bet dota 2 items KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nico Iamaleava threw for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 10 Tennessee to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday. The Volunteers (9-2) overcame a sluggish start to roll up the impressive win. Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter, but Tennessee found its rhythm. Grad student receiver Bru McCoy, who hadn't caught a touchdown pass this season, had two. Peyton Lewis also ran for two scores. Tennessee's defensive line, which had no sacks in last week's loss to Georgia, had three against the Miners. UTEP (2-9) struggled with two missed field goals and three turnovers. Tennessee's offense came alive with 28 points in the second quarter. In the final four drives of the quarter, Iamaleava completed 11 of 12 passes for 146 yards and touchdowns to Squirrel White, Ethan Davis and McCoy. UTEP was the dominant team in the first quarter. Tennessee managed just 37 offensive yards and, thanks to an interception near the end zone and a missed field goal by the Miners, both teams were scoreless after 15 minutes. POLL IMPLICATIONS Tennessee’s convincing victory, coupled with losses by Mississippi and Indiana, should put the Volunteers in a good position when the next College Football Playoff poll is released. The Vols were ranked No. 11 going into this week’s games. THE TAKEAWAY UTEP: The Miners will head into a very winnable game against New Mexico State having won two of their last five games. First-year coach Scotty Walden will try to build on that success in the offseason to help enhance his roster. Tennessee: Even a lopsided win won’t carry much weight where it means the most — in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Vols will have to rely on a convincing win against Vanderbilt next week, a team that has shown a lot of improvement this season, to help their standing for those coveted spots. UP NEXT UTEP: The Miners will finish their season at New Mexico State Saturday. Tennessee: The Vols will finish their regular season at Vanderbilt next Saturday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Natixis Advisors LLC Has $4.52 Million Stake in Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV)Generally speaking, if you are looking for a basic statistic that groups the good NBA teams and the bad teams together, it’s assist-to-turnover ratio. ADVERTISEMENT You certainly want as many assists as possible — that’s a sign of good offense. And you would like to limit giveaways that decrease your number of looks at the bucket while often feeding your opponent Grade A opportunities. The ratio balances out the equation for teams that may turn the ball over more than others simply because it moves the ball at such a high rate. The bad teams are the ones that turn the ball over often without the added benefit of creating easy shots when they do take care of the ball. That, currently, is the group that includes the Timberwolves. ADVERTISEMENT The Wolves have just 1.52 assists for every turnover, the sixth-worst mark in the NBA entering Saturday’s games. Of the nine NBA teams below 1.6, only the Wolves (8-7) and Clippers (10-7) have winning records, and the Clippers have been dominant defensively. Also in the bottom nine are the two-win Wizards, the three-win 76ers and Jazz and the four-win Pelicans. Since the 2020-21 season, nine teams have finished the season with an assist-to-turnover number below 1.6. Only one of those teams won more than 27 games — the 2022-23 Magic, who went 34-48. While the Wolves are still above .500 going into their game against the defending champion Celtics on Sunday in Boston, that’s with what has been the NBA’s fourth-easiest schedule to date, per ESPN. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has cited the turnover issues in recent weeks when discussing his team’s struggles, though he’s noted the giveaway totals have dipped in recent games, Thursday’s loss to Toronto not withstanding. But Minnesota hasn’t committed fewer than 11 turnovers in a single game this season. Meanwhile, the Wolves have tallied fewer than 25 assists in more than half of their games. ADVERTISEMENT It all speaks to a disjointed offense. Finch has at times attributed that to missed shots that were good looks. But the Wolves are tied with Charlotte for the fifth-fewest potential assists this season, at 43.7 per game. The stats say Minnesota’s shot making is what has saved the Wolves’ offense this season. The Wolves have the NBA’s 10th-best offensive rating, averaging 1.14 points per possession. That’s with having the League’s fourth-best effective field goal percentage (56.3). The three teams above it in that category all average 1.2-plus points per possession. Those same squads also average more than 2.1 assists per turnover. It all fits the eye test for the Timberwolves. They have an offense that’s run on shot making off isolation basketball. So much of it is without the rhythm and movement Finch aspires for his teams to achieve. And, given that this Wolves unit doesn’t seem to be nearly as dominant defensively as it was one short season ago, until Minnesota can look more like a fluid offense, it will continue to look like a .500 team, or if not worse. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Timberwolves’ offense may be worse than you think

