Peavy's 24 help Georgetown beat Albany 100-68

Plants to Feng Shui a patio – 5 picks to create a soothing outdoor sanctuary

ANDRE ONANA should leave Manchester United if he fails to arrest his nightmare run of form. That is the verdict of former Old Trafford misfit Massimo Taibi, who went down in Red Devils folklore for a massive howler against Southampton’s Matt Le Tissier in 1999. Cameroonian keeper Onana, 28, has had plenty of flak following a string of errors since his arrival from Inter Milan in July 2023. The bloopers culminated in a Boxing Day shocker when he was beaten direct from a Matheus Cunha corner in the defeat at Wolves. And ex-keeper Taibi, 54, reckons Onana might be better off resurrecting his career away from United. He said: “I’d be straight to the point and tell him, ‘Andre, you are one of the best keepers in Europe but in the Premier League, you are under- performing. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL "Block out criticism, do some soul-searching, press the reset and go again. And if things don’t change by June, move on’. “I think subconsciously the United environment isn’t ideal for him and when a marriage is showing cracks, it’s pointless to continue. “Sometimes things don’t work out at a team and it’s best to go separate ways, which would not be a failure. "For me he’s a strong goalkeeper who finds himself in a situation where he can’t show his skills because he is not cut out for the English game. Most read in Football BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER S “He’s only suited to the Prem when it comes to his ball-playing ability and structure.” Taibi — who allowed Le Tissier’s long-range shot to go through his legs, into the net — believes Onana would excel in Italy or France . Ahead of tomorrow’s visit from Newcastle , he added: “Andre’s a better fit for an Italian or French team. For English football you need a goalkeeper who is more imposing, regularly comes off his line using his fists and with a different saving technique. “In his place I’d not have left Inter, where he was a big-shot. He made a calculated risk thinking he would slot in seamlessly at Manchester United but it backfired. “But even though he hasn’t lived up to expectations he remains a top keeper, one of the best in Europe.” EXCLUSIVE by ALESSANDRO SCHIAVONE MASSIMO TAIBI has warned error-prone Manchester United keeper Andre Onana it is “one hell of task” to come back from the dead once people have written you off. Ex-Red Devils keeper Taibi, 54, even joked the under-fire Cameroon ace should pop up with a GOAL every now and then to bury the memory of his howlers. In two defeats this month, Onana was at fault for a Morgan Gibbs-White goal from long range for Nottingham Forest and for conceding directly from a corner kick from Wolves’ Matheus Cunha. Taibi, infamous for letting a harmless shot from Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier squirm under his body and in at Old Trafford in 1999, said: “He can only erase a mistake from collective consciousness with ten to 15 top performances. “If his howlers are still be a major talking point it’s because he has done nothing to wipe them away. “A keeper sets himself apart as mentally he is normally the strongest. If a striker misses five chances he still gets acclaimed but a goalkeeper who drops a clanger will be crucified for months. “To get out of that is possible — but it is one hell of a task. It’s normal some things stay inside Onana as he’s human. It can affect him but shouldn’t knock him down completely. “A keeper can’t play at the top level if he doesn’t have the ability to let things wash over him — composure is crucial.” Onana, signed in a £47.2million deal last year from Inter Milan, made a number of high-profile blunders last season. He let a weak Leroy Sane shot beat him in a 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich, made a dreadful pass that led to a red card for team-mate Casemiro against Galatasaray, and allowed a weak Mathias Jensen shot to go under his body against Brentford. Taibi said: “Last year he had a poor season but it looked as if he’d recovered. “But sometimes when you get off to a bad start at a new club, even if then you play many blinders, the first mistake you make again they rub it in your face. “At every cock-up, people will point the finger at him due to the amount of errors he made last year. The roots of this season’s problems go all the way back to last term when his stock fell.” Taibi reckons a goal he scored with a header for Reggina in 2001 has helped fans forget his 1999 shocker. He said: “I get remembered for the goal I scored for Reggina otherwise I’d only be remembered for my United howler. A keeper who scores is out of the ordinary, especially in the 2000s. “Higuita is remembered for his scorpion kick and nobody remembers Chilavert for his saves but only for scoring free-kicks. “While Zenga, the best goalkeeper in the world for many years, is often remembered for that Caniggia error at Italia 90. It’s the tough law of a goalkeeper that you cannot change.” Onana has copped lots of flak but Taibi says he is messing up in a particular way. The Italian explained: “We can only talk about a ‘clanger’ if you get off your line and miss the ball or when you let a long-ranger squeeze through your hands and when you drop an easy shot. “But his are positional mistakes. For the corner, he should have stood a bit further forward. “He may have underestimated the trajectory of the ball because it’s unlikely to put the ball where Cunha has from that position. “And for Gibbs-White, he saw that he was getting his shot away and therefore anticipated the movement and when he saw the ball it was too late. “This normally would not have been picked on if he had played ten to 15 great games. But given he’s under heavy scrutiny, mistakes like this are magnified.” Onana, 28, often alternates worldie saves with his bloopers. Taibi warned: “Pulling off a miraculous save is easier than making a routine one as it’s you who makes it look easy when you collect the ball. "But for miraculous ones, if you succeed you’re a genius and if you don’t it’s not your fault anyway. “Keepers sometimes underestimate the so-called ‘easy’ ones. Slipping is avoidable if you’re more careful and maybe he’d have saved it had he made a backwards step. “It’s easier to keep out an impossible shot than being focused for 95 minutes! A split-second distraction can be fatal.” And Taibi joked United fans would “hit” him if they were to meet. He added: “I should never concede through my legs but I slipped while I was diving. If I hadn’t it would never have nestled through the way it has. “I’ve never been back to Old Trafford since I left and never met Le Tissier again. “I’d like to return one day but I don’t think the fans would recognise me. Well let’s hope so as if they do they will hit me! “My only regret is they made me look like someone who left because he failed. I had a four-year contract and nobody pushed me out. "I had private problems, my wife walked out on me, returning to Italy with my two kids on Christmas Eve. “I made a rushed decision based on how lonely I was. If I had my time again I’d have faced my problems in England. “Being branded a ‘flop’ and the worst keeper in Premier League history irks me even today as it’s a wrong assessment. “You cannot judge a keeper on four games, of which two were good performances! I played for Manchester United, you only do so if you were a great player.” By Ken Lawrence WOLVES landed a shock Boxing Day knockout as Manchester United's struggles continued. The 2-0 defeat means Ruben Amorim has won just two of the seven Premier League games he has taken charge of. United find themselves 14th in the table and today were not helped by Bruno Fernandes' red card and Andre Onana letting one in direct from a corner. Here is how SunSport rated the performances... ANDRE ONANA: 4 He needed to make an agile save from Jorgen Strand Larsen in the first half, but badly misjudged the flight of Cunha’s corner for the opening goal - his claim that he was obstructed by Matt Doherty was rejected. LENY YORO: 5 Recalled but booked after only four minutes for a foul on Cunha, so he was walking on eggshells and was tested by Wolves throughout. Subbed just after the hour mark. HARRY MAGUIRE: 6 The England defender did his best to keep United in the game when they were under pressure for long periods - at least he helped to stem the tide until the dying seconds and had a header on target in stoppage time. LISANDRO MARTINEZ: 6 Teamed up well with Maguire to stop Wolves from winning this more easily, he stood his ground and produced some important challenges in the latter stages before Wolves caught him on the break with the last action of the game. NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI: 5 Tenacious and determined, but was one of several players given a torrid time by the best player on the pitch - Cunha. MANUEL UGARTE: 5 Dispossesed too easily at times, struggled against a lively Wolves attack and was eventually taken off as one of Amorim’s subs following Fernandes’ red card. KOBBIE MAINOO: 5 Looked a threat early on, created some good openings, but he was booked after the break as United looked short on ideas. Faded and was subbed. DIOGO DALOT: 6 Brought a tremendous save from Jose Sa in the first half in what was a rare bright spot for United - but he had no major influence on a poor team display. AMAD DIALLO: 5 Lacked awareness of his team-mates sometimes and looked a shadow of the player who turned the Manchester derby around less than two weeks ago. BRUNO FERNANDES: 3 Sent off early in the second half for a second yellow after a challenge on Nelson Semedo, but the captain had cut a frustrated figure before that. RASMUS HOJLUND: 5 Became visibly annoyed at times at a lack of service from his team-mates, he had no joy up front and was subbed with 10 minutes left. SUBS Casemiro (for Mainoo, 63 mins): 6 Christian Eriksen (for Ugate, 63 mins): 6 Antony (for Yoro, 63 mins): 6 Alejandro Garnacho (for Amad, 79 mins): 5 Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 79 mins): 5WASHINGTON (AP) — Micah Peavy's 24 points helped Georgetown defeat Albany (NY) 100-68 on Saturday night. Peavy added eight assists, four steals, and three blocks for the Hoyas (6-1). Malik Mack scored 16 points while shooting 6 for 8, including 3 for 4 from beyond the arc. Thomas Sorber had 14 points and finished 6 of 9 from the field. Amar'e Marshall led the Great Danes (5-3) in scoring, finishing with 17 points and four steals. Kheni Briggs added 17 points. Justin Neely finished with 12 points. Georgetown took the lead with 9:05 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 49-35 at halftime, with Peavy racking up 17 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .With its lofty five-storeyed central tower, Haa Dzong looms large. Built in 1895, Wangchuck Lo Dzong, as it is formally known, was rebuilt in 1915 after it was destroyed by a fire. The whitewashed walls create the perfect backdrop for the intricately designed wooden balconies and colourful artwork. “The Bhutanese word ‘dzong’ translates to ‘fortress’ or ‘castle’,” says guide Tshewang Phunstso. The majestic dzongs serve as the religious, military, administrative, and social centres of their district. Traditionally built on strategic locations like hilltops or the confluence of rivers to provide natural defence and command views of the surrounding areas, dzong architecture is massive in style: the walls embrace a veritable maze—courtyards, temples, corridors, offices, classrooms, and