In the Green

XBP Europe Holdings, Inc. (XBP) is up over 133% at $13.25.
Hanryu Holdings, Inc. (HRYU) is up over 31% at $1.43.
Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc. (EKSO) is up over 15% at $1.34.
Evotec SE (EVO) is up over 13% at $11.24.
Codexis, Inc. (CDXS) is up over 13% at $2.38.
SEALSQ Corp (LAES) is up over 13% at $1.19.
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (ESPR) is up over 12% at $1.70.
Alector, Inc. (ALEC) is up over 11% at $7.66.
Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) is up over 10% at $86.59.
ECD Automotive Design Inc (ECDA) is up over 10% at $2.10.
BIMI International Medical, Inc. (BIMI) is up over 9% at $2.24.
Millennium Group International Holdings Limited (MGIH) is up over 9% at $1.71.
Gaotu Techedu Inc. (GOTU) is up over 7% at $3.98.
Ucommune International Ltd (UK) is up over 6% at $3.60.
Carisma Therapeutics, Inc. (CARM) is up over 5% at $2.91.

In the Red

Amtech Systems, Inc. (ASYS) is down over 31% at $4.12.
Jet.AI Inc. (JTAIZ) is down over 27% at $1.41.
Cepton, Inc. (CPTN) is down over 24% at $3.00.
Regis Corporation (RGS) is down over 21% at $7.27.
NextCure, Inc. (NXTC) is down over 19% at $1.17.
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (OCUL) is down over 16% at $3.30.
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) is down over 14% at $54.02.
NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (NXTP) is down over 9% at $1.42.
AerSale Corporation (ASLE) is down over 8% at $13.50.
Shattuck Labs, Inc. (STTK) is down over 8% at $4.47.
Aditxt, Inc. (ADTX) is down over 7% at $5.81.
Jet.AI Inc. (JTAI) is down over 7% at $2.58
SciSparc Ltd. (SPRC) is down over 6% at $6.38.

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Harry and Meghan’s neighborhood is under flash flood warnings as a super storm hits southern California.

Heavy rains have drenched parts of California, bringing the threat of flooding and mudslides to the region, the National Weather Service said.

Thunderstorms are covering Santa Barbara and Montecito, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live with their children.

In nearby Oxnard, residents have reported being trapped in their cars as multiple streets in the area are submerged with water. 

A tornado warning has been issued for central Ventura County until 2am local time. Meteorologists have warned that a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Oxnard early Thursday morning, moving north at 15 mph.

Harry and Meghan’s neighborhood is under flash flood warnings as a super storm hits southern California. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured in September at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany

Heavy rains have drenched parts of California, bringing the threat of flooding and mudslides to the region, the National Weather Service said

Thunderstorms are covering Santa Barbara and Montecito, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live with their children, and a flash flood warning is currently in effect

A Oxnard resident shares footage of the heavy rains striking the area this morning

The storm, more powerful and widespread than one that blew in earlier in the week, is expected to jumpstart a laggard rainy season just a year after California was inundated by a series of atmospheric rivers that refilled reservoirs that had been emptied by a prolonged drought.

The Pacific storm centered offshore was moving gradually southeastward, sending bands of rain ashore and hitting particularly hard on the central coast after sweeping through the San Francisco Bay Area. Flood watches were posted all the way south to San Diego.

California´s rain came as the Northeast battled the effects of storms that brought floods and downed trees, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands and killing at least five people.

More than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain had fallen by late Wednesday morning in the Santa Ynez Mountains – the steep backdrop to the south Santa Barbara County’s ‘American Riviera’ communities – and more bands of heavy rain were expected to follow.

The storm has been very unstable, and at times on Wednesday, forecasters issued marine warnings for coastal waters due to severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts.

The storm, more powerful and widespread than one that blew in earlier in the week, is expected to jumpstart a laggard rainy season just a year after California was inundated by a series of atmospheric rivers that refilled reservoirs that had been emptied by a prolonged drought

Southbound lanes on US Highway 101 in South San Francisco, California flood during a storm on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

People walk through wet conditions along Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, California on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

Santa Cruz County public works employees clear a storm drain in the Rio Del Mar neighborhood of Aptos, California on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

A surfer jumps in the water near Steamer Lane as storm clouds approach in Santa Cruz, California on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

The pace of the storm also was proving difficult to forecast. The San Diego-area weather office pushed back the timing of the heaviest rain there to Thursday and Friday.

