jili886 How Crypto Won the 2024 ElectionSome Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning Hunter

Fugitive dog gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and netsIf you're looking for some extra workout motivation now that it's cold AF outside—or just a good excuse to shop chic new apparel —this is a reminder that your favorite activewear brands are probably offering Black Friday specials RN. Case in point: I found sooo many hidden gems at lululemon ahead of Black Friday, so you can give your wardrobe a much-deserved upgrade (as long as they don't sell out first). Here's the deal: lululemon pretty much never participates in holiday weekend events—except Black Friday . We're anticipating official lululemon Black Friday deets to drop any day now, which could include special prices on everything from buttery soft leggings to viral Everywhere Belt Bags. In the meantime? I'm seeing tons of coveted clothing hidden away in lululemon's 'We Made Too Much' section (ICYMI, that's where the brand lists its overstock inventory at limited-time prices). Head straight to lululemon's 'WMTM' section Right now, WMTM is stocked with editor favorites like the buttery-soft Align leggings or the Hotty Hot shorts , as well as seasonal picks like a snuggly wool sweater and a quilted coat that's definitely going on my personal Black Friday shopping list. I also spotted a $29 price tag on the beloved Belt Bag , perfect for all your holiday gifting needs .

Tina Knowles Speaks Out After Being Accused of 'Liking' Post About Jay-Z Rape Accusations

The implications of this breakthrough in HDR rendering technology are far-reaching and transformative. The ability to render HDR scenes at such high speeds and with exceptional visual quality paves the way for a wide range of applications across industries, including video games, animation, visual effects, virtual reality, and architectural visualization. Real-time rendering of HDR scenes unlocks new possibilities for immersive and realistic digital experiences, enhancing engagement and immersion for users in various interactive platforms.If you’re deep into comparison shopping for fitness watches, you’ve probably come across some debate on the different display technologies. Manufacturers are moving toward AMOLED style screens (bright! Colorful! Sharp! Modern!) while some longtime users are diehards for the older MIP or LCD style screens (the general vibe is: pry them out of my cold dead hands). So where does that leave you, the shopper, wondering what to get for your first or next watch? I’m going to break down all the pros and cons. What’s the difference between MIP and AMOLED displays? I’m going to gloss over a lot of the detail you’d need to be an engineer to love and concentrate on what it’s like to use these screens. With that in mind: AMOLED displays have tiny pixels that glow to create the display, leaving black areas where the pixels are not turned on. (Your phone’s screen is probably AMOLED.) AMOLED displays are full color, and they use power any time they’re on. They’re bright and highly visible in the dark, but can potentially get washed out in extremely bright sunlight. MIP displays (memory-in-pixel), also called memory LCD, do not light up on their own. These displays reflect light, much like old-school LCD watches, so they are highly visible in sunlight but require a backlight to be seen in the dark. They can display color, but only a limited range of colors and they are not as vibrant or as high-resolution as AMOLED screens. AMOLED displays tend to be higher resolution, brighter, and sharper. MIP displays look more old-fashioned, but they always look good in bright sunlight, and they can be always-on without running down the battery life (assuming you have the backlight turned off). AMOLED displays tend to be touchscreens, but MIP displays can have touchscreens as well. For example, the Coros Pace 3 has a touchscreen, while the Garmin Forerunner 55 does not. (If you don’t want a touchscreen, you should know that you can disable the touchscreen on most sports watches.) Which watches have MIP and which have AMOLED displays? We’re currently at a transition point where most manufacturers are moving toward AMOLED if they haven’t switched already. Any fancy-looking smartwatch is likely to be AMOLED; there’s no MIP Apple Watch, for example. But among sports watches, there are plenty of models with MIP displays still being sold new. Here’s a breakdown of some of the more popular watches: AMOLED (or similar) displays: Apple Watch Samsung Galaxy Watch Pixel Watch Fitbit Charge 5 and Charge 6 Coros Pace Pro Garmin Forerunners 165, 