9jili While many premium cuts of meat, such as filet mignon or ribeye, are naturally tender, others can benefit from tenderizing. As a rule of thumb, the texture of a cut of meat depends on its origin, as well as the age and activity level of the animal. Because the neck, chest, shoulders, and front limbs usually get a workout, these tend to be tougher than other parts of the animal. A few of the more challenging cuts of meat to cook include chuck, brisket, flank, bottom round, and tri-top from beef, as well as lamb and pork legs and shoulders. Similarly, chicken and turkey legs are usually tougher than chicken and turkey breast meat. Budget-friendly meat tends to have more connective tissue and muscle fibers — this is precisely what makes it tougher but also flavorful if prepared in the right way. This is where different methods of tenderizing the meat can be a game changer. Techniques like braising, marinating, and mechanical tenderizing, which involves physically tearing through the connective tissue, can transform these tougher cuts into succulent treats. Ready to find out how to get the most out of tough cuts of meat? Take a look at these tried-and-true tenderizing methods. Pound the meat with a meat mallet One of the simplest — and most common — ways to tenderize tough meat is by breaking down its muscle fibers. This is often done with a meat mallet, a hammer-like kitchen utensil with two sides: a smooth side designed for or veal cutlets and a spiky side for tenderizing meat. In a pinch, you can also achieve a similar effect by whacking the meat with a heavy skillet, a rolling pin, or even a wine bottle. Of course, using anything other than a specialized meat mallet to tenderize meat may require a little more effort and take longer. To pound the meat, place it on a cutting board or another flat surface. Next, cover it with plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it with the spiky side of the mallet. It's best to begin at the center of the cut and move outward. While beating meat into submission can improve its texture, it's also important not to overdo the job. Excessive pressure can pulverize the meat, turning it mushy and unappetizing. Poke the meat with a fork or a needle tenderizer The method of piercing a cut of meat with a fork might just be the fastest way to tenderize a steak. All you need is a fork or another sharp object and a few seconds to puncture holes on both sides of the cut. While the piercing method is similar to tenderizing meat with a meat mallet, as both are mechanical, a fork can penetrate the meat deeper than the coarse surface of a mallet. This doesn't just improve the meat's texture by breaking down its connective tissue, but also opens the meat up, allowing marinades to penetrate deeper into the meat. Poking holes in a cut of meat with a fork is relatively simple, but you can go one better by investing in a needle tenderizer, such as the . The handy tool is equipped with dozens of ultra sharp needles that penetrate the meat, creating channels. To use a needle tenderizer, simply place the meat on an even surface, grip the handle, and press firmly down. Sprinkle the meat with baking soda It's difficult to imagine that sprinkling a little baking soda on a cut of meat could turn it from tough and leathery to soft and tender. While the effect is likely to be more subtle than this, when applied correctly, baking soda can improve the texture and juiciness of tougher cuts of meat, making them easier to chew and more enjoyable to eat. The technique of tenderizing meat with baking soda relies on raising the pH levels on the surface of the meat. A higher pH level prevents the proteins in the meat from forming strong bonds while it's being cooked, ensuring a juicier and more tender final result. Since the baking soda won't penetrate deeply into the meat, it's best to use this method on cuts no thicker than 1⁄2 inch. For this method, cover the meat in baking soda, using a quantity equal to 1% of the protein's weight. Place the meat in the refrigerator for at least three hours. For bigger cuts, you may wish to leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Once ready, remove the baking soda by rinsing the meat thoroughly under running water. If time is of the essence, you can also use baking soda to make a wet brine, mixing 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1⁄2 cup of water per 12 ounces of protein. Depending on its size, the meat will need to marinate in the mixture for at least 15 minutes. Use a marinade Marinades don't just imbue meat with flavor, they also tenderize it. More specifically, they break down tough connective tissues in and help pork loin or chicken breast stay moist, especially when grilled. Most marinades consist of three key elements: oil, seasoning, and either an acid or an enzyme. All of these ingredients perform different functions. The seasoning infuses the meat with flavor, the oil helps to carry the flavor and keeps the meat moist, while the acid and enzymes tenderize the meat. Both acids and enzymes tenderize meat by breaking down its proteins, particularly collagen and muscle fibers, which can make meat tough. Some of the acidic ingredients that are often incorporated in marinades include citrus fruit, vinegar, buttermilk, and, perhaps surprisingly to some, yogurt and soda. Similarly, enzymes in fruits like mangoes, kiwis, pineapples, and papaya can also effectively break down the connective tissue in meat. To tenderize meat without