Boxing got its first AI judge for Tyson Fury fight – now AI ring girls are ready to rule The introduction of an AI judge has got the sporting world and beyond talking (Image: Getty Images ) The Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch delivered everything and more - including the world's first AI boxing judge. The new technology was used for the first time for the fight. And while it had no official bearing on the outcome - the introduction of an AI judge has got the sporting world and beyond talking. But the AI revolution isn't going to stop there in boxing, according to a leading expert, who claims the sport should "brace" itself for the arrival of AI Ring Girls in the coming months. AI Influencers are becoming big business, racking up thousands of followers on Instagram, securing brand deals, and earning upwards of £20k per month on subscription platforms like Fanvue. The creator behind stunning AI Influencer, Lily Hayes, who boasts over 850k followers on Instagram, revealed Lily has... Kelly WilliamsManchester City's struggles continued as Pep Guardiola's side remarkably blew a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain to leave the French club in danger of elimination. There were also big wins for Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, while Inter Milan went top of the standings after five games and Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski reached a century of Champions League goals. However, the biggest drama came at the Etihad Stadium, where City were cruising early in the second half with a three-goal advantage as they sought to end a run of five successive defeats in all competitions. Erling Haaland opened the scoring from a penalty just before half-time, and Ilkay Gundogan's deflected shot made it 2-0 in the 50th minute. Haaland struck again to make it 3-0, but Feyenoord's comeback began on 75 minutes when Anis Hadj Moussa took advantage of hapless defending to round goalkeeper Ederson and pull one back. Substitute Santiago Gimenez bundled in to make it 3-2 on 82 minutes and the equaliser arrived a minute from the end. Ederson was again caught out with Igor Paixao going around the goalkeeper and crossing for Slovak international David Hancko to head in. "We concede a lot of goals because we are not stable," complained Guardiola. "We lost a lot of games lately. We are fragile and of course we need a victory." It is the first time that a team has gone into the last 20 minutes of a Champions League game trailing by three goals and still avoided defeat, as the point boosts the Dutch side's hopes of progressing. City are two points outside the top eight places which offer direct qualification for the last 16, while Bayern moved above them by beating PSG 1-0 in Munich. South Korean defender Kim Min-jae scored the only goal seven minutes before half-time, heading in after goalkeeper Matvei Safonov failed to clear a corner. PSG had Ousmane Dembele sent off in the second half and the French champions have just four points, and three goals, from five games. They are a lowly 26th in the 36-team league, a point adrift of the positions which offer a place in the play-off round in February. "We need to win our last three matches, otherwise we risk being eliminated," admitted PSG coach Luis Enrique. Lewandowski notched his 100th goal in the competition with an early penalty in Barcelona's 3-0 home win over French side Brest. Dani Olmo netted midway through the second half before Lewandowski sealed Barca's win at the death, his 101st goal in the Champions League -- only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more. Inter lead the standings with 13 points, a point ahead of Barcelona and Liverpool, after a 1-0 win at home to RB Leipzig which means they are also still yet to concede a goal. Castello Lukeba's own goal made the difference at San Siro, and Leipzig are one of only three teams to have lost five games out of five. Arsenal romped to a 5-1 victory away to Sporting in Lisbon, as the Portuguese side adapt to life without coach Ruben Amorim, who has departed for Manchester United. Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes all scored in the first half for Arsenal, before Goncalo Inacio pulled one back shortly after the restart. Bukayo Saka converted a penalty on 65 minutes after Martin Odegaard had been brought down, and Leandro Trossard headed in to seal Arsenal's win late on. Atalanta romped to a 6-1 win over rock-bottom Young Boys in Switzerland, with Mateo Retegui and Charles De Ketelaere both scoring braces. Sead Kolasinac and Lazar Samardzic also netted for the Italians, with Silvere Ganvoula getting the hosts' reply. Florian Wirtz struck twice, including a penalty, as Leverkusen crushed Red Bull Salzburg 5-0, with Alejandro Grimaldo scoring a superb free-kick and Patrik Schick and Aleix Garcia also netting. Julian Alvarez and substitute Angel Correa each scored twice and Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann once as Atletico romped to a 6-0 win away to Sparta Prague. Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Tammy Abraham were the scorers in AC Milan's 3-2 win at Slovan Bratislava, whose goals came from Tigran Barseghyan and Nino Marcelli. Marko Tolic saw red at the end for Slovan, who are without a point. as/nfHow Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia. Contributing: Associated Press( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) Anoto Group AB (the " Company " or " Anoto ") hereby announces the outcome of the Company's rights issue of approximately SEK 50 million (the“ Rights Issue ”) for which the subscription period ended on 19 December 2024. The Rights Issue has been subscribed to approximately 37.5 percent with and without the support of subscription rights. Underwriting commitments of 259,308,520 shares, corresponding to approximately 62.5 percent of the Rights Issue, will thus be utilized. The Rights Issue provides the Company with proceeds of approximately SEK 50 million before transaction costs and before set-off of loans. Final outcome In the Rights Issue, 154,891,590 shares were subscribed for with subscription rights, corresponding to approximately 37.3 percent of the Rights Issue. In addition, 623,720 shares were subscribed for without the support of subscription rights, corresponding to approximately 0.2 percent of the Rights Issue. Together, subscription with and without the support of subscription rights thus corresponds to approximately 37.5 percent of the Rights Issue. Thus, guarantee commitments of 259,308,520 shares, corresponding to approximately 62.5 percent of the Rights Issue, will be utilised. This entails that the authorisation to decide on an over-allotment issue if the Rights Issue was oversubscribed, which was resolved by the extraordinary general meeting on 26 November 2024, will not be utilised. The proceeds from the Rights Issue, together with the directed issue of approximately SEK 15 million (the“ Directed Issue ”) and the set-off issue of approximately SEK 21 million (the“ Set-off Issue ”) as announced on 25 October 2024 and resolved by the EGM on 26 November 2024, amounts to approximately SEK 86 million before transaction related costs. Of the issue proceeds, approximately