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ORCHARD PARK — Kyle Juszczyk was inches from the goal line. Matt Milano’s arms were wrapped around his waist, but his legs were still pumping. And then Taylor Rapp made a quick right jab at the ball, jarring it from Juszczyk’s grasp as it rolled to Christian Benford’s waiting hands. Juszczyk’s fumble came on the first drive of the second half with the San Francisco 49ers trailing 21-3. But the 49ers moved the ball during the first half, started the second with a 60-yard kickoff return and could sniff the end zone. Instead they came away with nothing and lost 35-10. It wasn’t a turnover, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich insists. It was a takeaway and the Bills have created one in every game this season, seemingly always at the right moment. The Bills are second in takeaways (one behind the Pittsburgh Steelers) and 11 of their 24 forced turnovers have come on their side of the field. It might seem like fool’s gold, luck or a dangerous way to play. But in a flukey statistic, the Bills are consistently among the NFL leaders under coach Sean McDermott. In fact, the Bills have 212 takeaways since 2017 and no other team in the league has 200. The Bills have finished in the top-10 in takeaways each year since 2018, finishing in the top-four since 2021. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s 130 interceptions since 2017 are one behind the New England Patriots, while finishing no worse than eighth since McDermott took over. “You get what you emphasize,” Babich said. “... I think what happens is kind of when you walk in this door, that standard is kind of like a cloud just sitting over the top of us of, they know, even in practice, as simple as it is, if we don’t take the ball away, we make sure we understand that that’s not good enough.” The #Bills won their fifth AFC East championship in a row, while the #Sabres followed three wins with four losses to remain predictably unpredictable. @billhoppe.bsky.social dig into it all. fireside.fm/episode/sMvb... [image or embed] Emphasis or not, it’s up to the players to force turnovers and a large piece of that comes down to the type of players the Bills place in their defense. Both McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have spoken at length about finding football players with instincts rather than eye-popping workout results. When the Bills can’t draft those players, they find them in free agency or in the draft. Rapp had 10 takeaways in four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, while cornerback Rasul Douglas had 11 in the 2 1⁄2 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before being traded to the Bills last season. There are some instincts that cannot be taught, but the Bills have been able to develop and strengthen instincts for players who are in the system for a longer period of time. The Bills teach players to be aware of the ball, to not just make a tackle, but swipe at the ball while doing so. In a scenario like Rapp’s forced fumble, the Bills teach players that the first man’s responsibility is to make a tackle and the second man goes for the ball. “I’d say for me, like, as far as, like, my mind being on the ball more often than it was when I was a younger player,” said Bills cornerback Taron Johnson, who has four forced fumbles in the last two seasons after recording four in his first five years combined. “So I’m looking for opportunities, more opportunities to take the ball away than I was when I was younger.” Turnover consistency has been steady despite the Bills slightly tweaking their defensive philosophy in recent years. During McDermott’s first five seasons, the Bills blitzed on more than 30% of passing plays and that number has dropped to 21.5% over the last three seasons, including 17.5% this year under Babich, the third-lowest rate in the league. Early in McDermott’s tenure, the Bills were one of the best teams in the league at disguising coverages, changing what the quarterback was seeing pre-snap compared to when he actually had the ball. They still do their share of disguising, but now the Bills try to attack the quarterback with four rushers and play a soft zone in the secondary until opponents cross midfield. “We always talk about rush and coverage working together,” Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard told GNN Sports. “So we do our part on the back end of disguising the picture or studying routes and understanding concepts that makes them hold it a little bit, which in turn gives the D-line a better chance to get back there and affect them. When that happens, then the ball comes to us.” If the Bills can affect the quarterback with four rushers, not only can they prevent more big plays, but more areas in the secondary are covered. But it’s not a simplistic defense, in fact, it’s one of the most complex in the NFL . Being comfortable with the different communications and disguises takes time. The Bills had the same safety pairing for most of McDermott’s first seven seasons and the system has largely been the same for his entire run. Even without Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde (until Wednesday ) the Bills still had plenty of experience on defense. Fifteen players have been with the Bills at least three seasons, with eight having at least four. “The more comfortable you are in the system, the better you can disguise because you know your issues in certain defenses and certain coverages,” said Bills practice squad quarterback Mike White, who played against the Bills for three seasons with the Dolphins and Jets. “But it’s interesting. You know what they’re going to play, they know you know what they’re going to play, but they still do a good job of disguising and get you to just second-guess for a minute.” It’s a brand of defense many teams have adopted in the NFL, which is why rushing yards are up and passing yards are down. The Bills have given up the fewest 30-yard passes (79) and the fewest passes of 50 yards or more (14) since McDermott became coach. “That’s part of our philosophy and who we are,” said Bernard, who has nine takeaways in 26 games as a starter. “I think that standard has just been set since before I got here. So buying into that and believing that and I think everybody on this defense believes in that.” NOTES: WR Keon Coleman (wrist) and S Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder) wore red non-contact jerseys and were limited in practice Thursday. ... TE Dalton Kincaid (knee), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder/groin) and WR Curtis Samuel (foot) were also limited.The new aid comes as Russia launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days. The United States is expected to announce that it will send 1.25 billion dollars (£1 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine, US officials said on Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on January 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the Hawk air defence system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defence officials acknowledged that the US Defence Department may not be able to send all of the remaining 5.6 billion dollars (£4.5 billion) in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Mr Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many US and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he will not provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about 4.35 billion dollars (£3.46 billion). Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky decide it is time to negotiate. One senior defence official said that while the US will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until January 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about 1.2 billion dollars (£0.9 billion) remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the US will have provided more than 64 billion dollars (£50.8 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.