turning it to mush, pay close attention to marinating time. It goes without saying that larger and tougher cuts, such as brisket or , should be marinated for longer than thinner and smaller pieces of meat. For instance, while thicker cuts of meat can be kept in the marinade for up to 12 hours, thinner or more delicate cuts may require as little as 30 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with a little salt Salt has been used as a meat preservative for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations used salt to brine meat, which helped prolong its shelf life by drawing out moisture and inhibiting bacteria. While refrigeration has simplified meat storage, salt is still sometimes used on meat as a natural tenderizer. Dry brining, or sprinkling tougher cuts of meat with salt, can break down the proteins in the muscle fibers, giving it a softer texture. Salt can be used on a range of meats, including beef, pork, and even chicken. In fact, salt brine can also be used to . For best results, use around 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt per each pound of meat. Coat the cut of meat in the salt, ensuring that it's completely covered. Salt the meat at least an hour before cooking. For larger pieces of protein like whole turkeys or pork butts, you can even salt a day or two in advance — just make sure that you pop them back in the refrigerator after applying the salt. Finally, be sure to rinse the meat under running water and pat it dry before cooking. Score the meat with a knife Alongside from pounding meat with a mallet and piercing it with a fork, scoring — or cutting protein with a knife — is another popular method of tenderizing tough cuts like hanger steak or flank. The method is very simple — all you need is a sharp knife. Begin by cutting the meat in one direction before making cuts in the opposite direction until you end up with a crosshatch pattern on the meat's surface. Don't cut too deeply as this could affect the meat's overall structure. The purpose of scoring is breaking up the long muscle fibers in the meat, resulting in a softer, more tender texture. Scoring also increases the meat's cooking surface, promoting more even cooking and triggering the , a chemical process that gives meat a beautiful brown crust. Making cuts in the meat can also help it to soak up marinades, if that is a part of its preparation process. Alternatively, you can imbue the meat with flavor by filling the slits with diced aromatics like ginger or garlic or filling them with seasoning. Use a meat tenderizing powder While you can tenderize meat by coating it in salt or baking powder, there is another culinary product that can help to soften protein. We are talking about , such as the . Available online and in stores, meat tenderizing powder contains enzymes, such as bromelain found in pineapples or papain derived from papayas, that help break down the muscle fibers in the meat, making it more tender and juicy. This said, meat tenderizing powder works best on thinner cuts of meat like steaks or chops as it doesn't penetrate the meat deeper than 1⁄4 inches. While some meat tenderizing powders are unseasoned, others come with herbs and spices that can enhance the flavor of the meat. The product takes as little as 20 minutes to work, so can be a great option for those on a tight culinary schedule. Meat tenderizing powder is best used as a dry rub, rather than a marinade, as explained by one : "If you leave [the] tenderizer on for a long period of time it can turn the meat unpleasantly mushy. So, marinate, then tenderizer." Infuse the meat with alcohol It's no secret that adding a splash of liquor, wine, or beer to some culinary creations can enhance their flavor, texture, and aroma. Take , for example, where the liquor adds complexity to the tomato sauce, or , which is infused with the complex flavor of red wine. With so much culinary versatility, it's no surprise that many home chefs also add a little alcohol to their more meaty dishes. . Firstly, it helps to tenderize dishes by weakening tough fibers in the protein, creating a more succulent final product. Alcohol can also imbue meat with flavor, with beers giving protein caramel undertones and wines vibrant floral accents. This said, it's important not to let the boozy flavors overshadow the other components of the marinade. As a rule of thumb, if you don't want to infuse your meat with a distinct boozy flavor, opt for a neutral-tasting spirit like vodka. Slow cook the meat Transforming tough cuts of meat like , lamb shank, or pork shoulder into tender, mouthwatering meals can take a lot of patience. Fortitude is precisely what you will need if you opt to tenderize these cuts using traditional slow-cooking methods like braising or roasting. On the bright side, cooking protein low and slow breaks down the collagen in the meat, separating the muscle fiber. This, in turn, results in tender and flavorful shreds of meat. When it comes to slow cooking meat, there are several alternatives. Whether on a stovetop or grill, braising involves simmering meat in a liquid for long periods of time. Since the meat is cooked on low heat with liquid, it remains nice and juicy. If you are barbecuing meat, you can cover it with foil to keep the protein from drying out during the cooking process. Preparing meat on low heat also ensures uniform cooking, eliminating the risk that you will end up with an overcooked outer and a pink center. To brown the meat, pre-sear it or sear it once it's cooked. Cook the meat in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker Slow cookers offer a less hands-on way of achieving the same tender, flavorful results as braising or slow-roasting. Whether you are preparing or a hearty stew, a slow cooker can both tenderize the meat and lock in moisture. The trick lies in filling the cooker with the right amount of liquid — be it water, stock, or wine. You should also avoid lifting the lid during the cooking process to prevent any moisture from evaporating. If you are cooking a beef stew, for instance, the liquid should fill the slow cooker enough to cover about one-third of the meat. This will ensure that the meat braises, rather than boils. Pressure cookers can also be used to tenderize meat, albeit in a completely different way from slow cookers. Unlike slow cookers, which rely on low heat over long periods to tenderize meat, pressure cookers use high pressure to rapidly raise the cooking temperature, breaking down collagen into gelatin and softening the meat. Best of all, the meat will be ready in a fraction of the time it would take in a slow cooker. Let the meat rest after cooking Once the cut of meat is cooked, it's important to resist the urge to serve it right away. This is because letting the meat rest can go a long way to enhancing its flavor, texture, and juiciness. To get the lowdown on resting times, . "Steaks as a general rule need to rest for at least a third of their cook time. If it's a small steak like a filet I'll usually rest it for a minimum of five minutes," he says. "The larger the steak and longer the cooking time, the longer the steak needs to rest. If you are roasting a prime rib, a 30 to 45 minute rest is not out of the question." So what's the benefit of resting meat? As meat cooks, the heat draws the juices toward the surface. Letting the protein rest allows the juices to be redistributed evenly into the meat, preventing them from spilling out when the protein is cut open. In addition, leaving meat on the counter for a few minutes lets the muscle fibers reabsorb these juices, making the steak more tender. Finally, a few minutes of resting time ensures that the steak finishes cooking using residual heat. Slice the meat against the grain Since it's the tough muscle fibers that make meat chewy, it makes sense that severing them after the meat has been prepared will make the cut more tender. Of course, this only applies if you know what you are doing. Slicing the meat with the grain, or parallel to the fibers, will leave them intact, keeping the meat just as tough as when it was first cooked. To tenderize meat, you should always slice it across the grain to shorten the muscle fibers and make the cut less chewy. While shortening the muscle fibers by is likely to make it easier to chew, it's not going to change the overall quality of the meat. Perhaps one sums this up best, saying, "[This technique] doesn't make an actual change in the meat, it just presents the grain to your chompers differently. Easier to split wood along the grain, same with chewing steak." Use a meat tenderizing gadget Fast and efficient, electric meat tenderizers, such as the , are a great alternative for those who are processing large batches of meat or don't have a lot of muscle strength. Fitted out with electric motors, these gadgets can transform tough meat within seconds without any effort on your part. To be more specific, the motor powers a stainless steel blade that rotates rapidly, breaking down the muscle fibers and connective tissues in the meat as it passes through the machine. Those who don't need to process large quantities of tough meat can opt for a manual meat tenderizer that works on a similar principle to its electric counterpart but requires hand power to operate. Gadgets like the feature crank handles that power a set of blades to tenderize the meat. While manual meat tenderizers may require a little more effort than their electric siblings, they tend to be more compact and budget-friendly. 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Editorial: Hope rises over AravallisMetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Blend Labs, Inc. ( NYSE:BLND – Free Report ) by 110.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 125,560 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 66,015 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Blend Labs were worth $471,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of Blend Labs by 15.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,148 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,000 after acquiring an additional 3,576 shares in the last quarter. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP bought a new stake in Blend Labs during the third quarter valued at approximately $3,253,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Blend Labs by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,643,051 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,161,000 after buying an additional 120,152 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Blend Labs in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $194,000. Finally, RiverPark Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Blend Labs in the 3rd quarter worth $77,000. 52.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Blend Labs Stock Performance BLND opened at $5.35 on Friday. Blend Labs, Inc. has a 1 year low of $1.52 and a 1 year high of $5.53. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $4.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3.47. Analysts Set New Price Targets Check Out Our Latest Report on Blend Labs Insider Transactions at Blend Labs In other Blend Labs news, insider Oxana Tkach sold 18,324 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.18, for a total value of $94,918.32. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 88,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $459,346.86. This trade represents a 17.13 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, insider Winnie Ling sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.33, for a total value of $66,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 286,416 shares in the company, valued at $953,765.28. This trade represents a 6.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 115,348 shares of company stock worth $501,449. Insiders own 13.21% of the company’s stock. Blend Labs Profile ( Free Report ) Blend Labs, Inc engages in the provision of cloud-based software platform solutions for financial services firms in the United States. It operates in two segments, Blend Platform and Title365. The company's Blend Builder Platform offers a suite of products that powers digital-first consumer journeys for mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, vehicle loans, personal loans, credit cards, and deposit accounts; and offers mortgage products to facilitate the homeownership journey for consumers comprising close, income verification for mortgage, homeowners' insurance, and realty. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BLND? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Blend Labs, Inc. ( NYSE:BLND – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Blend Labs Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blend Labs and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records after a quiet day of trading. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, on Tuesday to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. The South Korean won sank against the dollar after its president declared martial law and then later said he’ll lift it. On Tuesday: The S&P 500 rose 2.73 points, or less than 0.1%, to 6,049.88. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 76.47 points, or 0.2%, to 44,705.53. The Nasdaq composite rose 76.96 points, or 0.4%, to 19,480.91. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 17.79 points, or 0.7%, to 2,416.35. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 17.50 points, or 0.3%. The Dow is down 205.12 points, or 0.5%. The Nasdaq is up 262.74 points, or 1.4%. The Russell 2000 is down 18.38 points, or 0.8%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,280.05 points, or 26.8%. The Dow is up 7,015.99 points, or 18.6%. The Nasdaq is up 4,469.56 points, or 29.8%. The Russell 2000 is up 389.27 points, or 19.2%.FIFA vice-president says Canada's drone-spying at Olympics was 'completely stupid'

What you need to know about Omnicom’s acquisition of InterpublicMuqeem’s five-wicket blitz sinks ZimbabweREDWOOD CITY, Calif., Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), a leading provider of enzymatic solutions for efficient and scalable therapeutics manufacturing, today announced the approval of equity grants to five new employees as approved by the Compensation Committee of Codexis’ Board of Directors. The newly hired employees received equity awards consisting of an aggregate of (i) options to purchase 168,400 shares of Codexis common stock and (ii) 39,750 restricted stock units (RSUs) as inducement awards under the company’s 2024 Inducement Plan. The stock options have an exercise price equal to the closing price per share of Codexis’ common stock as reported by Nasdaq on the grant date, and vest over four years, with 25 percent of the shares vesting on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date, and the remainder vesting ratably at the end of each subsequent month thereafter, subject to each employee’s continued service with Codexis through the applicable vesting dates. The RSUs will vest in equal annual installments on each anniversary of the grant date, until the third anniversary of such date, subject to each employee’s continued service with Codexis through the applicable vesting dates. Codexis is providing this information in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)4. About Codexis Codexis is a leading provider of enzymatic solutions for efficient and scalable therapeutics manufacturing that leverages its proprietary CodeEvolver ® technology platform to discover, develop and enhance novel, high-performance enzymes and other classes of proteins. Codexis enzymes solve for real-world challenges associated with small molecule pharmaceuticals manufacturing and nucleic acid synthesis. The Company is currently developing its proprietary ECO SynthesisTM manufacturing platform to enable the scaled manufacture of RNAi therapeutics through an enzymatic route. Codexis’ unique enzymes can drive improvements such as higher yields, reduced energy usage and waste generation, improved efficiency in manufacturing and greater sensitivity in genomic and diagnostic applications. For more information, visit https://www.codexis.com . For More Information Investor Contact Carrie McKim (336) 608-9706 ir@codexis.com Media Contact Lauren Musto (650) 421-8205 media@codexis.com

– Seth Rollins isn’t going to be happy about this. The San Francisco 49ers released a video of WWE Superstar Bayley hyping up and energizing the crowd at today’s 49ers vs. Chicago Bears game. You can view that clip below: Fire us up @itsBayleyWWE !!️ pic.twitter.com/E8IGQpSxKl — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 8, 2024 NINER GANG! https://t.co/XMWQQ7m78m — Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) December 8, 2024 Bayley’s at the 49ers game today.🏈💛❤️ pic.twitter.com/BIH2kMW8hm — bayley_fan (@wwe_bayleyfan) December 8, 2024 – The Steelers X account shared a fun meme image after defeating the Cleveland Browns, showing their logo over Roman Reigns when he blocked CM Punk during the WarGames match at Survivor Series. The caption evokes Reigns’ catchphrase, “Acknowledge me!” You can view that post below: Acknowledge us☝️ pic.twitter.com/61RRufdt7b — Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 8, 2024 – WWE Top 10 showcased the Top 10 NXT Deadline Moments;

REFORM, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge ruled that the family of former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr., who died in law enforcement custody in Alabama, can pursue a lawsuit alleging his death was the result of excessive force. Foster, a former New Orleans Saints defensive end, died on Dec. 6, 2021, three days after being arrested and taken to jail in rural Pickens County for alleged speeding and attempting to elude police. A judge ordered Foster taken to a medical facility in Tuscaloosa for a mental evaluation. Foster was found unresponsive in the back of a law enforcement vehicle when he arrived at the facility. He was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later. His widow, Pamela Foster, filed a lawsuit against officers at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and jail saying Foster had been beaten, shocked with a Taser and strangled while at the jail. The defendants then asked a federal judge to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon ruled Thursday refused to dismiss allegations of excessive force and failure to intervene. Axon dismissed other portions of the lawsuit. The ruling came a day before the third anniversary of Foster’s death. Foster appeared in 17 games for the Saints in 2013 and 2014.Raphinha scores 2 and Barcelona ends Spanish league slump with 5-1 rout of Mallorca

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's prime minister has agreed to hand power to the rebel-led Salvation Government, a day after the rebels seized the capital Damascus and Assad fled to Russia. or signup to continue reading The imminent transfer of power follows 13 years of civil war and the end to more than 50 years of brutal rule by the Assad family, leaving Syrians at home and millions of refugees abroad hopeful yet deeply uncertain about their country's future. Damascus stirred to life on Monday, with traffic returning to streets and people venturing out after a nighttime curfew, but most shops remained shut. Fighters from the remote countryside milled about in the capital, clustering in the central Umayyad Square. Assad's Prime Minister, Mohammed Jalali, told Al Arabiya TV he had agreed to hand power to the Salvation Government, an administration based in a small pocket of rebel-held territory in northwest Syria. He said the handover could take days to carry out. The main rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, had met overnight with Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss a transitional government, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Al Jazeera television reported the transitional authority would be headed by Mohamed al-Bashir, who ran the Salvation Government before the 12-day lightning offensive that swept into Damascus. A source close to the rebels in Idlib confirmed Bashir had been nominated, though there had been no official announcement. The advance of a militia alliance spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate, was a generational turning point for the Middle East. It ends a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused one of the biggest refugee crises of modern times and left cities bombed to rubble, countryside depopulated and the economy hollowed out by global sanctions. Refugees could finally go home from camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Assad's fall wipes out one of the main bastions from which Iran and Russia wielded regional power. Turkey, long aligned with Assad's foes, emerges strengthened. The Arab world faces the task of reintegrating one of the Middle East's pivotal states, while containing the militant Sunni Islam that has in the past metastasised into the sectarian violence of Islamic State. HTS is still designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, but has spent years trying to soften its image to reassure foreign states and minority groups within Syria. The rebels announced on their Telegram channel they were granting amnesty to all conscript soldiers drafted under Assad. Assad's police state was known for generations as one of the harshest in the Middle East, holding hundreds of thousands of political prisoners. On Sunday, elated inmates poured out of jails. One of the final areas to fall was the Mediterranean coast, heartland of Assad's Alawite sect and site of Russia's naval base. The Kremlin said it was too early to know the future of Russia's military bases in Syria, but it would discuss the issue with the new authorities. Israel said Assad's fall was a direct consequence of Israel's punishing assault on Iran's Lebanese allies Hezbollah, who had propped up Assad for years. Since rebels entered Damascus, Israel has struck sites in Syria. Israeli officials said those airstrikes would carry on for days to keep Assad's former arsenal out of hostile hands. The United States, which has 900 soldiers in Syria alongside Kurdish-led forces in the east, said its forces hit around 75 targets in airstrikes on Islamic State on Sunday. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementGoldman Decides to Leave World’s Top Climate Alliance for Banks