SEK 47 million relates to set-off of loans in the issues. The last day of trading with BTAs is expected to occur on or about 8 January 2025. The first day of trading the new shares on Nasdaq Stockholm is expected to be 16 January 2025. Notice of allotment Allotment of shares has taken place in accordance with the allotment principles set out in the prospectus that was published on 29 November 2024. Notice of allotment to the persons who have subscribed for shares without subscription rights is expected to be distributed on 27 December 2024. Such subscribed and allotted shares shall be paid for in cash in accordance with the instructions on the contract note. Subscribers who have subscribed for shares through a nominee will receive notification of allocation in accordance with the respective nominee's procedures. Only those who have been allotted shares will be notified. Compensation for guarantee commitments In connection with the Rights Issue, a number of investors have provided guarantee commitments consisting of a so-called bottom guarantee of approximately SEK 21.2 million, corresponding to approximately 42.6 percent of the Rights Issue, and a so-called top guarantee of approximately SEK 13.6 million, corresponding to approximately 27.3 percent of the Rights Issue. For the guarantee undertakings a fee of 14 percent of the guaranteed amount will be paid in cash compensation or in the form of new shares, in the form of a directed set-off issue. The subscription price for shares issued as compensation for guarantee commitments is set at SEK 0.12 per share, which corresponds to the subscription price in the completed Rights Issue. A resolution on a directed set-off issue to the underwriters, if any, will be announced through a separate press release. New number of shares Through the Rights Issue, including the shares to be issued in connection with the Directed Issue and the Set-off Issue, the number of shares in Anoto will increase by 770,503,691 shares from 331,859,066 shares to 1,102,362,757. Advisers Setterwalls Advokatbyrå is acting as legal advisor and Berg Securities AB is acting as Sole Global Coordinator and Bookrunner to the Company in connection with the issues. This press release was published, through the agency of the contact persons set out below, at 01:00 on 30 December 2024. For further information, please contact: Kevin Adeson, Chairman of the board of Anoto Group AB (publ) For more information about Anoto, please visit or email ... Anoto Group AB (publ), Reg.No. 556532-3929, Flaggan 1165, SE-116 74 Stockholm About Anoto Group Anoto is a publicly held Swedish technology company known globally for innovation in the area of information-rich patterns and the optical recognition of those patterns. It is a lead-er in digital writing and drawing solutions, having historically used its proprietary technology to develop smartpens and related software. These smartpens enrich the daily lives of millions of people around the world. Anoto currently has three main business lines: Livescribe retail, Enterprise Forms and OEM. Anoto also holds a stake in Knowledge AI, a leading AI based education solution company. Anoto is traded on the Small Cap list of Nasdaq Stockholm under ANOT. Attachment MENAFN29122024004107003653ID1109040074 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) A Project Implementation Agreement has been signed between the Ministry of External Affairs and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to execute new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles, an official statement said. The agreement was signed on Tuesday, the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Also Read | Constitution Day 2024: Constitution 'Guiding Light', Spirit of 'Nation First' Will Keep It Alive for Centuries, Says PM Narendra Modi. The Wilmington Declaration released at the Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware in the US on September 21 stated that the Quad countries will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalise their commitment to catalyse complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains, it said. "To this end, India has committed to invest USD 2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles," it added. Also Read | Food Poisoning in Telangana: 21 Students Fall Ill After Consuming Mid-Day Meals in Government School in Narayanpet District. On November 26, the Project Implementation Agreement (PIA) was signed between the MEA and the ISA to execute the projects in these Indo-Pacific countries. The ISA, as the Project Implementing Agency, would provide programmatic assistance to Comoros, Fiji, Madagascar and Seychelles with financial support from India, according to the statement. According to a study undertaken by the ISA, the countries under consideration for solar projects have energy issues related to perishability of agricultural products, unreliable electricity supply in health centres and for irrigation purposes in remote areas where grid power supply or solar mini-grids are not available yet, the MEA said. Based on discussions with the project recipient countries, solar projects in the areas of cold storage, solarisation of healthcare facilities and solar water pumping systems are under consideration, it said. The successful execution of these projects is expected to enhance energy access, create employment and provide reliable and quality power supply in these Indo-Pacific countries. "Unequal access to reliable and secure sources of energy and electricity has inhibited holistic economic development and social justice for nations and communities across the world. Solar energy is a viable solution to help these countries address climate change-related challenges," the statement said. The latest round of clean energy investments by India in these countries shall help strengthen the commitment of the Quad to address the challenges posed by climate change and facilitate their transition to a clean energy economy for the people, planet and our shared prosperity, the MEA said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Arsenal make Mikel Arteta proud after smashing Sporting Lisbon“Wanted” posters with the names and faces of health care executives have been popping up on the streets of New York. Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid. The apparent targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the menacing threats that followed have sent a shudder through corporate America and the health care industry in particular, leading to increased security for executives and some workers. In the week since the brazen shooting , health insurers have removed information about their top executives from company websites, canceled in-person meetings with shareholders and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. An internal New York Police Department bulletin warned this week that the online vitriol that followed the shooting could signal an immediate “elevated threat.” Police fear that the Dec. 4 shooting could "inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence," according to the bulletin, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Wanted” posters pasted to parking meters and construction site fences in Manhattan included photos of health care executives and the words “Deny, defend, depose” — similar to a phrase scrawled on bullets found near Thompson’s body and echoing those used by insurance industry critics . Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News last week that he told her some people had been threatening him and suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Investigators believe the shooting suspect, Luigi Mangione , may have been motivated by hostility toward health insurers. They are studying his writings about a previous back injury, and his disdain for corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Mangione’s lawyer has cautioned against prejudging the case. Mangione, 26, has remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday . Manhattan prosecutors are working to bring him to New York to face a murder charge. UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said this week it was working with law enforcement to ensure a safe work environment and to reinforce security guidelines and building access policies, a spokesperson said. The company has taken down photos, names and biographies for its top executives from its websites, a spokesperson said. Other organizations, including CVS, the parent company for insurance giant Aetna, have taken similar actions. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. has announced that its investor day will be held online, rather than in-person as originally planned. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm, said last week it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. Heightened security measures likely will make health care companies and their leaders more inaccessible to their policyholders, said former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. “And understandably so, with this act of violence. There’s no assurance that this won’t happen again,” said Potter, who’s now an advocate for health care reform. Private security firms and consultants have been in high demand, fielding calls almost immediately after the shooting from companies across a range of industries, including manufacturing and finance. Companies have long faced security risks and grappled with how far to take precautions for high-profile executives. But these recent threats sparked by Thompson's killing should not be ignored, said Dave Komendat, a former security chief for Boeing who now heads his own risk-management company. “The tone and tenor is different. The social reaction to this tragedy is different. And so I think that people need to take this seriously,” Komendat said. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and top executives. Of those, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to just under $100,000. Hours after the shooting, Komendat was on a call with dozens of chief security officers from big corporations, and there have been many similar meetings since, hosted by security groups or law enforcement agencies assessing the threats, he said. “It just takes one person who is motivated by a poster — who may have experienced something in their life through one of these companies that was harmful," Komendat said. Associated Press reporters Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Key nations raced Saturday to salvage UN climate talks after the poorest countries pushed back angrily for more than $300 billion a year in help from historic wealthy emitters. More than a day past the scheduled conclusion of two days of COP29 talks, host Azerbaijan urged bleary-eyed delegates to seek consensus to avoid failure. "I know that none of us want to leave Baku without a good outcome," COP president Mukhtar Babayev told a late-night session, urging all nations to "bridge the remaining divide". Developing power Brazil pleaded for at least some progress and said it would seek to build on it when it leads COP30 next year in the Amazon gateway of Belem. "After the difficult experience that we're having here in Baku, we need to reach some outcome that is minimally acceptable in line with the emergency we're facing," Brazil's environment minister Marina Silva told delegates. A number of nations have accused Azerbaijan, an authoritarian oil and gas exporter, of lacking the experience and will to meet the moment, as the planet again sets record temperatures and faces rising deadly disasters. Small island nations threatened by rising seas and impoverished African states on Saturday angrily stormed out of a meeting with Azerbaijan, saying their concerns had been ignored. The European Union, United States and other wealthy countries met directly with poorer nations to work out final details, with both blocs also concerned at efforts led by Saudi Arabia to water down calls from last year's summit to phase out fossil fuels. "If we don't do it, people at home -- in every home across the world -- would say, why did you not get an agreement? Because I believe we can," Irish climate minister Eamon Ryan told AFP. A draft of the final text seen by AFP proposes that rich nations raise to $300 billion a year by 2035 their commitment to poorer countries to fight climate change. It is up from $100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire -- and from $250 billion proposed in a draft Friday. That offer was slammed as offensively low by developing countries, which have demanded at least $500 billion to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions. Sierra Leone's climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world's poorest, called the draft "effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world". As staff at the cavernous and windowless stadium began closing down, diplomats rushed to meetings with one another, some ready with food and water in preparation for another late night. Panama's outspoken negotiator, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, voiced anger at offers by rich countries but warned not to repeat the failure of COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009. "I'm sad, I'm tired, I'm disheartened, I'm hungry, I'm sleep-deprived, but there is a tiny ray of optimism within me because this cannot become a new Copenhagen," he told reporters. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the revised offer of $300 billion was "a significant scaling up" of the existing pledge by developed nations, which also count the United States, EU and Japan among their ranks. Climate activists shouted "shame" as US climate envoy John Podesta walked the halls. "Hopefully this is the storm before the calm," he said. Wealthy nations say it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, returns to the White House in January and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Ali Mohamed, the Kenyan chair of the African Group of Negotiators, told AFP: "No deal is better than a bad deal." South African environment minister Dion George, however, said: "I think being ambitious at this point is not going to be very useful." "What we are not up for is going backwards or standing still," he said. "We might as well just have stayed at home then." The US and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. China, which remains classified as a developing nation under the UN framework, provides climate assistance but wants to keep doing so on its own voluntary terms. The EU and other countries have also tussled with Saudi Arabia over including strong language on moving away from fossil fuels, which negotiators say the oil-producing country has resisted. "We will not allow the most vulnerable, especially the small island states, to be ripped off by the new, few rich fossil fuel emitters," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. bur-np-sct/lth/giv
