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About a month after launching a new codeshare agreement, Air Canada and Emirates have added reciprocal loyalty program benefits, the carriers announced Thursday. 

Air Canada’s Aeroplan members and Emirates’ Skywards members now can earn and redeem points on each carriers’ flights. Aeroplan redemptions for Emirates’ first-class tickets will be introduced in early 2023, according to the carriers.

Reciprocal airport lounge benefits for top-tier loyalty members will be “coming soon.” Skywards Platinum and Gold members traveling in economy class with either airline will receive complimentary access to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf lounges and its Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport. In Dubai, Aeroplan Elite 50K, 75K and Super Elite members traveling in economy class with Emirates will enjoy complimentary access to the Emirates Business Class Lounge, according to the carriers. Access for each location allows members one guest. 

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. review the honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on January 4, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has cited stable ties with China during a visit to Beijing in which he has sought to downplay territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

After being hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, both nations are seeking to recharge investments in bridges and other projects, along with tourism and agriculture. Disputes linger however over islands and waters in the strategic South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety.

Philippines: Incoming President Marcos Jr. to stand by South China Sea ruling

In a video address released by his office on Wednesday, Mr. Marcos said the sides discussed “what we can do to move forward, to avoid possible mistakes, misunderstandings that could trigger a bigger problem than what we already have.”

Mr. Marcos said he made the case for Filipino fishermen who have been denied access to their traditional areas of operation by China’s navy and coast guard. “The President promised that we would find a compromise and find a solution that will be beneficial so that our fishermen might be able to fish again in their natural fishing grounds,” Mr. Marcos said.

A joint statement issued on January 5 said Xi and Mr. Marcos had an “in-depth and candid exchange of views on the situation in the South China Sea, emphasised that maritime issues do not comprise the sum-total of relations between the two countries and agreed to appropriately manage differences through peaceful means,” according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

“Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region and the freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea,” the statement added.

Accompanied by a large business delegation, Mr. Marcos presided at the meetings on Thursday, seeking to finalise trade and investment deals. China accounts for 20% of the Philippines’ foreign trade and is also a major source of foreign direct investment.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency said both sides “agreed to handle maritime issues properly through friendly consultation” and resume talks on oil and gas exploration.

Xi named agriculture, infrastructure, energy and culture as four key areas of cooperation. He said China is willing to assist in agriculture and rural development in the Philippines and in infrastructure and connectivity projects, Xinhua reported.

Mr. Marcos received a commitment from Xi to address the Philippines’ trade deficit with China, his office said. The two sides are finalising rules for imports of fruits from the Philippines, which Mr. Marcos said would start to balance the trade.

The Philippine leader said he also looked forward to the return of Chinese tourists once the COVID-19 situation in China settles. Last year, only about 9,500 Chinese visited the Philippines, down from about 1.6 million before the pandemic.

In comments to the head of China’s ceremonial legislature, Li Zhanshu, Mr. Marcos said the two countries “be able to face the challenges and the different shocks that now we are already beginning to feel and will be continue to feel in the next few years.”

Beijing has ignored a 2016 ruling by a tribunal in The Hague brought by the Philippines that invalidated Beijing’s claims to the waterway.

China has since developed disputed reefs into artificial islands with airplane runways and other structures so they now resemble forward military bases.

Most recently, a Filipino military commander reported that the Chinese coast guard forcibly seized Chinese rocket debris that Philippine navy personnel had retrieved in the South China Sea last month.

China denied the forcible seizure, saying the Filipino sailors willingly handed over the debris. Mr. Marcos did not say whether he had raised the issue in his meetings with Chinese leaders.

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains plot details for Season 2 Episode 11 of Abbott Elementary on ABC.

There’s a bit of healthy competition between the second grade teachers during the midseason premiere of Abbott Elementary on Wednesday.

Janine [Quinta Brunson] and Melissa [Lisa Ann Walter] are going head-to-head to see which of their classes can read the most books during their annual read-a-thon. Janine is still desperate to prove herself as a newer teacher, but reigning read-a-thon champ Melissa isn’t going down without a fight.

But Melissa encounters a bump in the road when she discovers one of her students might be struggling more with reading than she is letting on. After a discussion with her student’s parents that proves to be unproductive, Melissa takes matters into her own hands, deciding that she’d rather foster her students’ love of learning than win the competition.

The episode culminates in a heartfelt moment where Melissa admits to her student that she, too, struggled to learn to read.