A closer inspection of ash from burned rice hulls, the hard outer layer of rice grains, revealed a form of carbon that could nearly double the energy density of typical lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries. This sustainable source of 'hard' carbon, which outperforms ordinary in battery electrodes, was discovered at the University of Michigan. This is the first demonstration of hard carbon made through combustion. It was previously thought hard carbon could only be made by heating biomass, such as agricultural waste, to about 1200°C (2200°F) in an oxygen-free environment like nitrogen or argon. Rather than importing graphite mined from China or Mexico, rice hull ash could provide a higher quality domestic material for making battery electrodes. The process is also more sustainable than producing graphite from biomass, which must be heated to 2000°C (3600°F) or higher—producing five to 10 tons of CO for every ton of battery-grade graphite. Although most rice hulls end up in landfills, burning rice hulls provides a source of electricity. Wadham Energy LP in the Sacramento Valley of California generates 200,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year by burning the agricultural byproduct—enough energy to power about 22,000 homes. "The CO released while burning rice hulls comes from the same CO the rice plant took up from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, making the electricity produced green and carbon neutral," said Richard Laine, U-M professor of materials science and engineering and macromolecular science and engineering and corresponding author of the study recently in . With grown annually in the United States, there is plenty of room to scale up. In prior work, the research team demonstrated methods to partially remove the silica in rice hull ash which contains about 90% silica and 10% carbon. That silica can be used to produce used in solar cells or semiconductors. Once the silica is partially removed from the rice hull ash through a process called depolymerization, the remaining ash is about 60%-70% carbon. The leftover carbon was thought to be shapeless and disorganized, a material called amorphous carbon, based on the patterns made by X-rays shining through the material. However, spectroscopy techniques specialized for molecular-level detail revealed tiny islands of graphite that exist on the nanoscale (for scale, one nanometer is one billionth of a meter) within the amorphous carbon matrix. This blend of amorphous carbon dotted with graphite is called hard carbon. "Hard carbon can be produced by combustion in this case because as you burn away the carbon of rice hulls, you create a shell of silica around the remaining carbon and it bakes it like a pie," Laine said. When testing the electrochemical properties of hard carbon obtained from rice hull ash, it outperformed both commercial hard carbon and graphite as the anode of a lithium-ion battery, the point where charge flows out of the battery. A gram of commercial hard carbon accepts enough lithium to store about 500 milliampere-hours (mAh)—a unit of electrical charge often used to describe battery storage capacity. In contrast, a gram of graphite accepts about 370 mAh, meaning hard carbon batteries have about 50% higher energy density. Rice hull ash hard carbon exceeds both, with a storage capacity of more than 700 mAh—nearly double that of graphite. The nanoporous structure of the isolated hard carbon is thought to contribute to the increased lithium capacity. Turning into a valuable product, rice hull ash hard carbon can help meet the growing demand for batteries for use in and storing intermittent renewable energy while decreasing both cost and emissions. The team has applied for with the assistance of U-M Innovation Partnerships and is seeking partners to bring the technology to market. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany also participated in this research through co-author Sylvio Indris. Wadham Energy supplied the hull ash used in the research.
CNN wants the North Carolina lieutenant governor's defamation lawsuit against it thrown out
The holiday season is the perfect excuse to indulge – and not just in festive feasts or lavish parties. Whether you’re rewarding yourself for conquering another whirlwind year or picking out the ultimate gift for your loved one, few things match the thoughtfulness of a beautifully crafted watch. More than a practical accessory, it’s a statement of style, symbol of time well spent, and sometimes, even an heirloom in the making. Ranging from playful designs and sporty stunners to high-tech marvels and polished classics, this gift guide features 15 standout timepieces to suit every personality and budget. With prices starting below S$200, these watches perfectly combine style and sentiment. After all, there’s no better way to celebrate the season of giving than with a gift that ticks all the right boxes. WATCHES UNDER S$200 1. Anne Klein (AK-5176CHGB), S$128 Looking for the perfect gift that combines sophistication and versatility at a great price? This vintage-style bracelet watch is a great choice. Featuring a gorgeous 25mm oval stainless-steel case and Roman numeral dial, this watch effortlessly balances vintage charm with modern sophistication. Dressed in a chic gold-tone finish, it transitions seamlessly from the office to a fancy dinner and drinks after, making it the ultimate accessory for the woman who appreciates understated refinement and a touch of individuality. Available at BHG Bugis, OG People’s Park and Clout9.com.sg. 2. Timex Standard x Peanuts Christmas, S$185 Charming and nostalgic, this is the ideal gift for Peanuts fans or anyone who loves their style with a side of whimsy. The versatile 40mm Timex Standard watch is updated with a playful holiday spin. Housed within its silver-tone stainless steel case is Snoopy, everyone’s favourite beagle, front and centre on the dial. And because it’s Timex, practicality is part of the package. The quick-release blue leather strap lets you refresh your look in seconds, while the brand’s signature Indiglo night light allows you to tell the time in the dark with the push of a button. It’s water-resistant for everyday adventures (just skip the poolside dives), making it as functional as it is fun. Available at Timex . 3. Adidas Originals Project Thr e e, S$188 A cool mix of streetwear-inspired edge and everyday ease, this watch is set to elevate anyone’s wrist game. Dressed in candyfloss-pink, this model’s 42mm eco-ceramic case and bio-resin strap offer durability and comfort, while its tough mineral glass and reliable Timex quartz movement ensure it can keep up with any lifestyle. Boasting Adidas Originals’ unmistakable retro vibe, this watch is the choice for someone who dares to be different. Available at Clout9.com.sg. WATCHES UNDER S$500 1. Swatch Neon Party To The Max, S$220 Whether it’s a gift for someone with a huge personality or a trendsetter who adores colour, this timepiece makes for the perfect wrist candy for the festive season. Fun and unapologetically audacious – just like the holidays should be – this oversized 47mm scene-stealer is inspired by the iconic 90’s Swatch Chrono. Brimming with vibrant energy, it features a multi-coloured dial with a minute track, tachymeter scale and glow-in-the-dark pink and blue hands, all protected by eco-friendly bio-sourced glass. The transparent matte blue bio-sourced case, accented with a matching bezel, bright orange details and multi-coloured pushers, brings serious retro vibes with a modern twist. A matte black strap with blue highlights – also made entirely from bio-sourced materials – ties it all together. Available at Swatch . 2. Humism Kato 39mm, US$441/S$592 Inspired by the 1950s kinetic art movement, this six-year-old Singaporean watch brand transforms time into dynamic art with its moving dial designs. A play on concentric circles, the 48 petals on the dial here shift constantly, creating a hypnotic pattern that culminates in a stunning visual crescendo of a blooming flower. Housed in a surgical steel case, the watch is driven by a Seiko (SII) NH35A Automatic movement and comes with an Italian full-grain leather strap. Beyond the artistic allure of its watches, Humism is a design studio with a social heart, donating 2 per cent of its web-store sales to Mercy Relief, which supports disaster response across Asia. So if you’re looking for a watch as meaningful as it is mesmerising, this is it. Available at Humism . 3. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Bluetooth, 40mm), S$448 Looking for something for a fitness lover, tech enthusiast, or someone who’s ready to start 2025 with their best foot forward? Then the all-new Galaxy Watch 7 is perfect because nothing says “I care” like its perfect blend of style and innovation. Equipped with Samsung’s latest cutting-edge 3nm processor, this smartwatch delivers lightning-fast performance, from tracking over 100 workouts to checking weather updates, all while optimising battery life for all-day use. Its upgraded BioActive Sensor with 13 LEDs offers next-level precision in monitoring heart rate, body composition and even menstrual cycle tracking. For adventurers, the dual-frequency GPS offers the most accurate location tracking yet, guiding you effortlessly even in dense urban jungles. With best-in-class sleep analysis powered by AI – including snoring detection, sleep scoring and personalised tips – it helps build better nightly habits. Housed in a durable aluminium case with sapphire glass and also available in green, this watch promises to keep on giving through Christmas and beyond. Available at Samsung . WATCHES UNDER S$1,000 1. Boldr Safari Silver Fox, US$603/S$809 Here’s a cool watch for style connoisseurs. Its standout Superkuro Musou black dial absorbs light to create a strikingly deep and mysterious void that mirrors the elegance and enigma of the elusive silver fox. With no logo or indices, the dial’s stark, minimalist design lets its rich black finish take centre stage, symbolising unexplored depths and hidden adventures. Made from sandblasted stainless steel, the 40mm unisex watch is rugged yet sophisticated. With 200m water resistance, a screw-down crown, and durable quick-release FKM rubber strap, it’s ready for any journey. Custom hands with Japan Super-LumiNova and double-sided AR-coated sapphire glass ensure excellent visibility in low light and durability. Adding to its charm, an exhibition caseback reveals the reliable SII NH38A automatic movement and artwork of a silver fox – a nod to the time-only watch’s namesake. Available at Boldr . 2. Vesuviate Attivo-Duplex, US$545/S$732 This Christmas, surprise the frequent traveller in your life with a timepiece by Vesuviate – a Singaporean microbrand that blends style and functionality in its watches. As the name suggests, the Vesuviate Attivo-Duplex features a unique dual-movement design powered by two Peacock SL-7020 Gilt automatic calibres. Arranged in an easy-to-read diagonal layout, it allows the wearer to track two time zones simultaneously, making it perfect for those on the go. Offered in six colours, the watch boasts a distinctive 39mm by 46.2mm squarish case shape, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and hardened stainless steel construction for durability. Available at Vesuviate . 3. Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SSC951P1, S$963.60 This limited edition is a great gift for the sporty, capturing the dynamic energy of basketball with its unexpected vibrant copper dial featuring a sunray-brushed finish and black sub-dials. The sub-dial at six o’clock not only tracks constant seconds, but also serves as a power reserve indicator, ensuring you’re always in control. Powered by Seiko’s proprietary V192 solar-powered quartz chronograph movement, this timepiece promises eco-friendly precision for up to six months on a full charge. The 39mm stainless steel case is durable and water-resistant to 100m, while the curved sapphire crystal ensures scratch resistance for any adventure. With just 1,000 pieces produced, the watch is distributed exclusively through the Thong Sia Group for Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Brunei, at Seiko Boutiques and selected authorised retailers. Available at Seiko boutique . WATCHES UNDER S$2,000 1. G-Shock Master of G Mudmaster GWG-B1000EC-1A, S$1,149 This is the essential tool watch for the hardcore adventurer who thrives on pushing boundaries. A high-end evolution of the Mudman series, the solar-powered timepiece combines rugged durability with cutting-edge tech. The model boasts an array of functions like Barometer and Altimeter displays, while its Bluetooth functionality unlocks features like mission logs, alarms and a location indicator to guide its wearer through uncharted terrain with ease. Made from carbon fibre-reinforced resin and forged metal, the commanding 58.7mm by 52.1mm Mudmaster is built to withstand the harshest elements with resistance to shock, vibration and mud. Available at G-Shock . 2. Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 42mm, S$1,200 Named after the street that leads to the home of Tissot in the Swiss mountains, this handsome 42mm timepiece combines classic aesthetics with modern innovation. Its silver sunray dial features faceted baton hour markers that play with light in the subtlest, most refined way. Powered by the state-of-the-art Nivachron Powermatic 80 movement, it offers a generous 80-hour power reserve. With a see-through caseback and quick-release interchangeable bracelet, this heirloom-worthy timepiece is versatile yet sophisticated. Available at Tissot . 3. Zelos Watches Nova 37mm Teal, US$899/S$1,206 This striking watch makes for a perfect choice for anyone who appreciates the exquisite art of watchmaking. The timepiece’s polished stainless steel case frames a captivating fume teal dial, brought to life with a sunburst CNC guilloche pattern that reflects light beautifully. The watch pairs effortlessly with any outfit, whether it’s a sharp suit or weekend denim. Its black Horween leather strap adds a touch of vintage charm, while its 50m water resistance ensures it’s practical as well. Available at Zelos . WATCHES UNDER S$3,000 1. Gucci G-Timeless, S$2,300 The fashion-savvy will love how this 29mm timepiece oozes sophistication with its perfect mix of elegant minimalism and contemporary Italian flair. Flaunting an easy-to-wear polished stainless steel case with a grooved bezel, this quartz model catches attention with its sunray dial in metallic pink. Adding visual interest and subtle brilliance are two diamonds set at 9 and 3 o’clock, alongside the fashion house’s iconic interlocking “G” logo and Gucci lettering. Available at Gucci . 2. Tag Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph, S$2,700 Rev up the excitement this Christmas with this high-octane timepiece inspired by the world of motorsport. Designed for thrill-seekers, who crave speed and precision, this quartz-movement chronograph blends rugged performance with bold design. Its striking blue dial with a tachymeter scale is teamed with a vibrant orange rubber strap that’s set to make a statement on or off the track. Crafted from robust steel and topped with scratch-proof sapphire crystal, this online-exclusive model is ready to handle the demands of life in the fast lane. Available at Tag Heuer . 3. Tudor 1926, S$2,850 A gift like this classic timepiece is one that never goes out of style. Paying tribute to the year the brand was founded by Rolex creator Hans Wilsdorf, this iconic unisex line is renowned for its sophisticated and resolutely timeless looks. Presented on a brown leather strap, the 39mm stainless steel watch flaunts a domed dial with a delicately embossed design, which lends a vintage charm to it. Subtle details like numeral appliques, arrow-shaped hour markers and sword-shaped hands create a captivating play of light. Powered by the reliable Calibre T601 self-winding movement and water resistant to 100m, the Tudor 1926 also comes with a five-year international guarantee. Available at Tudor .A perfect camera may capture wonderful moments for the budding newcomer and the advanced professional. Here is a list of the best cameras of 2025—the blend of performance with features to meet various requirements with prices therein defined: 1. Sony Alpha 1 Price: $6,500 50.1 MP full-frame sensor 30 fps continuous shooting 8K video recording Real-time eye autofocus for humans and animals Sony Alpha 1 is a futuristic camera built for professionals requiring high resolution and fast response time. The new autofocus system is excellent, providing 92% accuracy in tracking moving subjects, which is excellent for sports or wildlife photography. 2. Canon EOS R5 Mark II Price: $4,200 45 MP full-frame sensor Advanced Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus 8K RAW video recording Built-in AI-based stabilization Canon's latest offering targets creators who can deliver stills and video and switch back and forth if needed. Professional analysts say the R5 Mark II has a 20% improved dynamic range over its predecessor. 3. Nikon Z8 Price: $3,999 45.7 MP stacked CMOS sensor 20 fps RAW burst shooting 493-point autofocus system Weather-sealed body Nikon Z8 packs several professional features into a smaller and more compact unit that caters to enthusiasts who are stepping up their digital photography. The camera's incredible ruggedness and fast-tight focusing speed have placed it on the pedestal for traveling photographers. 4. Fujifilm X-T5 Price: $1,799 40.2 MP APS-C sensor 15 fps mechanical shutter Film simulation modes Compact and lightweight design Fujifilm's X-T5 is a dream come true for those into vintage and street photography. Its advanced film simulation modes based on old-school styles have made it one of the most sought-after cameras. 5. Olympus OM SYSTEM OM-1 Price: $2,200 20.4 MP Micro Four Thirds sensor 50 MP handheld high-res shot mode Weatherproof build 120 fps burst mode Compact and versatile, the OM-1 is for adventurers and macro-photography devotees alike. With a whopping 85% of travelers preferring lightweight cameras, Olympus delivers portability without compromising quality . Why These Cameras are on Our Radar Cameras in 2025 will feature groundbreaking technologies of AI-powered autofocus , 8K video, and extended dynamic ranges to meet the dynamic still image and moving image requirements of the ever-changing nature of photography today. This list has something for everyone, from landscape to portrait to action shooting. Enter 2025 with the perfect camera tailored to your style and vision. Whether you’re capturing beautiful family photos or building a professional portfolio, one of these options will set a new standard for outstanding photography.
ATHENS, Ga. — This one’s going to hurt for a while. Ahead by 17 points at the half, by 14 with four minutes left in regulation, Georgia Tech tasted the most bitter of defeats. And instead of sweet, sweet victory over a most hated rival, instead of stunning a national power for whom a win Friday was widely assumed, the Yellow Jackets and their fan base once again have only heartbreak. What if Tech could have converted a fourth-and-1 (or a third-and-1) from the Georgia 25 early on? What if the Jackets hadn’t missed a 25-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter? What if the Tech defense could have made only one play to stop any of Georgia’s three fourth-quarter touchdown drives? What if the Jackets could have converted a first down after taking possession of the ball with 3:33 left in regulation and leading 27-20? What if Tech could have scored on either of the two overtime periods when it had the ball second after a failed Bulldogs attempt and could have ended the game with a successful two-point conversion? What if, what if, what if? No. 7 Georgia 44, Georgia Tech 42, eight overtimes. For the seventh consecutive meeting, the Jackets fell to their in-state rivals, this time in a fashion that was like a gut punch followed by a kick to the face and finished off with strangers barking loudly in their face. But what ought not be forgotten in such a crushing defeat was the incontrovertible evidence that Tech has become a team to be reckoned with — in college football, in the ACC and undoubtedly in the state of Georgia. It took Georgia, a national championship contender playing in front of its vaunted home crowd — where it hadn’t lost in its past 30 games — eight overtimes to survive its archrival’s upset attempt. Only once in college football history have two teams played more overtimes, a nine-overtime game between Illinois and Penn State in 2021. That was the degree to which Georgia and Tech were evenly matched. This at the end of a regular season in which the Jackets beat two top-10 teams, won more regular-season games (seven) than they had won since 2018 and earned back-to-back bowl bids for the first time since their 18-year bowl streak ended in the 2015 season. If Georgia goes on to win the national title, the Bulldogs and their fan base will have to look upon that late November night at Sanford Stadium and feel thankful (and perhaps lucky) that the Jackets didn’t have one more play in them. It was so, so close. Entering the game as 17-point underdogs, the Yellow Jackets took control of the game from the start. They drove into Georgia territory on their first five possessions, twice scoring touchdowns, while forcing two punts, a turnover, a fourth-down stop and a missed field-goal attempt in Georgia’s first five times with the ball. They led 17-0 at the half, the first time the Bulldogs had been held scoreless through halftime since 2019. If anyone had doubted Tech’s capacity to take down the Bulldogs before kickoff, the time for disbelief had passed. Tech continued to control the game into the third quarter, with the Jackets answering two Georgia touchdown drives with a field goal and a touchdown. Quarterback Haynes King, his right (throwing) shoulder in much better health than it had been in Tech’s previous two games when his passing ability was severely limited, was at his gritty playmaking best. When he ran in a keeper from 11 yards out that (along with an Aidan Birr point-after try) put the Jackets up 27-13 with 5:37 to play in regulation, it seemed safe for Tech fans to start to celebrate. Indeed, Georgia fans began to leave Sanford Stadium, their expectations of victory dashed. But, as is the history of this one-sided rivalry, the talented Bulldogs had the final say. Georgia drove 75 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 27-20 with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter, then forced a fumble out of King on a fateful third-and-1 carry from the Tech 31. It followed another “what if?” — a King pass to receiver Abdul Janneh on second-and-13 in which Janneh was forced out of bounds just shy of the marker. Georgia exploited the mistake and tied the score with a 32-yard touchdown drive that finished with 1:01 left in the fourth quarter. In the wildest back-and-forth struggle in overtime, Georgia and Tech could not be separated, stuck to each other like magnets bound by titanium and sealed in a vacuum. Seven overtimes could not yield a winner. The two teams matched touchdowns and extra points (first overtime), then touchdowns and failed mandatory two-point tries (second overtime), then failed two-point conversion tries (third and fourth overtimes), then successful conversions (fifth overtime), then failed conversions (sixth and seventh overtimes). The seventh had a now-or-never feel for the Jackets. Going first, Georgia was stopped on a Carson Beck keeper when the Bulldogs borrowed from the Tech playbook with a fake toss by Beck and a run up the middle, a King staple. He was stopped short by safety Omar Daniels. Tech could now win with a conversion from the 3-yard line. Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner dug deep from his own cache of plays, lining up both offensive tackles and both guards near the sideline. The resulting pass play yielded a pass interference against Georgia and now the Jackets had the ball at the 1 1/2-yard line. If the Jackets could just punch it in from 54 inches out, victory would be theirs. But King, carrying after a fake handoff, was tackled well short of the goal line. And in the eighth overtime, Georgia finally prevailed. King threw incomplete to receiver Eric Singleton Jr. and then Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier scored on a run up the middle. In the first minutes of Saturday morning, game (finally) over. Some Tech players walked straight to the locker room. King, who had played so valiantly, graciously wandered through the field finding Bulldogs players to congratulate before heading back to the locker room. There is one consolation for Tech and its fan base. Tech must have Georgia’s full attention now. It already had Smart’s. He has seen his colleague Key build this program and claim recruits that the Bulldogs have gone after, something that hasn’t always happened in this state. “This rivalry is good for our state, and that’s what Brent and I shared before the game and after the game,” Smart said. Where recent Tech-Georgia meetings have been so one-sided in the red team’s favor that it barely seemed like a rivalry and losses nothing to lose sleep over, that’s no longer the case. But on this cold night, that might have been about it. ©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A bid by The Onion satirical news outlet to buy Alex Jones' conspiracy theory platform Infowars returned Monday to a Texas courtroom, where a judge heard arguments on whether a bankruptcy auction was properly run as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston is looking into the November auction and how a trustee chose The Onion over the only other bidder — a company affiliated with Jones that offered twice as much money as The Onion. The judge said the hearing would last into Monday evening and pick up again on Tuesday afternoon. The sale of Infowars is part of Jones' personal bankruptcy case , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control. Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Jones' personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy judgments issued by juries and judges in state courts in Connecticut and Texas. Some proceeds will go to Jones' other creditors. The Onion, which wants to turn Infowars' website and social media accounts into parodies , offered $1.75 million for Infowars' assets in the auction, while First United American Companies — which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements — bid $3.5 million. The Onion's bid also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, chose The Onion, saying its proposal was better for creditors because they would receive more money. Joshua Wolfshohl, an attorney for Murray, told the judge Monday that no wrongdoing occurred during the auction. He called the complaints by Jones and First United American Companies unfounded. “The vast majority of their complaints are just fantastic, imagined conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality," he said. Jones' lawyer, Ben Broocks, questioned Murray's rationale for choosing The Onion and alleged that a recent deposition of the trustee showed improprieties. He also questioned the validity of The Onion's bid, saying it was technically valued at $7 million because of the incentive offered by the Sandy Hook families. An auction company executive involved in the sale testified most of the afternoon. In court filings, Jones and First United American Companies accused Murray, The Onion and the Sandy Hook families of illegally colluding on the bidding, committing fraud and violating the judge's rules for the auction. Murray, The Onion and the families deny the allegations. In his own court filing, Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.” Up for sale at the auction were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, as well as its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations. Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened . On Friday, a Connecticut appeals court reduced by $150 million the original $1.44 billion judgment against Jones in the lawsuit against him in that state, but upheld the rest of the award. Jones' lawyer said he will ask Connecticut's highest court to review the appellate ruling. Jones is also appealing a $50 million judgment in a similar Texas defamation lawsuit.None
Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Total Revenue of $529.4 million , up 22% Year-over-Year Continued Strong Customer Growth with Over 52,600 Customers as of October 31, 2024 MongoDB Atlas Revenue up 26% Year-over-Year; 68% of Total Q3 Revenue NEW YORK , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MongoDB, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDB ) today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended October 31, 2024 . "MongoDB's third quarter results were significantly ahead of expectations on the top and bottom line, driven by better-than-expected EA performance and 26% Atlas revenue growth. We continue to see success winning new business due to the superiority of MongoDB's developer data platform in addressing a wide variety of mission-critical use cases," said Dev Ittycheria, President and Chief Executive Officer of MongoDB. "We continue to invest in our legacy app modernization and AI offerings as our document model and distributed architecture are exceptionally well suited for customers looking to build highly-performant, modern applications. MongoDB is in a great position to be a central pillar of the emerging AI tech stack and benefit from the next wave of application development in the years ahead." Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights Revenue: Total revenue was $529.4 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, an increase of 22% year-over-year. Subscription revenue was $512.2 million , an increase of 22% year-over-year, and services revenue was $17.2 million , an increase of 18% year-over-year. Gross Profit: Gross profit was $394.0 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, representing a 74% gross margin compared to 75% in the year-ago period. Non-GAAP gross profit was $405.7 million , representing a 77% non-GAAP gross margin, consistent with a non-GAAP gross margin of 77% in the year-ago period. Loss from Operations: Loss from operations was $27.9 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, compared to a loss from operations of $45.2 million in the year-ago period. Non-GAAP income from operations was $101.5 million , compared to non-GAAP income from operations of $78.5 million in the year-ago period. Net Loss: Net loss was $9.8 million , or $0.13 per share, based on 74.0 million weighted-average shares outstanding, for the third quarter of fiscal 2025. This compares to a net loss of $29.3 million , or $0.41 per share, in the year-ago period. Non-GAAP net income was $98.1 million , or $1.16 per share, based on 84.2 million diluted weighted-average shares outstanding. This compares to a non-GAAP net income of $79.1 million , or $0.96 per share, in the year-ago period. Cash Flow : As of October 31, 2024 , MongoDB had $2.3 billion in cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and restricted cash. During the three months ended October 31, 2024 , MongoDB generated $37.4 million of cash in operations, used $2.0 million of cash in capital expenditures and used $0.9 million of cash in principal repayments of finance leases, leading to free cash flow of $34.6 million , compared to free cash flow of $35.0 million in the year-ago period. A reconciliation of each non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure has been provided in the financial statement tables included at the end of this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures." Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 and Recent Business Highlights MongoDB announced the general availability of MongoDB 8.0, the best-performing version of MongoDB. With more than 45 architectural enhancements and new features like vector quantization in MongoDB Atlas Vector Search, MongoDB 8.0 provides significant performance improvements, reduced costs, and additional scalability, resilience, and data security capabilities. MongoDB continues to expand its partnerships with the major cloud providers. At Amazon Web Services' (AWS) re:Invent conference, MongoDB was named AWS's Technology Partner of the Year for North America . MongoDB also announced that it obtained the AWS Modernization Competency designation and launched a MongoDB University course focused on building AI applications with MongoDB and AWS. At Microsoft Ignite, MongoDB announced new technology integrations for AI, data analytics, and automating database deployments across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments. Launched in July 2024 , the MongoDB AI Applications Program (MAAP) is designed to help companies unleash the power of their data and to take advantage of rapidly advancing AI technologies. We recently announced that Capgemini, Confluent, IBM, Unstructured, and QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey have joined the MAAP ecosystem, offering customers additional integration and solution options. Executive Leadership Update Michael Gordon , MongoDB's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, will be stepping down at the end of the Company's fiscal year on January 31, 2025 , and afterwards will serve as an advisor to ensure a smooth transition. The Company has commenced an executive search process for a new CFO and will evaluate internal and external candidates. Serge Tanjga, MongoDB's Senior Vice President of Finance, will serve as interim CFO starting February 1st if a permanent successor has not been named by that date. Dev Ittycheria commented, "On behalf of everyone at MongoDB, I want to thank Michael for everything he has done to contribute to our success in his nearly 10 years with the company. In Michael's time here, MongoDB had a successful IPO, has grown revenue nearly 50x and has successfully scaled the business model to generate meaningful operating leverage. Michael has also built out a world-class finance team that I am confident will deliver a smooth transition to a new CFO in the coming months." Michael Gordon said, "I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished as a team in my almost ten years with the company. While we have achieved much success to date, I strongly believe MongoDB is still in the early stages of realizing its full potential as it continues to expand its share in one of the largest markets in software. I'd like to thank Dev for our tremendous partnership this past decade." Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2025 Guidance Based on information available to management as of today, December 9, 2024 , MongoDB is issuing the following financial guidance for the fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2025. Reconciliations of non-GAAP income from operations and non-GAAP net income per share guidance to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are not available without unreasonable efforts on a forward-looking basis due to the high variability, complexity and low visibility with respect to the charges excluded from these non-GAAP measures; in particular, the measures and effects of stock-based compensation expense specific to equity compensation awards that are directly impacted by unpredictable fluctuations in MongoDB's stock price. MongoDB expects the variability of the above charges to have a significant, and potentially unpredictable, impact on its future GAAP financial results. Conference Call Information MongoDB will host a conference call today, December 9, 2024 , at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its financial results and business outlook. A live webcast of the call will be available on the "Investor Relations" page of MongoDB's website at https://investors.mongodb.com . To access the call by phone, please go to this link ( registration link ), and you will be provided with dial in details. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. A replay of the webcast will also be available for a limited time at http://investors.mongodb.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements concerning MongoDB's financial guidance for the fourth fiscal quarter and full year fiscal 2025. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts and statements identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "will," "would" or the negative or plural of these words or similar expressions or variations. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and are subject to a variety of assumptions, uncertainties, risks and factors that are beyond our control including, without limitation: our customers renewing their subscriptions with us and expanding their usage of software and related services; the effects of the ongoing military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas on our business and future operating results; economic downturns and/or the effects of rising interest rates, inflation and volatility in the global economy and financial markets on our business and future operating results; our potential failure to meet publicly announced guidance or other expectations about our business and future operating results; our limited operating history; our history of losses; failure of our platform to satisfy customer demands; the effects of increased competition; our investments in new products and our ability to introduce new features, services or enhancements; our ability to effectively expand our sales and marketing organization; our ability to continue to build and maintain credibility with the developer community; our ability to add new customers or increase sales to our existing customers; our ability to maintain, protect, enforce and enhance our intellectual property; the effects of social, ethical and regulatory issues relating to the use of new and evolving technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in our offerings or partnerships; the growth and expansion of the market for database products and our ability to penetrate that market; our ability to integrate acquired businesses and technologies successfully or achieve the expected benefits of such acquisitions; our ability to maintain the security of our software and adequately address privacy concerns; our ability to manage our growth effectively and successfully recruit and retain additional highly-qualified personnel; and the price volatility of our common stock. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 31, 2024 , filed with the SEC on August 30, 2024 . Additional information will be made available in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 , and other filings and reports that we may file from time to time with the SEC. Except as required by law, we undertake no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events, changes in expectations or otherwise. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release includes the following financial measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC: non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per share and free cash flow. Non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin exclude expenses associated with stock-based compensation. Non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share exclude: expenses associated with stock-based compensation including employer payroll taxes upon the vesting and exercising of stock-based awards and expenses related to stock appreciation rights previously issued to our employees in China ; amortization of intangible assets for the acquired technology and acquired customer relationships associated with prior acquisitions; and in the case of non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share, amortization of the debt issuance costs associated with our convertible senior notes and gains or losses on our financial instruments; additionally, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share are adjusted for an assumed provision for income taxes based on an estimated long-term non-GAAP tax rate. The non-GAAP tax rate was calculated utilizing a three-year financial projection that excludes the direct impact of the GAAP to non-GAAP adjustments and considers other factors such as operating structure and existing tax positions in various jurisdictions. We intend to periodically reevaluate the projected long-term tax rate, as necessary, for significant events and our ongoing analysis of relevant tax law changes. MongoDB uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believes they are useful to investors, as a supplement to GAAP measures, in evaluating MongoDB's ongoing operational performance. MongoDB believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing its financial results with other companies in MongoDB's industry, many of which may present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors. Free cash flow represents net cash from/used in operating activities, less capital expenditures, principal repayments of finance lease liabilities and capitalized software development costs, if any. MongoDB uses free cash flow to understand and evaluate its liquidity and to generate future operating plans. The exclusion of capital expenditures, principal repayments of finance lease liabilities and amounts capitalized for software development facilitates comparisons of MongoDB's liquidity on a period-to-period basis and excludes items that it does not consider to be indicative of its liquidity. MongoDB believes that free cash flow is a measure of liquidity that provides useful information to investors in understanding and evaluating the strength of its liquidity and future ability to generate cash that can be used for strategic opportunities or investing in its business in the same manner as MongoDB's management and board of directors. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. In particular, other companies may report non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per share, free cash flow or similarly titled measures but calculate them differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, as presented below. This earnings press release and any future releases containing such non-GAAP reconciliations can also be found on the Investor Relations page of MongoDB's website at https://investors.mongodb.com . About MongoDB Headquartered in New York , MongoDB's mission is to empower innovators to create, transform, and disrupt industries by unleashing the power of software and data. Built by developers, for developers, MongoDB's developer data platform is a database with an integrated set of related services that allow development teams to address the growing requirements for today's wide variety of modern applications, all in a unified and consistent user experience. MongoDB has tens of thousands of customers in over 100 countries. The MongoDB database platform has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times since 2007, and there have been millions of builders trained through MongoDB University courses. To learn more, visit mongodb.com . Investor Relations Brian Denyeau ICR for MongoDB 646-277-1251 [email protected] Media Relations MongoDB [email protected] SOURCE MongoDB, Inc.AP News Summary at 3:38 p.m. EST
MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Hologic, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOLX) announced today that Martin Madaus has been elected to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective December 6, 2024. Dr. Madaus was also appointed to the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee effective December 6, 2024. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209400549/en/ Dr. Martin Madaus (Photo: Business Wire) Dr. Madaus, who has more than 30 years of diagnostics and life sciences industry experience, currently serves as an Operating Executive at the Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, which he joined in February 2019. Prior to joining the Carlyle Group, Dr. Madaus held the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Inc., a diagnostics company that makes products and diagnostic testing equipment for blood testing. Dr. Madaus previously served as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Milipore Corporation, a life sciences company serving the bioscience research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, until its acquisition by Merck KGaA in 2010. “We’re delighted to welcome Martin to Hologic’s Board of Directors,” said Steve MacMillan, Hologic’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “With his deep industry, technical, business and international experiences, Martin represents yet another strong addition to our deep and experienced Board.” Dr. Madaus received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Munich in Germany and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine from the Veterinary School of Hanover in Germany. About Hologic, Inc. Hologic, Inc. is an innovative medical technology company primarily focused on improving women's health and well-being through early detection and treatment. For more information on Hologic, visit www.hologic.com . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties, including statements about the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, and statements regarding the Company's Board of Directors. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by the Company as of this date and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Company may not be able to attract and retain qualified Board members or executives. These risks are not exhaustive. Other factors that could adversely affect the Company's business and prospects are described in the filings made by the Company with the SEC. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements presented here to reflect any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. SOURCE: Hologic, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209400549/en/ CONTACT: Investor Contact: Ryan Simon +1 858.410.8514 ryan.simon@hologic.comMedia Contact: Bridget Perry +1 508.263.8654 bridget.perry@hologic.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH MEDICAL DEVICES CONSUMER WOMEN HEALTH TECHNOLOGY GENERAL HEALTH BIOTECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Hologic, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209400549/en
Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward were announced as the Heisman Trophy finalists on Monday night. The Heisman has been given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player since 1935. This year’s winner will be announced Saturday in New York. The top four vote-getters determined by more than 900 voters are selected as finalists. The voting panel includes members of the media and former Heisman winners. A look, in alphabetical order, at each of the finalist’s road to Manhattan. Gabriel Gabriel, who transferred from Oklahoma in the offseason, led unbeaten and top-ranked Oregon to the Big Ten championship in its first year in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Gabriel averages 274 yards passing per game and has thrown for 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate is second in the nation. His 35 total touchdowns are tied for seventh nationally, and his career total of 187 is the highest in NCAA history. He set the all-time Football Bowl Subdivision record for career quarterback starts with his 62nd in the Big Ten title game. Hunter Hunter, will go down as one of the great two-way players in history. His accomplishments harken those of Charles Woodson, the Michigan cornerback who in 1997 became the first Heisman winner who primarily played defense. Woodson also spent time at receiver, but Hunter’s offensive production dwarfs his. Hunter was named All-Big 12 first-team receiver and earned honorable mention for offensive player of the year. He leads the Big 12 with 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns and is second with 1,152 yards. His 21 receiving plays of 20-plus yards lead the nation. He also is Big 12 defensive player of the year and a unanimous first-team defensive back after recording 31 tackles, tying for the Big 12 lead with 11 pass breakups and tying for second with four interceptions. Jeanty The junior running back has had one of the most productive seasons in college football history. His 2,497 yards rushing are the fourth-highest single-season total in the FBS, and his 192.1 yards per game lead the nation and are 58 more than the next highest average. Jeanty has rushed for at least 125 yards in 13 straight games. Jeanty has gone over 200 yards in his last two games and a total of six times this season. He averages 7.26 yards per cary, and his 344 attempts are the most in the FBS in two seasons. He and Army’s Bryson Daily share the national lead with 29 rushing touchdowns. Ward The Miami quarterback was named Associated Press offensive player of the year and newcomer of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday. He leads the nation with a school-record 36 passing touchdowns and his 4,123 passing yards, 4,319 total yards, 343.6 passing yards per game and 41 total touchdowns rank second. Ward leads the nation’s highest-scoring offense (44.2 ypg). He became the first Miami quarterback to post seven straight 300-yard games, and he has 10 games with 300-plus yards and three or more TD passes. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to his “wonderful” brother Nick, who has died aged 60 after suffering from cancer. The Prime Minister said his younger brother, who had learning difficulties because of complications at birth, had met “all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour”. He died peacefully on Boxing Day, according to the Prime Minister’s spokesman. The Prime Minister had been due to go on holiday with his family on Friday, but it is understood that he will now remain at home, and hopes to join them later. Sir Keir said in a statement: “My brother Nick was a wonderful man. “He met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour. We will miss him very much. “I would like to thank all those who treated and took care of Nick. Their skill and compassion is very much appreciated.” Sir Keir spoke candidly about his brother in a recent biography written by journalist and former Labour Party adviser Tom Baldwin. While growing up in Surrey, the brothers shared a bunk bed in a room with an airing cupboard, and “just enough space for a couple of small desks where we’d do our homework”. The biography recorded how each child of the Starmer family was given a dog for their 10th birthday, and Nick and his twin sister Katy received Jack Russell terriers called Greg and Ben. The book also described how their mother, Jo, had taught Nick to read, but Sir Keir remembered how the school described his brother as “remedial”. Sir Keir, the middle child of four siblings, said: “They had no expectation of him or anything and I’m not sure he even sat exams, so he had nothing to show for coming out of education. “We were a family of six, so it didn’t feel lonely and I shared a room with him, but Nick didn’t have many friends and got called ‘thick’ or ‘stupid’ by other kids.” He added: “Even now I try to avoid using words like that to describe anyone.” Nick worked on scrap cars and scaffolding, earning enough money to rent a home near where he had grown up, according to the book. It said Sir Keir was best man at Nick’s wedding, and the now Prime Minister recalled borrowing a car so his brother was not “driving his bride from the church in his beaten-up minivan, which had all his clothes in the back”. The marriage ended and Nick lived for some time in Yorkshire. In 2022, Sir Keir stepped away from local election campaigning to make several hospital visits to see his brother, who was seriously ill at the time. The Prime Minister also spoke about Nick in his speech at this year’s Labour Party conference in Liverpool. As he described his early encounters with art and culture, and the need to remove social barriers, Sir Keir told delegates: “My brother, who had difficulties learning, he didn’t get those opportunities. “Every time I achieved something in my life, my dad used to say, ‘Your brother has achieved just as much as you, Keir’. “And he was right. I still believe that.” Mr Baldwin, writing for The Times on Friday, recalled the moment in 2023 that he learned from Sir Keir that his brother was dying of lung cancer. He wrote: “This has been a huge part of his life over the past couple of years, during which he made regular trips to Leeds where his brother was in hospital. “Even during the election campaign and since he entered Downing Street, Starmer has continued to visit without a camera crew in sight. “He got to know the staff treating his brother so well that he could recite all their names and they would let him into the hospital through a back door so that there would be no publicity.” Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was among those in the world of politics to offer their condolences. She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “This is such awful news. Particularly devastating at Christmas time. “My sincere condolences to Keir Starmer and all his family.” Irish premier Simon Harris wrote: “My sincere sympathy to Keir Starmer and his family on such sad news. “They are in my thoughts at this difficult time.”
