The Cornell Big Red versus the Syracuse Orange is one of many strong options on Wednesday in college basketball action — suggested picks against the spread for 10 games are available below. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online in nine languages , from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats , such as last year’s Chinese spy balloon . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” “There are screams and giggles and laughter,” said Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, “Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early.” NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War , predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics . The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as the one in 2018 , and this year . Here’s how it began and why the phones keep ringing. The origin story is Hollywood-esque It started with a child’s accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy’s mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80 foot (18-by-24 meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from “those who do not believe in Christmas.” Is the origin story humbug? Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup’s story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy’s call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child’s call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. “When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,’” Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. “People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” A rare addition to Santa’s story NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa’s story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada —- known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.50jili site 。

Golf boss sends political influence warning to Donald Trump over Turnberry plans

TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This Sunday, December 1, on World AIDS Day, and the start of Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week, the 27 th annual Friends for Life Bike Rally launches its Holiday Season Fundraising Campaign. As local AIDS Service Organizations see a significant increase in demand for their life-changing services, the fundraiser aims to raise $50,000 in December – a month of generosity and giving from coast-to-coast-to-coast. The Friends for Life Bike Rally is Canada's longest-distance annual charity cycling event from Toronto to Montreal, raising funds for the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA) , AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM) and Trellis HIV & Community Care (formerly HIV/AIDS Regional Services – Kingston) to support to those living with HIV/AIDS and fight stigma. The upcoming Friends for Life Bike Rally aims to raise a total of $1.8M by the end of its next charity ride that runs from August 3 to 8, 2025. Recent research shows that an estimated 1,833 new HIV infections occurred in Canada in 2022. This means that almost five people were infected with HIV in Canada every day. These are new infections that do not account for newcomers to Canada, immigrating with HIV – a population that makes up a large portion of new community members seeking HIV related services. Thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS rely on the vital services offered by PWA, ACCM and Trellis such as: Financial assistance Wellness programs Health and therapeutic care Social supports Harm reduction Food banks and more Unfortunately, on October 4, 2024, PWA – Canada's largest – was forced to temporarily close its Financial Assistance Program until March 2025 due to the increased demand caused by inflation and the rise in cost of living. The agency has also reported a substantial increased demand for access to its food bank and essentials market services. Services offered by PWA, ACCM and Trellis ensure our at-risk communities have access to the resources they need to improve their health outcomes. The Friends for Life Bike Rally and its volunteers, cyclists, and crew invite new and returning donors to show some extra generosity, compassion and understanding this holiday season. Your support for charitable causes that matter to you creates a ripple effect, spreading hope and making a meaningful difference in the lives of so many. Together, we can help foster positive change for those in need. These people could be your friends, family, loved ones, neighbours and/or colleagues. Next Tuesday, December 3, also marks Giving Tuesday, the world's largest generosity movement and opportunity to unleash the power of people to transform communities. Everyone has something to give and every act of generosity counts. Those who are able are encouraged to make a tax-deductible donation to the Friends for Life Bike Rally. Here's how you can make an impact: $40: Provides ten community members with transportation to medical appointments $60: Funds a peer-led support group for people living with HIV $100: Support a community member with access to medication $200: Ensures one family has groceries for a week To learn more about the Friends for Life Bike Rally, visit BikeRally.org . Quotes: "On World AIDS Day on December 1 or Giving Tuesday on December 3, also known as the "opening day of giving season," we invite folks to show support for people living with HIV/AIDS and make a tax-deductible donation to the Friends for Life Bike Rally. Your generosity over the holidays will help support the life-changing services offered by PWA, ACCM, and Trellis. When we work together, we ensure community members can access much-needed support, and build a stronger, more resilient community." – Ariel Benibgui (He/Him) , Co-Chair, Friends for Life Bike Rally "Each and every year, we proudly ride to make a positive difference because of /AIDS behind. The magic of the Bike Rally is magnificent. It's a force and power of love, truth and healing where we care for the family of HIV/AIDS. Your donations make sure that clients can pay for things like their transit fare to access programs and services, the money to fix a broken phone, or ensure they get language support for essential health care so they can communicate with their doctor, and so much more." – Suzanne Paddock (She/Her), Executive Director, Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA) "As a community member, the financial assistance I've received has been more than just support, it's been a lifeline. It's meant having the resources to get to essential appointments, access nutritious food and feel a sense of dignity and belonging. Your generosity doesn't just provide services... It transforms lives, strengthens our