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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Dez White's 26 points helped Missouri State defeat UCSB 68-56 on Sunday. White shot 6 for 11 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line for the Bears (7-5). Vincent Brady II scored 13 points while going 4 of 8 and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line and added seven rebounds. Michael Osei-Bonsu finished 5 of 8 from the floor to finish with 10 points. Kenny Pohto led the way for the Gauchos (7-5) with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Cole Anderson added 11 points for UCSB. Deuce Turner finished with seven points. Missouri State took the lead with 6:05 left in the first half and did not give it up. The score was 31-25 at halftime, with White racking up 17 points. Missouri State pulled away with an 8-0 run in the second half to extend a four-point lead to 12 points. They outscored UCSB by six points in the final half, as White led the way with a team-high nine second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

AFN says it's not prepared to implement chiefs' child welfare directionHow Far Can Tesla Stock Go After Nearing All-Time High in Massive Turnaround Year?Elections BC is drawing scrutiny which threatens to undermine taxpayer’s faith in our elections. That’s a problem. Here’s the solution: call a public inquiry into Elections BC, not a politicised process through legislative committees working behind closed doors. There is nothing to suggest the B.C. provincial election was stolen. There is nothing to suggest Elections BC was in cahoots with one party or another. But that doesn’t mean we can afford to turn a blind eye to its mishandling of the most important day in our democratic cycle. In a democracy, taxpayers must have faith in elections and repeated errors from Elections BC erodes that trust. And make no mistake, Elections BC did mess up its handling of the provincial election. The problems with Elections BC range from bad to worse. It took Elections BC more than a week to finish the preliminary tally of votes. Voting closed Oct. 19, but the final count didn’t occur until Oct. 28. British Columbians shouldn’t be left in limbo because Elections BC workers didn’t stay late to count votes. And it shouldn’t take an extra week for the final count to begin. Then came the revelation that Elections BC officials were storing ballots in their personal homes. Think about that for a moment. When you cast your ballot, did you imagine it would find its way into the basement of someone’s home? British Columbians generally believe Elections BC acts in good faith. But why allow questionable chains of custody for the most important pieces of paper in a democracy? Why risk storing ballots in home basements instead of secure government buildings? In three-quarters of B.C.’s 93 ridings, mistakes by Elections B.C. led to unreported votes. That’s unacceptable. To be fair, all the votes were eventually accounted for and counted. But our elections are too important to risk with these kinds of blunders. Both the ruling NDP and Opposition BC Conservatives agree there needs to be an investigation into Elections BC’s mistakes. The NDP wants an all-party committee made up of MLAs to probe Elections BC. But that’s not good enough. Legislative committees are political and are made up of politicians fighting for the spotlight. They can hide behind in camera meetings the public doesn’t have access to. For the public to have faith in our elections, the public needs to be involved in the inquiry. That’s what the BC Conservatives are calling for: an independent public review. British Columbians need to have faith in our elections, so the public must be a part of the investigation. This is far too important an issue for taxpayers to be shunted off to the side while politicians play partisan games. Carson Binda is the B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has vacated the firing of a Boston Police officer who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., and posted a series of tweets attacking officials who were set to certify the results of the 2020 election. The officer, Joseph Abasciano, and a colleague who accompanied him did not enter the Capitol as the rally held by former President Donald Trump devolved into a violent riot. Abasciano was on leave at the time and tweeting from a private anonymous Twitter account. In a decision released Thursday , the commission found his tweets to be protected speech and not “sanctionable misconduct that justified his termination.” Yet that did not mean the board approved of the tweets in which Abasciano denied Trump’s defeat and railed against Vice President Mike Pence, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and other elected officials he saw as uncooperative in the former president’s attempts to hold onto power. Most citizens, including members of the commission, “rightly reject the Appellant’s misinformed opinions contained in his tweets about the 