accommodation for monks. Bhutanese dzong architecture reached its apogee in the 17th century under Ngawang Namgyal, the 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, who is said to have relied on visions and omens to site each of the dzongs. In 1629, he built the Simtokha Dzong, the oldest surviving dzong in Bhutan. Today, the remote Himalayan kingdom has 20 dzongs, each different and yet similar. The distinctive architectural elements—soaring central towers, large watchtowers, whitewashed fortified walls, and elaborate woodwork—typify Bhutanese architecture. “The walls, with intricate paintings and murals, depict our country’s rich cultural heritage via the many historical events, stories and legends,” Phunstso says. Marc Dujardin, in his study, From Living to Propelling Monument, writes: “Contrary to most medieval castles in Europe that are relatively dead monuments and literally ‘empty’ places, Bhutanese (dzongs) are still in use today. The dzong still accommodates the same political, religious and logistic functions it was originally designed for.” Every dzong stands tall as a living monument, representing the past in the present. The architecture is distinctively traditional: wattle-and-daub construction, rammed earth, stone masonry, and intricate woodwork. Traditionally, no plans were drawn on paper and the dzongs, with massive sloping walls, overhanging roofs, high inset windows, and dark bands of colourful painting, seem to be an organic part of the country’s rugged landscape. “The red, white and yellow used in the woodwork stands out against the lush greenery and blue waters,” Phunstso says. Thimphu, about 110 km from Haa, is home to Tashichho Dzong, the ‘Fortress of the Glorious Religion’, which has been the seat of the Royal Government of Bhutan since the capital moved from Punakha to Thimphu in 1962. “The annual Thimphu Tshechu is held here every September. Locals and tourists gather to witness the music and cultural performances that reveal Bhutan’s many traditions and customs,” Phunstso says. About 72 km from Thimphu stands one of Bhutan’s most beautiful dzongs. Punakha Dzong, also known as the ‘Palace of Great Happiness’, is situated at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu, and has been the site of momentous events such as the coronations of kings and the present king’s wedding. The dzong is also the winter residence of the official monk body, the dratshang. Punakha Dzong has three dochey (courtyards): the first, with a huge white victory chorten and bodhi tree, is used for administrative functions; the second houses the monastic quarters; while the third has the temple. The gorgeous murals, the magnificent gold statues of the Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, and the Zhabdrung, the gold-panelled pillars, and ornate wood carvings painted red, black, and gold are picture perfect. Built on a steep hillside, Paro Dzong, also known as Rinpung Dzong (Rinpung translates to “heap of jewels”), helped defend the Paro valley from invasions by Tibet numerous times. Comprising the dochey and a five-storeyed utse (central tower), the whitewashed structure sets off the richly carved and painted woodwork. The watchtower above the dzong, Ta Dong, is now the National Museum of Bhutan, and houses a large collection of religious relics, artifacts, traditional artwork, and historical objects. These dzongs offer a window into Bhutan’s rich history, culture, and religious traditions.Aston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle

Farage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbers

By MATTHEW BROWN and JACK DURA BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Donald Trump assigned Doug Burgum a singular mission in nominating the governor of oil-rich North Dakota to lead an agency that oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore: “Drill baby drill.” That dictate from the president-elect’s announcement of Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up on his family’s farm. He represents a tame choice compared to other Trump Cabinet picks. Public lands experts said his experience as a popular two-term governor who aligns himself with conservationist Teddy Roosevelt suggests a willingness to collaborate, as opposed to dismantling from within the agency he is tasked with leading. That could help smooth his confirmation and clear the way for the incoming administration to move quickly to open more public lands to development and commercial use. “Burgum strikes me as a credible nominee who could do a credible job as Interior secretary,” said John Leshy, who served as Interior’s solicitor under former President Bill Clinton. “He’s not a right-wing radical on public lands,” added Leshy, professor emeritus at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of the country’s land with a mandate that spans from wildlife conservation and recreation to natural resource extraction and fulfilling treaty obligations with Native American tribes. Most of those lands are in the West, where frictions with private landowners and state officials are commonplace and have sometimes mushroomed into violent confrontations with right-wing groups that reject federal jurisdiction. Burgum if confirmed would be faced with a pending U.S. Supreme Court action from Utah that seeks to assert state power over Interior Department lands. North Dakota’s attorney general has supported the lawsuit, but Burgum’s office declined to say if he backs Utah’s claims. U.S. Justice Department attorneys on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject Utah’s lawsuit. They said Utah in 1894 agreed to give up its right to the lands at issue when it became a state. Trump’s narrow focus on fossil fuels is a replay from his 2016 campaign — although minus coal mining, a collapsing