Flood watches were issued from the central California coast to San Diego with warnings of a high risk of roadway flooding that could prompt travel delays, as well as rockslides, mudslides and debris flows from wildfire burn scars. 

The severe weather could pose a problem for some of the 9.5 million Southern Californians that the Auto Club predicts will be traveling for the holidays.

The relative warmth of the storm meant that snowfall would be mostly limited to high elevations in the southern Sierra Nevada and some Southern California ranges.

The California Highway Patrol office in South Lake Tahoe said in social media posts that the storm, nonetheless, was ‘making a mess,’ producing rain, sleet, snow and icy roads.

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WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition, or TAG-CO-VAC, issued the recommendation after making a thorough evaluation of the current virus evolution and the demonstrated immune responses by the vaccines against circulating variants.

TAG-CO-VAC is an independent and multidisciplinary group of experts. It meets regularly to assess the implications of the evolving virus variants for Covid-19 vaccine antigen composition and advise its parent body on whether changes are needed to the antigen composition of future vaccines for immunization.

In its last meeting in May, the TAG-CO-VAC recommended the use of a monovalent XBB.1 descendent lineage, such as XBB.1.5, as the vaccine antigen. WHO noted that several manufacturers using mRNA and protein-based and viral vector vaccine platforms have updated Covid-19 vaccine antigen composition to monovalent XBB.1.5 formulations which have been approved for use by regulatory authorities.

The latest meeting of TAG-CO-VAC last week reviewed the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2, the performance of currently approved vaccines against its circulating variants, and the implications for Covid vaccine antigen composition. The twice-yearly evidence review by the TAG-CO-VAC is based on the need for continued monitoring of the evolution of the deadly virus and the kinetics of vaccine-derived immunity.

“Other formulations and/or platforms that achieve robust neutralizing antibody responses against currently circulating variants, including XBB- and BA.2.86 descendent lineages, can also be considered,” the UN health agency said in a statement. In accordance with WHO SAGE policy, vaccination programs can continue to use any of the WHO emergency-use listed or prequalified Covid vaccines.

The WHO Technical Advisory Group called for strengthened epidemiological and virological surveillance to determine if emerging variants are antigenically distinct and able to displace circulating variants.

The panel also recommended clinical evaluation of new vaccine antigens, particularly those emerging from XBB and BA.2.86 descendant lineages.

It also encouraged the further development of vaccines that may improve protection against infection and reduce transmission of the virus.

As the pandemic approaches its fourth anniversary, index virus-based vaccines across different platforms continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease caused by all variants of SARS-CoV-2, including Omicron 2. However, the emerging variants of the virus are posing challenges to the public health systems in many countries, including ensuring the efficiency of vaccines to provide protection against infection.

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1. AI and Blockchain Convergence: Schwartz predicts that by 2024, the amalgamation of AI and blockchain will be transformative for cybersecurity and financial services. He also says that AI’s role in ensuring blockchain security will be pivotal, enabling precise market insights and automating trading processes. He highlights the use of AI chatbots, like those on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), as tools to simplify development, thereby promoting global innovation and financial inclusion.

2. Real World Asset (RWA) Tokenization: Schwartz thinks that the tokenization of RWAs, particularly in real estate and commodities, is going to drive the blockchain economy significantly. Schwartz foresees tokenized RWAs on the XRPL enhancing collateralized loans, improving interoperability, and attracting institutional adoption. Furthermore, he anticipates this shift to reshape the financial sector, with XRPL positioned as a leading blockchain for these use cases.

3. Decentralized Identity (DID) Adoption: Schwartz envisions a revolution in privacy on the blockchain through the adoption of DIDs. Decentralized Exchanges (DEXes), empowered by DIDs, are expected to see increased institutional volume, which will contribute to growth and liquidity in decentralized finance. According to the Ripple CTO, the proposed XLS-40 amendment, introducing DID capabilities to the XRPL, marks a new era in privacy, security, and financial innovation.