2020 election and its aftermath,” Commissioner Paul M. Stein, the author of the commission’s unanimous 4-0 decision, wrote. “The decision is not to be construed as endorsing the substance of those misinformed opinions nor as condoning the underlying, unconscionable criminal acts committed by those who stormed the Capitol that day,” he added. Abasciano joined the Boston Police in 2007. At the time of the rally, he was on leave caring for a family member. He later went on extended leave for injuries sustained throughout his years on the job. Abasciano was fired in 2023 after department officials cited him for “conduct unbecoming” an officer. Pointing to his tweets on Jan. 6, department leadership found Abasciano was unable to perform his duties “impartially and without bias.” The commission noted that its ruling does not compel the Boston Police to rehire Abasciano. The department filed for his involuntary disability retirement in 2022. It was approved early this year, according to the commission. Abasciano and Jose Diaz, the fellow Boston Police officer with whom he was traveling on Jan. 6, were not on-duty, wore no department uniforms and carried no police equipment to Washington, according to the commission. Abasciano’s tweets that morning took aim at multiple officials he saw as antagonistic to Trump, including Gabriel Sterling, a top elections official in Georgia who spoke out publicly against Trump’s efforts to influence the state’s vote count. Abasciano wrote that he was eager to see Sterling “dragged away in handcuffs.” ”Today is a day for choosing,“ he wrote early the morning of the rally. ”Today there will be only two parties in America. Traitors and Patriots!" Tweeting that morning at McConnell, he wrote, “Look out your window. Millions of Patriots are at your doorstep and we are watching.” Abasciano and Diaz watched Trump speak from the Ellipse, a park near the White House, before walking for more than an hour to reach the west side of the Capitol. While a mob broke through barriers and entered the building on its east side, the two officers watched what they described as a “rowdy but controlled” crowd on the opposite side, including some people tussling with police, according to the commission. The officers left the Capitol without crossing any barricades set up by police and departed Washington before a 6 p.m. curfew set in. While on the road home, Abasciano tweeted: “What I saw in [sic] today frankly made me weep for our once great nation. The Political Elitist Class has successfully turned Americans against each other. Patriots and Law Enforcement trying to do their jobs in a no win [sic] position. I fear this Treasonous election has killed the republic.” The Boston Police conducted two initial investigations of Abasciano‘s conduct, according to the commission’s ruling. In May 2021, the department’s Anti-Corruption Division confirmed Abasciano had not committed any crimes nor participated in the violent assault on the Capitol as lawmakers attempted to certify President Joe Biden’s victory. The second investigation, completed by the BPD’s Internal Affairs Division in November 2021, concluded that Abasciano‘s tweets did not condone the violence at the Capitol nor did they affect his ability to work. Together, the investigations found that Abasciano had not violated department rules. More than a year later and now under the new leadership of Commissioner Michael Cox , department officials reopened Abasciano’s internal affairs file. They reached a new conclusion, “starkly different” than the previous rulings on Abasciano‘s conduct. The new investigation charged Abasciano with “conduct unbecoming” a police officer for his tweets and recommended he be fired. Cox accepted that recommendation, according to the commission, and Abasciano was fired in March 2023. However, the Civil Service Commission found the third investigation was not as objective, timely, or thorough as the two earlier probes. The commission placed more weight on the prior investigations, finding them to be more supported by the evidence of the case. In his appeal to the commission, Abasciano introduced evidence of peers also cited for “conduct unbecoming” of a police officer who received more lenient punishments. One was handed a three-day suspension for leaking sensitive information about a murder investigation. Another received an extended suspension but was not fired after being caught stealing. In October, Abasciano also brought a lawsuit against the city, Cox, Mayor Michelle Wu and two other members of the police department, contesting his firing and the department’s refusal to honor his request for a religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine. He is seeking more than $3 million in damages. The case, still in its early stages, will play out in federal court in Boston. More News

Brighten Your Eyes: Your Guide to Buying Eye CreamBy MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. Related Articles National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.