“In Melissa’s case, one of the things that is true is that she’s feels very connected to this little girl because she also had a reading disability growing up, so she understands it and wants to protect her,” Walter said. “So that’s a beautiful place to see a different side of her.”

And, in a victorious twist of fate, Melissa’s combined second and third-grade classroom comes in handy, as she’s able to leverage both classes’ totals to win the read-a-thon once again. Walter spoke with Deadline about seeing a softer side of Melissa during this episode, her budding friendship with Janine, and what’s in store for the rest of Season 2.

DEADLINE: I feel like editing makes such a huge difference with this show. How do you feel watching these episodes back and seeing how they’ve structured a scene, especially those between Melissa and Janine?

LISA ANN WALTER: I don’t know what they’re going to pick, necessarily. For example, when [Janine] comes up and she’s all feisty and all in Melissa space… Initially when we shot it, it was just she just says something [simple] and then she leaves and I say something to Barbara like. But at one point when we were shooting it, she juked me and I was just like, ‘What the — ?’ And Barbara is like, ‘Did she just —?’ I’m so happy they kept that. And her running down the hall just killed me. Then they went back to that shot with her continuing to run. It’s hilarious. So there’s stuff that goes on that I don’t know what they’re gonna use or I don’t remember exactly what I did. And then when I see it, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s good. I’m glad they did that.’

DEADLINE: So, how much are you improvising versus going directly off the script in those scenes?

WALTER: Well, what’s funny is we always do what’s in the script. We always do that numerous times. Sometimes we’ll get into something and we’ll have an idea or they’ll come to us to try something new. But sometimes we’ll just say something that may not be in the script, but it’s just kind of a real reaction. If I’m standing next to Cheryl, and I turn around and [point and nod in agreement], obviously that’s not in the script, but that might be where we cut out on the scene, because you don’t have time for that entire back and forth dialogue and that pretty much gets the point across. So sometimes the playing around is not necessarily purposeful. It’s just actors’ instinct within the scene, but they’ll like it and they’ll go with it.

DEADLINE: We saw a softer side of Melissa in this episode. How have you felt about uncovering both sides of her character and discovering her more vulnerable side?

WALTER: Well first of all, I think it’s beautiful. I’m very happy that Quinta is a fan of my serious work. She’s a fan of my work before doing the show, like The Parent Trap and Bruce Almighty and things where there is the laughter into tears. The moments that are more nuanced, and she likes to see me do that stuff because she knows I can. So when she writes towards it. Also, with any character that comes off tough like that, there’s a reason for it. Tough is a protection. So anytime you’re protecting something, it’s because there’s something to cover, there’s a vulnerability. So in Melissa’s case, one of the things that is true is that she’s feels very connected to this little girl because she also had a reading disability growing up, so she understands it and wants to protect her. So that’s a beautiful place to see a different side of her. But for me personally, I never had a problem with reading. I was a fat kid in school. So I felt very vulnerable for that reason, in terms of being teased by other kids and feeling like I had to make up for it in some way. In my personal case, it was being tough and being funny.

DEADLINE: She’s becoming a lot softer toward both Janine and Jacob, too. Why do you think that is?

WALTER: Well, unlike Lisa, Melissa is not accepting of any new person immediately. They’re all to be distrusted. They’re all suspect. ‘I don’t know you, and so therefore you’re probably up to something. I’m just gonna figure out what it is.’ So she’s not really somebody to open up. Me personally, I want to embrace everyone, especially a young person because I want them to feel safe and happy and loved and all that. It’s also very maternal. I think Melissa is maternal with her children, but with anybody else, she’s seen how you’re probably going to leave. The other young teachers that have come along lasted this long, and then they leave. So because she’s been there so long with Barbara, I think both of them are looking at all these newcomers like, ‘Yeah, we’ll see.’ But now that they’ve stayed, and now they’re committed, and they’re actually getting better, and they’re listening a little bit to the older team. I think that’s what it is. I think some of it is a protectiveness that comes with ‘You’re now part of our team, our tribe. So you’re one of the pack and we’ll protect you.’

DEADLINE: Melissa and Barbara can often come off as cynical, but never completely jaded about the education system. What do you think keeps them going even though Abbott is so underfunded?

WALTER: I honestly think that it is what you saw in this episode. It’s the one student. This little girl might have given up entirely on school because she couldn’t figure out what this river of words that was migrating on the page — ‘I can’t make sense of it, I hate school. Or somebody sat me down and gave me the tool, and now I can do anything.’ So getting one child to maybe change the trajectory of their whole life might happen once every other school year, but it keeps them going.