4. Interoperability and Smart Contracts: By 2024, blockchain interoperability is predicted to break down silos, creating a unified and efficient ecosystem. Protocols like the Cross-Chain bridge amendment for the XRPL will spur innovation, fostering new DeFi applications. He expects this development to drive mainstream adoption, unlocking the full potential of blockchain across various industries.

5. Stablecoins in Global Finance: Schwartz believes that stablecoins will reshape global finance by creating new foreign exchange corridors and reducing dependence on the USD. He predicts the Middle East will lead in stablecoin adoption for regional trades. He also mentions that financial institutions standardizing integration with blockchains will pave the way for stablecoins to become a universal tool, streamlining international transactions and unlocking new economic potential.

On 19 December 2023, Monica Long, President of Ripple, provided her crypto predictions for 2024.

Long predicts an end to the crypto industry’s speculative hype cycles, characterized by extreme fluctuations. She anticipates this shift will pave the way for a new ‘crypto summer.’ Her focus is on building a foundation for cryptocurrencies to have real-world utility, addressing challenges in compliance, usability, and integration with existing financial systems.

A key breakthrough for 2024, according to Long, will be in decentralized finance (DeFi) compliance, indicating a move towards more regulated and secure DeFi environments. She views the current market downturn, or ‘crypto winter,’ as an opportunity for developers to solve real-world problems using blockchain technology.

Long emphasizes the need for the crypto industry to prioritize compliance and transparency in 2024 to regain trust. This includes developing compliance tools within a decentralized framework. She also notes the growing trend of traditional financial giants like Fidelity, BlackRock, PayPal, and Visa partnering with crypto-native companies, foreseeing a collaborative relationship where blockchain augments traditional banking.

Highlighting the benefits of blockchain for instant cross-border payments, Long sees this as advantageous for both merchants and consumers. She stresses the importance of user-friendly crypto solutions that don’t require extensive crypto knowledge from users.

Finally, Long recognizes the mainstream recognition of cryptocurrency but believes 2024 could be a pivotal year for institutional adoption, especially if the industry continues to prioritize a compliance-first approach.

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In January, Mohalla Tech Pvt Ltd, the parent company of platforms ShareChat and Moj, fired 500 employees, 20 per cent of its workforce.

The same month, company co-founders Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan also stepped down from executive roles.

“ShareChat, today undertook a strategic restructuring as part of its annual planning for the year 2024.

“The decision reflects the company’s commitment to streamlining its cost base and achieving profitability within the next 4-6 quarters,” said the company on December 20.

In alignment with its strategic vision, the company said, it undertook a comprehensive restructuring effort to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and position the firm for sustainable growth.

As a result, the organisation has moved to a flatter organisation structure and prioritised product initiatives.

These resulted in a reduction in team sizes by roughly 15 per cent.

“ShareChat remains committed to its core values and the well-being of its employees throughout this process,” said the company.

Last year, it achieved a valuation of $5 billion, when it closed a multi-tranche funding round to raise a total of $520 million.

But the firm is now reportedly in the process of securing about $50 million in new funding that reduces the startup’s valuation to about $1.5 billion, according to the media reports.

The firm is now reportedly in the process of securing about $50 million in new funding that reduces the startup’s valuation to about $1.5 billion, according to the media reports.

ShareChat’s revenue from operations increased 59.4 per cent to Rs 533 crore in FY23 from Rs 347 crore in FY22, according to media platform Entrackr.

It recorded a nominal 8.4 per cent increase in its losses at Rs 3,241 crore in FY23 as compared to Rs 2,989 crore in FY22, according to Entrackr.

The firm shut down its fantasy gaming platform Jeet11 in early December last year. It laid off 5 per cent of its workforce.

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At least twice a week at all-girls school Cerdon College, students spend a silent 20 minutes, sometimes more, immersed in writing short stories and one-page essays.