REFORM, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge ruled that the family of former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr., who died in law enforcement custody in Alabama, can pursue a lawsuit alleging his death was the result of excessive force. Foster, a former New Orleans Saints defensive end, died on Dec. 6, 2021, three days after being arrested and taken to jail in rural Pickens County for alleged speeding and attempting to elude police. A judge ordered Foster taken to a medical facility in Tuscaloosa for a mental evaluation. Foster was found unresponsive in the back of a law enforcement vehicle when he arrived at the facility. He was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later. His widow, Pamela Foster, filed a lawsuit against officers at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and jail saying Foster had been beaten, shocked with a Taser and strangled while at the jail. The defendants then asked a federal judge to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon ruled Thursday refused to dismiss allegations of excessive force and failure to intervene. Axon dismissed other portions of the lawsuit. The ruling came a day before the third anniversary of Foster’s death. Foster appeared in 17 games for the Saints in 2013 and 2014.NetApp Joins the Vultr Cloud Alliance to Provide Scalable Data Management for Enterprise AI WorkloadsHow major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 12/3/2024

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They have been road warriors nearly all postseason, and the UMass men’s soccer team will have to embrace that narrative one more time if they want to advance to their first College Cup since 2007. The Minutemen (13-3-5) travel to Denver (12-3-4) to take on the third-ranked Pioneers in the NCAA Division I Elite Eight on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m.). UMass defeated No. 6 Penn and No. 11 Virginia on the road after starting the tournament out with a win over Evansville at home. “It’s been a great ride for our guys, I think they’re thoroughly enjoying it,” Minutemen head coach Fran O’Leary said. “To be sitting in the Elite Eight, having won two games against seeded opponents on the road, I think everyone is very, very happy... We’ve worked awfully hard, and we discussed how hard it is to get into the NCAA Tournament. We didn’t want to waste the opportunity by being nervous or anxious. We’ve attacked each of these games with vigor, and it’s a credit to our guys.” What has turned into a historical season for UMass didn’t look that way after a stumble toward the latter half of the regular season. The Minutemen traveled to North Carolina to take on Davidson – a team that isn’t considered among the Atlantic 10 elite. They ultimately surrendered four goals and were doubled up, 4-2, in a shocking defeat that snapped a four-game stretch without a loss. Since then, however, UMass has been nothing short of dominant. It ended the regular season with four straight wins, the finale a 5-1 beatdown over St. Bonaventure on the road, before losing a tough battle in the opening round of the A-10 tournament in penalty kicks to Saint Louis. The big dance came next, and the Minutemen rose to the occasion. The aforementioned win at Rudd Field over the Aces came by a score of 2-1, setting up a pair of 1-0 clean-sheet victories over nationally ranked opponents to get within one win of the Final Four. Following the Davidson loss, UMass is 7-1 – its only blemish the unfortunate slip up in penalties. And after giving up the four goals to the Wildcats, the Minutemen have seen opponents celebrate a score just three times since. O’Leary pointed to that game as the turning point of UMass’ campaign. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess “That was a really bad game, but the guys really rallied after a tough night and a bit of adversity,” O’Leary said. “There wasn’t a big conversation, just a bunch of bright guys that knew their standards were dropped in that game. We work off fine margins, so if we drop our standards, our commitment together and our work ethic, that can happen to us. It opened a lot of eyes. Just a bunch of guys realizing we have to give it our all every game, and when we do, we can compete with some of the best teams in the country.” Alec Hughes leads the UMass offense into the Elite Eight, as Hughes currently stands as the program’s all-time leader in goals scored. He’s tallied a whopping 16 this season despite missing three games, and over the last handful of games Hughes has really developed a strong connection with those around him – giving everyone a jolt during the most important part of the season. “The hardest thing to do in soccer is score goals, and that’s what Alec does,” O’Leary said. “Alec is a goal scorer. And when somebody scores, it boosts everyone’s confidence and gives them a lift. He’s had