265, and 965 Garmin Vivoactive 5 Garmin Venu 2 and 3 Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED Polar Vantage, Ignite 3, Grit X2 Pro Suunto Race MIP (or similar) displays: Coros Pace 3, Apex 2, Apex 2 Pro, Vertix 2 (everything except the Pace Pro) Garmin Forerunners 55, 255, 955, and any other Forerunner not ending in -65 Garmin Instinct (this is actually not MIP but a regular 2-color LCD) Garmin Vivoactive 4 Garmin Fenix 7 Garmin Fenix 8 Solar Polar Pacer, Pacer Pro, Grit X, Grit X Pro Suunto Core, 9 Baro, 9 Peak Real-world visibility tests I’ve been reviewing watches nonstop for a few months now, mostly AMOLED models, so I was surprised when I dug into the running watch forums and found people saying they would never upgrade to an AMOLED watch because they just aren’t readable in sunlight. Huh? Every AMOLED watch I’ve tested has been great in the sun. But OK, maybe there was something I was missing. Ever since I read those posts, I’ve been paying attention to visibility, the better to form my own opinions. I got into the difference in display types in my comparison between the Coros Pace 3 (MIP) and Pace Pro (AMOLED) , for example. And for today’s analysis, I’ve also borrowed a Forerunner 55 (MIP) to compare to my Forerunner 265S. So let’s take a look. In bright sunlight, at the right angle, MIP has a slight edge This is the best case for MIP superiority, and it comes with caveats, so let’s enjoy it while we can. When you have bright light shining directly on a MIP screen, it practically glitters. Modern AMOLEDs tend to be pretty bright as well, but on the brightest of days in the directest of sunlight, they can be a bit washed out. That said, AMOLEDs don't show up well in photos on sunny days, so I don't think the photo above really does the AMOLED screen justice. (Those black horizontal lines on the AMOLED are also an artifact of the camera taking the picture faster than the display could refresh; they're not visible in real life.) I didn’t have a lot of great side-by-side photos in sunlight, so for another test I put both Forerunners directly under a bright desk lamp. A desk lamp is not the sun. However, I feel like this is a better demonstration of typical conditions—as judged by my own personal eyes and brain. Your own opinion might differ. If you're making your shopping decision based on how the displays look in sunlight, trying them out in person will tell you a lot more than any photo will. (Underrated shopping tip: show up to a running club and ask everybody about their watch. They'll be more than happy to show them off.) In shadow (even on a sunny day), AMOLED stays visible I went for a few runs on bright sunny days with both of the Coros watches, and found I actually preferred the AMOLED display even in the sun. That’s because sunny days are also days with deep shadows. You have to get the angle just right to get that bright glittery effect on a MIP screen. But an AMOLED will shine from the shadows. Most of the time, either my body or the screen’s own bezel was shading it a bit. The photo above was taken on the same day, same run, as the outdoor Coros photo in sunlight. The sun didn't go behind a cloud, I was just standing in a different position. And the photo here is the exact same setup with the desk lamp, but with the watches angled just a few degrees downward. Drastic difference in readability. Now, if you’re used to MIP watches, you’re used to angling them into the sun to get a good look. If you’re fine with that, great. I prefer the AMOLED in this situation. In medium-light scenarios, both are good Here are both watches outdoors, on an overcast day, displaying the kind of screen you'd see most often during a running or other sports activity. This is probably the most telling photo of all: they are both fine. The MIP watch makes up for its potential visibility issues by defaulting to a white background, and the AMOLED just keeps showing bright numbers on a dark screen like usual. I use the AMOLED (the 265S) in this photo for most of my runs—it's not a review unit, it's the watch I actually own—and it's always visible, always looks great, in any weather and with or without sunglasses. But the MIP? It's good too! Nobody loses points here. In the dark, both screens light up just fine You probably expected me to say that AMOLED is better in the dark. Honestly, while AMOLED is prettier in the dark (and prettier almost anytime, because AMOLED displays tend to be much higher resolution), both screens are equally readable. The same gesture that wakes the AMOLED screen can wake the MIP screen’s backlight. (Please note that both watches are much sharper