“In the past three years we are doing more timed writing tasks for years 7 to 10 in English lessons. And it’s all handwritten, under the watchful eye of their teacher,” explains Gai Mellier, Cerdon’s English co-ordinator. “The HSC exams are timed, so it’s good to get used to that.”

The Merrylands school – which leapt more than 100 places in this year’s HSC rankings – has introduced fortnightly reading lessons for students in the library, while also boosting activities outside the classroom such as book and history clubs, poetry competitions and debating.

Cerdon, a Catholic systemic college, is also one of multiple lower-fee schools in Sydney that recorded similar or higher HSC success rates than schools where fees are above $20,000, a Herald analysis has found.

More than a dozen schools with fees of $10,000 or less have recorded above-average HSC results compared to the top-ranked private schools over the past four years.

Schools that charge fees of $6000 or less — including Parramatta Marist High, Brigidine in Randwick, Al Faisal College in Auburn and St Ursula’s in Kingsgrove — had a similar or greater proportion of students achieving top band 6 results than schools with fees of nearly $40,000.

Al Noori Muslim School in Greenacre and Al Faisal College — both which charge parents less than $4000 a year — finished in the top 20 ranked private schools in NSW, their best result in six years.

Brigidine Girls College HSC students with principal Sharyn Quirk. Credit: Edwina Pickles

Brigidine in Randwick, where fees are about $5500 for year 12, was the highest-ranked systemic Catholic school this year, cracking into the top 50 and recording a 58 per cent success rate in advanced English. The school’s overall success rate – the ratio of high scores to total HSC exams sat – was similar to Frensham and The Scots College where fees are above $39,000, and Loreto Normanhurst with fees of about $32,000.

The principal at Brigdine, Sharyn Quirk, credits the rise in HSC advanced English results to the school’s “incredibly dedicated teaching staff” and an intensified focus on literacy from year 7.

The school is also running lunchtime tutoring sessions in maths and English where senior students work with year 7 and 8 pupils. “That’s boosted the confidence and knowledge of the older students when they have to explain and go through fundamental concepts to the younger girls,” she said.

Cerdon’s principal Lisa-Maree Browning said more students at her school are being encouraged into advanced HSC English, with about 50 per cent of students enrolled in the subject. “We definitely set the bar high, and the girls and their teachers work incredibly hard”.

Ensuring students have grasped the fundamentals of how to construct a sentence and detailed paragraphs from year 7 gives them the scaffolding to write successful long-form essays, she explains.

“More than 70 per cent of our girls come from non-English-speaking backgrounds,” Browning said. “Teachers have also started offering lunchtime and after school sessions … many of our girls will not have the opportunities to access additional tutoring outside of school”.

Al-Faisal College principal Safia Khan Hassanein said the school has achieved steady growth in results due to a culture of high expectations and using data from student assessments to target areas for improvement.

“Feedback our students receive from staff is a key for them to work towards self-improvement and meeting their goals. This approach is the cornerstone of our student’s success in mathematics,” Hassanein said.

Students at Al-Faisal College in Auburn with principal Safia Khan Hassanein. The school is ranked 15th on the Herald’s rankings this year.Credit: Kate Geraghty

Teachers use evidence-based practices to help “monitor, analyse and track” students understanding of concepts, he added.

At Marist College Kogarah, which also jumped 100 places in this year’s Herald HSC league table, principal Simon Ghantous said the school was accessible for many parents who live in the local area, with fees of about $5300 for year 12.

“We recorded an average ATAR of about 82, and had a jump in band six results. We have definitely been building a culture of success, but nothing comes easy,” he said.

“The school has also started an after school hours tutoring program from 3 to 5pm for all students. We bring back high performing ex-students who tutor the kids in multiple subjects.”

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According to an email sent to Canadian users, the platform is set to delist 10 cryptocurrencies, including popular tokens like Cardano ($ADA), Dogecoin ($DOGE), and Shiba Inu ($SHIB). his decision aligns with Uphold’s efforts to comply with Canada’s cryptocurrency regulations, which see it removed cryptocurrencies categorized as Tier 3 as part of the platform’s agreement with the Ontario Securities Commission to facilitate its registration process in the country.