DEADLINE: I think we have to finish by teasing some of what’s in store for the remainder of Season 2.

WALTER: Well, I mean, everybody wants to know obviously about the romance. I will say that there were a couple of interesting romantic moves that happen before the end of the season. I’m not going to say what, but I think the audience is going to be really happy. Also, they’re just gonna be enthusiastic. Last year, when people were saying, ‘What do you want to see happen?’ and I gave a scenario…that’s gonna happen and I can’t tell you what it is, but it’s coming up and I loved the episode. It was a big episode. I think it might be my favorite episode this season.

DEADLINE: So, is Quinta just reading your interviews?

WALTER: No. First of all, she is planning in advance. If I was going to ask her for something, I literally have to be now going, ‘Okay, so next year, do you think we could…?’ But she’s already got stuff planned out. My joke is that when she sat down, she had five years planned. But not every little thing. They sit in the writers room and they break the story, and they come up with different things. What’s interesting is that they’ll come up with stuff based on, you know, we’ll have a kid that’s wonderful. We don’t know what we’ll get back, if they’re going to be a fantastic actor that everybody loves, but they are. Then the writers go, ‘Oh, there’s this great dynamic in between this kid and Mr. Johnson. Let’s bring that back in the middle of Season 3.’ So you never know when it’s going to show up. But little things with the different kid actors or small bits between the teachers will come back and we don’t know when it’s going to happen. She might read the interviews, but I think this one that I’m talking about was probably planned. It was kind of a no brainer. If you tell me three scenarios, I’ll tell you if it’s one of those.

DEADLINE: I’m not sure anything I can think of would be as good as whatever Quinta came up with.

WALTER: That’s kind of how I feel. I mean, I’m a creator. I’ve written stuff, and I’m creating stuff. So I definitely have ideas, but I learned in this one to just let go and let Quinta. I let Quinta handle it because she’s gonna come up with some great stuff. The writers and executive producers are pretty darn good.

Author of the article:

Reuters

Bernard Orr and Steve Holland

Published Jan 05, 2023  •  3 minute read

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BEIJING/HEBRON — U.S. President Joe Biden raised concern about China’s handling of its COVID-19 outbreak hours after the World Health Organisation said it was under-reporting virus deaths, comments likely to provoke a response from Beijing on Thursday.

The United States is one of more than a dozen nations that have imposed restrictions on travelers from China since it scrapped stringent COVID controls last month that had shielded its 1.4 billion population from the virus for three years.

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Global health officials are now trying to get to grips with an outbreak that is filling hospitals and overwhelming some funeral homes, at odds with China’s low official virus death toll.

Mike Ryan, emergencies director at the World Health Organisation (WHO), told a media briefing on Wednesday that current numbers being published from China under-represent hospital admissions, intensive care unit patients and deaths.

Speaking hours later, Biden said that he was worried about how China was handling the outbreak.

“They’re very sensitive … when we suggest they haven’t been that forthcoming,” he told reporters while on a visit to Kentucky.

The comments from the WHO on the lack of data were some of the most critical to date and could earn a critical response from Beijing when it holds a regular foreign ministry press briefing later on Thursday.

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There was no immediate coverage of the remarks by Biden or the WHO in Chinese state media on Thursday. The government has recently played down the severity of the situation.

The state-run Global Times said in an article on Wednesday that COVID infections had peaked in several cities including the capital, Beijing, citing interviews with doctors.

China reported one new COVID-19 death in the mainland for Wednesday, compared with five a day earlier, bringing its official death toll to 5,259.

ASIAN MARKET HOPES

With one of the lowest COVID death tolls in the world, China has been routinely accused of under-reporting infections and deaths for political reasons.

Chinese health officials have said only deaths caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure in patients who had the virus are classified as COVID deaths.

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The methods for counting COVID deaths have varied across countries since the pandemic first erupted in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Yet disease experts outside China have said its approach would miss several other widely recognized types of potentially fatal COVID complications, from blood clots to heart attacks as well as sepsis and kidney failure.

International health experts predict at least 1 million COVID-related deaths in China this year without urgent action. British-based health data firm Airfinity has estimated about 9,000 people in China are probably dying each day from COVID.

Surging COVID infections are hurting demand in China’s $17 trillion economy, with a private-sector survey on Thursday showing services activity shrank in December.