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar engaged in a pivotal discussion with Congressman Michael Waltz, who is poised to assume the role of National Security Advisor under President-elect Donald Trump. Their conversation centered on reinforcing the bilateral partnership between India and the United States, while also addressing various global issues. Returning from December 24–29 visit to the US, Jaishankar described the interaction as "wide-ranging" and expressed eagerness to work closely with Waltz. This marked the first high-level interaction between the Indian government and the new US administration. Known for his ties with India, Waltz, a three-term Congressman, is set to replace Jake Sullivan on January 20, syncing with Trump's presidential inauguration. He has actively participated in fostering India-US relations, previously co-leading a delegation to India and backing several pro-India legislations. (With inputs from agencies.)Financial Survey: Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) versus COPT Defense Properties (NYSE:CDP)Gautam Adani, nephew Sagar Adani summoned by US SEC in $265 million bribery case

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Ben Davies is the latest to fall into that category, with the Welsh international initially primed to return for Sunday’s visit of Wolves but no longer available. Davies suffered a setback in training this week, which means Spurs could be without a fit centre-back after Radu Dragusin was forced off in the latter stages of Thursday’s 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest with an ankle issue. Ange with a team news update ahead of Wolves on Sunday 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0EiYh4TP8j — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 27, 2024 Postecoglou is already without first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven after both failed to make it through their comeback fixture against Chelsea on December 7. “Yeah, that’s been our major problem this year. Guys who are coming back from injury rather than us losing players as such,” Postecoglou said. “We’re looking at those things and why they’re happening. It’s certainly happened too often this year where guys have come back and they’re the ones who are missing. “I think just about all of them, apart from Vic (Guglielmo Vicario), are recurrences of an injury. “Even with Romero, it was a different injury but it’s still a guy coming back, so it’s something we’re looking at.” There could be good news on the horizon with attackers Mikey Moore and Richarlison expected to return to training next week. A post shared by Richarlison (@richarlison) Richarlison suffered his own setback in November when his short-lived return after a calf issue was cut short when he injured the same area against Aston Villa. Moore, meanwhile, has been sidelined by a virus for the best part of two months but the 17-year-old could provide a much-needed spark in the new year when Newcastle visit on January 4. Postecoglou said: “Him and Richy are in the final phases. Next week they can start training. We’ve got a bit of a gap before the Newcastle game. “The plan is Mikey and Richy come back into first-team training next week.” Anticipated returns for Moore and Richarlison will fail to help Postecoglou against Wolves, with makeshift centre-back Archie Gray potentially set to partner up with fellow midfielder Yves Bissouma if Dragusin cannot recover. Pressed on the issue of fixture scheduling, with Spurs definitely missing eight players for Sunday’s fixture, Postecoglou said: “It is challenging. “All clubs are going to have to get their heads around it and authorities are going to have to get their heads around it. “One of two things need to happen: either you somehow change the fixture schedule, which doesn’t seem feasible, or you allow clubs bigger squads. Then you have other issues with that, as well. “The attrition rate you’re seeing and it’s not just us. We’re going through a particularly badly moment. Newcastle went through it last year and it affected them pretty badly. They were obviously in the Champions League as well and probably didn’t have the squad to cope with it. “It hits certain clubs at different times and is probably becoming more prevalent, and for all of us it’s a challenge as to how we navigate this process to keep our players healthy. “It’s not just a physical thing, it’s a mental thing. For us it’s been constant since August and we’re not even halfway through the year. And they’re not going to get a break now, so these things we’re constantly assessing.”Only one more half stands between Boston College and the win they were favored to collect coming into this afternoon. They have jumped out to a quick 38-28 lead against FDU. If Boston College keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 8-5 in no time. On the other hand, FDU will have to make due with a 4-11 record unless they turn things around (and fast). FDU Knights @ Boston College Eagles Current Records: FDU 4-10, Boston College 7-5 When: Saturday, December 28, 2024 at 4 p.m. ET Where: Silvio O. Conte Forum -- Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts TV: ACC Network Follow: CBS Sports App Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.) The Boston