The cryptocurrencies being delisted also include XDC Network ($XDC), Stellar ($XLM), Injective ($INJ) and Hedera ($HBAR).  Tier 4 tokens, including Terra Classic ($LUNC) and the Solana-based memecoin $BONK, are also being delisted.

Those holding affected tokens, such as Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Cardano, have been given 30 days to either withdraw these tokens or convert them into other supported cryptocurrencies on Uphold.

Users who fail to act by January 15, 2024, will have their assets automatically converted into Canadian Dollars (CAD).

The delisting notably didn’t affect the native token of the XRP Ledger, XRP, nor did it affect other leading cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum.  Uphold is well-known for being pro-XRP, recently launching a 10,000 token airdrop to users that met specific eligibility requirements on the platform.

t’s worth noting that Uphold has, in the past, reaffirmed its support for the native token of the XRP Ledger. Earlier this year on social media, Uphold reacted to a trend on the microblogging platform Twitter where users kept on asking for trading platforms to relist XRP.

XRP was delisted from several exchanges after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple Labs over the sale of XRP, alleging it’s an unregistered security, in 2020.

The lawsuit alleges the firm paid cryptocurrency exchanges to permit “the buying and selling of XRP” on their platforms. At the heart of the lawsuit is whether XRP is a security that should have been registered with the regulator or not.

Uphold reacted to the trend by pointing out that XRP is listed on it, and later affirmed it was never delisted. As CryptoGlobe reported at the time, Uphold revealed then it was going to maintain XRP listed until the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs is resolved and legally determines that the token is a security.

Featured image via Unsplash.

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Deaton highlighted the conflicting views within regulatory bodies, with the CFTC chair calling most cryptos commodities and SEC Chair Gary Gensler deeming everything as securities, even non-financial items.

Switching to the SEC vs. Ripple case, Deaton discussed the recent development where charges against Ripple executives were dropped. Currently, in the penalty phase, he explained that the judge deemed some XRP transactions non-securities, particularly those involving contracts with institutions.

When asked about ‘any fees reimbursement of their legal fees from the SEC,’ Deaton said, “No. The judge found that Ripple violated the law. She applied a 1946 case, stating, ‘Technically, that doesn’t mean she wants to punish Ripple.’ The loser doesn’t have to pay the winner’s fees in our system. Unlike overseas, where the winner gets the other’s attorney’s fees, we don’t do that in America because it would discourage lawsuits.”

Looking ahead, Deaton predicted the SEC to include all sales in penalties, while Ripple argues for exclusions based on factors like utility transactions and exemptions for accredited investors. The judge will decide the final remedy.

On international sales, Deaton clarified that the SEC’s authority is limited to the U.S., citing the Morrison case. He explained that Ripple’s global XRP sales fall outside the SEC’s jurisdiction. Discussing a potential 2024 conclusion, Deaton mentioned the right to appeal for both parties. He expressed confidence in the judge’s decision standing, saying an appeal wouldn’t change the outcome.

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According to blockchain analysis service Lookonchain, the trader managed to make his 4827x gains in just two weeks by trading the cryptocurrency after spending 17.26 AVAX tokens, worth $454 at the time, to buy 4.86 trillion COQ tokens through a total of seven addresses.

The trader then sold 4.61 trillion COQ for 32,251 AVAX and $259,000 to realize some of their gains, while keeping 250 billion COQ tokens worth over $700,000 in their wallet, presumably as they expected the price of the hen-themed token to keep on rising.

The trader’s success comes at a time in which Solana-based memecoins have been soaring, with BONK seeing its price rise to the point that Solana’s Saga smartphone, once facing sluggish sales, recently sell out over a lucrative 30 billion token airdrop for phone owners.

The airdrop, at its peak, saw BONK’s price top that of the smartphone, making it profitable to buy the phone just for the tokens. As CryptoGlobe reported, a trader has managed to make a profit of around $784,000 on the token after it was recently listed on major cryptocurrency exchange Binance and Coinbase.

Earlier this year, BONK moved to burn a total of 5 trillion tokens that were allocated to them at a time in which the digital asset’s price was dropping after moving up significantly after launch.