industry that he failed to revive in his first term. Trump repeatedly hailed oil as “liquid gold” on the campaign trail this year and largely omitted any mention of coal. About 26% of U.S. oil comes from federal lands and offshore waters overseen by Interior. Production continues to hit record levels under President Joe Biden despite claims by Trump that the Democrat hindered drilling. But industry representatives and their Republican allies say volumes could be further boosted. They want Burgum and the Interior Department to ramp up oil and gas sales from federal lands, in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska. The oil industry also hopes Trump’s government efficiency initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk can dramatically reduce environmental reviews. Biden’s administration reduced the frequency and size of lease sales, and it restored environmental rules that were weakened under Trump . The Democrat as a candidate in 2020 promised further restrictions on drilling to help combat global warming, but he struck a deal for the 2022 climate bill that requires offshore oil and gas sales to be held before renewable energy leases can be sold. “Oil and gas brings billions of dollars of revenue in, but you don’t get that if you don’t have leasing,” said Erik Milito with the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore industries including oil and wind. Trump has vowed to kill offshore wind energy projects. But Milito said he was hopeful that with Burgum in place it would be “green lights ahead for everything, not just oil and gas.” It is unclear if Burgum would revive some of the most controversial steps taken at the agency during Trump’s first term, including relocating senior officials out of Washington, D.C., dismantling parts of the Endangered Species Act and shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah designated by former President Barack Obama. Officials under Biden spent much of the past four years reversing Trump’s moves. They restored the Utah monuments and rescinded numerous Trump regulations. Onshore oil and gas lease sales plummeted — from more than a million acres sold annually under Trump and other previous administrations, to just 91,712 acres (37,115 hectares) sold last year — while many wind and solar projects advanced. Developing energy leases takes years, and oil companies control millions of acres that remain untapped. Biden’s administration also elevated the importance of conservation in public lands decisions, adopting a rule putting it more on par with oil and gas development. They proposed withdrawing parcels of land in six states from potential future mining to protect a struggling bird species, the greater sage grouse. North Dakota is among Republican states that challenged the Biden administration’s public lands rule. The states said in a June lawsuit that officials acting to prevent climate change have turned laws meant to facilitate development into policies that obstruct drilling, livestock grazing and other uses. Oil production boomed over the past two decades in North Dakota thanks in large part to better drilling techniques. Burgum has been an industry champion and last year signed a repeal of the state’s oil tax trigger — a price-based tax hike industry leaders supported removing. Burgum’s office declined an interview request. In a statement after his nomination, Burgum echoed Trump’s call for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. The 68-year-old governor also said the Interior post offered an opportunity to improve government relations with developers, tribes, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts “with a focus on maximizing the responsible use of our natural resources with environmental stewardship for the benefit of the American people.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees? National Politics | Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad National Politics | Trump’s team is delaying transition agreements. What does it mean for security checks and governing? National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now National Politics | Republicans scramble to fill JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat Under current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the agency put greater emphasis on working collaboratively with tribes, including their own energy projects . Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe in New Mexico, also advanced an initiative to solve criminal cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous peoples and helped lead a nationwide reckoning over abuses at federal Indian boarding schools that culminated in a formal public apology from Biden. Burgum has worked with tribes in his state, including on oil development. Badlands Conservation Alliance director Shannon Straight in Bismarck, North Dakota, said Burgum has also been a big supporter of tourism in North Dakota and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. Yet Straight said that hasn’t translated into additional protections for land in the state. “Theodore Roosevelt had a conservation ethic, and we talk and hold that up as a beautiful standard to live by,” he said. “We haven’t seen it as much on the ground. ... We need to recognize the landscape is only going to be as good as some additional protections.” Burgum has been a cheerleader of the planned Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Brown reported from Billings, Montana.Square Enix and Platinum Games say that Nier: Automata has sold more than 9 million copies, meaning that the androids-on-robots post-apocalypse is more popular than ever and going strong eight years after it first released. The NieR Series social media accounts announced the milestone by sharing an image celebrating "Over 9 Million Global Shipments & Download Sales" alongside the message "This isn't possible without you." This isn't possible without you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uXQh3TLNk7 December 27, 2024 It's quite the testament to PlatinumGames' and creative lead Yoko Taro's vision of an action-heavy action RPG with a wildly complex and at times even confusing story. It's a series that's clearly a labor of love, with the producer insisting it'll continue as long as Taro is alive to work on it. And, clearly, there's demand for Nier with the game selling many millions of copies now despite the lack of any sequel in sight. It's buoyed long-term by the enthusiastic community of fans around it and the sheer value of the game: It's one of those that keeps serving up new content and secret endings even as you play dozens more hours and finish it over and over. Nier: Automata clocked a 79% PC Gamer Review back in 2017, held back more than anything by a pretty lackluster PC port. Nier: Automata also had a pretty well-received anime adaptation that, shocking no-one, unveiled yet more secret lore and endings that involve the game itself . The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

By MATTHEW BROWN and JACK DURA BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Donald Trump assigned Doug Burgum a singular mission in nominating the governor of oil-rich North Dakota to lead an agency that oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore: “Drill baby drill.” That dictate from the president-elect’s announcement of Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up on his family’s farm. He represents a tame choice compared to other Trump Cabinet picks. Public lands experts said his experience as a popular two-term governor who aligns himself with conservationist Teddy Roosevelt suggests a willingness to collaborate, as opposed to dismantling from within the agency he is tasked with leading. That could help smooth his confirmation and clear the way for the incoming administration to move quickly to open more public lands to development and commercial use. “Burgum strikes me as a credible nominee who could do a credible job as Interior secretary,” said John Leshy, who served as Interior’s solicitor under former President Bill Clinton. “He’s not a right-wing radical on public lands,” added Leshy, professor emeritus at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of the country’s land with a mandate that spans from wildlife conservation and recreation to natural resource extraction and fulfilling treaty obligations with Native American tribes. Most of those lands are in the West, where frictions with private landowners and state officials are commonplace and have sometimes mushroomed into violent confrontations with right-wing groups that reject federal jurisdiction. Burgum if confirmed would be faced with a pending U.S. Supreme Court action from Utah that seeks to assert state power over Interior Department lands. North Dakota’s attorney general has supported the lawsuit, but Burgum’s office declined to say if he backs Utah’s claims. U.S. Justice Department attorneys on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject Utah’s lawsuit. They said Utah in 1894 agreed to give up its right to the lands at issue when it became a state. Trump’s narrow focus on fossil fuels is a replay from his 2016 campaign — although minus coal mining, a collapsing industry that he failed to revive in his first term. Trump repeatedly hailed oil as “liquid gold” on the campaign trail this year and largely omitted any mention of coal. About 26% of U.S. oil comes from federal lands and offshore waters overseen by Interior. Production continues to hit record levels under President Joe Biden despite claims by Trump that the Democrat hindered drilling. But industry representatives and their Republican allies say volumes could be further boosted. They want Burgum and the Interior Department to ramp up oil and gas sales from federal lands, in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska. The oil industry also hopes Trump’s government efficiency initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk can dramatically reduce environmental reviews. Biden’s administration reduced the frequency and size of lease sales, and it restored environmental rules that were weakened under Trump . The Democrat as a candidate in 2020 promised further restrictions on drilling to help combat global warming, but he struck a deal for the 2022 climate bill that requires offshore oil and gas sales to be held before renewable energy leases can be sold. “Oil and gas brings billions of dollars of revenue in, but you don’t get that if you don’t have leasing,” said Erik Milito with the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore industries including oil and wind. Trump has vowed to kill offshore wind energy projects. But Milito said he was hopeful that with Burgum in place it would be “green lights ahead for everything, not just oil and gas.” It is unclear if Burgum would revive some of the most controversial steps taken at the agency during Trump’s first term, including relocating senior officials out of Washington, D.C., dismantling parts of the Endangered Species Act and shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah designated by former President Barack Obama. Officials under Biden spent much of the past four years reversing Trump’s moves. They restored the Utah monuments and rescinded numerous Trump regulations. Onshore oil and gas lease sales plummeted — from more than a million acres sold annually under Trump and other previous administrations, to just 91,712 acres (37,115 hectares) sold last year — while many wind and solar projects advanced. Developing energy leases takes years, and oil companies