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVA LEAP HEALTH CORP. (TSXV: NLH) (“Nova Leap” or “the Company”), a growing home health care organization, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to amend its existing credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with BMO Bank of Montreal for new credit facilities (the “Credit Facilities”). The amended Credit Agreement will provide up to an additional $7 million of available credit to support the Company’s long-term growth strategy. All amounts are in United States dollars unless otherwise specified. The Credit Facilities consist of non-readvanceable demand acquisition lines to assist with business acquisitions, including the Nova Scotia acquisition announced on October 29, 2024, the Florida acquisition announced on October 15, 2024, and future business acquisitions approved by the lender, in addition to the Company’s existing facilities for working capital and day-to-day operating needs. The acquisition lines are available as CAD prime (prime rate plus 1.50%) and USD base rate (base rate plus 1.50%) loans, as well as fixed rate loans with rates determined at the time of booking. The Credit Facilities contain financial and other covenants and security in favour of the lender which are customary for facilities of this nature, including security over the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, and are conditional upon obtaining coverage under Export Development Canada’s Export Guarantee Program. Management Comments “We are pleased to secure the new Credit Facilities. Our ability to complete this transaction reflects the consistent cash flow and financial results that we have produced. With our strong Adjusted EBITDA over the past six quarters, our capital structure can comfortably support increased debt, while still maintaining financial flexibility,” said Chris LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer of Nova Leap. “The successful negotiation of the Credit Facilities provides us with greater financial flexibility to execute on our growth strategy that consists of investing in our business to drive organic growth and in pursuing strategic acquisitions,” said Chris Dobbin, President & CEO of Nova Leap. About Nova Leap Nova Leap is an acquisitive home health care services company operating in one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. & Canada. The Company performs a vital role within the continuum of care with an individual and family centered focus, particularly those requiring dementia care. Nova Leap achieved the #42 ranking on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies, the #2 ranking on the 2020 Report on Business ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies and the #10 Ranking in the 2019 TSX Venture 50TM in the Clean Technology & Life Sciences sector. The Company is geographically diversified with operations in 10 different U.S. states within the New England, Southeastern, South Central and Midwest regions as well as in Nova Scotia, Canada. NON-IFRS MEASURES: This release contains references to certain measures that do not have a standardized meaning under IFRS as prescribed by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement IFRS measures by providing a further understanding of operations from management’s perspective. Accordingly, non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of financial information reported under IFRS. The Company presents non-IFRS financial measures, specifically Adjusted EBITDA (as such term is hereinafter defined), as well as supplementary financial measures such as annualized revenue and annualized adjusted EBITDA. The Company believes these non-IFRS financial measures are frequently used by lenders, securities analysts, investors and other interested parties as a measure of financial performance, and it is therefore helpful to provide supplemental measures of operating performance and thus highlight trends that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. Adjusted Earnings before interest, taxes, amortization and depreciation (“Adjusted EBITDA”), is calculated as income from operating activities plus amortization and depreciation and stock-based compensation expense. The most directly comparable IFRS measure is income from operating activities. FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION: Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding availability of the Credit Facilities, the closing of the acquisitions (including timing) and its expected impact on the Company, financing of the acquisitions, and plans regarding future acquisitions and business growth. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions described elsewhere in this release and those concerning general economic and market conditions, the satisfaction of conditions to closing the Credit Facilities and the acquisitions, availability of working capital necessary for conducting Nova Leap’s operations, availability of desirable acquisition targets and financing to fund such acquisitions, and Nova Leap’s ability to integrate its acquired businesses and maintain previously achieved service hour and revenue levels, that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause results to differ from those stated in the forward-looking statements in this release include staff and supply shortages, regulatory changes affecting the home care industry or government programs utilized by the Company, other unexpected increases in operating costs and competition from other service providers. All forward-looking statements, including any financial outlook or future-oriented financial information, contained in this press release are made as of the date of this release and included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future, and these statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com . CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
State government launches parliamentary inquiry into regional housing crisis
Gaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general, averting confirmation battle in the Senate* Warner Bros Discovery gains on plan to split TV, streaming units * Adobe drops after forecasting 2025 revenue below estimates * Centene rises after guiding 2025 profit above expectations * Indexes down: Dow 0.33%, S&P 500 0.24%, Nasdaq 0.23% (Updates with investor comment in paragraphs 4-5, share prices throughout) By Echo Wang NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Wall Street edged lower on Thursday as investors assessed key economic data ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting next week. The Nasdaq surged past the 20,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday, fueled by a relentless rally in technology stocks. The S&P 500 climbed to its highest level in nearly a week, as an inflation report aligning with expectations cemented bets on a 25-basis-point rate cut at the Fed's Dec. 17-18 meeting. Initial claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed last week, raising concerns over labor-market resilience. U.S. producer prices rose more than forecast in November, though a moderation in service costs pointed to a continuation of the broader disinflationary trend. "Investors are just trying to suss out what is the Fed going to do next week? Is inflation really going to be a problem and the Fed has to really slow its role on rate cuts, or can they get there?" said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Seattle. Haworth added there was profit-taking after the Nasdaq touched an all-time high on Wednesday. Trader bets on the cut next week stand at over 98%, according to CME's FedWatch Tool. However, they indicate expectations of a pause in January after several Fed officials last week urged caution over the pace of monetary policy easing as the economy remained resilient. At 1:50 p.m. EST (1950 GMT) the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 144.71 points, or 0.33%, to 44,004.27, the S&P 500 lost 14.59 points, or 0.24%, to 6,069.60 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 46.62 points, or 0.23%, to 19,988.28. Eight of the 11 major S&P sub-sectors were trading lower, with the healthcare sector at the bottom with a 0.6% decline. Megacap and growth stocks showed a mixed performance, with Nvidia slipping 0.78%, while Microsoft rose 1.12%. Adobe plunged 13.27% after the Photoshop maker forecast fiscal 2025 revenue below Wall Street expectations, weighing on the broader technology sector. Wall Street's main indexes have hit record highs multiple times this year, fueled by a rally in heavyweight tech stocks that capitalized on enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence and the Fed's interest-rate cuts. U.S. equities concluded a strong November following Donald Trump's presidential election victory, buoyed by expectations of business-friendly policies boosting corporate profits, and have started December on a broadly positive trajectory. Warner Bros Discovery soared 14.97% after the media company announced plans to separate its declining cable-TV business from streaming and studio operations. Nordson slid 9% as the dispensing-equipment maker forecast fiscal 2025 revenue below Wall Street estimates, while health insurer Centene rose 2.41% after forecasting its 2025 profit above estimates. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.24-to-1 ratio on the New York Stock Exchange. There were 94 new highs and 75 new lows on the NYSE. The S&P 500 posted 10 new 52-week highs and seven new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 77 new highs and 116 new lows. (Reporting by Echo Wang in New York; Additional reporting by Purvi Agarwal and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Rod Nickel)
Judith Graham | (TNS) KFF Health News Carolyn Dickens, 76, was sitting at her dining room table, struggling to catch her breath as her physician looked on with concern. “What’s going on with your breathing?” asked Peter Gliatto, director of Mount Sinai’s Visiting Doctors Program. “I don’t know,” she answered, so softly it was hard to hear. “Going from here to the bathroom or the door, I get really winded. I don’t know when it’s going to be my last breath.” Dickens, a lung cancer survivor, lives in central Harlem, barely getting by. She has serious lung disease and high blood pressure and suffers regular fainting spells. In the past year, she’s fallen several times and dropped to 85 pounds, a dangerously low weight. And she lives alone, without any help — a highly perilous situation. This is almost surely an undercount, since the data is from more than a dozen years ago. It’s a population whose numbers far exceed those living in nursing homes — about 1.2 million — and yet it receives much less attention from policymakers, legislators, and academics who study aging. Consider some eye-opening statistics about completely homebound seniors from a study published in 2020 in JAMA Internal Medicine : Nearly 40% have five or more chronic medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease. Almost 30% are believed to have “probable dementia.” Seventy-seven percent have difficulty with at least one daily task such as bathing or dressing. Almost 40% live by themselves. That “on my own” status magnifies these individuals’ already considerable vulnerability, something that became acutely obvious during the covid-19 outbreak, when the number of sick and disabled seniors confined to their homes doubled. “People who are homebound, like other individuals who are seriously ill, rely on other people for so much,” said Katherine Ornstein, director of the Center for Equity in Aging at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. “If they don’t have someone there with them, they’re at risk of not having food, not having access to health care, not living in a safe environment.” Related Articles Health | Weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy are all the rage. Are they safe for kids? Health | Rural governments often fail to communicate with residents who aren’t proficient in English Health | Some breast cancer patients can avoid certain surgeries, studies suggest Health | Who gets obesity drugs covered by insurance? In North Carolina, it helps if you’re on Medicaid Health | How the FDA allows companies to add secret ingredients to our food Research has shown that older homebound adults are less likely to receive regular primary care than other seniors. They’re also more likely to end up in the hospital with medical crises that might have been prevented if someone had been checking on them. To better understand the experiences of these seniors, I accompanied Gliatto on some home visits in New York City. Mount Sinai’s Visiting Doctors Program, established in 1995, is one of the oldest in the nation. Only 12% of older U.S. adults who rarely or never leave home have access to this kind of home-based primary care. Gliatto and his staff — seven part-time doctors, three nurse practitioners, two nurses, two social workers, and three administrative staffers — serve about 1,000 patients in Manhattan each year. These patients have complicated needs and require high levels of assistance. In recent years, Gliatto has had to cut staff as Mount Sinai has reduced its financial contribution to the program. It doesn’t turn a profit, because reimbursement for services is low and expenses are high. First, Gliatto stopped in to see Sandra Pettway, 79, who never married or had children and has lived by herself in a two-bedroom Harlem apartment for 30 years. Pettway has severe spinal problems and back pain, as well as Type 2 diabetes and depression. She has difficulty moving around and rarely leaves her apartment. “Since the pandemic, it’s been awfully lonely,” she told me. When I asked who checks in on her, Pettway mentioned her next-door neighbor. There’s no one else she sees regularly. Pettway told the doctor she was increasingly apprehensive about an upcoming spinal surgery. He reassured