Featured image via Pixabay.

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• Ex-NFL player Lorne Sam moved to the UK from the U.S. to run the village pub

In deepest Leicestershire, down muddy lanes, past fields dotted with sheep, a bitter feud is raging over The Carington Arms, described as ‘possibly the prettiest pub’ in England.

On one side is a posh-sounding chap called Alex Stroud and fellow members of the Ashby Folville Land Trust, which owns most of the village.

Alex, 54, is a scion of the Smith-Carington family, who have lived in Ashby Folville for generations, has a willowy blonde wife called Lucy, a £1 million house next to the pub and a controlling vote over the estate.

On the other side of the bar is Lorne Sam, a 6ft 3in, 39-year-old ex-NFL player, who played American football for the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos.

Despite knowing little about pubs and loathing British beer (‘terrible’), Lorne moved here last November from the U.S. to run the village pub. 

Lorne Sam, a 6ft 3in, 39-year-old ex-NFL player moved here last November from the U.S. to run the village pub

‘Running it into the ground, more like,’ mutters one old boy.

After barely a year and endless rows, Lorne says he is being forced out as he’s black and American. The whole sorry matter is now heading to court.

Sadly, things haven’t been going smoothly for a while.

‘It’s been open. It’s been shut. It’s like a rollercoaster. When we moved here last year the pub was a huge draw,’ says Charlotte, who lives in an estate cottage in the village. ‘But not any more. Apparently, now we’re all racist. It’s just one big battleground.’

She’s right.

There have been disputes over everything — from £13,000 unpaid rent, to Lorne’s loss of earnings when trustees forfeited his lease and shut the pub.

There have been rumblings over its cleanliness, proposed decor and ad hoc refurbishments — right down to who paid for the lino in the men’s loo.

Not forgetting the Americanised menu and dearth of traditional cottage pie and peas (now back after a punter outcry).

But things really blew up when Lorne used the pub’s Facebook account to share private correspondence with Alex, dating back to the summer, in which he accuses his landlord of discriminating against him because he is African-American — something Alex calls ‘ludicrous and offensive’.

Alex Stroud, 54, is a scion of the Smith-Carington family, who have lived in Ashby Folville for generations and a £1 million house next to the pub and a controlling vote over the estate

Social media went berserk. ‘How dare you say that about Alex?’ one post said.

‘We’ll boycott the pub!’ said several more.

Others were unprintable.

And it seems they were true to their word. Because, last Thursday, when I meet Lorne for a chat in the bar, we have the pick of every table. It’s the week before Christmas and the place is deserted.

He hasn’t bothered to turn on the beer pumps — no need. The heating is off, as are the Christmas lights, and it’s freezing.

‘They just don’t like the way I am, and they’re committed to getting me out,’ he says.

Lorne previously played American football for the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos

His main grievance is that he has been treated differently from the previous tenants who, due to an accounting error, enjoyed a discounted rent for more than two years. However, it is the smaller squabbles that seem to have hurt him more — particularly Alex and Lucy’s efforts to ‘uplift’ the pub.

‘Alex kept saying: ‘I want to be able to bring my friends here and share a nice meal.’

The couple are said to have felt the pub’s previous staples of pie and roasts were more suitable for his regular shooting parties than Lorne’s spicy chicken wings and frozen pizza.

There were also endless suggestions for cleaning, maintenance, garden shrubs and, one day, he says, Lucy, without invitation, stuck paint swatches to the wall — darker greens and blues.

Instead, he used white.

In deepest Leicestershire, down muddy lanes, past fields dotted with sheep, a bitter feud is raging over The Carington Arms, described as ‘possibly the prettiest pub’ in England

Even worse, he claims someone told him Alex was spreading rumours that Lorne had threatened himself and his family.

‘Typical stereotyping of a big black American man!’ says Lorne.

Again, Alex firmly denies this.

But why on earth would a former quarterback move to a teeny village where he knows no one?

‘I’m a reckless adventurer. I have always had an itch to see stuff. I never made the big bucks, maybe $90,000 (£71,000) a year. But I always travelled with my football — all over the States, to Italy, to Coventry to play for the Jets.’

But Ashby Folville? It’s very pretty. But there’s hardly anything here. Just the church, village hall, cricket pitch, pub and a population of less than 100.

When he first arrived, everyone was very welcoming.

Lorne used the pub’s Facebook account to share private correspondence with Alex in which he accuses his landlord of discriminating against him because he is African-American

He threw himself into the pub —changed the menu to bar snacks and encouraged the bikers back. Lorne was thrilled when 500 turned up one night, ‘filling the road right down to the church!’

He also embraced the local community. ‘I joined the rugby team. I’d never played before, but I had a great time!’ he says. He loves the local hunt, too. And next year, he plans to join the cricket club, if he’s still here, but that’s unlikely.

Right now, after a two-month closure, the pub is open just four days a week on a temporary event licence. That ends in January, when it is likely to be closed until the court case next summer.

When I visited last week it was rather dismal. The Young Farmers were due in later. But in the whole time I’m there, the only visitor is a chap called Vince, who rushes in to use the loo and, on emerging asks: ‘Is that bloody Yank who owes all the money still here?’

And then leaves. Silence again.

However hard you try — and Lorne does try, sinking more than £100,000 of his own money into the enterprise, taking on all the cooking after finances meant he had to let his chef go — a village pub without locals is doomed.

While here, I try to contact Alex, Lucy and George, the head of the estate, but none want to chat.

Lorne insists he is going nowhere, as he’s had many messages of support, and wants to fight on in court on principle

The villagers, however, don’t hold back. Not about their deep love for Alex and Lucy: ‘They’re the nicest people and part of everything — the cake stall, the fete, the pub, the village hall.’

Or, for that matter, on their loathing of Lorne’s allegations.

‘To say that! Everyone is disgusted,’ says a lady called Sue. ‘They’ve not got a racist bone in their bodies. One of Alex’s friends is black! None of us are racists.’

When we meet, Lorne insists he is going nowhere, as he’s had many messages of support, and wants to fight on in court on principle.

But, a few days later, he tells me he’s having a rethink as he’s worried about his personal safety after hearing rumours that a Ku Klux Klan meme had been doing the rounds locally on social media.

Poor Lorne. For whatever the truth, it’s going to be miserable for everyone, as long he stays. Particularly, for him.

Lorne spent more than £100,000 of his own money into the enterprise, taking on all the cooking after finances meant he had to let his chef go

Because he lives above the pub in a community that has sent him back to Coventry and it is taking its toll. He looks tired and his eyes are bloodshot. He feels isolated.

‘It’s affecting my mental health. My sleep isn’t good,’ he says.

He is also homesick. ‘I haven’t been home all year. I want to go and see my mum. My sister.’

And he hasn’t seen his 11-year-old daughter since January.

But most of all, he must be kicking himself. For not doing due diligence before pouring money into the business. For making serious allegations of racism on public websites. But perhaps, also, for assuming that running a country pub in Britain was easy.

I can’t help feeling sorry for him. He’s a nice chap, with good intentions, but this whole adventure has clearly been a disaster.

As the sky darkens and I leave, I can see him turning out the lights. I really hope those Young Farmers don’t let him down tonight.

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• A new survey shows 22% of 2020 Trump voters don’t think he should be the nominee if he is convicted of a crime
• Trump is facing 91 felony charges, but has yet to be convicted
• Pollsters say Trump is ‘more likely’ to beat Biden in 2024 after Colorado Supreme Court ruling that will keep him off the ballot in 2024

Nearly a quarter of those who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 say that if he is convicted of a crime, he should not be the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

The poll, released on Wednesday, was taken before the Colorado Supreme Court’s Tuesday decision that disqualifies Trump from running in the presidential primary election in the state.

Trump is facing 91 felony charges in Washington D.C., New York, Georgia and Florida.

He has not yet been convicted of the crimes he stands accused of, but at least 22 percent of those surveyed in the New York Times/Siena College poll say that it could determine whether they think he should still be the nominee in 2024.