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China has unveiled its latest innovation in its fight against crime - a spherical robocop capable of chasing down suspects on land and water. Known as Rotunbot RT-G, the machine is capable of fending off baseball attacks by assailants and, thanks to its centre of gravity, is incapable of toppling over. It has been unleashed in the shopping district in Zhejiang, on China’s southeast coast and resembles something out of super violent action flick, Robocop . Unlike the eponymous hero Alex Murphy, who was killed in the line of duty of the film, this robot contains nothing human. Instead the self balancing machine features a sleek black look and can carry out rescues in dangerous areas, crossing lakes and rivers with ease as it boasts propellers. Rotunbot said of the innovation: “The spherical robot moves smoothly and flexibly, is easy to control, and can be used on a variety of road surfaces; the closed spherical shell has strong self-protection capabilities and is anti-overturning. “The robot uses advanced control algorithms inside to enable it to move flexibly in a variety of scenarios. The spherical robot is equipped with a variety of sensors and has a good detection function for the surrounding environment. “Through real-time communication technology , the collected information can be stored and transmitted to the user's control terminal, and can perform intelligent security tasks, including patrolling streets and communities, rivers and lakes, emergency rescue in dangerous areas, etc. “Spherical robot has the characteristics of a spherical shape, and the weight is mainly concentrated below the center of the ball, which has the characteristics of a tumbler. Therefore, no matter if it is stationary or moving, there is no possibility of tipping over.” Rotunbot features in its arsenal GPS, cameras and sonar, as well as sensors giving it a “strong perception” of its environment. In 2017 The "world's first operational Robocop" was unveiled in Dubai as part of the emirate's planned robot police force. At 5ft 5in tall and weighing 100kg, it can speak six languages and is designed to read facial expressions. It had an easy start to working life, being unveiled at the three-day long Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference. Brigadier-General Khalid Nasser Al Razzouqi, Director-General of Smart Services with the Dubai Police said: "The launch of the world ’s first operational Robocop is a significant milestone for the Emirate and a step towards realizing Dubai’s vision to be a global leader in smart cities technology adoption.”Syria’s new interim leader announced on Tuesday he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad. In a brief address on state television, Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria who previously governed a small pocket of the northwest controlled by rebels during Assad’s reign, said he would lead the interim authority until March 1. He is set to lead a small cabinet to ensure public services can resume. It comes as some government agencies in the country have asked civil servants and health workers to resume duties. “Today we had a meeting for the cabinet and we invited members from the old government and some directors from the administration in Idlib and its surrounding areas, in order to facilitate all the necessary works for the next two months until we have a constitutional system to be able to serve the Syrian people,” he told Al Jazeera. “We had other meetings to restart the institutions to be able to serve our people in Syria.” Behind him were two flags - the green, black and white flag flown by opponents of Assad throughout the civil war, and a white flag with the Islamic oath of faith in black writing, typically flown in Syria by Sunni Islamist fighters. The move came as the rebel leader who led the insurgency that toppled Assad claimed Syria is heading towards stability and Western fears of future chaos and violence are unfounded. In his first comments to a Western news organisation, Abu Mohammed al Jolani, the head of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), told Sky News that there will be “no return to panic” now that they have overthrown the oppressive Assad regime. “The country will be rebuilt,” he said. “The fear was from the presence of the regime. The country is moving towards development and reconstruction. It’s going towards stability. “People are exhausted from war. So the country isn’t ready for another one and it’s not going to get into another one.” Two sources close to the rebels said their command had ordered fighters to withdraw from cities, and for police and internal security forces affiliated with the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS) to deploy there. In the Syrian capital, banks reopened for the first time since Assad was overthrown. Shops were also opening up again, traffic returned to the roads, and cleaners were out sweeping the streets and there were fewer armed men about. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington fully supports Syria’s political transition process and wants it to lead to inclusive and non-sectarian governance. The process must prevent Syria being used as a base for terrorism and ensure any chemical or biological weapons stocks are safely destroyed, he said. It came as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the new rulers in Syria not to follow the Assad regime by allowing Iran a foothold in the country. “If this regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, or permits the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or if it attacks us — we will respond forcefully, and we will exact a heavy price,” Netanyahu said in a video statement from Tel Aviv. “What happened to the previous regime will happen to this one.” The Israeli military earlier said it had carried out strikes against 320 “strategic targets” in Syria since Saturday. It claimed that more than 70 per cent of the Assad regime’s strategic military capabilities had been destroyed Israel , which has sent forces across the border into a demilitarised zone inside Syria , acknowledged on Tuesday that troops had also taken up some positions beyond the buffer zone, though it denied they were advancing towards Damascus. In a sign foreigners are ready to work with HTS, the former al Qaeda affiliate that led the anti-Assad revolt and has lately emphasised its break with its jihadist roots, the U.N. envoy to Syria played down its designation as a terrorist organisation. “The reality is so far that HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people ... of unity, of inclusiveness,” Geir Pedersen told a briefing in Geneva. The United States is still working out how it will engage with the rebel groups, US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told Reuters, adding that as yet there had been no formal change of policy and that actions were what counted. The fact that HTS is banned in the UK does not prevent the Government from talking with it in the future, Downing Street has said. It is proscribed in the UK because of its past association with al Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden. The fact that the group which has taken power in Syria is banned in the UK does not prevent the Government from talking with it in the future, Downing Street has said. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who took power in Syria after the weekend's events, is proscribed in the UK because of its past association with al Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden. But the group's leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, cut ties with al Qaida years ago and has sough to present his group as more moderate and inclusive. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Tuesday: "The fact that HTS is a proscribed terrorist group does not prevent the Government from engaging with HTS in the future." Pointing to terrorism legislation, he added: "There's no absolute offence of meeting a proscribed organisation" He said that engagement with such organisations "could for example include meetings designed to encourage a designated group to engage in a peace process or facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid". The spokesman added: "More broadly we keep proscriptions under review and we're obviously monitoring the situation closely." On Monday, the Prime Minister suggested that the UK is not considering whether to remove the group from the proscribed list. Sir Keir Starmer told reporters while on a visit to the Middle East that there was "no decision pending at all" on the matter, and described it as "far too early". It came after Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said that any decision on the group needed to be taken quickly. Meanwhile Turkey’s intelligence agency, MIT, attacked a convoy of trucks on Tuesday that was allegedly carrying missiles, heavy weapons and ammunition that were abandoned by the Syrian government and reportedly seized by Syrian Kurdish militias, Turkish security officials have said. The officials said 12 trucks, two tanks and two ammunition depots were “destroyed” in aerial strikes in the city of Qamishli, near the border with Turkey in northeastern Syria. The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish regulations. They did not say when the attack occurred. The officials said the intelligence agency detected that weapons left by the Syrian government forces were being moved to warehouses belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defence Units, or YPG. Turkey views the group as a terrorist organisation because of its links to the banned Kurdish militants that have led a decades-long insurgency in Turkey. According to the officials, the group was allegedly planning to use the equipment and supplies against Turkish security forces.