than the photo in real life. The blur you're seeing is just me failing to hold the camera perfectly steady in a dark room.) In actual darkness, like when you’re putting your kids to bed, your best bet is an AMOLED watch with a “sleep mode” that displays the time dimly. That way you don’t need to turn on a backlight to see the time. So if you’re concerned about the light being too bright, you probably want AMOLED. Battery usage MIP diehards like to say that MIP screens are more battery efficient. That may be technically true, but nobody buys a watch based on the battery life of its display . We want to know about the battery life of the entire watch . And honestly, AMOLED watches tend to have just as good a battery life as their MIP counterparts. Whether it’s better battery technology, power savings elsewhere in the software or hardware, or AMOLED itself being more efficient than you’d expect, it doesn’t matter. The Forerunner 965 (AMOLED) and the Forerunner 955 (MIP) both have a battery life of 8.5 hours during an activity with multi-band GPS mode and music playing. In smartwatch mode (not tracking activities), the 965 lasts 23 days in smartwatch mode, compared to 15 days for the 955. In other words, the AMOLED watch lasts eight days longer . If battery life is your priority, in this situation you’d want the AMOLED. This will vary by model, of course. Look up the battery life specs for the specific watches you’re interested in. Maybe the MIP model will last longer, but maybe the AMOLED will. Don’t make assumptions about the battery based on the look of the screen. How to make a decision You've seen my photos and heard my opinions, but ultimately you need to make a decision for yourself. And of the two display types, I'll be honest: neither is unusable or terrible or has some horrific misfeature that should be a dealbreaker. I do think that most people will prefer the AMOLED style. But if you end up with a MIP display, it will be fine . So let me run through a few things to keep in mind: If you already have a MIP watch and love it , I wouldn’t fault you for sticking with MIP. You already know the downsides and you don’t mind them. If you love a MIP watch but are afraid that you wouldn’t like an AMOLED watch , don’t let that stop you from shopping AMOLED models. The downsides of AMOLED (as the internet tells them) are wildly exaggerated. If you have seen both watches in person , in a wide variety of lighting conditions, and have a strong opinion, just go with your preference. If you’re new to all of this and feeling confused right now , you’ll probably like AMOLED better. All the new watches are AMOLED anyway. If your dream watch needs to be an older MIP watch to fit in your budget , go ahead and get it. It will be fine. That last point is one where you’ll want to do some math. Often you can get an older generation of a feature-rich watch for the same price as the newest generation of a more barebones model. That’s the case right now for a lot of Garmin models, where pretty much everything released in the last year or so has an AMOLED screen, and everything before it is MIP. For example, looking only at the newest models, the Forerunner 965 is a more feature-rich watch than the 265, and costs $599 versus $449. But if you went a generation back and got the Forerunner 955 , with a MIP screen, that watch is available right now for $399—which is $50 less than the new, AMOLED Forerunner 265 . Worth it? That’s your call. But a lot of people would go for the 955, if they care about the 9xx series features (like maps and skiing features) more than they care about the screen. And now that you've seen the photos and read my deep dive, you're able to make that decision for yourself.

Furthermore, the developers have introduced a unique mechanic for the Tiger Vanguard that allows it to summon spectral clones of itself to confuse and overwhelm players. These spectral clones mirror the movements of the original Tiger Vanguard, creating a chaotic and unpredictable battlefield that will test the skills of even the most skilled players.The highlight of the day was the announcement of the strategic partnership between Garden International High School and the American Ivy Academy. The partnership aims to bring the best of both educational systems together, offering students a unique opportunity to benefit from a combined curriculum that integrates the strengths of both institutions. Through this partnership, students will have access to a wider range of academic resources, enrichment programs, and college placement opportunities, further enhancing their educational experience and future prospects.