Twenty-eight percent of Republicans surveyed don’t think Trump should be on the ballot if convicted, while 62 percent of Democrats and 41 percent of independents feel the same.

Additionally, a surprising 20 percent of self-identified Trump supporters say that Trump should be put in prison if convicted in the federal case in Washington.

Another 23 percent say they believe that he has committed ‘serious federal crimes,’ which is up from 11 percent who said so in a July polling.

A poll taken December 10-14 shows 22% of people who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 don’t think he should be the Republican nominee in 2024 if he is convicted of a crime

The same Wednesday poll, conducted December 10-14, shows Trump beating President Joe Biden in a 46-44 percent vote if a hypothetical reelection matchup were held today.

All of this, however, might be impacted by the fact that the Colorado Supreme Court has now decided that Trump cannot appear on the state’s primary ballot, claiming that he violated 14th Amendment.

Clause 3 states that a person cannot serve in public office if they participate in an insurrection, which the Colorado court claims Trump did due to his role in enticing supporters to riot at the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

Critics of the ruling claim, however, that the clause does not specific note that a person cannot run for president, although it does mention almost every other public office position.

Some speculate that courts in other states will use this precedent as argument to decide to boot Trump from their ballots, as well.

Since the ruling was just handed down on Tuesday, no polls have been taken so far to indicate how it will impact the former president, but most pollsters and strategists suggest he will only see a boost in polling figures due to the continue targeting.

The poll was released the day after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to disqualify Trump from appearing on the state’s presidential ballot

‘Every time Trump has [h]ad an adverse engagement with the legal system, it has been like rocket fuel with Republican voters because it reinforces his core message that he is (and has been) unfairly treated since the moment he burst on to the scene,’ Republican strategist Scott Jennings said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

‘Republicans see this in the same way they saw two impeachments, the indictments, the Russia investigation, and all the rest – just another attempt by the elites and the Democrats to stop Trump and his voters from getting a fair shake in an election,’ he added in lining up with Luntz’s take on the latest ruling.

‘For Trump haters, this is like getting drunk at your office Christmas Party,’ Jennings said. ‘It may seem like fun tonight, but you will really, really regret it tomorrow.’

Well-known pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz said in an interview Tuesday that the Colorado ruling will have ‘the same impact as his 91 indictments,’ which saw Trump’s poll numbers jump.

‘Trump is now even more likely to beat Biden,’ he predicted in the interview.

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Parts of the UK can look forward to a white Christmas this year, despite Storm Pia set to hit in the next two days.

The storm is due to break over the UK tomorrow, with a yellow weather warning for wind in place for much of England, Wales and all of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Senior meteorologist at British Weather Services, Jim Dale, explained that the storm was formed by low pressure over Scandinavia and high pressure to the southwest squeezing.

“The stormy period will last between 24 and 36 hours, from tomorrow into Friday morning and posing a moderate to high risk,” he said.

“The UK weather warning is in place for the top two-thirds of the country, from mid-Wales to Norfolk and up. This will be the main zone but the coastline and hills in the south will still be gusty.”

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He continued: “In the northern quadrant of the warning, there will be gusts between 45-65mph gusts, and the southern quadrant will see winds between 35-45mph.

“It will cause problems for travel with even cars impacted by wind as well as the high possibility of falling trees and powerlines.”

But once the storm breaks on Friday, parts of the UK could be lucky enough to see some snow.

Mr Dale said: “The wind will reduce into Christmas Eve but it will remain breezy with the first colder air intrusions from northern Scotland.

“Snow could start to fall at midnight on Christmas Eve over the Grampians and Inverness. But even Wick and Aberdeen could see some snow into Christmas Day and Boxing Day.”

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He concluded: “It could pull down into the far north of England but this is unlikely.

“On Christmas Day, most of the UK will be dry and be less wintery the further south you go, with some rain possible on the south coast

“Scotland, and potentially Northern Ireland and northern England, will be very cold with frost on Boxing Day. The rest of the UK will just be cold.

“Other places that normally have high possibilities of snow will also not be having a white Christmas, including Paris, Berlin, and most of America such as Buffalo and Chicago.”

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