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But investors remain optimistic that China’s dismantling of COVID controls will eventually help revive growth that has slid to its lowest rate in nearly half a century. Those hopes were seen lifting Asian equity markets on Thursday.

“China reopening has a big impact … worldwide,” said Joanne Goh, an investment strategist at DBS Bank in Singapore, since it not only spurs tourism and consumption but can ease some of the supply-chain crunches seen during 2022.

“There will be hiccups on the way,” Goh said, during an outlook presentation to reporters. “We give it six months adjusting to the process. But we don’t think it’s reversible.”

China’s yuan steadied around a four-month high against the dollar.

TESTING WASTE

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While countries try to get more information on the extent and severity of China’s outbreak, several have imposed requirements on travelers from China to be tested for COVID.

European Union officials recommended on Wednesday that passengers flying from China to the 27-member bloc should have a negative COVID-19 test before they begin their journeys.

The officials also called for testing and sequencing of wastewater on planes arriving from China and at airports that handle international flights, among other measures.

China has criticized border controls imposed by other countries on its residents as unreasonable and unscientific.

While China will stop requiring inbound travelers to quarantine from Jan. 8, it will still require them to take a COVID test before arrival.

The government said on Thursday that its border with its special administrative region of Hong Kong would also reopen on Sunday, for the first time in three years.

Hong Kong residents have swamped clinics to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the expected reopening, which some people fear will bring a surge of infections to the financial hub. (Reporting by Liz Lee and Bernard Orr in Beijing, Tom Westbrook in Singapore, Steve Holland in Hebron, Kentucky; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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To me, this isn’t even a close contest. It’s a landslide. Coach of the Year isn’t an award for the most successful coach or the best coach. It recognizes the coach who got the most out of the hand he was delt this year and exceeded all expectations in doing so. It’s an award for 2022 only. And in 2022, there is clearly no one more deserving than Brian Daboll.

Why is Daboll the easy, logical choice? Because we’ve seen other coaches repeatedly try, and fail, with essentially the exact same roster.

2017: 3-13 under Ben McAdoo (gets fired)

2018: 5-11 under Pat Shurmur

2019: 4-12 under Pat Shurmur (gets fired)

2020: 6-10 under Joe Judge

2021: 4-13 under Joe Judge (gets fired)

In the last five years, the Giants had the worst record in the NFL (22-59). No team was worse. The Giants were also the only team in the NFL to never win over six games in a season for the last five years.

And then there’s this one. The mother of all stats. Something that seems so inconceivable it must be pure fiction.

Not at any point, not in any season, for the last FIVE YEARS, did the Giants have a winning record.

They are the only team to pull off this historically embarrassing feat.

Somehow, there wasn’t a single week in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2021 when the Giants had a record above .500 for even a week. Never 1-0. Never 3-2. Never 5-4. Never above .500 in any season.

What did Brian Daboll inherit in 2022? 

The most embarrassing franchise in the NFL. Yes, the Giants are a storied franchise. But they were run all the way into the ground and had zero success in the past half-decade.

Brian Daboll’s Giants won the first game of the season. But they didn’t stop there. There wasn’t a single week in 2022 where the Giants did not have a record above .500.

That turnaround is unheard of and quite simply, amazing.

Beyond the results, think of the context in which Daboll has made this turnaround. The Giants were left in an utter state of disrepair by former GM Dave Gettleman. As of February, the Giants had the 4th-lowest cap space of any team in the NFL. They also had the ninth-most snaps to replace in free agency.

Both their starting QB and starting RB were highly drafted but so questioned that both were in line to play out their rookie deals and leave in free agency. Neither had their fifth-year option picked up.

Of 30 QBs with 1,000 attempts from 2018-2021, Daniel Jones ranked between No. 25 and No. 30 in virtually every common metric, including completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating and TD:INT ratio.

In more advanced metrics, he also ranked 29th in expected point added per attempt (-0.06) and 29th in success rate (41%) out of those 30 qualifying QBs. Understandably, ownership had no interest in extending him.

This was the hand Daboll was dealt.

A team with the worst record in the NFL over the prior five years (who never had a winning record of any kind during any of those seasons), a team with a bottom-five QB, bottom-four cap space and top-10 most snaps that needed to be replaced — as well as a variety of other messes left behind from a regime run into the ground by Joe Judge and Dave Gettleman.