How to Choose Headphones on Double 12? Opt for Superior Sound Quality with Samsung Galaxy Buds3 SeriesThe disappointment felt by Zheng Qianwen and her fans was palpable. Despite her outstanding performances and significant contributions to women's tennis, the recognition she deserved seemed to elude her grasp. The news of Sabalenka winning the Player of the Year award was met with mixed emotions – admiration for Sabalenka's accomplishments, but also frustration and sadness for Zheng Qianwen's missed opportunity.

UVALDE, Texas — A Texas judge on Thursday refused to throw out criminal charges accusing the former Uvalde schools police chief of putting children at risk during the slow response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, while a lawyer for his co-defendant said they want to move the upcoming trial out of the small town where the massacre occurred. At a court hearing in Uvalde, Judge Sid Harle rejected Pete Arredondo's claim that was he improperly charged and that only the shooter was responsible for putting the victims in danger. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting on May 24, 2022. Harle also set an Oct. 20, 2025, trial date. An attorney for Arredondo's co-defendant, former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales, said he will ask for the trial to be moved out of Uvalde because his client cannot get a fair trial there. Uvalde County is mostly rural with fewer than 25,000 residents about 85 miles (140 kilometers) west of San Antonio. “Everybody knows everybody,” in Uvalde, Gonzales attorney Nico LaHood said. Both former officers attended the hearing. Nearly 400 law enforcement agents rushed to the school but waited more than 70 minutes to confront and kill the gunman in a fourth-grade classroom. Arredondo and Gonzales are the only two officers facing charges — a fact that has raised complaints from some victims' families. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of abandoning or endangering a child, each of which carry punishment of up to two years in jail. Gonzales has not asked the judge to dismiss his charges. A federal investigation of the shooting identified Arredondo as the incident commander in charge, although he has argued that state police should have set up a command post outside the school and taken control. Gonzales was among the first officers to arrive on the scene. He was accused of abandoning his training and not confronting the shooter, even after hearing gunshots as he stood in a hallway. Arredondo has said he was scapegoated for the halting police response. The indictment alleges he did not follow his active shooter training and made critical decisions that slowed the police response while the gunman was “hunting” his victims. It alleges that instead of confronting the gunman immediately, Arredondo caused delays by telling officers to evacuate a hallway to wait for a SWAT team, evacuating students from other areas of the building first, and trying to negotiate with the shooter while victims inside the classroom were wounded and dying. Arredondo’s attorneys say the danger that day was not caused by him, but by the shooter. They argued Arredondo was blamed for trying to save the lives of the other children in the building, and have warned that prosecuting him would open many future law enforcement actions to similar charges. “Arredondo did nothing to put those children in the path of a gunman,” said Arredondo attorney Matthew Hefti. Uvalde County prosecutors told the judge Arredondo acted recklessly. “The state has alleged he is absolutely aware of the danger of the children,” said assistant district attorney Bill Turner. Jesse Rizo, the uncle of 9-year-old Jacklyn Cazares who was killed in the shooting, was one of several family members of victims at the hearing. “To me, it’s hurtful and painful to hear Arredondo’s attorneys try to persuade the judge to get the charges dismissed,” Rizo said. He called the wait for a trial exhausting and questioned whether moving the trial would help the defense. “The longer it takes, the longer the agony,” Rizo said. “I think what’s happened in Uvalde ... you’ll probably get a better chance at conviction if it’s moved. To hold their own accountable is going to be very difficult.” The massacre at Robb Elementary was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the law enforcement response has been widely condemned as a massive failure. Nearly 150 U.S. Border Patrol agents, 91 state police officers, as well and school and city police rushed to the campus. While terrified students and teachers called 911 from inside classrooms, dozens of officers stood in the hallway trying to figure out what to do. More than an hour later, a team of officers breached the classroom and killed the gunman. Within days of the shooting, the focus of the slow response turned on Arredondo, who was described by other responding agencies as the incident commander in charge. Multiple federal and state investigations have laid bare cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers. Several victims or their families have filed multiple state and federal lawsuits. Associated Press reporter Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed. Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.Could comeback spark winning streak for West Virginia or NCCU?In addition to their intelligence and self-awareness, the NPC companions in "Pledge" are also designed to be proactive in their interactions with the player. They offer assistance, advice, and even engage in combat alongside the player, adding a layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay experience. However, they do so in a way that complements the player's style and preferences, never overshadowing or dominating the player's actions.