her that Medicare would cover in-home nursing care, aides, and physical therapy services. “Someone will be with you, at least for six weeks,” he said. Left unsaid: Afterward, she would be on her own. (The surgery in April went well, Gliatto reported later.) The doctor listened carefully as Pettway talked about her memory lapses. “I can remember when I was a year old, but I can’t remember 10 minutes ago,” she said. He told her that he thought she was managing well but that he would arrange testing if there was further evidence of cognitive decline. For now, he said, he’s not particularly worried about her ability to manage on her own. Several blocks away, Gliatto visited Dickens, who has lived in her one-bedroom Harlem apartment for 31 years. Dickens told me she hasn’t seen other people regularly since her sister, who used to help her out, had a stroke. Most of the neighbors she knew well have died. Her only other close relative is a niece in the Bronx whom she sees about once a month. Dickens worked with special-education students for decades in New York City’s public schools. Now she lives on a small pension and Social Security — too much to qualify for Medicaid. (Medicaid, the program for low-income people, will pay for aides in the home. Medicare, which covers people over age 65, does not.) Like Pettway, she has only a small fixed income, so she can’t afford in-home help. Every Friday, God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that prepares medically tailored meals for sick people, delivers a week’s worth of frozen breakfasts and dinners that Dickens reheats in the microwave. She almost never goes out. When she has energy, she tries to do a bit of cleaning. Without the ongoing attention from Gliatto, Dickens doesn’t know what she’d do. “Having to get up and go out, you know, putting on your clothes, it’s a task,” she said. “And I have the fear of falling.” The next day, Gliatto visited Marianne Gluck Morrison, 73, a former survey researcher for New York City’s personnel department, in her cluttered Greenwich Village apartment. Morrison, who doesn’t have any siblings or children, was widowed in 2010 and has lived alone since. Morrison said she’d been feeling dizzy over the past few weeks, and Gliatto gave her a basic neurological exam, asking her to follow his fingers with her eyes and touch her fingers to her nose. “I think your problem is with your ear, not your brain,” he told her, describing symptoms of vertigo. Because she had severe wounds on her feet related to Type 2 diabetes, Morrison had been getting home health care for several weeks through Medicare. But those services — help from aides, nurses, and physical therapists — were due to expire in two weeks. “I don’t know what I’ll do then, probably just spend a lot of time in bed,” Morrison told me. Among her other medical conditions: congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis, an irregular heartbeat, chronic kidney disease, and depression. Morrison hasn’t left her apartment since November 2023, when she returned home after a hospitalization and several months at a rehabilitation center. Climbing the three steps that lead up into her apartment building is simply too hard. “It’s hard to be by myself so much of the time. It’s lonely,” she told me. “I would love to have people see me in the house. But at this point, because of the clutter, I can’t do it.” When I asked Morrison who she feels she can count on, she listed Gliatto and a mental health therapist from Henry Street Settlement, a social services organization. She has one close friend she speaks with on the phone most nights. “The problem is I’ve lost eight to nine friends in the last 15 years,” she said, sighing heavily. “They’ve died or moved away.” Bruce Leff, director of the Center for Transformative Geriatric Research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is a leading advocate of home-based medical care. “It’s kind of amazing how people find ways to get by,” he said when I asked him about homebound older adults who live alone. “There’s a significant degree of frailty and vulnerability, but there is also substantial resilience.” With the rapid expansion of the aging population in the years ahead, Leff is convinced that more kinds of care will move into the home, everything from rehab services to palliative care to hospital-level services. “It will simply be impossible to build enough hospitals and health facilities to meet the demand from an aging population,” he said. But that will be challenging for homebound older adults who are on their own. Without on-site family caregivers, there may be no one around to help manage this home-based care. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Inside Sotheby’s $6 million sale of a banana
Judith Graham | (TNS) KFF Health News Carolyn Dickens, 76, was sitting at her dining room table, struggling to catch her breath as her physician looked on with concern. “What’s going on with your breathing?” asked Peter Gliatto, director of Mount Sinai’s Visiting Doctors Program. “I don’t know,” she answered, so softly it was hard to hear. “Going from here to the bathroom or the door, I get really winded. I don’t know when it’s going to be my last breath.” Dickens, a lung cancer survivor, lives in central Harlem, barely getting by. She has serious lung disease and high blood pressure and suffers regular fainting spells. In the past year, she’s fallen several times and dropped to 85 pounds, a dangerously low weight. And she lives alone, without any help — a highly perilous situation. This is almost surely an undercount, since the data is from more than a dozen years ago. It’s a population whose numbers far exceed those living in nursing homes — about 1.2 million — and yet it receives much less attention from policymakers, legislators, and academics who study aging. Consider some eye-opening statistics about completely homebound seniors from a study published in 2020 in JAMA Internal Medicine : Nearly 40% have five or more chronic medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease. Almost 30% are believed to have “probable dementia.” Seventy-seven percent have difficulty with at least one daily task such as bathing or dressing. Almost 40% live by themselves. That “on my own” status magnifies these individuals’ already considerable vulnerability, something that became acutely obvious during the covid-19 outbreak, when the number of sick and disabled seniors confined to their homes doubled. “People who are homebound, like other individuals who are seriously ill, rely on other people for so much,” said Katherine Ornstein, director of the Center for Equity in Aging at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. “If they don’t have someone there with them, they’re at risk of not having food, not having access to health care, not living in a safe environment.” Related Articles Health | Weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy are all the rage. Are they safe for kids? Health | Rural governments often fail to communicate with residents who aren’t proficient in English Health | Some breast cancer patients can avoid certain surgeries, studies suggest Health | Who gets obesity drugs covered by insurance? In North Carolina, it