And in Year 1 on the job, Daboll did what none of the other coaches (and many were hired and fired trying) did with this roster: Win. And make the playoffs. 

This is a classic example of a coach getting things right when other coaches repeatedly tried and failed. That’s clear Coach of the Year material.

The Daboll-led Giants also played in the NFC East. The East is the ONLY division in the NFL that has two teams with 11+ wins (Philadelphia is 13-3, Dallas is 12-4) and the ONLY division where the worst team is only a half-game below .500 (Washington is 7-8-1).

And yet he guided the Giants to clinching a playoff berth a full week before the season ended. His Giants were so good this season that they are locked into the playoffs and can rest players the final week of the season.

Imagine saying that — no, thinking that — at any point in the prior five years.

What did we say the proper criteria is to win Coach of the Year was? To recognize the coach who got the most out of the hand he was delt this year and exceeded all expectations in doing so.

What better measure than sports-betting lines.

This offseason, the Giants were -275 to miss the playoffs, which translates to 73% to miss the playoffs.

Odds of the Giants making the playoffs were 27% before the season.

And before the final week of the season, they sat at 100%. How is that for exceeding all expectations?

What about exceeding expectations on a week-to-week basis?

Look again to betting lines on each game, which predict the winner and the margin of that win (spread). The Giants covered the spread in 12 of their 16 games (75%).

No team has covered the spread in more games. (The Bengals have also covered 12 as the defending Super Bowl Champion with franchise QB Joe Burrow at the helm.)

Daboll’s Giants had a 27% likelihood to make the playoffs. They got there. Daboll deserves the award.

Look at some of the other top candidates:

Nick Sirianni: No doubt a great coach. But he is in Year 2 and has been handed a Super Bowl-caliber roster by one of the best GMs in the NFL, Howie Roseman. The Eagles made the playoffs last year. Before the season started, the Eagles were 66% likely to make the playoffs. That percentage skyrocketed when Dak Prescott was injured. 

The Eagles have covered the spread in 8 games of 16 so far this year. It’s been a great year to be an Eagles fan, but this is not the type of resume that wins a Coach of the Year award. There was nothing remarkable or massively unexpected about a team who, when Week 1 kicked-off, was expected to win the NFC East and make the playoffs for a second straight year doing so by winning a couple more games.

Kyle Shanahan: Shanahan is one of my favorite coaches in the NFL. I absolutely love his offensive scheme and his play calling. But there is no way should even be close to winning Coach of the Year. This 49ers team won 13 games in 2019 and made the Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo at QB. And he’s the QB who led the team to 12 wins in 2022. 

Last year, this team made the NFC Conference Championship game with Jimmy Garoppolo, recording double-digit wins. Entering 2022, they were projected to make the playoffs 69% of the time. Shanahan has been there for years, helping craft this roster with “his” players. None of this fits the model of winning Coach of the Year by recording completely unexpected results in a well-below-average situation.

Dan Campbell: Campbell is in Year 2 and has his hand-picked QB at the helm. The turnaround for the Lions from 3-13-1 to 8-8 does fit the criteria. But entering the year, the Lions had plenty of cap space and didn’t have to replace many snaps in free agency. 

They were expected to finish third in the NFC North and did. They aren’t even in the playoffs entering the final week of the season and could be eliminated before their game even kicks off. Campbell would be my No. 2 candidate, but he does not have a more compelling case than Brian Daboll. It’s not even remotely close.

Doug Pederson: In Year 1 of the job, much like Daboll. That means a lot. A coach who exceeds expectations in his first year really showcases the difference he made. So for that reason, Pederson has an edge on some of these other non-Daboll candidates listed above. But that is where it ends for me. Pederson has a golden-child QB in No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, viewed as a generational talent. 

Jacksonville is 8-8 right now. They need to win their final game to even make the playoffs. And if they weren’t in the terrible AFC South, it’s quite likely their record wouldn’t even get them in the playoffs except for the fact that the division winner gets an automatic spot. The Jaguars went 8-8 against the spread this year, meaning they didn’t even exceed expectations on a game-by-game basis. 

One of those wins was over Justin Herbert days after his rib injury where he shouldn’t have been playing. Pederson’s other wins? Those came against Zach Wilson, the Davis Mills/Jeff Driskel combo, Matt Ryan, Derek Carr, Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott. And then there are two undeniable facts that prevent Pederson from coming close to winning this award:

1. The Jaguars had the third-most cap space entering the season and spent an absurd $272,115,000 on free agents — not just the most of any team, but the second-highest team was down at $192 million. The Giants spent all of $54 million. Pederson was able to handpick and add blue-chip players this offseason to create his roster, a luxury not possible for Daboll.