a terrific career, we’re delighted he’s with the program.” Hughes scored goals in the first two tournament games. If he didn’t already before, he’s likely to draw a lot of attention from any opposing defense the Minutemen face moving forward. O’Leary is prepared for that, and is also just as confident in everyone else to find the back of the net if Hughes isn’t able to. Whether it be Johan Feilscher, Matt Cence, Oliver Akintade or Andrew Ortiz, UMass has options. And the Minutemen are certainly known to score goals. They rank 15th in the country in goals (44) and average over two per game. The 44 goals is also most in the Atlantic 1o. “We can work on different things to free [Hughes] up in different areas,” O’Leary said. “He’ll find a way to have opportunities in these games. And a big part of it is the other attacking players around him. They take pressure off. You can’t double team everybody. There are other guys that have proven they can score for us.” UMass will have to find a way to get by Denver’s defense, one that is ranked 11th in the country in goals against average. Saturday is sure to be a defensive battle, given that the Minutemen have also played near-perfect in that third of the field. Senior keeper Alex Geczy is a big reason why, as he has recorded three shutouts in his last four games – including two consecutive clean sheets in the tournament. O’Leary admitted that teams don’t make it this far into the big dance without a lockdown player in the box. “You don’t get to the Elite Eight of the NCAA with a poor keeper, no matter how strong the rest of your team is,” he said. “And [Geczy] is terrific. He’s had an outstanding season. He’s got confidence in his back four, and his back four has confidence in him. That goes a long way. They bail each other out. [Geczy] has stood tall in some really big games for us.” UMass is no stranger to playing in these road environments against top seeds, but the Minutemen haven’t quite faced a task as tall as the one Denver provides. They know what they’re up against, but, quite frankly, they don’t care. UMass is there to play its style of soccer. And if the Minutemen do that, they like their chances against anyone. “They’re very, very good,” O’Leary said. “They’re one of the elite teams in the country. But we’re unafraid, we’re unselfish, we’re unspoiled and we’re going to enjoy the occasion.”

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- It's just three weeks until Christmas, but if you were at Mission Park Academy in Oakland on Wednesday, you would believe otherwise. A winter wonderland greeted the students at the Oakland elementary school, which hosted the 12th annual Christmas with the Currys. The annual event, which has been managed by the Currys' Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation since 2019, serves as the year-end extravaganza to celebrate a year of impact in Oakland. "2024 has been our biggest year to date at Eat. Learn. Play," said foundation CEO Chris Helfrich. "We are talking about a couple of thousand volunteers coming together to help us make this impact." Helfrich says Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation has fully remodeled eight school yards over the year, with libraries in progress and extra commitment to students, with free tutoring to promote reading. RELATED: 11th annual 'Christmas with the Currys' provides holiday cheer for Oakland students "When I woke up this morning, I did have joy," said foundation Co-founder Ayesha Curry. "But I think that was amplified when we stepped out of the car and saw everything that's been a culmination of a year of work come together." Much like the Warriors' motto "Strength in Numbers," the Currys' Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation relies on a strong group within their organization and countless volunteers and sponsors that are lifeblood of days like this. "It's a well-oiled machine, and you can see the results and the energy when you come to a day like this," said Co-founder Stephen Curry. "Not only the time that people spent to make things happen, but just the appreciation from everybody who is here on what it means--not just for the community--but the kids, teachers and families. It means the world." The foundation's colorful bus was back on display and kids walked away with new gear, books and meals. The schoolyard was transformed with plenty of carnival games, art stations and even a petting zoo. Both Stephen and Ayesha revealed their favorites. "For sure the petting zoo," said Ayesha Curry. "Although my allergies are telling me about myself. I think the Pixar station, the animation station was pretty cool. I walked over there and half of these kids were actually drawing Red Panda, which is insane." RELATED: 'Christmas with the Currys' celebrates a decade of giving back to the community "The design space for kids, where kids had a blank canvas to imagine what they would want for a newly renovated play space," said Stephen Curry. "You could see the kids have a different idea of what they envision, what's fun for them, what activities they are into and how they put it on paper. So, that's part of the cool part of us being able to commit to these play spaces, not just what we imagine what kids want. It's what they imagine and kind of taking their lead. I love that station." Safeway, one of the sponsors of Wednesday's event donated $200,000-worth of gift cards to pass out to students. "Schools break for holidays and the new year and that two-week period can be really detrimental. So ,for them to show up and show out like that and make sure people have what they need during this time is just phenomenal," said Ayesha Curry. Learn more about the program here .Judge says lawsuit over former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr.'s jail death can proceed