College Eagles' homestand will continue as they prepare to take on the FDU Knights at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Silvio O. Conte Forum. The Eagles have been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. There's no need to mince words: Boston College lost to SMU on Saturday, and Boston College lost bad. The score wound up at 103-77. Despite the defeat, Boston College had strong showings from Dion Brown, who went 6 for 10 en route to 20 points, and Donald Hand Jr., who had 22 points along with five rebounds. Brown is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for four straight games. Even though they lost, Boston College smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in four consecutive games. Meanwhile, FDU's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They took a 74-60 hit to the loss column at the hands of Minnesota. FDU's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Jo'El Emanuel, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Ahmed Barba-Bey, who went 5 for 9 en route to 15 points. Barba-Bey had some trouble finding his footing against La Salle last Wednesday, so this was a nice turnaround. Boston College has not been sharp recently as the team has lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-5 record this season. As for FDU, their loss dropped their record down to 4-10. Saturday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: Boston College has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.6 rebounds per game. It's a different story for FDU, though, as they've been averaging only 33.3. Given Boston College's sizable advantage in that area, FDU will need to find a way to close that gap. Looking ahead, Boston College is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 14.5 points. Bettors picking them against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a four-game streak of failing to cover when playing at home. Boston College is a big 14.5-point favorite against FDU, according to the latest college basketball odds . The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Eagles as a 13.5-point favorite. The over/under is 151.5 points. See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now .

By ERIC TUCKER WASHINGTON (AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies , as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China’s hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals.” Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Related Articles National News | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National News | US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people National News | OpenAI whistleblower death: Parents want to know what happened to Suchir Balaji after apparent suicide National News | Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds National News | Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Neuberger said officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but a “large number” were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are “primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.China Telecom Gulf Officially Launches in Saudi Arabia for Business

Coming off a competitive performance in Buffalo, the New England Patriots hoped to carry some positive momentum into their final two-game stretch of the 2024 season. However, the first of those contest was another step in the wrong direction for the team of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. Showing little signs of life on both offense and defense, the Patriots were blown out 40-7 by the visiting Los Angeles Chargers . New England has now dropped to 3-13 on the year. Here are our quick-hit observations from a rainy afternoon at Gillette Stadium. The 40-7 loss goes into the books as the most lopsided defeat in Jerod Mayo’s young career as Patriots head coach. The game was every bit the blowout the final score made it look like. Outside of beating New England by 33 points, the Chargers also out-gained their opponent 428 to 181 yards, had 29 first downs to 11, ran 77 plays to 48, and held the ball 40:34 compared to the Patriots’ 19:26. No matter how you look at it, the game was a train wreck from the home team’s point of view. In fact, the contest got so out of hand that the Chargers were able to pull starting quarterback Justin Herbert with almost a full quarter left (10:54). Up 37-7 at that point, there was no doubt the game was long decided. This, in turn, created some unease among the Foxboro Faithful. At one point, “Fire Mayo” chants began breaking out in the stands. Mayo going one-and-done still seems unlikely, but a noncompetitive loss in a standalone game surely will neither help him nor his coaching staff heading toward a pivotal offseason. New England has long been eliminated from playoff contention, meaning that the primary goals over the remainder of the 2024 season were two-fold: lay a strong foundation to build on in 2025, and get out of the season as healthy as possible. Both of those goals took a hit on Saturday, with the Patriots seeing their two best players get banged up. First up was quarterback Drake Maye, who exited the game after a third down scramble on his team’s opening possession. Maye took a hit to the head and left first for the medical tent on the sidelines and later the locker room. The rookie QB was ultimately cleared to return to the game, meaning he avoided a second concussion this season. Christian Gonzalez did not get that lucky. The standout cornerback hit his head hard on a tackle attempt against Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey. He too exited the game for the medical tent and locker room, but was eventually ruled out due to the injury he suffered on the collision. His status heading into the season finale against the Buffalo Bills next weekend is naturally in question. From top to bottom, their loss to the Chargers was arguably the worst game of what is already an underwhelming season. Through it all, however, Drake Maye continues to prove himself a player worthy of the “face of the franchise” label. After his brief injury scare in the first quarter, the youngster went on to complete all five of his pass attempts in the first half for 66 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown. That score showed both his awareness and ability to make something out of nothing. Getting a free play after an offsides call against the Chargers defense, the 22-year-old heaved a pass up the field knowing that a re-do was an option. No such re-do was needed: Maye found DeMario Douglas 36 yards down the field, and the sophomore wide receiver was able to haul the ball in and roll the final inches into the end zone. The touchdown pass was Maye’s 15th of the season, and helped him set a new Patriots rookie record: his streak of eight straight games with at least one TD pass bests Jim Plunkett’s mark set in 1971. On the day, the youngster completed 12 of 22 pass attempts for 117 yards with that one score. He also gained 32 yards on six carries, once again showing his ability and willingness to attack defenses more than one way. Speaking to 98.5 The Sports Hub ahead of Saturday’s game, head coach Jerod Mayo announced that Antonio Gibson would get the starting nod at the running back position over Rhamondre Stevenson. The change seemed like a logical one given Stevenson’s fumble issues this season, and the fact he was involved in two turnovers last week against the Buffalo Bills. When the Patriots offense first took the field, however, it was Stevenson who lined up in the backfield. The fourth-year man, who signed a four-year, $36 million contract extension in the offseason, also took a handoff on the play, gaining 5 yards in the process. “That was just a coaching decision,” Mayo said after the game. On the day, Stevenson ended up touching the ball twice for a combined gain of 1 yard. For comparison, Gibson finished with 12 carries for 63 yards. Losing Christian Gonzalez in the early second quarter did not make things easier for New England’s defense, but one would still have hoped to see more resistance out of the unit. After all, it once again struggled to play consistent football and found itself unable to slow the opponent on both the ground and through the air. Possibly the biggest issue on Saturday was a lack of pass rush. While Keion White managed to get a couple of pressures in, resulting in errant throws, the Patriots defense failed to sack quarterback Justin Herbert even once. Giving a quarterback of that caliber time to go through his progressions is a recipe for disaster, particularly when combined with a secondary incapable of locking receivers down. Upon initial viewing, veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones in particular had a rough day in that regard. Would increased pressure have helped? Possibly, but that is the story of the Patriots defense in 2024: complementary football on that side of the ball is wishful thinking. With Ben Brown out due to a concussion, the Patriots offensive line was forced to adapt yet again. It did so by inserting 2022 first-round draft pick Cole Strange, a 27-game starter at left guard over the first two years of his career, at Brown’s usual spot at center. The 12th different offensive lineman to start a game for the Patriots this season, Strange went wire-to-wire in his debut at the position. The 26-year-old had his ups and downs. While mostly quiet in the first half — a positive sign for any offensive lineman — he had some miscues in the second. He appeared to snap the ball early on a 3rd-and-5 in the third quarter, leading to a 7-yard sack. Later, he was flagged for illegally charging downfield to take a 19-yard pass from Maye to DeMario Douglas off the board. The Patriots entered the 2024 draft with a definitive need at the wide receiver position, and as the owners of the 34th overall selection in the second round were in a prime spot to invest in an intriguing prospect out of Georgia. However, Eliot Wolf and company decided not to take Ladd McConkey and instead trade with the Chargers. New England ended up picking wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker at 37 and 110, respectively, with the picks acquired in the move. Neither of the two registered any catches against L.A. on Saturday. McConkey, meanwhile, had an impressive outing. Leading his team in receiving, the speedy slot defender caught eight passes for 94 yards and a couple of touchdowns. In fact, his production in that one game compares favorably to the 12 catches for 87 yards and 2 scores produced by the Polk-Baker combination so far this season.