2. Pederson was outcoached by Daboll when Daboll went into Jacksonville as an underdog and beat the Jaguars outright on the road.

The top five candidates in the betting market for Coach of the Year are Daboll and the four listed above.

There isn’t a single candidate who was handed a worse slate, in his first year, with excuses everywhere to have a bad season, and achieved more.

Taking a team that didn’t just have the worst record in the NFL the prior five years, but never was above .500 at any point in that span, to never being below .500 in his first year, with a horrible cap situation, the second-worst QB in the NFL the prior four years, posting the most against-the-spread covers in the NFL while locking up a playoff seed with a week to go and being able to rest the final week of the season?

Coach of the Year.

Making something out of a roster that no other coach in New York could do, without having the cap space to change the roster?

Coach of the Year.

This is simple. While the betting markets haven’t caught up to this yet, they soon will.

There is no one with a better case for Coach of the Year than Brian Daboll.

What he has done in New York in his first year, with Dave Gettleman’s leftovers, has been nothing short of amazing.

He not only changed the entire culture of the building but won games in the process and already punched a ticket to the postseason.

He is our Coach of the Year.

Warren Sharp is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He is the founder of Sharp Football Analysis and has worked as a consultant for league franchises while also previously contributing to ESPN and The Ringer, among other outlets. He studied engineering before using his statistical acumen to create predictive football models. You can follow Warren on Twitter at @SharpFootball.

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New year, same fling! Good Morning America anchor Amy Robach, 49, was seen leaving T.J. Holmes’ apartment in New York City on Jan. 4, just hours after his estranged wife broke her silence on their ongoing divorce. The blonde beauty rocked a blue puffer coat and black jeans for her while exiting the 45-year-old’s home on Wednesday. Amy accessorized her look with a black backpack, oversized sunglasses, and black sneakers. In addition, she opted to wear her blonde tresses in a messy updo for her commute in the Big Apple.

The GMA3: What You Need To Know reporter’s outing in NYC also came just hours after T.J.’s estranged wife, Marilee Fiebig, released an official statement about her divorce. “During the holiday season, and in light of challenging times, Marilee’s sole focus has remained on the overall best interest of her 9-year-old daughter [Sabine Holmes],” Marilee’s attorney, Stephanie Lehman, told The Daily Mail. “To that end, T.J.’s lawyer and I have been working together to move their divorce forward privately, expeditiously and as amicably as possible. Notwithstanding, we continue to be disappointed by T.J.’s lack of discretion, respect and sensitivity toward Marilee and the party’s daughter.”

Amy and T.J.’s romance became public at the end of Nov. 2022, when The Daily Mail published photos of the pair holding hands in the back of a car. More recently, the duo was spotted on a grocery run in Miami on Jan. 2, just days after he filed for divorce. During that outing, the former NBC News correspondent rocked a grey hoodie with sweatpants and sandals, while T.J. opted for black sweatpants and a white long sleeve shirt.

Since their explosive romance shocked the world, Amy and T.J. were pulled off the air from GMA3 as of Dec. 5, 2022. Their last appearance on the popular news program was on Dec. 1, just days after their PDA sessions were made public. ABC News’ president, Kim Godwin, was the person to make the call and named their leaked romance an “internal and external distraction,” per Page Six. Despite the father-of-three’s separation, he and his new leading lady have not been shy about putting their love for each other on full display. On Dec. 29, 2022, T.J. and Amy were spotted in a lip lock while spending some time in Miami.

T.J. and new girlfriend‘s romance was reportedly not something that commenced until after they separated from their respective partners, a source claimed to PEOPLE on Dec. 1, 2022. “This was two consenting adults who were each separated. They both broke up with their spouses in August within weeks of each other,” the outlet’s insider said. “The relationship didn’t start until after that.”

The Better Together! author was married to her soon-to-be ex, Andrew Shue, 55, from 2010 until their reported divorce in Dec., per Page Six. Andrew and Amy have a blended family of five kids including his sons: Nate, 25, Aidan, 23, and Wyatt, 18. The 55-year-old welcomed his kids with his ex-wife. Amy, for her part, welcomed her two daughters Ava McIntosh, 20, and Annie McIntosh, 16, with her ex-husband, Tim McIntosh.