An Ohio politician has seen enough flag planting by visiting sports teams. Republican state Rep. Josh Williams said Wednesday on social media he’s introducing a bill to make flag planting in sports a felony in the state. His proposal comes after the Nov. 30 fight at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry football game when the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 13-10 and then attempted to plant their flag at midfield. A fight ensued and police had to use pepper spray to disperse the players. Similar flag-planting scuffles broke out across college football on that rivalry weekend. Williams is calling it the O.H.I.O Sportsmanship Act. “Behavior that incites violent brawls and puts our law enforcement officers in danger has no place on the football field,” Williams said. Former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield famously planted a flag in the middle of the field at Ohio State after the Sooners beat the Buckeyes in 2017. Mayfield, who now plays for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said he doesn’t think flag planting is a big deal. “I’ll say this: OU-Texas does it every time they play,” Mayfield said on Dec. 1. “It’s not anything special. You take your ‘L’ and you move on. I’ll leave it at that.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

A Manhattan jury has cleared Daniel Penny of criminal wrongdoing in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on a crowded subway — a caught-on-video killing that sparked fierce debate over the city’s mental health system and crime underground. The courtroom erupted in applause as the panelists acquitted Penny of criminally negligent homicide — which could have put him behind bars for up to four years — in Neely’s chokehold death aboard a crowded uptown F train in May 2023. “We the jury have come to a unanimous decision on count two,” the foreperson on the jury told the courtroom. Penny immediately broke out a huge smile and turned to hug defense attorney Thomas Kenniff — even as Neely’s father, Andre Zachary, was escorted from the courtroom. “Racist f****** country,” one Black Lives Matter supporter yelled as she left the room. Another Neely supporter, turning to Penney, screamed, “It’s a small world, buddy,” before leaving the room. Manslaughter, the top charge against Penny, was tossed on Friday after jurors twice said they couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. Jurors sided with Penny’s defense attorneys, who had argued that the Marine veteran was justified in rushing to protect his fellow subway straphangers when he subdued the erratic homeless man. The lawyers had also questioned whether there was sufficient evidence that the chokehold caused Neely’s death. “Who do you want on the next train ride with you?” one of his lawyers, Steven Raiser, in his closing statement in Manhattan Supreme Court. Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest updates on Daniel Penny’s not guilty verdict “The guy with the earbuds minding his own business who you know would be there for you if something happened? Or perhaps you just hope that someone like Jordan Neely does not enter that train when you are all alone, all alone in a crowd of others frozen with fear?” The lawyers had also questioned whether there was sufficient evidence that the chokehold caused Neely’s death. The verdict drew an immediate reaction from across the nation. “Daniel Penny’s actions were heroic & protected the lives of people on that train,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X. “We used to celebrate bravery like this in America, but the Left continues their crusade to protect criminals and prosecute heroes,” Johnson said. “Good to see this charge dismissed.” In the Big Apple, city Councilman Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) said the jury’s decision “underscores nothing other than the perverse sense of justice held by [Manhattan DA] Alvin Bragg. “Every New Yorker is fearful on the subway and had no problem understanding the context of Daniel Penny’s actions,” he said. “The district attorney should resign in shame.” The acquittal comes after jurors heard from more than 40 witnesses, including passengers who described Neely’s terrifying outburst on the train before Penny approached him from behind and took him down at the Broadway-Lafayette station. One straphanger testified she was “scared s–tless” hearing Neely ranting about being “willing to die and go to jail.” She later thanked Penny for stepping in to restrain Neely, who also raged that “someone is going to die today.” Another woman on the train told jurors that she feared for her life after hearing Neely’s “satanic” rant. And a mother who was taking her 5-year-old son to a doctor’s appointment testified that she was so scared of a “belligerent and unhinged” Neely that she barricaded her son behind his stroller. No witness testified that Neely put his hands on anyone, or lunged at a specific person, before Penny put him in the chokehold. Evidence during