NC State and East Carolina meet in next season's opener. But first, the Military Bowl

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson is heading to the NFL draft after leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing and setting a handful of school records. The SEC Offensive Player of the Year announced on social media his intention Friday to leave after his junior season. He helped the seventh-ranked Vols go 10-3 with a first-round loss in the College Football Playoff where Sampson was limited by an injured hamstring. Sampson thanked his family, Tennessee coaches and fans, saying he learned so much and had the chance to be part of something special. Tennessee went 3-7 in 2020, and he leaves with the Vols having won 30 games over his three seasons. “I poured my heart and soul into this program and this community,” Sampson wrote. “With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.” Sampson set a school record running for 1,491 yards. He also set a program record with a league-best 22 rushing touchdowns, breaking a mark that had stood for 95 years. He was part of coach Josh Heupel's first full signing class in December 2021 out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also set school records for total touchdowns scored (22), points scored (132) and consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (11). He led the SEC in nine different categories, including rushing attempts (258), rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, 100-yard rushing games with 10, averaging 114.7 yards rushing per game, points scored, points per game (10.2), all-purpose yards (1,638) and all-purpose yards per game (126.0). He finished this season tied for fifth all-time in the SEC ranks for rushing TDs in a single season with Leonard Fournette of LSU. 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

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is allowed to be subpoenaed by Georgia state senators about President-elect Donald Trump 's state election interference case, a judge has ruled. Newsweek reached out to Willis' attorney via telephone outside of business hours Friday afternoon. Why It Matters The Republic-led Georgia state Senate committee looking into whether Willis, a Democrat, engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of Trump sent subpoenas to Willis in August in an effort to get her to testify in front of them and produce documents related to their inquiry. However, Willis has refused to comply with the subpoena with her attorney, former Democratic Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, arguing that the state Senate committee did not have the power to subpoena her. He also contended that the subpoenas were overly broad and not for a legitimate legislative need. What To Know Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram ruled on Monday that the state Senate committee can subpoena Willis but said the district attorney has until January 13, 2025, to submit arguments over whether the subpoenas seek legally shielded or confidential information. Georgia Senate Committee Asks Judge To Intervene Willis' challenge to the subpoena was pending when the state Senate committee held a meeting in September where she was ordered to testify. The district attorney skipped the hearing, and the committee in October asked Ingram to require Willis to comply with the subpoenas. The committee's attorneys argued that Willis not complying with the subpoenas had delayed the committee's ability to finish its inquiry and to provide recommendations for potential legislation. Fani Willis Disqualified From Trump Case Last week, Georgia's Court of Appeals disqualified Willis from prosecuting her case against Trump and his allies, ruling that the trial court "erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office." However, the court let the indictment stand against the defendants. In August 2023, Trump and 18 others were indicted for allegedly conspiring to overturn now-President Joe Biden 's narrow election victory in the battleground state of Georgia. Four of the defendants have since accepted plea deals. Trump and the others, meanwhile, have pleaded not guilty. The president-elect has maintained his innocence, claiming the case is politically motivated against him. Trump and some of the remaining defendants pushed to get Willis and her office removed from the case and to have the case thrown out altogether, arguing that her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor originally assigned to the case, Nathan Wade, created a conflict of interest and that Willis made improper public statements about the case. Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the case, ruled in March that there was no conflict of interest that should force Willis off the case. But he said that Wade would have to get off the case for Willis to remain on it, and the special prosecutor subsequently resigned. Trump and the others successfully appealed McAfee's ruling. What People Are Saying Republican Georgia State Senator Greg Dolezal said in a press release issued by the state Senate last Friday: "Despite our committee's lawful subpoena, DA Willis has refused to testify. This, coupled with troubling revelations of apparent violations of Georgia's open records laws, paints a disturbing picture of an office operating as though it is above the law. This behavior undermines public trust and raises serious questions about the integrity of her office." Republican Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones said in the press release: "The Senate will continue to fight for transparency and accountability," adding that Willis' "refusal to come before the committee is unacceptable and addressing these issues to require accountability will be a priority for the Senate." Republican Georgia State Senator Bill Cowsert, who currently chairs the committee , said in the release: "Our hearings have revealed serious prosecutorial misconduct and legislative remedies are needed. I look forward to finishing our investigation and passing legislation that restores confidence in the criminal justice system." What Happens Next The current Georgia legislative term will end on January 13, 2025. Dolezal promised in last Friday's press release to file a resolution at the beginning of the new legislative term to re-establish the committee investigating Willis. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.$HAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Continues To Investigate Merger - AVTE, BCOV, ...