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The bear run of 2022 was brutal on stock investors, in fact, it was the worst market year since the Great Recession of 2008. But – some of the Street’s strategists are predicting that this year has a recovery, or at least a partial rebound, in store.

Even though the S&P 500 lost nearly 20% last year, inflation is still running at more than 7% annualized, and the Federal Reserve has bumped interest rates up to 4.25% in response, John Stoltzfus, Oppenheimer Asset Management chief investment strategist, is still taking the upbeat outlook on the New Year.

“We continue to see ‘the glass half full’ as the end of a period of ‘free money and overstimulation of the economy suggest better times ahead,” Stoltzfus said in a recent note, in which he also predicts a 15% gain for the S&P by year’s end.

“Fed Funds hike cycles are never much fun; they can produce different levels of discomfort and market volatility but ultimately have proven in the past to have positive effect for the economy and markets in uncovering excesses stemming from problems at their source and providing an exit regime that can lead to a sustainable economic recovery,” Stoltzfus added.

And if we’re looking at current economic policy makers setting up the conditions for a ‘sustainable economic recovery,’ then some stocks are going to lead the way. Oppenheimer’s top analysts point to two stocks in particular that could take off in the next twelve months. We ran the tickers through the TipRanks database to see what makes them stand out.

XPO Logistics (XPO)

The first Oppenheimer pick we’re looking at is XPO Logistics, a Connecticut-based firm in the freight hauling business, specializing in less-than-truckload, or LTL, shipping. This is a vital link in the supply chain, comprising freight consignments that are too large for parcel shippers but don’t completely fill a semi-trailer truck. In late summer of 2021, and in November of 2022, XPO spun off its logistics and transport brokerage businesses; in its current configuration, the company is a pure-play LTL firm. As an LTL shipper, XPO can reach 99% of US postal zip code areas, as well as large parts of Canada and Mexico.

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XPO’s last financial release, for 3Q22, showed a strong bottom line result – operating income came in at $185 million, up 65% year-over-year. This result was derived from the top line of $3.04 billion. It’s important to note the gain in operation income came while total quarterly revenue was down 7%, and that despite the drop in revenue, the operating income was a company quarterly record. The company reported diluted earnings from continuing operations of $1.13, far above the mere 19 cents recorded in the year-ago period.

On the balance sheet, XPO provided additional sound results, with $265 million in cash from operations – a total that included $142 million in free cash flow. XPO had $544 million in cash and cash equivalents on the books as of the end of 3Q22, plus another $1 billion in available credit, for more than $1.54 billion in total liquidity.

For Oppenheimer’s Scott Schneeberger, a 5-star analyst, XPO is a company with a clear path forward in the coming months. He writes, “We’re incrementally constructive on XPO’s opportunity to optimize LTL operations via its technological capabilities, which have advanced significantly in recent years. XPO’s a Top 4 industry competitor with solid growth prospects and operating ratio improvement opportunity via anticipated volume gains/pricing over inflation/operating costs optimized through technology/ linehaul insourced from third parties.”

“We consider XPO Logistics’ North American Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) business attractively positioned for operational/financial improvement. XPO’s pursuing multiple self-improvement initiatives within an industry with solid pricing characteristics,” Schneeberger added.

Looking forward, Schneeberger extrapolates his stance to an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating, and a $45 price target that suggests a one-year upside potential of ~35% for the shares. (To watch Schneeberger’s track record, click here)

Oppenheimer’s take is not an unusual one on Wall Street; based on 11 additional Buys and 3 Holds, the stock boasts a Strong Buy consensus rating. The shares are selling for $33.40 and their $50.13 average price target implies a 50% potential gain on the one-year time-frame. (See XPO stock forecast on TipRanks)

Papa John’s International (PZZA)

For the second stock on this list, we’ll shift over to the fast food delivery niche and look at Papa John’s, the third-largest pizza delivery chain in the world. The company, which maintains headquarters in both Atlanta, Georgia and Louisville, Kentucky, boasts over 5,500 locations in 49 countries globally. Papa John’s has been in business since 1984.

The company’s revenues are remarkably stable, having held at or near $500 million per quarter for the last couple of years. In 3Q22, the last reported quarter, the company had a top line of $511 million; this was down $2 million from the prior year’s Q3.

At the bottom line, the company remains profitable, although earnings are under pressure. Papa John’s showed a non-GAAP adjusted EPS of 54 cents for 3Q22; this was down from the 83 cents reported in 3Q21, or a decline of 34%.