control millions of acres that remain untapped. Biden’s administration also elevated the importance of conservation in public lands decisions, adopting a rule putting it more on par with oil and gas development. They proposed withdrawing parcels of land in six states from potential future mining to protect a struggling bird species, the greater sage grouse. North Dakota is among Republican states that challenged the Biden administration’s public lands rule. The states said in a June lawsuit that officials acting to prevent climate change have turned laws meant to facilitate development into policies that obstruct drilling, livestock grazing and other uses. Oil production boomed over the past two decades in North Dakota thanks in large part to better drilling techniques. Burgum has been an industry champion and last year signed a repeal of the state’s oil tax trigger — a price-based tax hike industry leaders supported removing. Burgum’s office declined an interview request. In a statement after his nomination, Burgum echoed Trump’s call for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. The 68-year-old governor also said the Interior post offered an opportunity to improve government relations with developers, tribes, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts “with a focus on maximizing the responsible use of our natural resources with environmental stewardship for the benefit of the American people.” Related Articles National Politics | Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi’s felony voting ban is cruel and unusual National Politics | Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees? National Politics | Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad National Politics | Trump’s team is delaying transition agreements. What does it mean for security checks and governing? National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now Under current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the agency put greater emphasis on working collaboratively with tribes, including their own energy projects . Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe in New Mexico, also advanced an initiative to solve criminal cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous peoples and helped lead a nationwide reckoning over abuses at federal Indian boarding schools that culminated in a formal public apology from Biden. Burgum has worked with tribes in his state, including on oil development. Badlands Conservation Alliance director Shannon Straight in Bismarck, North Dakota, said Burgum has also been a big supporter of tourism in North Dakota and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. Yet Straight said that hasn’t translated into additional protections for land in the state. “Theodore Roosevelt had a conservation ethic, and we talk and hold that up as a beautiful standard to live by,” he said. “We haven’t seen it as much on the ground. ... We need to recognize the landscape is only going to be as good as some additional protections.” Burgum has been a cheerleader of the planned Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Brown reported from Billings, Montana.Seniors struggle to make close friendships in new community

By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.Cyber Weekend Deals: The 20 Best Sales on Apple, Beats, Bose, Lego, Nike & More

‘They’ve done everything right’: Matt Rhule takes stock of Nebraska football’s week in NYC

Aston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at NewcastleTexas will look to win its fourth straight game and carry a measure of momentum into its inaugural season as a member of the Southeastern Conference when it hosts Northwestern State on Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas. It's the final tune-up before the SEC gauntlet for the Longhorns (10-2), who roll into Sunday's game with 10 days of rest and after a 98-62 win over New Orleans on Dec. 19. Justin Pope led Texas with a career-high 42 points, the most for a member of the Longhorns since Reggie Freeman had 43 against Fresno State in 1996. Arthur Kaluma added 15 points and Chendall Weaver scored 12 for Texas, which played without star freshman guard Tre Johnson for the second straight game. Johnson has been listed as day-to-day for a return but would be a likely participant to get at least some playing time before the Longhorns' SEC opener at No. 13 Texas A&M on Jan. 4. Texas coach Rodney Terry is looking for focus on the defensive end from his team as it heads into league play. "We want to be playing Texas basketball defensively," Terry said. "We try to protect the paint, we try to keep the guys off the glass, (and be) physical (with our) block outs. Then try to get out and play to a strength of ours. We're a fast team but you've got to be able to get stops to be able to do that and play in transition." Northwestern State (5-6, 2-0 Southland Conference) heads to Austin after an 89-79 win at home over Southern-New Orleans on Dec. 20. Addison Patterson turned in a career performance in the win with 33 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as the Demons won for the third time in four games. The Demons have played four teams from power conferences -- Texas Tech, Oklahoma, LSU and, most recently, Cal on Dec. 14 -- and have lost by at least 16 points in each game. "Our guys are always ready to play," Demons coach Rick Cabrera said. "We had a really good Christmas break to decompress and recuperate. They are just ready and willing to play anyone regardless of conference. Texas is extremely talented, and we are looking forward to competing with one of the top programs in the country." The contest against Texas is the final non-conference game for Northwestern State, which returns to Southland Conference play at home against Nicholls on Jan. 4. The Longhorns have won all five previous games with Northwestern State, most recently a 105-57 victory at home in November 2017. --Field Level Media