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Vultr , the world’s largest privately held cloud computing platform, today announced that NetApp , the intelligent data infrastructure company, is the latest company to join the Vultr Cloud Alliance , a partnership program consisting of industry-leading solutions enabling composable AI cloud services. By combining the capabilities of NetApp ONTAP with Vultr's global network of cloud data center locations, organizations can now choose to use NetApp’s enterprise-grade data management features while leveraging Vultr's predictable pricing and high-performance infrastructure. The combined solution is particularly well-suited for organizations in data-intensive industries such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and media & entertainment, offering specific optimizations for AI model training, high-performance computing, and research workflows. With the Vultr Cloud Alliance, organizations can customize their infrastructure stack with a composable approach, seamlessly assembling and scaling their modern cloud and AI operations on demand without worrying about vendor lock-in. NetApp joins other alliance members, including AMD , SQream , a next-generation, data analytics and acceleration platform, Qdrant a high-performance vector database with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities, Console Connect , which facilitates private, high-speed networking for secure, low-latency data transfer, and Run:ai , an advanced AI workload orchestration platform. The collaboration addresses growing enterprise requirements for flexible, secure, scalable data management solutions that can seamlessly operate across hybrid and multicloud environments. As enterprises increasingly seek to incorporate AI into their core business operations, their challenges shift from fundamental issues, such as data availability, to higher-order concerns such as data management, security, and regulatory requirements. This is evidenced in Vultr’s recently commissioned report with S&P Global Market Intelligence, “ The New Battleground: Unlocking the Power of AI Maturity with Multi-Model AI ” which revealed that security & compliance (35.3%), cost effectiveness (29.0%), and flexible pricing (24.8%) were among the top attributes determining why respondents would choose a cloud platform to deploy AI. “This collaboration helps make AI-driven innovation possible for enterprises with the most demanding security, compliance and performance requirements,” said J.J. Kardwell, CEO of Vultr. “By integrating NetApp’s industry-leading data management capabilities with Vultr’s high-performance global cloud infrastructure, we are enabling enterprises to harness the power of AI while maintaining control over their data assets.” Vultr and NetApp’s collaboration tackles these precise concerns through: This partnership will help enable a variety of use cases for companies across industries seeking to drive transformation through AI and high-performance computing. This includes financial services companies that can streamline financial data management tasks such as contract generation, legal document review and translation; healthcare and life science companies that can improve provider efficiency through automated clinical report generation, transcription and medical record summarization; and retail companies that can improve forecasting, streamline inventory workflows and optimize last-mile delivery. "Our collaboration with Vultr brings together NetApp Intelligent Data Infrastructure which helps customers create data strategy for their AI workloads, combined with Vultr's efficient cloud infrastructure," said Jeff Baxter, Vice President of Product Marketing at NetApp. "This collaboration empowers organizations to bring their data directly to the AI GPUs to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives while maintaining control over their data across hybrid cloud environments." Key benefits of the NetApp and Vultr collaboration include: For more information on the Vultr Cloud Alliance, visit here . About Vultr Vultr is on a mission to make high-performance cloud computing easy to use, affordable, and locally accessible for businesses and developers around the world. Vultr has served over 1.5 million customers across 185 countries with flexible, scalable, global Cloud Compute, Cloud GPU, Bare Metal, and Cloud Storage solutions. Founded by David Aninowsky and completely bootstrapped, Vultr has become the world’s largest privately-held cloud computing company without ever raising equity financing. Learn more at www.vultr.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121705635/en/ CONTACT: Vultr Media Relations mediarelations@vultr.com KEYWORD: FLORIDA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY SECURITY OTHER TECHNOLOGY TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE NETWORKS INTERNET HARDWARE DATA MANAGEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: Vultr Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 04:06 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121705635/en

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