The company opened 18 new units in 3Q22, and is on track to net 240 to 260 new units for the full year 2022.

Brian Bittner, another of Oppenheimer’s 5-star analysts, has looked under the hood at Papa John’s, and what he saw indicated a possible path forward for the pizza chain, despite the recent drop in earnings.

“After a challenging year in ’22 related to elevated costs and declining margins, we believe the earnings setup could improve in ’23 and beyond… PZZA remains highly confident in its target to add 1,400–1,800 net new units between 2022–2025, fueled by international growth. This implies +380–520 units per year for ’23–’25 relative to +250 [in 2022]… Overall, sales appear solid, unit growth is in acceleration mode and drivers for margin improvement are surfacing. We believe this creates a more attractive setup into 2023,” Bittner opined.

Plenty of sales potential, and plan for expansion, gave Bittner reason to rate PZZA shares an Outperform (i.e. Buy). His $105 price target indicates room for ~28% share appreciation by the end of 2023. (To watch Bittner’s track record, click here)

Overall, there are 11 recent analyst reviews on file for Papa John’s, favoring Buys over Holds (i.e. Neutrals) by an 8 to 3 margin for a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The stock is selling for $82.05 and its $96.50 average price target suggests ~18% one-year upside potential. (See PZZA stock forecast on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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New Delhi:

Deepika Padukone is a name that needs no introduction. After conquering the world of cinema, the actress made a name for herself in the global fashion universe in 2022 by representing several luxury brands and prestigious film festivals over the course of the past year.  Last year, Deepika Padukone was named the brand ambassador of companies such as the iconic French jewellery brand Cartier and also collaborated with Chopard. She also became the first Indian woman to become the ambassador for the French luxury house of  Louis Vuitton. She also added Levi’s to her endorsement kitty. That’s not all. Last year, Deepika Padukone also launched her beauty brand 82ºE. 

Additionally, she was also a part of the eight-member Cannes Competition jury at the Cannes Film Festival. In her role as an ambassador for these brands as well as the Indian film industry, Deepika Padukone had the opportunity to put her best fashion foot forward.

To celebrate Deepika Padukone’s 37th birthday today, we have decided to take a look at some of her best fashion moments:

1.FIFA World Cup 2022

Deepika Padukone unveiled the FIFA World Cup 2022 trophy along with Spanish footballer Iker Casillas. The trophy was revealed in a custom-made Louis Vuitton trophy trunk. For the occasion, she went for a layered Louis Vuitton look featuring an orange sleeveless parka with pleats, a cotton poplin self-tie shirt, and a black silk midi skirt with a chain belt. She completed the look with a pair of black leather Donna high boots.

2. Paris Fashion Week

Once again, Deepika Padukone represented Louis Vuitton as the global ambassador. She graced the front row of the Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2023 fashion show in a silver structured fitted mini dress with exaggerated shoulders. The ensemble also features ruffles with a drop waist. She paired it with a dark ox-blood shade of lipstick and a Louis Vuitton bag in shades of yellow and brown.

3. Cannes Film Festival

Deepika Padukone presented us with several iconic looks at the Cannes Film Festival. One much-loved look of the actress featured her in a black and gold Sabyasachi saree, gold danglers, rings and hair band.

On another day, Deepika Padukone chose a red Louis Vuitton strappy peplum gown with a statement Cartier necklace. 

Deepika Padukone made heads turn in an orange gown by Ashi Studio. The ensemble featured a plunging neckline with a dramatic shoulder and a set of two trains. She paired the gown with green drop earrings by Farah Khan World. Her hair was styled in a bun. 

As she bid adieu to the French Riviera, Deepika Padukone stepped out in a white saree designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. She paired the ruffled drape with a strapless bustier blouse that came with a statement pearl collar.

4. Louis Vuitton Cruise Show 2023

For the Louis Vuitton Cruise Show 2023 , Deepika Padukone upped the glam quotient in an oversized coat that she wore over her striped collared dress. This was paired with sheer stockings, long tan boots and the Louis Vuitton Dauphine handbag. She opted for a nude lip to complete the note. 

5. Time100 Impact Awards 2022

Deepika Padukone stepped out in a saree for the Time100 Impact Awards 2022. The actress picked a  Sabyasachi saree with a matching glittery blouse and a pearl choker, polka-drop earrings. For hair, she went with her signature bun.

Tell us your favourite Deepika Padukone look from this list.

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