feel really bad for the guys who work so hard. I’ve been out for five weeks, and it’s been hard to watch because I know how hard the guys work throughout the week. It’s tough to stomach right now. But again, I couldn’t be more proud of our coaching staff and our players. It was a great game except for the last play.” ©2024 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com. . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Bakery Production Line Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030The phenomenal and exceptional rise of Donald Trump is comparable to US exceptionalism itself as his chequered presence and Trumpism of the last ten years can match any Hollywood blockbuster. Exceptionalism is caused by a number of factors. American exceptionalism, with primacy of economics over politics, is both a product of its history and geography. Trump’s rise and consolidation reflects a sea change in the political landscape of a nation that had Life Magazine describe in 1941 the 20th century as “an American century”. This psyche allowed a rank outsider with impressive economic success to occupy the position of the President of the US in 2016 and in 2024. Those who thought 2016 to be a freak event had to concede that Trumpism is a reflection of his support among a majority of voters. In the post Second World War period, the hegemony of the US based order supported by the containment theory was possible due to the decline of the great European powers in general and the exit of Germany in particular. The Soviet led bloc was never a match or a threat to American domination. Richard Nixon confidently declared that the US president was irrelevant for internal governance as the dominant social, economic and racial issues had been resolved perfectly well. Dahl’s theory of polyarchy and Lipset’s attribution that politics has become dull restricting it to decide ‘a nickel here and a nickel there’ aptly summarized this perception. So did the debate on End of Ideology and Marcuse’s One-Dimensional Man. But this equilibrium was shattered in the 1990s with the inauguration of the Clinton presidency in 1993. In an upset election, Bill Clinton defeated the incumbent, George H. W. Bush. Ross Perot, the third candidate polled 19 per cent of the popular vote upsetting Bush’s apple cart and also propelling the little-known Democrat Governor of Arkansas, Clinton to the White House. The Clinton Administration’s initiation of NAFTA, an economic union in North America which included Mexico as well, contained grave implications for USA’s internal economic arrangements and concerns for blue-collar workers, the mainstay in a formidable democratic coalition since the New Deal. Perot opposed both NAFTA and the move of shifting the manufacturing base of the US to China. The collapse of communism saw the emergence of a unipolar world. Liberal triumphalism accompanied by extending democracy by force resulted in pushing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to the borders of the post-Soviet Russian federation. George W. Bush refined the concept after 9/11 by fabricating falsehood in Iraq and elsewhere. He resurrected the Dulles doctrine that one who is not with the US is against it. Advertisement President Barack Obama continued with the major planks of both Clinton and Bush Jr. administrations with no indication of a significant policy shift even after the 2008 financial crash. Sandel blames the Clinton years for deregulation of the financial industry and for doing “little to address growing inequality and the influence of money on politics”. Obama “showed that progressive politics can speak a language of moral and spiritual purpose” but that wasn’t reflected in his presidency. He also appointed the economic advisers who supported financial deregulation during Clinton’s presidency. He bailed out banks without making them accountable and offered little help for ordinary citizens who lost their homes. “All these fuelled popular protest across the political spectrum. On the left, it prompted the Occupy Movement and the candidacy of Bernie Sanders. And on the right, it prompted the Tea Party Movement and the election of Trump”. Cynicism has replaced the approval of inequality due to hard work, innovation and puritan ethics, and the corporatism of the US economy has raised suspicions of an unaccountable deep state machine operating against the majority convincing the latter of minority tyranny. This scenario was further complicated with the spectacular rise of China and its admission to the WTO in 2001. In 2016, Brexit followed by Trump’s surprise victory defeating Hillary Clinton challenged the aforesaid aggressive policy that was pursued vigorously for a quarter century. Hillary’s over-emphasis on identity politics moved the Democratic Party away from the coalition that made it a mainstream majoritarian party after having dismantled the Daley machine in its stormy Chicago Convention held in 1968. The social security and solidarity which was part of the New Deal was pushed to the background. In 2016, the Democratic party found solace in the fact that Trump, like other Republicans Nixon and George W. Bush, had secured victory by electoral college votes and not by popular votes. But that was shattered in 2024. Biden’s victory in 2019 and Trump’s antics after losing the presidency including the 6 January episode in 2020 convinced the Democratic leadership that Trump’s challenge was over and that it has regained its popular support. Trump’s four years at best were an aberration. But the euphoria was short lived as Trump despite fighting his legal battles continued to maintain his presence on the political scene, and clinched the nomination for 2024 presidency. He regained his importance with a formidable presence after effortlessly trouncing all the other Republican aspirants in the primaries. He demonstrated, in a political career of only a decade, that a rank outsider can occupy the pivotal position fighting all odds. Bravery and tenacity