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lynne Roberts wasn’t looking to leave the Utah women’s basketball team. Then she got a call from Los Angeles Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley that changed her thinking. Roberts was introduced Thursday as coach of the Sparks, becoming the second coach to make the leap from college to the WNBA this month. of Florida Gulf Coast got the Atlanta Dream job last week. “I was 100 percent invested at Utah,” Roberts said. “It just kind of felt like this is a golden opportunity. As a competitor, the chance to coach the best in the world, it’s what I want.” She replaces , who was let go in September and now is general manager of the Dallas Wings. Roberts inherits a team that has a strong young nucleus of Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby. The Sparks have the No. 2 pick in next year’s WNBA draft. “We’ve got kind of a cool combination of some veteran leadership and then we’ve got a really dynamic young group,” Roberts said. “That’s a good roster right there and then we can keep working with it.” Los Angeles finished 8-32 last season for the league’s worst record and has missed the playoffs for four straight years. “I want to compete, I want to win now,” Roberts said. “I know that’s easier said than done, but I’m up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get started.” Roberts is friends with Southern California women’s coach Lindsay Gottlieb and UCLA coach Cori Close. “That was intentional,” Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley said. “That we were bringing somebody into this role that had existing relationships because again this is a community of women’s basketball that is exceptional.” Roberts added, “I want to be the top of that pyramid with the Sparks.” Roberts is returning to her native California. The 49-year-old coach grew up in the Northern California city of Redding. She played college ball at Seattle Pacific and then began coaching at Chico State before moving to Pacific and then Utah. Roberts was 165-116 in nine-plus seasons at Utah and recently signed a six-year extension. She led the team to three straight NCAA Tournament berths and was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2023. The Utes have started this season 3-1 and will be coached by Gavin Petersen, who was promoted from associate head coach. “I poured 10 years of my life into that place and I loved it. I loved every minute of it,” Roberts said. “Where we started wasn’t great, where it is now is great and I’m very proud of that.” Roberts said the current upheaval in college basketball including name, image and likeness, the transfer portal and Utah’s move to the Big 12 this season had nothing to do with her leaving. “I’m sitting here because it’s a chance to coach the best people in the world and win a championship in LA. That’s it,” she said. “As a competitor and as someone that kind of thrives in pressure, being in this market, being in LA, it sounds like heaven to me.” ___ AP WNBA:

Market Value Of Samsung Group's Affiliates Drops 23 Pc In 2024

New book chronicles NASCAR’s ‘mavericks’

manley099/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Introduction Pollard Banknote Limited ( TSX: PBL:CA ) ( OTCPK:PBKOF ) is a North American lottery and gaming solutions company that generates revenue through three primary business segments: lottery (76.4% of revenues), charitable gaming (12.8% of revenues) and eGaming systems (10.8% of revenues). Founded and Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Europe is worried that Russia could attack countries beyond Ukraine. At the same time, Trump has suggested the US would be less involved in helping its NATO allies. Without US support, Europe lacks a key capability needed in a conflict with Russia, experts told BI. If President-elect Donald Trump cuts US military cooperation with Europe, its NATO allies there would lose a key capability needed to resist Russian aggression. Advertisement Europe relies heavily on the US for the use of aircraft and weaponry to target air defense systems, known as suppression of enemy air defenses, or SEAD. If a military can't execute this critical mission, its aircraft are hindered and vulnerable, unable to strike or protect, leaving its ground forces much more exposed and less effective. Advertisement "One of the most crucial things that Europe is lacking is SEAD," Tim Robinson, a military aviation specialist at the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, told BI. He described SEAD as "a crucial role," but one Europe has let "wither the vine." Reliance on the US There are few dedicated SEAD platforms on the continent. Germany and Italy's Tornado aircraft carry the AGM-88 HARM munition for targeting radars and are equipped with the needed Emitter Location System, but those are set to be retired next year. Other NATO partners operate F-16s, which can have a SEAD role, but only US Air Force Fighting Falcons are equipped with the HARM Targeting System for better SEAD. Advertisement US allies in Europe are increasingly looking to replace older aircraft with F-35s, but only a few are also acquiring AGM-88 missiles. (These missiles are highly capable for SEAD missions and were delivered to the Ukrainian air force for this purpose, but less so for the destruction of enemy air defenses, or DEAD, missions.) "The F-35 was designed specifically to be able to operate against modern SAM systems in both the penetrating strike and SEAD/DEAD roles," Justin Bronk, an air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute, wrote early last year. Advertisement He highlighted the fifth-generation