/* Container - using flexbox instead of table */
  .news-ticker {
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    background: #222;
    color: #fff;
    width: 100%;
    padding-top: 0;
    padding-bottom: 0;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    overflow: hidden;
    position: relative;
    gap: 12px; /* slightly reduced */
    height: 38px; /* NEW: slim fixed height */
  }

  /* Icons - static */
  .news-icon {
    width: 24px;
    height: 24px;
    flex-shrink: 0;
  }

  /* News text container */
  .stories-container {
    flex: 1;
    font-size: 17px;
    text-align: center;
    white-space: nowrap;
    overflow: hidden;
    text-overflow: ellipsis;
    color: #fff;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    height: 100%; /* NEW */
  }

  .stories-container a {
    color: #fff;
    text-decoration: none;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    padding: 0 6px;
    border-radius: 3px;
    transition: all 0.2s ease;
    height: 100%; /* NEW */
    min-height: 30px; /* reduced from 44px */
  }

  .stories-container a:hover,
  .stories-container a:focus {
    text-decoration: underline;
    color: #00e5ff; /* bright cyan */
    background-color: #004b5f;
    outline: 2px solid #00e5ff;
    outline-offset: 2px;
    border-radius: 4px;
  }

  /* Pause button */
  .pause-button {
    background: transparent;
    border: 1px solid #fff;
    color: #fff;
    cursor: pointer;
    padding: 0 10px;
    border-radius: 4px;
    font-size: 13px;
    flex-shrink: 0;
    min-height: 30px; /* reduced */
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
  }

  .pause-button:hover,
  .pause-button:focus {
    background: #444;
    outline: 2px solid #fff;
    outline-offset: 1px;
  }

  .pause-button.paused {
    background: #444;
  }

  /* More News link */
  .more-news-link {
    color: #fff;
    font-size: 15px;
    text-decoration: none;
    padding: 0 10px;
    border-radius: 4px;
    border: 1px solid #fff;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    min-height: 30px; /* reduced */
    gap: 4px;
  }

  .more-news-icon {
    font-size: 16px;
    line-height: 1;
  }

  .more-news-link:hover,
  .more-news-link:focus {
    background-color: #004b5f;
    color: #fff;
    outline: 2px solid #fff;
    outline-offset: 2px;
    text-decoration: underline;
  }

  /* Hidden screen reader-only text */
  .sr-only {
    position: absolute;
    width: 1px;
    height: 1px;
    padding: 0;
    margin: -1px;
    overflow: hidden;
    clip: rect(0, 0, 0, 0);
    white-space: nowrap;
    border: 0;
  }

  /* Responsive adjustments */
  @media (max-width: 600px) {
    .news-ticker {
      gap: 20px;
      height: auto; /* better stacking */
      padding: 4px;
    }

    .stories-container {
      font-size: 14px;
    }

    .news-icon {
      width: 20px;
      height: 20px;
    }

    .pause-button,
    .more-news-link {
      font-size: 12px;
      padding: 2px 6px;
      min-height: 26px;
    }
  }

  @media (max-width: 400px) {
    .news-ticker {
      flex-wrap: wrap;
      gap: 14px;
    }

    .stories-container {
      order: -1;
      flex-basis: 100%;
      margin-bottom: 3px;
      text-align: center;
    }

    .pause-button {
      order: 2;
    }

    .more-news-link {
      order: 3;
    }
  }