Climate change: Nigerian researcher leverages AI for biodiversity conservationEveryone knows the health risks of carrying too much fat around the waist and hips, but UVA Health scientists are developing a noninvasive way to assess the health risks of unseen fat around the heart. The researchers, led by Frederick H. Epstein, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia's Department of Biomedical Engineering, are seeking to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the composition of adipose tissue—fat—that surrounds the heart. Analyzing this tissue could let doctors identify patients at greatest risk for potentially deadly cardiac problems such as coronary artery disease , atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure , and to predict how well those patients may respond to treatments. The paper is published in the journal Magnetic Resonance in Medicine . Early testing of the technique has produced encouraging signs that the approach could be a powerful tool to improve patient care. "Using this new MRI technique, we now for the very first time have the ability to know the composition of the fat that accumulates around the heart. This is important because depending on its makeup, the fat which surrounds the heart has the potential to release damaging substances directly into the heart muscle, leading to serious heart problems," said researcher Amit R. Patel, MD, a cardiologist and imaging expert at UVA Health and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. "With our ongoing research, we hope to show that we can convert the unhealthy fat which surrounds the heart to a more healthy type of fat with either diet and exercise or through the use of medications. We believe that by doing so, we will be able to reduce some of the complications associated with heart disease." The heart of the matter Our hearts are naturally surrounded by a layer of fat known as "epicardial adipose tissue." In healthy people, this fat is protective and vital for heart function. But in some people, particularly people with obesity and risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure , smoking and a poor diet, this fat can accumulate excessively, become inflamed and undergo harmful changes in its composition. The UVA researchers would use MRI to assess the amount and composition of the fat. The imaging technology essentially lets them see inside the body without the need for surgery. By analyzing the amounts of saturated fatty acids, monosaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids—fats commonly associated with our diets—in the epicardial adipose tissue, doctors may be able to identify patients who could face heart problems even before symptoms appear. Identifying and correcting this problem has the potential to slow down the progression of heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death both in the United States and around the world. In creating the new tool, the UVA researchers have had to overcome some major challenges. For example, both the heart and nearby lungs are always in motion—a huge obstacle to getting clear snapshots of the adipose tissue. But by developing innovative imaging approaches, the scientists are now able to get the images they need in the span of a single breath hold. "The ability to make these measurements in epicardial adipose tissue required the use of advanced computational methods that can extract the unique signature of saturated fatty acids from an overall noisy signal. Jack Echols, a biomedical engineering graduate student in my research lab, did outstanding work to develop these methods," said Epstein, associate vice president for research at UVA. "We're excited to partner with cardiologists like Dr. Patel to explore clinical applications of this method, and hope that this method ultimately leads to more precise treatments and better outcomes for patients with heart disease." The UVA team has already tested their technology in both the lab and in a limited number of human patients. They found that that the fat around the heart in patients who were obese and had suffered heart attacks was comprised of an excessive amount of saturated fatty acids . "That suggests that this new MRI technique could become a useful clinical tool for identifying at-risk patients and predicting their outcomes," Patel said. "Being able to see the composition of the fat that surrounds the heart will improve our understanding of heart disease and may lead to the development of new treatment strategies in the future." More information: John T. Echols et al, Fatty acid composition MRI of epicardial adipose tissue: Methods and detection of proinflammatory biomarkers in ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction patients, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30285