helps if you’re on Medicaid Health | How the FDA allows companies to add secret ingredients to our food Research has shown that older homebound adults are less likely to receive regular primary care than other seniors. They’re also more likely to end up in the hospital with medical crises that might have been prevented if someone had been checking on them. To better understand the experiences of these seniors, I accompanied Gliatto on some home visits in New York City. Mount Sinai’s Visiting Doctors Program, established in 1995, is one of the oldest in the nation. Only 12% of older U.S. adults who rarely or never leave home have access to this kind of home-based primary care. Gliatto and his staff — seven part-time doctors, three nurse practitioners, two nurses, two social workers, and three administrative staffers — serve about 1,000 patients in Manhattan each year. These patients have complicated needs and require high levels of assistance. In recent years, Gliatto has had to cut staff as Mount Sinai has reduced its financial contribution to the program. It doesn’t turn a profit, because reimbursement for services is low and expenses are high. First, Gliatto stopped in to see Sandra Pettway, 79, who never married or had children and has lived by herself in a two-bedroom Harlem apartment for 30 years. Pettway has severe spinal problems and back pain, as well as Type 2 diabetes and depression. She has difficulty moving around and rarely leaves her apartment. “Since the pandemic, it’s been awfully lonely,” she told me. When I asked who checks in on her, Pettway mentioned her next-door neighbor. There’s no one else she sees regularly. Pettway told the doctor she was increasingly apprehensive about an upcoming spinal surgery. He reassured her that Medicare would cover in-home nursing care, aides, and physical therapy services. “Someone will be with you, at least for six weeks,” he said. Left unsaid: Afterward, she would be on her own. (The surgery in April went well, Gliatto reported later.) The doctor listened carefully as Pettway talked about her memory lapses. “I can remember when I was a year old, but I can’t remember 10 minutes ago,” she said. He told her that he thought she was managing well but that he would arrange testing if there was further evidence of cognitive decline. For now, he said, he’s not particularly worried about her ability to manage on her own. Several blocks away, Gliatto visited Dickens, who has lived in her one-bedroom Harlem apartment for 31 years. Dickens told me she hasn’t seen other people regularly since her sister, who used to help her out, had a stroke. Most of the neighbors she knew well have died. Her only other close relative is a niece in the Bronx whom she sees about once a month. Dickens worked with special-education students for decades in New York City’s public schools. Now she lives on a small pension and Social Security — too much to qualify for Medicaid. (Medicaid, the program for low-income people, will pay for aides in the home. Medicare, which covers people over age 65, does not.) Like Pettway, she has only a small fixed income, so she can’t afford in-home help. Every Friday, God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that prepares medically tailored meals for sick people, delivers a week’s worth of frozen breakfasts and dinners that Dickens reheats in the microwave. She almost never goes out. When she has energy, she tries to do a bit of cleaning. Without the ongoing attention from Gliatto, Dickens doesn’t know what she’d do. “Having to get up and go out, you know, putting on your clothes, it’s a task,” she said. “And I have the fear of falling.” The next day, Gliatto visited Marianne Gluck Morrison, 73, a former survey researcher for New York City’s personnel department, in her cluttered Greenwich Village apartment. Morrison, who doesn’t have any siblings or children, was widowed in 2010 and has lived alone since. Morrison said she’d been feeling dizzy over the past few weeks, and Gliatto gave her a basic neurological exam, asking her to follow his fingers with her eyes and touch her fingers to her nose. “I think your problem is with your ear, not your brain,” he told her, describing symptoms of vertigo. Because she had severe wounds on her feet related to Type 2 diabetes, Morrison had been getting home health care for several weeks through Medicare. But those services — help from aides, nurses, and physical therapists — were due to expire in two weeks. “I don’t know what I’ll do then, probably just spend a lot of time in bed,” Morrison told me. Among her other medical conditions: congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis, an irregular heartbeat, chronic kidney disease, and depression. Morrison hasn’t left her apartment since November 2023, when she returned home after a hospitalization and several months at a rehabilitation center. Climbing the three steps that lead up into her apartment building is simply too hard. “It’s hard to be by myself so much of the time. It’s lonely,” she told me. “I would love to have people see me in the house. But at this point, because of the clutter, I can’t do it.” When I asked Morrison who she feels she can count on, she listed Gliatto and a mental health therapist from Henry Street Settlement, a social services organization. She has one close friend she speaks with on the phone most nights. “The problem is I’ve lost eight to nine friends in the last 15 years,” she said, sighing heavily. “They’ve died or moved away.” Bruce Leff, director of the Center for Transformative Geriatric Research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is a leading advocate of home-based medical care. “It’s kind of amazing how people find ways to get by,” he said when I asked him about homebound older adults who live alone. “There’s a significant degree of frailty and vulnerability, but there is also substantial resilience.” With the rapid expansion of the aging population in the years ahead, Leff is convinced that more kinds of care will move into the home, everything from rehab services to palliative care to hospital-level services. “It will simply be impossible to build enough hospitals and health facilities to meet the demand from an aging population,” he said. But that will be challenging for homebound older adults who are on their own. Without on-site family caregivers, there may be no one around to help manage this home-based care. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The year 2024 has seen a remarkable surge in the stock market, with Nvidia and Palantir standing out as prominent winners, thanks to their strategic positions in the realm of artificial intelligence. Both companies have made significant strides, but which one presents a better investment opportunity now? Let’s delve into their business models, financial health, and valuation to find out. Nvidia: The AI Chip Leader Nvidia has cemented its reputation as a leader in AI-focused GPU development, largely due to its cutting-edge designs and strategic investments in technologies like its CUDA software library. This has resulted in enviable profit margins, with an operating margin reaching 62% in the recent quarter. Despite its dominance, Nvidia must navigate the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry, which poses potential risks if market dynamics shift. Palantir: Harnessing Data and AI Originally established to support U.S. intelligence agencies, Palantir has expanded its capabilities to offer comprehensive data solutions across various sectors. Its suite of platforms, such as Gotham, Foundry, and their AI Platform (AIP), integrates vast data to derive actionable insights. Palantir’s model of working with a few high-value contracts gives it an edge over competitors but also comes with the challenge of defending its market positioning. Financial Showdown Nvidia’s recent revenue skyrocketed by 94% to $35.1 billion, with a notable increase in net income. Palantir also reported strong financial figures, with a 30% increase in revenue and a significant jump in profitability. However, Nvidia’s growth figures significantly outpace Palantir’s. Valuation and Verdict Evaluating their positions, Palantir’s valuations appear inflated with a high price-to-earnings ratio, making it a riskier choice. Nvidia’s growth prospects, combined with more moderate valuations, make it a more appealing buy for investors seeking exposure to AI advancements. Nvidia vs. Palantir: Unveiling the Ultimate AI Investment for 2024 In the bustling stock market of 2024, Nvidia and Palantir have emerged as frontrunners, each capitalizing on artificial intelligence’s explosive growth. As investors seek to determine which of these AI titans offers the best potential, understanding their unique features, market advantages, and potential pitfalls is crucial. Unraveling Nvidia’s Technological Edge Nvidia’s dominance in the AI sector is largely due to its superior GPU technology and associated software ecosystems. The introduction of innovations in its CUDA software library has further entrenched Nvidia as a leader in AI processing. Significantly, Nvidia’s GPUs are driving advancements in deep learning, autonomous vehicles, and even the metaverse, fortifying its market position. A closer look at Nvidia highlights the company’s dedication to sustainability, as seen in their environmentally conscious GPU production practices and energy-efficient designs, appealing to an increasingly eco-aware market. Exploring Palantir’s Unique AI Offerings Palantir distinguishes itself with a robust array of AI-driven data analytics platforms, especially Gotham and Foundry. Its strength lies in synthesizing immense datasets to deliver precise, actionable insights for various industries, including healthcare, finance, and government sectors. Recent innovations focus on enhancing their AI-driven decision-making capabilities, providing clients with real-time strategic insights. Palantir’s capacity to offer customer-specific solutions creates a strong differentiation from competitors, positioning the company as a niche leader. Financial Health and Market Dynamics Nvidia’s financial strength is undisputed, with a stellar revenue increase of 94%, reflecting the demand for AI-driven solutions across industries. In contrast, Palantir’s 30% revenue boost signifies its solid position but also hints at slower growth relative to Nvidia. One of Nvidia’s advantages is its prudent financial management, translating into better operating margins amidst semiconductor industry fluctuations. Meanwhile, Palantir’s financial strategies rely heavily on acquiring lucrative, high-value contracts, ensuring steady, although potentially less rapid growth. Valuations and Investor Outlook From a valuation perspective, Nvidia’s moderate pricing relative to growth potential makes it a compelling choice for investors focusing on AI industry expansion. Palantir’s high price-to-earnings ratio indicates market speculation and investment risk, especially if financial growth does not meet expectations. Future trends suggest Nvidia’s continuous innovation in AI technology will further cement its market leadership. Conversely, Palantir’s advancements in data-driven AI platforms resonate with organizations prioritizing strategic intelligence over sheer technical prowess. Conclusion: Which to Choose? For investors, the decision between Nvidia and Palantir hinges on risk tolerance and investment goals. Nvidia offers growth stability and expansive AI applications, appealing to those wary of market volatility. Palantir suits those looking for niche, high-value AI offerings despite the valuation risks. Ultimately, keeping an eye on industry trends and each company’s strategic moves will be vital for potential investors aiming to maximize returns in the AI-driven landscape of 2024. For more insights on AI and innovations in tech, visit the official Palantir and Nvidia websites.Josh Allen passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one more as the Buffalo Bills clobbered the New York Jets 40-14 on Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Bills clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC with the victory. Allen was showered with "M-V-P" chants after putting the game away with a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes -- a 30-yard connection with Amari Cooper and a 14-yard strike to a leaping Keon Coleman with 12 seconds left in the frame. Those scores sandwiched a 1-yard touchdown run by James Cook. Buffalo (13-3) took a 33-0 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to its 21-point third. Allen, who turned things over to backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky for the final 15 minutes, finished with 182 yards on 16-for-27 passing. Trubisky hit Tyrell Shavers for a 69-yard TD on his first pass of the contest to make it 40-0 with 12:37 to go. It marked Shavers' first career catch. The Bills' defense was in the spotlight just as much as Allen, forcing three turnovers and racking up four sacks. Aaron Rodgers struggled under center for New York (4-12), completing 12 of 18 passes for 112 yards. He was picked off twice. Second-string signal-caller Tyrod Taylor broke the shutout with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with 6:59 left in the game. The Jets proceeded to convert a two-point try to trim their deficit to 40-8. Wilson hauled in seven receptions for 66 yards and the TD. Tyler Conklin grabbed a 20-yard touchdown with 1:55 remaining to complete the scoring. Taylor ended up with 83 yards and the two TDs on 11-of-14 passing. A.J. Epenesa gave the Bills a boost just before the break, sacking Rodgers for a safety that put Buffalo up 9-0 with 2:31 remaining in the second quarter. Tyler Bass extended the Bills' lead with a 39-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. The teams combined for five penalties on the game's first drive, with a 5-yard defensive pass interference call setting Buffalo up at the Jets 1. Allen then got pushed into the end zone for his franchise-record-tying 65th rushing touchdown. --Field Level Media
The expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR’s “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don’t have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. “Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.”'Panchayat’ star Aasif Khan marries his long-time girlfriend Zeba, actor shares stunning picture from their heartwarming traditional ceremony