jet's advanced stealth, electronic warfare, and active and passive sensor suite for detecting enemy surface-to-air missile systems. "Despite these very impressive capabilities, simply fielding the F-35 is not sufficient as an answer to European NATO's SEAD/ DEAD problem in itself," he said. This situation has left Europe heavily dependent on the US, less than ideal amid questions about US reliability and as Russia's war in Ukraine has shown how important defeating enemy air-defense batteries is in modern conflict. Advertisement In Ukraine, neither side has been able to conduct successful SEAD operations, leaving both air forces hugely hampered and forcing ground units into grinding battles with heavy casualties. Mattias Eken, a missile defense expert at the RAND Corporation, said an important lesson from the Ukraine war has been that "air forces must be able to find, suppress, and destroy" mobile surface-to-air missiles to achieve air superiority "against even moderately equipped state opponents." An American-made Patriot air defense system fires a missile. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images Eken added that no other Western air force except the US has significant SEAD capabilities. All other NATO forces "have limited penetrating assets, munitions stocks, and experience in operating large, mixed strike packages." Advertisement American SEAD might and a lack of European capability Retired US Army Maj. Gen. Gordon "Skip" Davis, who served as NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general for its defense-investment division, said "the vast majority of the SEAD aircraft, in the event of aggression, would be provided by the US." Related stories Davis told BI that the US has the stealth aircraft, including penetrating bombers, needed to locate and destroy Russian air defenses, and US aircraft have intelligence capabilities "that NATO would have great difficulty in replacing." He warned that without better SEAD capabilities or US support, NATO "would be hard-pressed to be effective in a large Russian aggression." Advertisement Warfare experts at the US Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in April 2023 that "NATO is now wholly dependent on the United States for SEAD capabilities." A key example was the large-scale NATO air campaign over Libya in 2011, where the US provided almost all of the alliance's SEAD capabilities despite having planned to only play a supporting role in that situation. A rocket launches from a S-400 missile system at the Ashuluk military base in Southern Russia. Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images Looking ahead, Europe may not be able to count on the US. Trump has been a strong critic of NATO and, in his first term, threatened to withdraw from the military alliance if other nations didn't spend more on their defense. Advertisement European countries have dramatically increased their defense spending since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began , and some now spend more on defense than the US as a percentage of GDP. (Warfare experts say that's a response to Russian aggression, not Trump's pressure .) But Europe is acutely aware of Trump's threats, and military experts warn that the continent's increased expenditure is not enough to support Ukraine and prepare for Russia's threats alone. It still needs the US. Thinking about the Russian threat Russia has repeatedly threatened to attack elsewhere in Europe, and many countries have warned that it could happen in the next few years, especially if Moscow emerges victorious in Ukraine. Advertisement It's unclear if the US would or even could withdraw its support, especially for allies who already spend a lot on defense. US forces are now so integrated in Europe that, if something happens soon, "they're automatically involved" unless the US makes a major policy shift to return forces to the US, Gordon said. Europe is nevertheless taking actions to address its deficiencies, like a pan-European defense company now developing a new SPEAR-EW missile. Advertisement A Pantsir-S1 and an S-400 at a Russian base in Syria. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service "I think the penny has dropped," said Robinson, but he added that not enough was happening. "It's taking time, I think, for European capitals and maybe multinational organizations to get the momentum going." Michael Bohnert, a warfare expert at the RAND Corporation, said that it could take years to reconstitute a supply chain for necessary missiles. That means "there really aren't any good options" to cover a deficit in the short term if the US pulls back, he told BI. Robinson said Europe has an advanced industrial base, but "the difficulty is it's all fragmented." Advertisement Some cooperation has taken place, including four European nations agreeing to operate their jets as a single fleet . Jan Kallberg, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a fellow at the Army Cyber Institute at West Point, said "acquisition, cooperation, and collaboration are essential." He said countries should buy assets together and "operate jointly as a multinational force," especially given how large Europe is and how much land may need to be defended. Advertisement Fixing Europe's SEAD deficits will take time, during which it will be more vulnerable to attacks. But Russia has demonstrated an inability to effectively use its own assets — a flaw that could ultimately aid Europe. "Europe will lack enough SEAD capabilities for the next 10 to 15 years," said Kallberg, but "the Russian air force and air defenses can't get their intelligence, command, and control to act together, and lack resources for broad modernization." "If there is a war," he said, "it is not Europe's abilities that save the day. It is the Russian inability."