are valued attributes in a system that combines the position of a head of the state and that of the government. Biden as president ignored the economic issues that were affecting the overwhelming majority of his supporters. The wages of an American worker remained stagnant while that of his counterpart in China increased four-fold. An average American also perceives that there is no centre of power in Washington with an ability to deal with galloping inflation. While maintaining tariffs imposed by Trump on China there was no visible effect either on revamping manufacturing or on the expected consequent increase in the number of bluecollar workers. Trump reiterated the issues that he raised in his first term, namely revitalizing the manufacturing base of the US, along with the insecurity, isolation and alienation of the working class who lacked a college degree. He rejected the domination of an Ivy League meritocratic urban-based privileged elite that C. Wright Mills theorised in his notion of the power elite in the 1950s, as it has brought in a new caste system with its contempt for a vast under-class in American politics. As a result of all these factors Trump dislodged the Democrats in many predominantly Democratic states and also in the seven swing states to emerge as a leader of reconciliation committed to restoring American pride. (The writers, respectively, are retired Professors of Political Science of the University of Delhi and the Jesus and Mary College) Advertisement
RIYADH: Arab stock markets experienced a boost in trading values in October, with a monthly increase of 16.35 percent, according to the latest report by the Arab Monetary Fund. The AMF’s monthly bulletin showed that the total trading values soared to $97.1 billion, up from $83.5 billion in September. This surge came despite a slight overall dip of 0.57 percent in market capitalization, which ended the month at $4.27 trillion. The gains were not universal, however, as 10 stock exchanges recorded increases in trading value, while four saw declines. Oman’s Muscat Securities Market emerged as the top performer, registering a 185.03 percent increase in trading value. The market’s total value jumped to $515.7 million in October, compared to just $180.9 million in September. Tunisia followed closely with a 161.66 percent rise, driven by robust investor activity, while Abu Dhabi’s financial market saw trading values almost double, with a 97.56 percent increase to reach $18.52 billion. Other notable performers included Iraq, where trading values climbed by 52.57 percent, and Qatar, Oman, and Casablanca each recording double-digit percentage increases. Smaller but meaningful gains were observed in Kuwait at 13.89 percent and Saudi Arabia at 4.69 percent. Despite the widespread rises, Bahrain, Damascus, and Beirut faced steep declines in trading value. Bahrain was the worst hit, experiencing a 65.57 percent drop, followed by Damascus with a 50.13 percent decline and Beirut with a 43.86 percent dip. The performance of individual market indices highlighted the uneven landscape across the region. Iraq Stock Exchange: The standout performer with a 12.39 percent rise in its index, reflecting strong market sentiment and heightened investor interest. Damascus Securities Exchange: Achieved a 6.99 percent increase in its index, maintaining its growth streak. Dubai Financial Market: Recorded a 1.94 percent uptick, signaling stability in the UAE’s financial sector. Muscat Securities Market: Saw a modest index increase of 0.83 percent, correlating with its strong performance in trading value. Indices in several major markets experienced declines: Saudi Stock Market: The index fell by 1.67 percent, reflecting cautious investor sentiment. Egypt’s EGX30: Dropped by 2.94 percent, despite improved trading values. Casablanca: Declined by 1.42 percent. Palestine: Down 1.27 percent. Despite the surge in trading activity, the overall market capitalization across Arab stock markets contracted slightly by 0.57 percent, settling at $4.27 trillion. The Saudi market led the decline, shedding $23.86 billion in capitalization, while Abu Dhabi’s market lost $12.27 billion. Tunisia and Palestine also reported decreases. Oman stood out among the gainers, achieving an 11.85 percent increase in market capitalization, followed by Damascus at 6.42 percent and Iraq at 6.08 percent, underlining their robust performances during the month. The markets’ performance mirrored global trends, with major international indices reflecting mixed results. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index declined by 1.54 percent, while the S&P 500 and FTSE also posted slight losses of 0.99 percent and 1.54 percent, respectively. These fluctuations were compounded by ongoing regional challenges, including interest rate adjustments. Several Arab central banks lowered interest rates in September, boosting liquidity and supporting trading activity. Geopolitical tensions also had an impact, with uncertainty in the Middle East, including potential disruptions in oil trade through the Red Sea, impacting investor sentiment. Energy market dynamics saw volatile oil prices, influenced by production adjustments from OPEC+ and global demand concerns, add another layer of complexity. October’s results underscored the resilience and adaptability of Arab stock markets amid global and regional challenges. While trading values surged, the market still faces external pressures, such as global economic uncertainty, oil market fluctuations, and geopolitical risks. Nonetheless, the substantial recovery in trading activity highlighted the potential for sustained growth and development in the region’s financial sector. As the year progresses, market watchers will closely monitor how Arab exchanges navigate these challenges, balancing internal reforms with external influences to maintain momentum. This performance sets the stage for a promising end to 2024, with opportunities for further investment and regional financial integration.