the month-long trial also revealed that Neely was not carrying a weapon at the time — with cops finding only a muffin in his pocket. The polarizing case kicked off fierce conversation about a mentally ill man who was failed by the city’s broken system — a sentiment even Mayor Eric Adams expressed, saying Penny did “what we should have done as a city” by protecting others that day. Prosecutors argued that Penny went “too far” — and that his actions turned criminal when he kept Neely in the hold after nearly all of the frightened passengers had fled the train. “What’s so tragic about this case is that even though the defendant started out trying to do the right thing, as the chokehold progressed, the defendant knew that Jordan Neely was in great distress and dying, and he needlessly continued,” prosecutor Dafna Yoran said in her closing statement. Jurors watched frame-by-frame footage from a bystander’s six-minute video of Penny holding Neely — including for 51 seconds after Neely’s body appears to go limp. Penny kept holding Neely despite witnesses pleading with him to “let him go!,” the video shows. Dr. Cynthia Harris, who ruled that Neely’s death was a homicide caused by Penny’s chokehold, pointed out for jurors the exact moment when Neely passed out on the subway car’s floor — with Penny still wrapping his arm around Neely’s neck. The city medical examiner, who made her ruling before Neely’s toxicology report came back, testified that she was so confident after watching video of the encounter that she’d stand by her decision even if it later turned out that Neely had enough drugs in his body “to put down an elephant.” Jurors asked for a readback of that specific portion of Harris’ testimony during deliberations. Trial evidence revealed that Neely had the synthetic marijuana drug K2 in his system at the time of the confrontation. Jurors also heard that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, telling doctors in 2021 that he’d heard the “devil’s voice.” Penny’s mother, sister, friends and fellow Marines took the stand to vouch for his character. The defense’s medical expert, forensic pathologist Dr. Satish Chundru, claimed that Neely died not from Penny’s chokehold, but by “the combined effects of sickle cell crisis, the schizophrenia, the struggle and restraint, and the synthetic marijuana.” Penny declined to take the stand. But jurors heard him tell arriving cops on the train platform, “I just put him out,” before making a choking gesture with his arms. Hours later, at Chinatown’s 5th Precinct, a relaxed Penny insisted during an interrogation that he was merely trying to “de-escalate the situation” and that he didn’t mean to hurt Neely. “I’m not trying to kill the guy,” the Marine veteran told two detectives, as prosecutors watched him through a one-sided mirror. “I’m just trying to keep him from hurting anybody else.” In an apparent reference to the mentally ill Neely, Penny added during his questioning that “all these people are pushing people in front of the train and stuff.” Neely’s death, and Penny’s arrest 11 days later, sparked a national political firestorm about whether Penny’s actions were justified. The episode also sparked outrage about how Neely fell through the cracks of the city’s mental health system, failing to get the treatment he needed despite the NYPD treating him as an “emotionally disturbed person” in more than two dozen prior encounters with him. “This case is about a broken system, a broken system that does not help our mentally ill or our unhoused,” Penny’s attorney Raiser said at the end of his closing statement. “In fact, it is that broken system that led us, that is interwoven into the very fabric of this case.” In a statement, the city council’s progressive caucus denounced the verdict, saying it “highlights the deep-seated [ck] societal discomfort with unhoused individuals. “Jordan Neely was failed by the city’s social service system for years,” the statement said. “He was failed by our city when Daniel Penny put him in a chokehold on the subway. And today Jordan was failed once again, this time by the city’s justice system.” Others Big Apple lawmakers, however, celebrated the outcome of the high-profile and divisive trial. “Justice has prevailed,” city Councilwoman Joanne Ariola (R-Queens) said following Monday’s verdict. “Daniel Penny is a hero and I”m happy to see that a good man was not punished for doing the right thing and defending his fellow New Yorkers from a mentally ill criminal who fell between the cracks.” Originally published as Daniel Penny acquitted in subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, sparking applause, uproar in New York courtroom

Sharp Corporation and KDDI Corporation have announced a groundbreaking collaboration to launch an AI data center by the year 2025. This strategic partnership between the two technology giants aims to revolutionize the way data is processed and utilized, paving the way for futuristic innovations in artificial intelligence and data analytics.

NoneA season of protests, forfeits and lawsuits ended quietly Saturday on the volleyball court with San José State losing the Mountain West Conference women's tournament final to Colorado State. The loss deprived San José State from claiming the conference's automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA tournament, which could have extended the controversy centered on the team's transgender player. Instead, top-seeded Colorado State earned the automatic bid by winning in four sets. Fewer than 200 spectators attended the match at UNLV, and the fans were respectful, cheering every player during pregame introductions and during the action. Players encouraged one another throughout the match and exchanged hugs when it was over. The only bit of political activity came when Colorado State star player Malaya Jones and teammates Kennedy Stanford and Naeemah Weathers knelt during the national anthem. Colorado State coach Emily Kohan told reporters the players have knelt before matches since 2020. "They've knelt since their freshman year, when the Black Lives Matter movement was going on, and, in this program, we raise critical thinkers to make decisions for what's important to them," Kohan said. "And, for those three, they're Black players, and it's been important to them for five years. And they've stood their ground for saying that this is something that they believe in, and we've all supported them." The focus on volleyball and sportsmanship was a welcome departure from a roller-coaster season in which four Mountain West teams — Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada-Reno — each chose to forfeit or cancel two conference matches to San José State. Boise State also forfeited its conference tournament semifinal match to the second-seeded Spartans, who had a first-round bye and only played one match in the tournament. The transgender player has been on the San José State roster for three seasons after transferring from a college on the East Coast, although this is the first season opponents have protested the player's participation. The player is not being named by The Los Angeles Times because they haven't publicly identified as transgender. The issue became public when San José State co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit in September against the NCAA filed by former All-American swimmer and anti-trans-athlete activist Riley Gaines. The suit alleges that NCAA transgender eligibility policies violate Title IX and the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Slusser alleges in the lawsuit that the inclusion of a transgender player poses an unfair advantage and safety hazards. The NCAA adopted new rules a year ago pertaining to transgender athletes, who must document sport-specific testosterone levels at the beginning of their season and again six months later. They also must document testosterone levels four weeks before championship selections. "We are steadfast in our support of transgender student-athletes and the fostering of fairness across college sports," said John DeGioia, chair of the NCAA board of governors and Georgetown president. "It is important that NCAA member schools, conferences and college athletes compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment and can move forward with a clear understanding of the new policy." Nevertheless, the schools that forfeited volleyball matches have the backing of politicians in their states. Idaho's Republican Gov. Brad Little recently signed an executive order barring sports teams at Boise State and other public schools in the state from playing against teams with transgender athletes. San José State was left to piece together its season against opponents willing to play. Colorado State was one of those. "Our team played their hearts out today, the way they have done all season," San José State coach Todd Kress said in a statement after the conference tournament loss. "This has been one of the most difficult seasons I've ever experienced and I know this is true as well for many of our players and the staff who have been supporting us all along. Maintaining our focus on the court and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities." Slusser, San José State associate head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose and 10 other current and former players filed another lawsuit Nov. 13 aimed at having the transgender player removed ahead of the conference tournament, stating that her inclusion violated Title IX rights for gender equity in federally funded institutions. But a federal judge last Monday rejected the lawsuit, and a day later, another judge rejected Slusser's appeal. The transgender player took the court along with Slusser and San José State was defeated, ending a turbulent season that Kress said included attacks on social media. "Our team prepared and was ready to play each match according to established Mountain West and NCAA rules of play," Kress said in his statement. "We did not take away anyone's participation opportunities. Sadly, others who for years have played this same team without incident chose not to play us this season. "To be clear, we did not celebrate a single win by forfeiture. Instead, we braced for the fallout. Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff, and many associated with our program." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.