A bid by The Onion satirical news outlet to buy Alex Jones' conspiracy theory platform Infowars returned Monday to a Texas courtroom, where a judge heard arguments on whether a bankruptcy auction was properly run as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston is looking into the November auction and how a trustee chose The Onion over the only other bidder — a company affiliated with Jones that offered twice as much money as The Onion. The judge said the hearing would last into Monday evening and pick up again on Tuesday afternoon. The sale of Infowars is part of Jones' personal bankruptcy case , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control. Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Jones' personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy judgments issued by juries and judges in state courts in Connecticut and Texas. Some proceeds will go to Jones' other creditors. The Onion, which wants to turn Infowars' website and social media accounts into parodies , offered $1.75 million for Infowars' assets in the auction, while First United American Companies — which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements — bid $3.5 million. The Onion's bid also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, chose The Onion, saying its proposal was better for creditors because they would receive more money. Joshua Wolfshohl, an attorney for Murray, told the judge Monday that no wrongdoing occurred during the auction. He called the complaints by Jones and First United American Companies unfounded. “The vast majority of their complaints are just fantastic, imagined conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality," he said. Jones' lawyer, Ben Broocks, questioned Murray's rationale for choosing The Onion and alleged that a recent deposition of the trustee showed improprieties. He also questioned the validity of The Onion's bid, saying it was technically valued at $7 million because of the incentive offered by the Sandy Hook families. An auction company executive involved in the sale testified most of the afternoon. In court filings, Jones and First United American Companies accused Murray, The Onion and the Sandy Hook families of illegally colluding on the bidding, committing fraud and violating the judge's rules for the auction. Murray, The Onion and the families deny the allegations. In his own court filing, Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.” Up for sale at the auction were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, as well as its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations. Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened . On Friday, a Connecticut appeals court reduced by $150 million the original $1.44 billion judgment against Jones in the lawsuit against him in that state, but upheld the rest of the award. Jones' lawyer said he will ask Connecticut's highest court to review the appellate ruling. Jones is also appealing a $50 million judgment in a similar Texas defamation lawsuit.Maxeon Solar Technologies GAAP EPS of -$0.47, revenue of $88.56M beats by $22.96MResearch at National Jewish Health and other institutions has shown that the biologic dupilumab improves signs and symptoms of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) in young children whether or not they have another inflammatory condition, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis or food allergies. Dupilumab had previously been shown to be effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, but this research is the first to examine the drug's efficacy in children with atopic dermatitis and co-morbid conditions. The study was recently published in the journal Advances in Therapy . Dupilumab has proven to be an important treatment for pediatric patients suffering from atopic dermatitis. Our recent research was to help us know if the drug would be as effective in patients with both atopic dermatitis and other common atopic diseases that could add to the inflammatory burden." Mark Boguniewicz, MD, pediatric allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health and lead author on the study Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the skin. Skin barrier abnormalities, along with underlying immune dysregulation and altered microbial skin colonization, contribute to the disease process. In some patients, atopic dermatitis is the first manifestation of a progression of atopic diseases, including allergies and asthma, termed the "atopic march." Atopic dermatitis affects an estimated 15% of children who experience persistent difficulty controlling pruritus or itch with associated scratching, further skin barrier damage, secondary skin infections and sleep disturbance. "With this illness, the quality of life of our patients and their families is negatively impacted, and this takes a toll on school or job performance and social interactions," said Dr. Boguniewicz Related Stories Severe pregnancy complications reduce likelihood of having more children Children's Colorado earns prestigious cardiomyopathy recognition Heart health benefits soar with regular sleep schedules, research finds For the study, investigators evaluated children aged 6 months to 5 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who had been treated with either dupilumab or a placebo. Researchers compared patients who had only atopic dermatitis to those who had atopic dermatitis plus additional "type 2" inflammatory diseases, such as asthma and allergies. Results showed that dupilumab improved atopic dermatitis signs and symptoms in both groups of patients. "Many children suffer from multiple allergic conditions at the same time, so knowing that dupilumab can be used to safely and effectively treat their atopic dermatitis whether or not they have additional atopic diseases such as asthma or allergies is an important step forward," explained Dr. Boguniewicz. National Jewish Health Boguniewicz, M., et al . (2024). Dupilumab is Efficacious in Young Children with Atopic Dermatitis Regardless of Type 2 Comorbidities. Advances in Therapy . doi.org/10.1007/s12325-024-02998-4 .
Upcoming Smartphone Launches In December 2024: iQOO, Redmi, Vivo, OnePlus, MoreThe leader of Sinn Fein has expressed determination to form a government of the left in Ireland as she insisted her party’s performance in the General Election had broken the state’s political mould. Despite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.UK and Finland uniting over nuclear energy
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cast of the amazing digital circus
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies’ plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments in New Orleans or seizing their property without following city laws and due process. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had called earlier this month for the City of New Orleans to remove a large encampment before Thanksgiving and warned he would intervene if the city did not comply. “If a judge believes that people have a right to be on whatever public space they choose, maybe that judge should have them move into her chambers and courtroom,” Landry said after the judge issued the restraining order Monday. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Katharine Stegall said the agency’s legal team and the state Attorney General’s Office are reviewing the order. State police have “promptly halted activities” and are “complying with the restrictions” of the order, Stegall said. RELATED COVERAGE Wiggins scores 30, Warriors win their NBA Cup group with a 112-108 triumph over the Pelicans Court ruling stops Louisiana from requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms for now Amazon and Elon Musk’s SpaceX challenge labor agency’s constitutionality in federal court Landry and New Orleans officials have repeatedly clashed over how to address the issue of homelessness in the city. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris said Monday that directing more resources towards moving homeless people into stable housing was “infinitely more effective than punitive sweeps” of encampments. “Coordination between the government and service providers on the housing of people is imperative, and continuously moving people only makes it that much harder to house them,” Harris said. But the governor has pushed to clear homeless encampments. In late October, Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Transportation and Development converged on a homeless encampment under a highway to remove and relocate dozens of people prior to pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts in the nearby Superdome. Some people who had been away at the time of the clearances returned to the area to find they had lost their personal property including family heirlooms, identification documents and medication, according to testimony in court documents. City officials and advocates for homeless people decried the evictions and said they disrupted ongoing efforts to secure long-term housing for these individuals because they became harder to locate. A judge later granted a temporary restraining order preventing more clearances but declined to extend it beyond early November after lawyers representing the state police indicated in court that removals tied to the Taylor Swift concerts had ceased. But on Friday, homeless people began receiving flyers from state police officers ordering them to leave their encampments within 24 hours, according to a motion for relief filed on behalf of two homeless plaintiffs by the Southern Poverty Law Center and two other legal groups. The planned sweeps preceded the Bayou Classic football game on Saturday between Southern University and Grambling State University at the Superdome. “Your presence is considered a violation,” the flyers stated, according to the motion for relief. However, they were halted by the new temporary restraining order. On Dec. 3, the judge is scheduled to deliberate on whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the three state agencies. “The vulnerable people with disabilities who make up the vast majority of people living in the street deserve to be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” said Joe Heeren-Mueller, director of community engagement for Unity of Greater New Orleans, a homeless outreach organization. There are about 1,450 homeless people in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, according to a January survey by the nonprofit Unity of Greater New Orleans. The city has committed to securing housing for these individuals by the end of 2025. _____ Brook 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. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96Watch: Packers RB Josh Jacobs has dominant first half vs. 49ers
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