community and gives people like me the opportunity to thrive." – Anonymous Community member, Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA) Quick Facts: The Friends for Life Bike Rally is Canada's annual longest-distance cycling fundraiser in support of those living with HIV/AIDS Since 1999, the Friends for Life Bike Rally has: Raised $27.5M+ to support those living with HIV/AIDS Had 5,550 cyclists 2,200 crew volunteers to support the ride In 2024, the Friends for Life Bike Rally raised $1.6M HIV remains a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 40 million lives with ongoing transmission globally The virus has infected 88.4 million people worldwide An estimated 65,270 people have HIV in Canada An estimated 89 per cent are diagnosed 85 per cent of those diagnosed are on treatment 95 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression and cannot transmit the virus (undetectable=untransmutable) Toronto has seen a sustained increase in reported HIV infections since 2016 (with the exception being during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a decrease in sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing) Media Inquiries: media@bikerally.org Image: Hundreds of cyclists cross the finish line in Quebec after six days of riding from Toronto to Montreal for the 2024 Friends for Life Bike Rally, as the city saw its wettest day in history caused by rain from Tropical Storm Debby. About Friends for Life Bike Rally: Founded in 1999, the Friends for Life Bike Rally is the largest annual cycling fundraiser in Canada that brings people together for an inclusive, supportive and life-changing challenge that inspires much-needed help for people living with HIV/AIDS. Funds raised by the annual charity event support three AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) along the cycling route, including the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA), AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM) and Trellis HIV & Community Care. In 2025, the Friends for Life Bike Rally will celebrate its 27 th anniversary and will take place from August 3 to 8. There are virtual, 100 km and 300 km options, as well as the classic 600 km ride to Montreal. About Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA): PWA is the founding agency of the Friends for Life Bike Rally. The agency was established in 1987 and is the largest practical service provider for people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada. The community-based organization offers a range of life-changing services, including direct financial assistance, wellness programs, health and therapeutic care, social supports, a food bank/essentials market and more. PWA aims to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by the HIV epidemic in Toronto and beyond. It is committed to reducing stigma and ensuring that individuals living with HIV/AIDS have access to the resources they need for better health outcomes. About AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM): ACCM is Quebec's only HIV and sexual health community organization that provides education for prevention, treatment information, and support services to anglophone and allophone communities. The voices of our members are central to ACCM's guidance, and we work in collaboration with our many communities to build a compassionate and caring response to HIV and hepatitis C. About Trellis HIV & Community Care: Since 1988, Trellis HIV & Community Care (formerly HIV/AIDS Regional Services – Kingston) has been addressing the social determinants of health by providing practical supports, drop-in services, facilitating access to testing and primary health care for communities who are often marginalized and stigmatized. These include people living with HIV, the 2SLGBTQ+ community, people experiencing poverty and homelessness and people who use substances. Providing support while confronting stigma is at the core of what Trellis strives to do. Based in Kingston, Ontario, their service area is Belleville to the west, Brockville to the east, and Sharbot Lake to the north. Stay connected: Follow the Friends for Life Bike Rally on Facebook , Instagram , and YouTube . Proudly riding to make a positive difference. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/40a30ca7-5beb-457d-a65c-09c50656c653 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who led US crackdown on cryptocurrencies, to step down Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will step down from his post on January 20. Since taking the lead at the SEC, the commission has been aggressive in its oversight of cryptocurrencies and other regulatory issues. President-elect Donald Trump had promised during his campaign that he would remove Gensler, who has led the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry and repeatedly called for more oversight. But Gensler on Thursday announced that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated. Bitcoin has jumped 40% since Trump’s victory. Elon Musk's budget crusade could cause a constitutional clash in Trump's second term WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has put Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in charge of finding ways to cut government spending and regulations. It's possible that their efforts will lead to a constitutional clash. This week, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would encourage the Republican president-elect to refuse to spend money allocated by Congress, which would conflict with a 1974 law that's intended to prevent presidents from blocking funds. If Trump takes such a step, it would quickly become one of the most closely watched legal battles of his second administration. Musk and Ramaswamy also aim to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce. Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, rising above $98,000 for the first time Thursday. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Stock market today: Wall Street climbs as bitcoin bursts above $99,000 NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 was pulling 0.7% higher Thursday after flipping between modest gains and losses several times in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 532 points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. The biggest remaining unsanctioned Russian bank hit with U.S. sanctions, nearly three years into war WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia’s third largest bank, Gazprombank and its six foreign subsidiaries were hit with U.S. sanctions on Thursday. The action is intended to curtail Russia’s ability to evade the thousands of sanctions imposed on the nation since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the sanctions targeting Russia’s largest remaining non-sanctioned bank would further diminish Russia’s military effort and “will make it harder for the Kremlin to evade U.S. sanctions and fund and equip its military.” In addition, more than 50 internationally connected Russian banks 40 Russian securities registrars, and 15 Russian finance officials were hit with sanctions. Trump's incoming chief of staff is a former lobbyist. She'll face a raft of special interests WASHINGTON (AP) — As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, his election victory is likely to embolden those who think they can get his ear. There's the prospect that his second administration could face many of the same perils as his first, when there were influence-peddling scandals. That will test the ability of Susie Wiles, his incoming chief of staff, to manage a growing number of high-powered figures such as Trump’s children, son-in-law Jared Kushner and billionaires like Elon Musk. Wiles herself is a former lobbyist, but Trump's transition team rejected any suggestion that her past work would make her susceptible to pressure. House passes bill that would allow Treasury to target nonprofits it deems to support terrorism WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House passed legislation that would give the Treasury Department unilateral authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it claims support terrorism. It is a proposal that has alarmed civil liberties groups about how a second Trump presidency could use it to punish political opponents. The bill passed 219-184, with the majority of the support coming from Republicans who accused Democrats of reversing course in their support for the “common sense” proposal only after Donald Trump was elected to a second term earlier this month. It now goes to the Democratic-controlled Senate where its fate is uncertain. Boar's Head listeria outbreak is over with 10 dead and dozens sickened by tainted deli meat U.S. health officials say a deadly outbreak of listeria food poisoning tied to a massive recall of popular Boar's Head deli meats is over. Ten people died and 61 were sickened in 19 states in the outbreak. Illnesses were reported between late May and mid-September. The outbreak is considered over 60 days after the last reported illness. Boar's Head officials recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed nationwide, shuttered a Virginia plant that made the products and permanently stopped making liverwurst. The company continues to face lawsuits and federal scrutiny.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael eye independent TDs as option to secure Dail majority

Jalandhar: Shiromani Akali Dal has informed the Akal Takht Jathedar that it could face serious legal trouble, including a challenge to its registration as a political party, if it complies with the political directives issued by the five Sikh high priests on Dec 2 as they pronounced ‘tankhah' (religious punishment) on party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other Akali leaders. To support its plea, the SAD also handed the jathedar a legal opinion, sought by the party on seven points from ormer Punjab advocate-general and senior advocate Ashok Aggarwal. "When our delegation called on Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at Machhiwara on Saturday, we explained that we don't have a problem with the directives, but there are serious legal issues and also handed him the legal opinion," the SAD secretary, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema told TOI on Tuesday. The five-member delegation, which called on the jathedar in Machhiwara, was led by SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder. "We explained to the Jathedar Sahib that there are legal as well as practical difficulties in complying with their directive about fresh enrolment through a seven-member committee headed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, and we have requested him to leave the issue to the working committee," revealed Cheema. Asked whether any decision had been taken by the party to accept SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal's resignation, as directed by the Akal Takht, Cheema said the party's working committee would decide on this, and he could not comment beforehand. He said a meeting of the working committee would be held in the first week of January as the community is observing the ‘Shaheedi Pandarwara' (martyrdom fortnight - pertaining to the martyrdom of four sons of Guru Gobind Singh) at present. Apart from citing provisions of the Representation of the People Act and provisions of the Religious Institution (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, the legal opinion cited by SAD quoted from the judgement by a bench of nine judges of the Supreme Court in the ‘SR Bommai versus Union of India, 1994' case, to argue that by accepting the directives issued by the supreme religious body (Akal Takht), the SAD would be falling on the wrong side of the law. "The directions issued by the supreme religious body (Akal Takht) are not mere observations, but they are categorical, confirmed, and assertive in the form that if they are accepted, it would categorically mean that the querist (SAD) has acted and behaved in a manner by mixing religion into politics, which is neither permissible nor constitutional as per the law of the land," according to the legal advice. Regarding recruitment of cadre by the SAD and directions to elect the party's president and other office-bearers, the formation of the seven-member committee headed by the SGPC president, the legal opinion held that the SAD constitution does not permit any external body or association to interfere in the functioning of the political party, and the least can be said in case a purely religious body is responsible for such interference. "The orders passed by the supreme religious body regarding the internal functioning of the querist would not only impinge upon the autonomy and independence of the political party but would be a clear violation of the principles of secularism as enshrined under the Constitution of India and would also violate the undertaking given by the party before the Election Commission of India at the time of seeking registration of the party as a registered political party," concludes the legal opinion. Sukhbir and other SAD leaders have completed their religious punishment, but the political component of the ‘tankhah' is yet to be complied with, and a debate is already on the issue in the community. MSID: 116634708 413 | Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes .