jilibet tricks BIT Mining Limited to Hold Annual General Meeting on January 7, 2025AKRON, Ohio , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BIT Mining Limited (NYSE: BTCM) ("BIT Mining" or the "Company"), a leading technology-driven cryptocurrency mining company, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders at 428 South Seiberling Street, Akron, Ohio , US on January 7, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., New York time. Holders of record of ordinary shares and Class A preference shares of the Company at the close of business on December 20, 2024 , New York time (the "Record Date") are entitled to receive notice of, and to attend and vote at, the annual general meeting or any adjournment thereof. Holders of the Company's American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") who wish to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares must act through the depositary of the Company's ADS program, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. The notice of the annual general meeting, which sets forth the resolutions to be submitted to shareholder approval at the annual general meeting is available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at https://ir.btcm.group . The Company filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 15, 2024 . Shareholders may obtain a copy of the Company's annual report, free of charge, from the Company's website at https://ir.btcm.group and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov , or by contacting BIT Mining Limited at 428 South Seiberling Street, Akron, Ohio , US, attention: Victor He , telephone: +1 (330) 676-2680, email: ir@btcm.group . About BIT Mining Limited BIT Mining (NYSE: BTCM) is a leading technology-driven cryptocurrency mining company with operations in cryptocurrency mining, data center operation and mining machine manufacturing. The Company is strategically creating long-term value across the industry with its cryptocurrency ecosystem. Anchored by its cost-efficient data centers that strengthen its profitability with steady cash flow, the Company also conducts self-mining operations that enhance its marketplace resilience by leveraging self-developed and purchased mining machines to seamlessly adapt to dynamic cryptocurrency pricing. The Company also owns 7-nanometer BTC chips and has strong capabilities in the development of LTC/ DOGE miners and ETC miners. Safe Harbor Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "target", "going forward", "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law. For more information: BIT Mining Limited ir@btcm.group ir.btcm.group www.btcm.group Piacente Financial Communications Victor He Tel: +1 (330) 676-2680 Email: BITMining@thepiacentegroup.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bit-mining-limited-to-hold-annual-general-meeting-on-january-7-2025-302327447.html SOURCE BIT Mining Limited

Disappointed with Germany, Poland is reorienting its security policy. Warsaw wants to work with the Scandinavian and Baltic countries to help Ukraine, and stand up to Russia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was hailed as a bearer of hope in Sweden this week. "Poland is a star," said the Swedish premier, Ulf Kristersson, commending the government in Warsaw for its high level of defense spending. Tusk confirmed that Poland will spend 4.2% of its GDP on the military this year, and its defense budget is set to increase to 4.7% in 2025. "Poland is becoming an important player on security policy," the Swedish news agency TT wrote appreciatively. A photo posted on X shows Tusk and Kristersson in conversation in a rowing boat, accompanied by Kristersson's dog, Winston. This was the first time Tusk had participated in a meeting of the NB8 (Nordic-Baltic 8) countries. The two-day summit was held at Harpsund, the Swedish prime minister's country residence, and concluded on Thursday, when Tusk and Kristersson signed an agreement elevating the strategic partnership between their countries from foreign minister level to that of heads of government. Poland, northern Europe and the Baltics 'like a fist' "Poland's security is Sweden's security," Kristersson said after the signing ceremony. Tusk described the closing of ranks between northern Europeans and the Baltics as the establishment of a "solid group of states in solidarity," a group that "speaks and thinks identically, including on the most difficult issues, which certainly includes Russia's invasion of Ukraine." He emphasized that "it will send an important message to Europe that, on this issue, we are like a fist." The NB8 group has existed informally since the 1990s. It consists of the Scandinavian countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — and the Baltic states of Estonia , Latvia, and Lithuania. Is Poland's PM Donald Tusk the EU's new powerbroker? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Tusk proposed a joint surveillance of the Baltic Sea by the navies of the western coastal states — "a sort of Baltic Sea policing " along the lines of NATO's own Baltic Air Policing mission, which guards the airspace over the sea. "I am very glad my colleagues were interested in this idea. We will continue to discuss the details," the Polish prime minister said. Not quite two weeks ago, two undersea communications cables in the Baltic Sea were mysteriously damaged . One ran between Helsinki in Finland and the German port of Rostock, the other between Sweden and Lithuania. The police have not ruled out sabotage. Investigators suspect the damage was caused by the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which allegedly passed the sites of the breaks at the relevant times. 'If Europe stands united, Russia is a dwarf' Before leaving Warsaw, Tusk appealed to other countries not to give in to Vladimir Putin's threats, saying: "If Europe stands united, then Russia is a technological, financial and economic dwarf in relation to Europe. If Europe is divided, Russia is a threat to each individual European state." At the summit in Sweden, the participants announced their intention to support arms production in Ukraine, increase ammunition supplies, and strengthen its energy infrastructure "so that Ukrainians can survive the winter." They will also support Ukraine on its path to NATO and EU membership. "Russia does not want peace. If we want a free Europe, we must give Ukraine everything it needs. There can be no red lines," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Long tradition of Polish–Swedish partnership Poland has a history of cooperation with Sweden, but this was overshadowed in the past by its close partnerships with Germany and France. In 2008, it was the Polish and Swedish foreign ministers — Radoslaw Sikorski and Carl Bildt — who initiated the Eastern Partnership, a political and economic cooperation program between the EU and six former Soviet states, aimed at supporting reform processes in the EU's eastern neighbors. In his first governmental declaration on December 12, 2023, Tusk didn't mention Germany once. Instead, he announced plans for closer cooperation with the Baltic states, and with Finland, Sweden, and Norway. This shift in orientation toward northern Europe is in large part a consequence of Polish disappointment with Germany. Despite the change in government in Warsaw a year ago, Polish-German relations are still not what they once were. There has been no progress on reparations for the surviving victims of World War II, nor on the investments Poland wants to secure as a frontline state on Europe's eastern border. And now, following the breakup of the coalition government in Berlin, the German-Polish House project to establish a place of remembrance and mutual encounter will probably also be delayed until after the German federal elections. Poland is disappointed with Germany Poland's self-assured politicians were deeply offended that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz invited the leaders of France and the UK to the October 20 meeting with US President Joe Biden to discuss the situation in Ukraine, but did not invite a Polish representative. Scholz's recent phone call with Putin also raised new questions about Germany's reliability. "No one will stop Putin with phone calls," Tusk wrote on X, in a criticism of this "telephone diplomacy." Germany is not the only country that has disappointed Warsaw. Poland's traditional partners in central Europe, Hungary and Slovakia, cannot be considered its allies because of their close relations with Putin's Russia. "We are adapting to the new geopolitical situation," Marek Prawda, undersecretary of state at Poland's ministry of foreign affairs and former ambassador to Berlin and Stockholm, told the PAP news agency. He added that Poland is going back to the "idea of a northern policy." Tusk's diplomatic offensive also aims to prepare Europe for the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency. In Sweden, the Polish prime minister again emphasized that the European Union must put more into its own defense . Poland will assume the EU Council Presidency on January 1, 2025, and Denmark is next in line. Tusk says both countries must work to ensure that Europe "wakes up," insisting: "We have to do more to ensure our own security." With these new partnerships, Poland's center-left government is trying to show that it has room to maneuver, and is not dependent on Germany. However, this stronger focus on northern Europe does not indicate that it has turned its back on Berlin. Last week there was a meeting in Warsaw of the foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle (Germany, France, and Poland), which was expanded to include top diplomats from Italy and the UK; and this week Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz visited Berlin. On Thursday — the day the NB8 summit concluded — it was announced that Germany has proposed to redeploy its Patriot air defense system to southeastern Poland. Coincidence, or a response to Poland's overtures to the countries of northern Europe? This article has been translated from German.

Following arguably the most dominant year of golf since Tiger Woods was in his prime, Scottie Scheffler received the PGA Tour Player of the Year award on Tuesday night. It's the third straight year Scheffler has won the honor, and the World No. 1 joins Woods as the only players to win the Jack Nicklaus Award three years in a row. The award is determined by a vote of PGA Tour members. According to a news release, Scheffler received 91 percent of the vote, with Xander Schauffele and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy the only other nominees. Scheffler, 28, was the first player to win seven official PGA Tour events in a calendar year since Tiger Woods in 2007. Those victories were at some of the most prestigious events on the schedule, against some of the most elite fields. He became the first player to go back-to-back at The Players Championship, won his second career major title at the Masters and earned his other five wins at signature events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, the Travelers Championship and the season-ending Tour Championship. Though not a tour event, Scheffler captured the Olympic gold medal for men's golf at the Paris Games. He also helped the United States defeat the International team at the Presidents Cup in Montreal. "Scottie took on challenges from the best players in the world on the biggest stages all season, and being honored as PGA Tour Player of the Year is the ultimate sign of respect from his peers," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. --Field Level MediaBrowns' Pro Bowl duo of David Njoku, Joel Bitonio listed as questionable vs. Chiefs

The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. • NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. • College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes works in the pocket against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of Sunday's game in Charlotte, N.C. • NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. • College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. • College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. • NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the first half of a Nov. 23 game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles. • College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. • NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. • NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. • NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. • Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. • Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship. Before the 2023 National Football League season started, it seemed inevitable that Bill Belichick would end his career as the winningest head coach in league history. He had won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and 298 regular-season games, plus 31 playoff games, across his career. Then the 2023 season happened. Belichick's Patriots finished 4-13, the franchise's worst record since 1992. At the end of the year, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft agreed to part ways. And now, during the 2024 season, Belichick is on the sideline. He's 26 wins from the #1 spot, a mark he'd reach in little more than two seasons if he maintained his .647 career winning percentage. Will he ascend the summit? It's hard to tell. Belichick would be 73 if he graced the sidelines next season—meaning he'd need to coach until at least 75 to break the all-time mark. Only one other NFL coach has ever helmed a team at age 73: Romeo Crennel in 2020 for the Houston Texans. With Belichick's pursuit of history stalled, it's worth glancing at the legends who have reached the pinnacle of coaching success. Who else stands among the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history? Stacker ranked the coaches with the most all-time regular-season wins using data from Pro Football Reference . These coaches have combined for 36 league championships, which represents 31.6% of all championships won throughout the history of pro football. To learn who made the list, keep reading. You may also like: Ranking the biggest NFL Draft busts of the last 30 years - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1981-2003 - Record: 190-165-2 - Winning percentage: .535 - Championships: 0 Dan Reeves reached the Super Bowl four times—thrice with the Denver Broncos and once with the Atlanta Falcons—but never won the NFL's crown jewel. Still, he racked up nearly 200 wins across his 23-year career, including a stint in charge of the New York Giants, with whom he won Coach of the Year in 1993. In all his tenures, he quickly built contenders—the three clubs he coached were a combined 17-31 the year before Reeves joined and 28-20 in his first year. However, his career ended on a sour note as he was fired from a 3-10 Falcons team after Week 14 in 2003. - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1969-91 - Record: 193-148-1 - Winning percentage: .566 - Championships: 4 Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers were synonymous with success in the 1970s. Behind his defense, known as the Steel Curtain, and offensive stars, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann, Noll led the squad to four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979. Noll's Steelers remain the lone team to win four Super Bowls in six years, though Andy Reid and Kansas City could equal that mark if they win the Lombardi Trophy this season. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, two years after retiring. His legacy of coaching success has carried on in Pittsburgh—the club has had only two coaches (Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) since Noll retired. - Seasons coached: 21 - Years active: 1984-98, 2001-06 - Record: 200-126-1 - Winning percentage: .613 - Championships: 0 As head coach of Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, and San Diego, Marty Schottenheimer proved a successful leader during the regular season. Notably, he was named Coach of the Year after turning around his 4-12 Chargers team to a 12-4 record in 2004. His teams, however, struggled during the playoffs. Schottheimer went 5-13 in the postseason, and he never made it past the conference championship round. As such, the Pennsylvania-born skipper is the winningest NFL coach never to win a league championship. - Seasons coached: 25 - Years active: 1946-62, '68-75 - Record: 213-104-9 - Winning percentage: .672 - Championships: 7 The only coach on this list to pilot a college team, Paul Brown, reached the pro ranks after a three-year stint at Ohio State and two years with the Navy during World War II. He guided the Cleveland Browns—named after Brown, their first coach—to four straight titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference. After the league folded, the ballclub moved to the NFL in 1950, and Cleveland continued its winning ways, with Brown leading the team to championships in '50, '54, and '55. He was fired in 1963 but returned in 1968 as the co-founder and coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. His other notable accomplishments include helping to invent the face mask and breaking pro football's color barrier . - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1921-53 - Record: 226-132-22 - Winning percentage: .631 - Championships: 6 An early stalwart of the NFL, Curly Lambeau spent 29 years helming the Green Bay Packers before wrapping up his coaching career with two-year stints with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington. His Packers won titles across three decades, including the league's first three-peat from 1929-31. Notably, he experienced only one losing season during his first 27 years with Green Bay, cementing his legacy of consistent success. Born in Green Bay, Lambeau co-founded the Packers and played halfback on the team from 1919-29. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a coach and owner in 1963, two years before his death. You may also like: Countries with the most active NFL players - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1960-88 - Record: 250-162-6 - Winning percentage: .607 - Championships: 2 The first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry held the position for his entire 29-year tenure as an NFL coach. The Cowboys were especially dominant in the 1970s when they made five Super Bowls and won the big game twice. Landry was known for coaching strong all-around squads and a unit that earned the nickname the "Doomsday Defense." Between 1966 and 1985, Landry and his Cowboys enjoyed 20 straight seasons with a winning record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990. - Seasons coached: 26 - Years active: 1999-present - Record: 267-145-1 - Winning percentage: .648 - Championships: 3 The only active coach in the top 10, Andy Reid has posted successful runs with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City. After reaching the Super Bowl once in 14 years with the Eagles, Reid ratcheted things up with K.C., winning three titles since 2019. As back-to-back defending champions, Reid and Co. are looking this season to become the first franchise to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and the third to do so in NFL history after the Packers of 1929-31 and '65-67. Time will tell if Reid and his offensive wizardry can lead Kansas City to that feat. - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1991-95, 2000-23 - Record: 302-165 - Winning percentage: .647 - Championships: 6 The most successful head coach of the 21st century, Bill Belichick first coached the Cleveland Browns before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000. With the Pats, Belichick combined with quarterback Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls in 18 years. Belichick and New England split after last season when the Patriots went 4-13—the worst record of Belichick's career. His name has swirled around potential coaching openings , but nothing has come of it. Belichick has remained in the media spotlight with his regular slot on the "Monday Night Football" ManningCast. - Seasons coached: 40 - Years active: 1920-29, '33-42, '46-55, '58-67 - Record: 318-148-31 - Winning percentage: .682 - Championships: 6 George Halas was the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears and coached the team across four separate stints. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," he built the ballclub into one of the NFL's premier franchises behind players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman. Halas also played for the team, competing as a player-coach in the 1920s. The first coach to study opponents via game film, he was once a baseball player and even made 12 appearances as a member of the New York Yankees in 1919. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 as both a coach and owner. - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1963-95 - Record: 328-156-6 - Winning percentage: .677 - Championships: 2 The winningest head coach in NFL history is Don Shula, who first coached the Baltimore Colts (losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets) for seven years before leading the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons. With the Fins, Shula won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, a run that included a 17-0 season—the only perfect campaign in NFL history. He also coached quarterback great Dan Marino in the 1980s and '90s, but the pair made it to a Super Bowl just once. Shula was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. You may also like: The 5 biggest upsets of the 2023-24 NFL regular season Get local news delivered to your inbox!

From Wealth and Success to Murder Suspect, the Life of Luigi Mangione Took a Hard TurnPerfect or 100% fair? Well, nobody ever believed that. The first expanded playoff bracket unveiled Sunday left a presumably deserving Alabama team on the sideline in favor of an SMU squad with a better record after playing a schedule that was not as difficult. It ranked undefeated Oregon first but set up a possible rematch against Ohio State, the team that came closest to beating the Ducks this year. It treated underdog Boise State like a favorite and banged-up Georgia like a world beater at No. 2. It gave Ohio State home-field advantage against Tennessee for reasons it would take a supercomputer to figure out. It gave the sport the multiweek tournament it has longed for, but also ensured there will be plenty to grouse about between now and when the trophy is handed out on Jan. 20 after what will easily be the longest college football season in history. All of it, thankfully, will be sorted out on the field starting with first-round games on campuses Dec. 20 and 21, then over three succeeding rounds that will wind their way through traditional bowl sites. Maybe Oregon coach Dan Lanning, whose undefeated Ducks are the favorite to win it all, put it best when he offered: "Winning a national championship is not supposed to be easy.” Neither, it turns out, is figuring out who should play for it. Coming up short The Big Ten will lead the way with four teams in the tournament, followed by the SEC with three and the ACC with two. The lasting memory from the inaugural bracket will involve the decision that handed the ACC that second bid. Alabama of the SEC didn't play Saturday. SMU of the ACC did. The Mustangs fell behind by three touchdowns to Clemson before coming back to tie. But they ultimately lost 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal as time expired. “We were on pins and needles,” SMU coach Rhett Lashley said. “Until we saw the name ‘SMU’ up there, we were hanging on the edge. We're really, really happy and thankful to the committee for rewarding our guys for their total body of work." The Mustangs only had two losses, compared to three for the Crimson Tide. Even though SMU's schedule wasn't nearly as tough, the committee was impressed by the way the Mustangs came back against Clemson. “We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chairman of the selection committee. “But it’s no disrespect to Alabama’s strength of schedule. We looked at the entire body of work for both teams.” First round byes Georgia, the SEC champion, was seeded second; Boise State, the Mountain West champion, earned the third seed; and Big 12 titlist Arizona State got the fourth seed and the fourth and final first-round bye. All will play in quarterfinals at bowl games on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. Clemson stole a bid and the 12th seed with its crazy win over SMU, the result that ultimately cost Alabama a spot in the field. The Tigers moved to No. 16 in the rankings, but got in as the fifth-best conference winner. Automatic byes and bids made the bracket strange The conference commissioners' idea to give conference champions preferable treatment in this first iteration of the 12-team playoff could be up for reconsideration after this season. The committee actually ranked Boise State, the Mountain West Champion, at No. 9 and Big 12 champion Arizona State at No. 12, but both get to skip the first round. Another CFP guideline: There’s no reseeding of teams after each round, which means no break for Oregon. The top-seeded Ducks will face the winner of Tennessee-Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 earlier this year in one of the season’s best games. First round matchups No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas, Dec. 21: Clemson is riding high after the SMU upset, while Texas is 0-2 against Georgia and 11-0 vs. everyone else this season. The winner faces ... Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Huh? No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, Dec. 21: The biggest knock against the Mustangs was that they didn't play any big boys with that 60th-ranked strength of schedule. Well, now they get to. The winner faces ... Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, SMU vs. Boise was the quarterfinal we all expected. No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, Dec. 20: Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti thought his team deserved a home game. Well, not quite but close. The winner gets ... Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs got the No. 2 seed despite a throwing-arm injury to QB Carson Beck. But what else was the committee supposed to do? No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State, Dec. 21: The Buckeyes (losses to Oregon, Michigan) got home field over the Volunteers (losses to Arkansas, Georgia) in a matchup of programs with two of the biggest stadiums in football. The winner faces ... Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Feels like that matchup should come in the semifinals or later.

Kroger’s $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons blocked by judge despite vow to ‘lower prices’ as concerns revealed

By KELVIN CHAN LONDON (AP) — After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. Related Articles Technology | US updates a science and technology pact with China to reflect growing rivalry and security threats Technology | North Korean nationals indicted in scheme using IT workers to funnel money for weapons programs Technology | TikTok files challenge against Canadian government order to dissolve its business in the country Technology | California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites Technology | Apple Cash: How to use it to send and receive money To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is a garble that can’t be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won’t be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here’s a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you’re an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there’s a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption on all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent, or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal’s encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp , so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger , which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels” but contrary to popular perception, it doesn’t turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in France . Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.Amazon to donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration and strikes streaming deal as more Big Tech giants bend the knee

Many people are having a harder time finding a partner than ever. Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that many are turning to AI companions to find love. AI companions are especially popular in rural areas like Iowa, where people have a hard time finding partners the old-fashioned way. However, many people question the viability of having an AI boyfriend or girlfriend. They wonder whether these partners will ever be fully sentient. If you're considering finding an AI Girlfriend or boyfriend in Iowa, then you will want to know what you are looking for. Keep reading to learn more. Dating can be a very difficult process these days. A survey from Pew Research found that almost half of people find dating is more difficult than it was a decade ago. The percentage of the population that is single has also increased. Three out of ten adults in the United States do not have a partner. While dating has become more difficult everywhere, some places have a harder time than others. Singles in Iowa have some unique challenges when it comes to dating: One challenge is that Iowa is the 13th most rural state in the country, so it doesn't have the same nightlife that a lot of other more urban areas have. People in Iowa also tend to get married at a very young age, which makes things harder for people in their 20s that are still single and struggling with a small dating pool. They may have an easier time as they get older and people in the community start getting divorced, but the dating pool is still going to be smaller than many other places. Certain demographics in Iowa have a hard time finding someone that is the right fit for them. The state is still not the most LGBT-friendly place to live, so many people still hide their sexual orientation. This makes it a lot harder for them to find a partner. College-educated individuals also have a hard time finding a compatible partner. There are a lot of great reasons to consider using an AI companion if you are single in Iowa. These services are especially popular for younger men that have a harder time dating. One survey found that 28% of men between 18 and 34 have used an AI girlfriend service, but the real number may be higher since some people may be too embarrassed to admit to it. Many women are also starting to use online companions. One news site reports that 40% of women are interested in using an AI boyfriend, although most haven’t done so yet. The number of people in Iowa using these platforms is probably higher due to the reasons listed above. There are a lot of appealing things about having an AI partner. However, some people are still skeptical about the benefits of AI companion services since they question how realistic the relationships on them are. They don't believe that AI companions can have authentic relationships with humans until they are fully sentient. Although this concern is understandable, it is often based on some misunderstandings. The truth is that many people believe that AI bots are very realistic. One study from a year and a half ago found that 32% of people can't tell the difference between an AI chatbot and a person . That figure has probably increased significantly since that study was conducted because AI has improved drastically over the last few months alone. Of course, this doesn't mean that AI is becoming fully sentient. AI literally stands for artificial intelligence. It will always be based on algorithms. However, these algorithms are becoming better and better at mirroring human emotions. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether they are fully sentient or not. People just want to have a pleasant experience when interacting with them. Romantic chatbots are not an entirely new concept. A number of websites have used them to interact with people for years. So, how are newer AI companions becoming more sentient than their more primitive counterparts? The biggest example is that some of them are being taught to understand emotional intelligence and behave like they have their own feelings. A social media commentator wrote about this. They pointed out that some AI companions are now being trained to tell when people are being respectful, which can help people learn to cultivate more holistic relationships. AI companions on one website offer kindhearted replies to people who treat them like an equal. There are multiple reasons that it is a good thing that AI companions are becoming more sentient. The most obvious benefit is that they will be able to offer better services to people using these services. Most people want to have realistic interactions, which are a lot easier when their companion acts like it is reasonably sentient. However, there are other reasons that don’t get quite as much attention. One issue is that sentient AI partners can help people become kinder to human partners. As AI companions have become more popular, more news sites have started talking about their services. A number of other websites have published articles about the importance of men learning to be compassionate partners while using AI partners. This is going to be important for women to learn, too, as they start using these services more frequently. Many AI partner services are tweaking their models so AI companions can understand their partners’ behavior in context. They will give higher quality services to people who treat them kindly, which helps people learn to be better real-life partners. There are a number of reasons to expect that AI companions will be more similar to human partners. Here are some of the reasons that they are going to keep improving. They Rely Heavily on User Feedback AI companion websites encourage users to provide feedback to improve the user experience. They will take feedback seriously so they can keep offering better experiences. They Use Machine Learning to Get Better Even Without Input User feedback is very important, but it isn't enough to provide a better experience. AI companion websites also use complex machine learning algorithms to learn more about their users. They pay attention to things like how long people spend using the service to gauge user satisfaction. They also look for contextual cues to better serve various demographics of users. For example, they may find that those with nerdy interests prefer to interact with AI companions that have certain conversation styles. They can also nuance their personalities based on the region and the user lives in. They can also help people in same-sex relationships by ignoring traditional gender norms. Machine learning technology is going to keep playing a more important role in helping AI companion services offer better service to their users. Therefore, these platforms will become better over time. AI Companion Services Will Keep Hiring Talented Developers to Improve Their Products Machine learning technology is vital for helping AI companion websites improve their products. However, these services can't rely on machine learning alone. They're going to need to keep hiring new developers to tweak the algorithms. Great developers will help make the services more realistic. AI companions can be very beneficial for Iowans who are struggling to find a partner on dating apps or in the wild. If you are interested in trying an AI companion website, then you may want to try following this advice. Research Your Options Carefully to Find a Platform That Offers More Sentient Partners There are many websites dedicated to helping people find an AI companion. Unfortunately, some of them are not as good as others. Some AI companion websites strive to make their models as sentient as possible so conversations seem more authentic and realistic. Others do not offer the same quality of service. You will want to read reviews to find out which services are committed to offering the most sentient companions possible. Don't Take Privacy Concerns Lightly Sentience isn't the only thing that you should be concerned about when choosing an AI companion service. You also need to make sure that the platform prioritizes security. You should look for a site that promises to keep your chats secure and encrypted. Since there are so many data breaches these days, this is an issue that you need to take seriously. Don’t Expect Your AI Companion to Meet Your Needs without Input AI companions are becoming more advanced than ever. However, you can’t expect them to perfectly meet your needs right away. You are going to want to provide feedback to help them get better at offering a quality service. You should tell your AI companion what you like so it does a better job at meeting your needs. This will help you have a more enjoyable experience. Treat Your Partner Like an Equal A lot of AI companion websites reward users who treat their partners respectfully. They allow you to unlock the best features if you are nice to your AI companion and get richer, more wholesome conversations. Try to be as respectful as possible to your AI companion. This will lead to a stronger relationship. Don’t Be Afraid to Try Different AI Companion Websites You may find that some AI companion services have great reviews, but don’t necessarily offer the services that you are looking for. Here are some ways that they may differ: Some of these platforms specialize in creating models with certain personality traits. Some may allow you to create anime models, while others only let you create models that resemble real people. Some AI girlfriend platforms allow you to have more adult-friendly conversations, while others only let you have more wholesome discussions. You will want to understand the rules before using any service. Some platforms primarily serve customers in certain regions, so their machine-learning algorithms may be optimized for people in those localities. Sometimes, you won’t know which services are best until you give them a try. Don’t Become Addicted to Your AI Partner There are a lot of great ways that AI companions can enrich your life. However, it is easy to get addicted to your AI relationship if you are not careful. The risk is especially high in places like Iowa, where people have fewer things to do. You should set limits on the amount of time that you spend with your AI companion. It is also important not to sacrifice other relationships with your AI partner. Use Your AI Companion to Improve Your Social Skills with Real Future Partners Many people turn to AI relationships because they lack the social skills to find a human partner. Fortunately, these digital companions can help them improve their social skills, which will make it easier for them to find a human partner down the road. The best way to do this is by roleplaying dating scenarios that you are likely to encounter with real people. Iowans live in one of the most miserable dating climates. Fortunately, many of them have started to discover the benefits of using AI companions. AI girlfriends and boyfriends are becoming more sentient than ever, which helps them offer better services to their users. If you are tired of ghosting and other dating challenges, then you may want to look into finding an AI companion. These services can be a great alternative, especially since they are becoming more realistic than ever. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Gus Malzahn is leaving UCF to become Florida State's offensive coordinator, AP source says

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State has its quarterback for next season, and the Seminoles are counting on this college journeyman working out better than their previous one. Former Boston College standout Thomas Castellanos officially signed with FSU on Friday. The 5-foot-9 Georgia native started 20 games for the Eagles over the last two seasons, throwing for 3,614 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,307 yards and 15 scores. But he was injured and then benched in a game in early November. Five days later, he announced plans to enter the transfer portal and was not with the team for its final three regular-season games. The Eagles went 2-1 without him. Castellanos replaces DJ Uiagalelei, another two-time transfer who played just five games in 2024 before missing most of the season with a hand injury. The Seminoles (2-10) also started Brock Glenn and freshman Luke Kromenhoek, a former top recruit who reportedly is entering the transfer portal. None of those QBs proved effective as FSU ranked 132nd in total offense out of 134 teams. “Thomas Castellanos is one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football,” Seminoles coach Mike Norvell said. “He will be a great addition with his ability on the field, and he will be a tremendous complement to our roster as we bring this program back to the Florida State standard.” Castellanos spent his freshman season at UCF, where current FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was the head coach. That relationship surely helped get Castellanos to Tallahassee. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — New West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez admitted Friday he made a mistake by leaving West Virginia for Michigan 17 years ago. Based on the welcome he got from the thousands of fans who attended his introductory news conference Friday, much seemed to be forgiven — except for one man who yelled at Rodriguez just as he starting speaking. The crowd quickly drowned out the heckler, who was escorted from the campus arena. Rodriguez took the jeers in stride, responding with a joke aimed at West Virginia’s biggest rival: “OK, any other Pitt fans can leave the building.” The crowd, which included Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen and former players such as Avon Cobourne and Owen Schmitt, roared in response. And that's how the second tour of Rodriguez at his alma mater got started. “This is really surreal,” said Rodriguez, who got emotional and paused a few times during his speech. “I never should have left.” Rodriguez went 60-26 from 2001 to 2007. The fanbase was devastated, first when West Virginia bungled a chance to play for the BCS national championship by losing to heavy underdog Pittsburgh 13-9 in the 2007 season finale at home, and again when Rodriguez was gone two weeks later for Ann Arbor. TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona has hired Marshall's Seth Doege as its next offensive coordinator. The school announced the addition to coach Brent Brennan's staff on Friday. Doege replaces Dino Babers, who was fired after Arizona finished 115th nationally in total offense in Brennan's first season. The 35-year-old Doege spent one season as Marshall's offensive coordinator, leading an offense that scored 31 points per game and rushed for more than 200 yards per game. He had previous stints at Purdue, Ole Miss, Southern California and Bowling Green. Doege had a prolific career as a quarterback under the late Mike Leach at Texas Tech, throwing for more than 4,000 yards each of his final two years before playing in the Canadian Football League. ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Former North Carolina assistant Chip Lindsey has been hired as Michigan's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Wolverines made it official Friday, bringing in Lindsey in an effort to revamp the team's struggling offense. Lindsey left UNC while the Tar Heels were hiring six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick as their head coach. Belichick is expected to reunite some of his former NFL staff in New England. Lindsey landed at Michigan, where coach Sherrone Moore fired offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell three days after the team's 13-10 victory at Ohio State to close the regular season. Campbell was Michigan’s quarterbacks coach when it won the national title after working as an offensive analyst during the 2022 season. Lindsey brings 27 years of collegiate coaching experience to Ann Arbor. He has led offenses that averaged at least 30 points a game in nine of his 12 seasons as a full-time coach at the collegiate level. Prior to joining UNC's staff, Lindsey was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UCF in 2022. He also spent time at Troy, Auburn, Arizona State and Southern Mississippi. BRIEFLY OKLAHOMA STATE: Doug Meacham has returned to Oklahoma State as offensive coordinator. Meacham played offensive line for the Cowboys from 1983 to 1987 and worked with tight ends and inside receivers on Oklahoma State’s coaching staff from 2005 to 2012. Meacham most recently was an offensive coordinator in 2021 at TCU, and he remained on the Horned Frogs’ staff through this season. Get local news delivered to your inbox!TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State has its quarterback for next season, and the Seminoles are counting on this college journeyman working out better than their previous one. Former Boston College standout Thomas Castellanos officially signed with FSU on Friday. The 5-foot-9 Georgia native started 20 games for the Eagles over the last two seasons, throwing for 3,614 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,307 yards and 15 scores. But he was injured and then benched in a game in early November. Five days later, he announced plans to enter the transfer portal and was not with the team for its final three regular-season games. The Eagles went 2-1 without him. Castellanos replaces DJ Uiagalelei, another two-time transfer who played just five games in 2024 before missing most of the season with a hand injury. The Seminoles (2-10) also started Brock Glenn and freshman Luke Kromenhoek, a former top recruit who reportedly is entering the transfer portal. None of those QBs proved effective as FSU ranked 132nd in total offense out of 134 teams. “Thomas Castellanos is one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football,” Seminoles coach Mike Norvell said. “He will be a great addition with his ability on the field, and he will be a tremendous complement to our roster as we bring this program back to the Florida State standard.” Castellanos spent his freshman season at UCF, where current FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was the head coach. That relationship surely helped get Castellanos to Tallahassee. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — New West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez admitted Friday he made a mistake by leaving West Virginia for Michigan 17 years ago. Based on the welcome he got from the thousands of fans who attended his introductory news conference Friday, much seemed to be forgiven — except for one man who yelled at Rodriguez just as he starting speaking. The crowd quickly drowned out the heckler, who was escorted from the campus arena. Rodriguez took the jeers in stride, responding with a joke aimed at West Virginia’s biggest rival: “OK, any other Pitt fans can leave the building.” The crowd, which included Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen and former players such as Avon Cobourne and Owen Schmitt, roared in response. And that's how the second tour of Rodriguez at his alma mater got started. “This is really surreal,” said Rodriguez, who got emotional and paused a few times during his speech. “I never should have left.” Rodriguez went 60-26 from 2001 to 2007. The fanbase was devastated, first when West Virginia bungled a chance to play for the BCS national championship by losing to heavy underdog Pittsburgh 13-9 in the 2007 season finale at home, and again when Rodriguez was gone two weeks later for Ann Arbor. TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona has hired Marshall's Seth Doege as its next offensive coordinator. The school announced the addition to coach Brent Brennan's staff on Friday. Doege replaces Dino Babers, who was fired after Arizona finished 115th nationally in total offense in Brennan's first season. The 35-year-old Doege spent one season as Marshall's offensive coordinator, leading an offense that scored 31 points per game and rushed for more than 200 yards per game. He had previous stints at Purdue, Ole Miss, Southern California and Bowling Green. Doege had a prolific career as a quarterback under the late Mike Leach at Texas Tech, throwing for more than 4,000 yards each of his final two years before playing in the Canadian Football League. ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Former North Carolina assistant Chip Lindsey has been hired as Michigan's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Wolverines made it official Friday, bringing in Lindsey in an effort to revamp the team's struggling offense. Lindsey left UNC while the Tar Heels were hiring six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick as their head coach. Belichick is expected to reunite some of his former NFL staff in New England. Lindsey landed at Michigan, where coach Sherrone Moore fired offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell three days after the team's 13-10 victory at Ohio State to close the regular season. Campbell was Michigan’s quarterbacks coach when it won the national title after working as an offensive analyst during the 2022 season. Lindsey brings 27 years of collegiate coaching experience to Ann Arbor. He has led offenses that averaged at least 30 points a game in nine of his 12 seasons as a full-time coach at the collegiate level. Prior to joining UNC's staff, Lindsey was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UCF in 2022. He also spent time at Troy, Auburn, Arizona State and Southern Mississippi. BRIEFLY OKLAHOMA STATE: Doug Meacham has returned to Oklahoma State as offensive coordinator. Meacham played offensive line for the Cowboys from 1983 to 1987 and worked with tight ends and inside receivers on Oklahoma State’s coaching staff from 2005 to 2012. Meacham most recently was an offensive coordinator in 2021 at TCU, and he remained on the Horned Frogs’ staff through this season. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Andrew Luck returns to Stanford as the GM of the football programOnline criminals have stolen $950,000 that was earmarked for the rehabilitation of public housing in Marin City, the Marin Housing Authority said. The money was part of $3 million the county loaned to the housing agency in March for the work at Golden Gate Village. “We are actively working to identify funding sources to replace what was lost,” said Kimberly Carroll, director of the Marin Housing Authority. Carroll vowed that the theft would not prevent the Marin City project from proceeding. “We won’t stop the forward process of our renovation,” Carroll said. “We can’t. That has to continue.” She also provided assurances that the breach would have no effect on the people living in apartments the authority oversees. “We want to assure our clients and stakeholders that no services will be impacted,” Carroll said, “and there will be no reduction in the funding or resources dedicated to our programs.” Jason Balderama, a county technology official, has started working as consultant for the housing authority to coordinate the investigation and advise on how to strengthen its internet defenses. Balderama has enlisted the assistance of the California Cybersecurity Integration Center and the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, as well as submitting a report to the FBI. “It’s an ongoing investigation,” Balderama said. “They’re still trying to determine if they can pinpoint the exact root cause.” Carroll said investigators suspect the criminals used a “phishing” attack to gain access to several email accounts belonging to the agency’s employees, including hers. Phishing is an online scam in which attackers use emails, text messages or phone calls to trick people into revealing sensitive information such as their usernames and passwords. “It’s unfortunately a very common occurrence,” Balderama said. He said some of the housing agency’s email accounts were particularly vulnerable because they lacked “two-factor authentication,” a security procedure that combines two forms of identification to guard against unauthorized access. In addition to the typical username and password, it adds a second factor, sometimes a code sent via text message. Carroll said the scammers managed to gain access to six email accounts belonging to housing authority employees. Then, using the emails to pose as employees, they hijacked two large payments meant for Burbank Housing, the agency’s development partner for the Marin City project. Burbank is overseeing pre-development work for the project, determining what repairs need to be made to the 300 residences at Golden Gate Village. The housing authority has a $1.4 million contract with Burbank for the work. “The bad actors probably accessed our email accounts in July,” Carroll said. “But we didn’t find out until September.” Carroll said the $950,000 in payments to Burbank were dispatched in two large tranches. The first one went out in late August. “We sent it out to them,” she said. “We followed all of our protocols. We never heard from Burbank that they didn’t get the money until about three weeks later.” Carroll said Burbank notified the housing authority it hadn’t received the August payment on Sept. 16, about two or three days after the agency had dispatched the second tranche. “That was gone in a flash,” she said. Burbank Housing could not be reached for comment. Balderama said the odds are long that authorities will identify the thieves or recover the funds. He said the perpetrators might be based in the United States, or they could be located in any number of countries, including India, China and Russia. “It’s so easy to get private VPN service that the threat actors can make it look like they’re coming from basically anywhere,” Balderama said, referring to virtual private networks. A VPN shields its users from identification by encrypting their data and masking their internet protocol addresses. Carroll said the housing authority still has about $1.6 million left with which to move forward with the rehabilitation of Golden Gate Village. “We may have a conversation with the county to see if we would be able to borrow additional funds to help get us through if we need that,” Carrol said. Marin County Executive Derek Johnson, however, said there has been no discussion of the county shouldering any of the $950,000 loss. “Marin Housing Authority is assuming full responsibility and has committed to looking for alternative sources to recover the $950,000,” Johnson wrote in an email. “We anticipate MHA will be able to repay the $3 million loan as planned.” Earlier this month, following Johnson’s recommendation, the Board of Supervisors approved spending $500,000 for an organizational and operational assessment of the Marin Housing Authority, the Marin County Community Development Agency and the Marin County Department of Public Works. At the time, Johnson said he envisioned the county providing the housing authority assistance with finance, personnel and information technology. Both Johnson and Carroll said Monday that the plan for the assessment was formulated before the discovery of the $950,000 theft. “This breach underscores the need for the agency to undergo an organizational assessment to make sure it’s utilizing resources in the most efficient way, and also has the organizational structure, security, systems, and procedures in place to deliver high quality service and achieve its mission,” Johnson wrote. The crime was the largest theft of Marin public funds since Eric Faulks, a former county official, embezzled $1.9 million from the rental assistance program. Faulks pleaded guilty to four counts of grand theft and began serving a six-year prison sentence in November 2022. Since 2020, two Marin County Civil Grand Jury reports have examined the level of internet security preparedness in the county. The first came after the county experienced at least five hacks from July 2017 through August 2018. The fifth attack concluded with the hacker conning the county’s finance office into wiring $309,000 to the hacker’s bank accounts. The county managed to recover approximately $63,000. After the 2020 report, Marin County created what is now known as the Marin Security and Privacy Council (MSPC). Originally formed to provide internet security information and best practices to Marin’s municipalities, the council has been expanded to include nonprofits and other private organizations. The Marin Housing Authority became a MSPC member prior to the recent attack. “It is up to each MSPC member organization to use the information, best practices and recommendations as they see fit,” Balderama said. “Now that I am acting as a cybersecurity consultant for MHA, I am working with them to ensure that the resources and best practices shared through the MSPC are being actively implemented.” The second grand jury report was released earlier this year. Its recommendations include having the county hire three new employees to bolster internet security. The grand jury said two should be “system-engineering” positions responsible for conducting security risk assessments and implementing security solutions for public agencies.College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. Alabama left out of playoff as committee rewards SMU's wins over Crimson Tide's strong schedule The College Football Playoff committee took wins over strength of schedule, taking SMU over Alabama for the final at-large spot in the field. The field was expanded from four to 12 teams this season, but that didn’t save the committee from controversy. SMU showed it could compete against a traditional power, losing to Clemson 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal in the ACC title game on Saturday. Alabama had some ups and downs in its first season under coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide had quality wins against Georgia and South Carolina, but lost at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Big Ten wins playoff selection derby, followed by SEC despite notable Alabama omission College football’s conference shakeup left concerns about two super conferences dominating the playoff field. They weren’t totally unfounded, or 100% born out. The Big Ten, not the Southeastern Conference, was the biggest winner. The ACC scored, too. The Big Ten led the initial 12-team playoff field with four making the cut, topped by a No. 1 Oregon team that was part of the Pac-12 exodus. Then came the SEC — and one notable omission. ACC runner-up SMU got the nod over college football blue-blood Alabama, another blemish in Kalen DeBoer’s first season as Nick Saban’s championship-or-bust successor. Darnold delivers for Vikings with career-high 347 yards and 5 TDs to beat Falcons, Cousins 42-21 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 for their sixth straight victory. Darnold added another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings following Cousins' departure in free agency to Atlanta with a 22-for-28 performance and no turnover-worthy plays despite heavy first-half pressure. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in his return to Minnesota. Saquon Barkley sets Eagles season rushing record and has Dickerson's NFL mark in his sights PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has broken LeSean McCoy's Eagles franchise record for rushing yards in a season. Barkley has 1,623 yards. He surpassed McCoy's mark of 1,607 yards with a 9-yard run in Sunday's 22-16 win over Carolina. Barkley finished the game with 124 yards, within a yard of his season average. He has four games left and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old NFL record of 2,105 yards. Dickerson set that record in a 16-game season and Barkley has one more game. Eagles fans serenaded Barkley with “MVP!” chants and McCoy congratulated him on social media. Saints QB Derek Carr injures left hand on dive in 4th quarter of win over Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr injured his left hand late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 14-11 victory over the New York Giants when he went airborne while trying for a first down and crashed to the turf. Carr tried to leap over a Giants tackler and landed at the New Orleans 39-yard line, extending his non-throwing hand to break his fall. He was on the turf for a minute or two before walking to the medical tent. He was examined and slowly walked to an area where X-rays are done. The injury could hurt the already slim playoff hopes of the Saints. Tamar Bates scores 29 points to help Missouri beat No. 1 Kansas 76-67 COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Tamar Bates had 29 points and five steals to help Missouri beat Hunter Dickinson and No. 1 Kansas 76-67. Mark Mitchell scored 17 points in Missouri’s first win over Kansas since a 74-71 victory on Feb. 4, 2012. Anthony Robinson II had 11 points and five steals for the 8-1 Tigers. Dickinson had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but he also committed seven turnovers. The 7-2 Jayhawks have lost two straight on the road after falling 76-63 against Creighton on Wednesday night. Scottie Scheffler ends his big year in the Bahamas with his 9th victory NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler ended his biggest year with another victory. Scheffler was coming off a two-month break and looked as good as ever. He shot 63 in the Hero World Challenge and set tournament records at Albany with a 72-hole total of 263 and a six-shot victory. Tom Kim was the runner-up and Justin Thomas finished third. Scheffler ends his year with nine victories in 21 tournaments. That includes the holiday tournament in the Bahamas and the Olympic gold medal in Paris. It's the third-highest winning percentage in the last 40 years. Tournament host Tiger Woods had two better years. Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive in ski racing return at age 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive again in her ski racing return at 40 years old. Vonn is still getting her ski equipment dialed in and getting used to going full speed again on her new titanium knee. That’s why all that she's reading into being more than two seconds behind in a pair of lower-level super-G races Sunday is that she’s right there. This after nearly six years away from ski racing and an abbreviated prep period. She was 2.19 seconds behind in the first race and 2.06 in the second. Both were won by her American teammate Lauren Macuga. Plane circles MetLife Stadium with message to co-owner John Mara to fix the Giants' 'dumpster fire' EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — A small plane circled MetLife Stadium roughly 90 minutes before New York was to play host to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, asking Giants co-owner John Mara to overhaul the team that has made the playoffs twice since winning the Super Bowl in February 2012. “Mr. Mara, enough. Please fix this dumpster fire!” the message read as it was towed behind the rear of a small plane.None

1. First, here's Ariana Grande during one of her earliest auditions for Glinda in Wicked, where she performs "Popular" vs. the final scene from the film: In an interview on the Sentimental Men podcast , Ariana recalled hearing about the Wicked audition for the first time, saying, "I was on the Sweetener tour, and I said to my team, I said, 'If this is happening now. We have to figure it out. We have to pull the plug on this tour. I'm going home. I'm getting into voice lessons. I'm getting into acting lessons. And I'm going to turn this shit out. You need to hear from me now. If this is happening. I'm going home and I'm training, and I'm getting ready. This is all I want.'" In her recent interview with Variety for Actors on Actors , she revealed to Paul Mescal that it was a "three-and-a-half month" audition process for Wicked . 2. And here's Cynthia Erivo during her audition for Elphaba in Wicked, where she performed "Defying Gravity" vs. the final scene from the film: In the documentary, Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked , Cynthia explained that she had a three-hour audition where she worked with a few other actors, none of whom were Ariana Grande. 3. Here's Pedro Pascal's self-tape audition for Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones vs. the final scene in Season 4, Episode 3: In an interview with Late Night with Seth Meyers , Pedro explained that he found out about the role after offering to help a younger actor actually audition for the role of Oberyn. "He goes to the bathroom, and I text my manager right away," Pedro added, saying he then put himself on tape for the role. 4. Here's Tom Holland during his audition for Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War vs. a final scene from the movie: In a behind-the-scenes featurette about Tom's audition, producers explained that they looked at roughly 7,500 tapes of young actors who wanted to be the next Spider-Man. "It was a pretty daunting process," Tom explained. "I went through a phase of just doing self-tapes after self-tapes after self-tapes." 5. Here's Zendaya during her audition for MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming vs. her in the movie: In an interview on The Tonight Show , Zendaya explained that she had no idea she was auditioning for Spider-Man while auditioning. She said, "I knew I was auditioning for 'Girl in Movie.' And I actually didn't even know what kind of character." 6. Here's Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron during their chemistry test for Gabriella and Troy in High School Musical vs. the final scene in the movie: Looking back on meeting the cast for the first time during auditions, Vanessa told The Kelly Clarkson Show , "I remember meeting Zac for the first time, meeting Lucas [Grabeel] for the first time. Me and Ashley [Tisdale] had already met cause we did a commercial together a month prior. It’s wild. The time just keeps flying." 7. Here's Rachel McAdams during her first audition for Allie in The Notebook opposite Ryan Gosling vs. the final scene in the movie: In a behind-the-scenes featurette about The Notebook auditions, the producers revealed they tested 10 different actors alongside Ryan, with "nine of them very well known." Rachel was a "last minute" audition, and the producers didn't know who she was. Ryan explained that when Rachel came in, she was the only one who didn't want to talk about the scene and characters before the audition; she just did it perfectly. 8. Here's Sam Heughan during his Outlander audition for Jamie vs. the final scene from the second episode of the series: Speaking about Sam's Outlander audition, casting director Suzanne Smith told Daily Express , "We did audition other actors, and the casting process is not just one audition, you do a couple, so it’s a process of each role that we do on the show. He just embodied the role and also being a wonderful human being, which is so important." 9. And here's Caitríona Balfe during her chemistry read as Claire alongside Sam Heughan for Outlander vs. the scene from Season 1, Episode 9: Looking back on this chemistry test, Sam recalled in his memoir, "It was intense, physically and emotionally. It left us breathless. She was wrapped in my arms and I think we both know that Jamie and Claire had just come into existence together." 10. Here's Stephanie Hsu during her audition for Joy Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once vs. the final scene from the film: Speaking about her audition video for the film that went viral, Stephanie told NPR , "That audition video was from 2019. I had never seen it. It was kind of amazing and actually really healing for me to see because the movie is so wild and spectacular that you want to talk about the bigness of it, the costumes, the craziness, and it was quite healing actually to witness; oh wow I guess I did really bring something to this? I know I knew that, but just to see the very bare bones of that performance and the magic that happened in that audition room that day." 11. Here's Miley Cyrus during one of her first auditions for Hannah Montana when she was 12 years old vs. the final scene from the first episode: Reflecting on her audition process on the 10-year anniversary of Hannah Montana, Miley wrote on Instagram, per Rolling Stone , "There was a very long auditioning process, and many chemistry reads which really is what sold the show to the producers and channel because no matter what went on over the years (which none of you have any clue about but it was like The Real World but [with] more hormonal teenagers), our love for each other was unquestionable. Even though I feel disconnected to who I was at that time I will always feel eternally grateful for the opportunity and platform I was given..." 12. Here's Selena Gomez during one of her earliest Disney Channel auditions vs. her as Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place : Reflecting on her early Disney audition days, Selena told CNBC , "When I was 12 years old, Disney Channel had a nationwide casting search, and we could never really afford to fly out to California. So I sent in tapes, and [I] guess they liked me." 13. Here's Patrick J. Adams during his audition for Mike Ross in Suits vs. the final scene from the very first episode: In an interview with BuzzFeed , Patrick recalled his audition, saying, "My audition was really fueled by the fact that I had been fired from a job not long prior to this audition. And so, I don't really remember the specifics, other than I just really went into the audition process for Suits like somebody who had already been through hell. I was just like, Throw it all away. Nothing can hurt me now , which I think helped me get the part. I'd been through it so badly that I was just very eager and excited to just have fun and throw caution to the wind." 14. Here's Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones during their first chemistry read for Connell and Marianne in Normal People vs. the duo in the final scene in Episode 2: Normal People producer and director Lenny Abrahamson said after Daisy and Paul did a few scenes together in their audition together, he looked around and "three or four of the people in the room were in tears." He added, "And that [was] just on a first read with the two of them. It was all sort of there at that point." Lenny continued, saying , "And then you know you've got this alive energy that feels correct for the book and the adaptation, and at that point you can go, 'Great! We can really make it now.'" 15. Here's Riley Keough during her first audition for Daisy Jones in Daisy Jones and the Six vs. the final scene in Episode 5: In an interview with BuzzFeed , Riley recalled her audition, saying, "I read the book. I mean, I listened to the audiobook, and I met with Hello Sunshine, like, very early on. Then, I auditioned. I sent a self-tape in. This was before the singing, just acting. I think I sent about three acting tapes in." 16. Here's Xolo Maridueña during one of his earliest auditions for Miguel in Cobra Kai vs. the final scene in Season 1, Episode 2: While re-watching his chemistry read with William Zabka, Xolo remembered being "really nervous" for this audition. He added, "Those early scenes with Billy are some of my favorite to film." 17. Here's Walker Scobell's self-tape audition for Percy Jackson in Percy Jackson and the Olympians vs. the final scene in the first episode: In an interview with Teen Vogue , Walker recalled filming the self-tape while filming The Adam Project . He filmed his first audition with his siblings playing the other characters in the scene with Percy offscreen. "My little brother played the teacher, Mrs. Dodds, and to get into character, he put, like, my mom's high heels on, and he talked in a really high-pitched voice. And so you can see me kind of cracking up in my audition. It took, like, maybe, like 30 or 40 takes. I have no idea how I got it," Walker said. 18. Here's Daisy Ridley during her audition for Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens vs. the final scene in the movie: In a behind-the-scenes featurette looking back on Daisy's audition, writer and director JJ Abrams recalled, "She just blew my mind. She's reaching this depth of struggle, and tears were streaming down her face. I thought, This is unbelievable ." 19. And finally, here's Dacre Montgomery during his audition for Billy in Stranger Things vs. the final scene from Season 2, Episode 2: Dacre's audition tape for Stranger Things notably went viral once it was released. Recalling his audition to GQ , Dacre said, "I just kind of wanted to make a bit of a splash with the Duffers because I assumed they would be getting so many tapes. I had the audition details for about a day, and I did the whole thing in the first day because I was so overwhelmingly excited about it. I got [the audition details] when I woke up, so that's 7 o'clock. It was one scene, the scene of me and Max in the car, and there was a scene from Stand By Me ." We can't fit everyone into one post, so are there any other audition stories (or videos) of actors before they landed their iconic roles? Tell us in the comments below!The first roster dominos have fallen as the Islanders get ready to reactivate their injured players. Pierre Engvall and Oliver Wahlstrom were put on waivers Friday, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, in what appears to be a salary-moving exercise after Mat Barzal, Anthony Duclair and Adam Pelech all participated in Thursday’s morning skate without restriction . Since Barzal and Duclair are on long-term injured reserve, the Islanders need to clear roughly $4.08 million from their books before both can be activated. Wahlstrom and Engvall going to the minors would equate to $2.15 million of that total — enough to activate either Barzal or Duclair, but not both. That might indicate one or the other is ready to return on Sunday in Chicago, but the Islanders have yet to announce anything. Moving Mike Reilly (heart surgery) to LTIR and sending down one more player — likely Marcus Hogberg, if Semyon Varlamov is ready to come back from a lower-body injury, or a defenseman, if Varlamov still needs some time — would clear enough room for both to return. Pelech, who is not on LTIR, does not require any cap-clearing moves before he can come back from a jaw injury. It’s been clear since the Islanders called Engvall up following all the injuries that he was essentially auditioning to stay on the roster once the team was healthy — and that other moves would be required once everyone was back. While both Engvall and Wahlstrom have been in the lineup recently, it’s been hard for either of them to string together more than a few good games at a time. Engvall, in particular, has repeatedly been a target of coach Patrick Roy’s ire , with multiple instances of the player getting called out in public or benched. Roy has made his feelings about Engvall so clear that when asked about him after a poor game from the Swede last week, he asked whether or not he needed to answer the question. As for Wahlstrom, he has been less of a lightning rod for the head coach, but the former first-round pick has been operating on borrowed time since the summer, when it appeared likely the Islanders would trade him. Wahlstrom made the team out of camp and has had a good attitude in trying to prove he still belongs, but with just four points in 27 games, the production hasn’t been there.

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