To play Maria Callas, Angelina Jolie had to lean how to breathe again

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of Tropicana Field , with the goal of having the home of the Tampa Bay Rays ready for the 2026 season. The vote followed a decision earlier this week by the Pinellas County Commission to delay until December a vote on revenue bonds needed to finance a new, $1.3 billion Rays ballpark, a project that is in serious jeopardy according to Rays executives. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has been ruled out for the second half of Saturday's SEC Championship Game against Texas after being injured on the final play of the first half. Texas' Trey Moore forced a fumble on Beck's pass attempt, appearing to injure the Georgia quarterback's throwing arm. Beck remained motionless on the field for a short time before joining the team in the locker room. Coach Kirby Smart told ESPN at halftime that Beck was done for the day. During the third quarter, Beck was seen with ice on his right elbow. Beck completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards and was sacked once before exiting. Georgia backup Gunner Stockton entered and led Georgia on a 10-play, 75-yard opening second-half drive, giving the Bulldogs their first lead at 10-6. Bulldogs punter Brett Thorson injured his left knee in the third quarter and was ruled out of the contest. He was taken off on a cart. --Field Level Media

National chief urges MPs to send water bill to Senate before holiday break

Italiano: ‘Bologna punished for errors at Champions League level’NORFOLK, Va. — To shouts of "Coach" and "Let's go Spartans," Michael Vick was introduced Monday as Norfolk State's football coach, a homecoming for the former NFL star and a splashy, attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years. Vick, who grew up about 30 minutes away in Newport News, donned a Norfolk State letterman's jacket and cap in front of a crowd of supporters that included fellow Hampton Roads, Virginia, sports greats Allen Iverson and Bruce Smith. Vick's introduction was the culmination of whirlwind courtship, the timing of which took even Vick by surprise. "I was talking to my high school coach a couple weeks ago, and I told him I wanted to be a football coach one day, a couple years from now," he said. Vick said he then got a surprise call from former Virginia Tech football player Aaron Rouse, who is now a Virginia state senator, and Norfolk State athletic director Melody Webb, gauging his interest in becoming the Spartans' coach. "It wasn't the easiest decision to make," Vick said. "I've got family that I considered, I care about and I love. This requires a lot of change in lifestyle. But at the same time, it allows me to serve young men in my community." Vick led Virginia Tech to the national championship game as a redshirt freshman and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro Bowl pick in six seasons in Atlanta, he revolutionized the quarterback position with his dynamic running ability. Vick's career was derailed by his conviction in 2007 for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. He pleaded guilty and served 21 months in federal prison before resuming his career in 2009. He retired in 2017 and had been working as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports and as an animal rights activist. Vick's legal troubles were not mentioned Monday, except indirectly by Webb, who praised his ability to "inspire and overcome challenges" and said it is in keeping with the values the school wants to instill in its student-athletes. "His journey is one of resilience and redemption and unwavering commitment to growth," Webb said. Vick has no coaching experience and is the latest former NFL star who had not coached before to take the helm of an HBCU program, a club that includes Deion Sanders and Eddie George. Norfolk State has made only one playoff appearance since moving to FCS in 1997. The last five Spartan head coaches have had losing records, including Dawson Odoms, who was fired in November after going 15-30 in four seasons. School officials hailed Vick's hiring as transformational, however. Webb said Vick's name "resonates around the world." Added rector Kim Brown: "Today we turn the corner and we embrace a new season for our football program." For his part, Vick said he won't be outworked, and that he will recruit hard in his home region, long a hotbed of talent. He said he attended Norfolk State games while playing youth football in Newport News and has followed the program over the years. "It's a lot of pressure being in your hometown," he said. "I've always thrived off it." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug useA 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.

Mid-American Conference football goes all in on November weeknights for the TV viewersORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In losing Sunday’s battle with the Buffalo Bills, perhaps the best team in football, Jerod Mayo won the war. Best I can tell, he’s staying put. For 2025, and maybe beyond. To his angry fan base and incredulous pockets of the New England Patriots’ media corps, remember Mayo’s future doesn’t hinge on winning this season. It’s not about what you want, or what I think. It’s about the Krafts, who hand-picked Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick four and a half years before he actually did, believing in him, and finding reasons to maintain that belief. In the eyes of someone who wants to believe, Sunday supplied enough reason. The Patriots led at halftime, then lost by three as 14-point underdogs. They became the first team since mid-October to hold the Bills under 30 points. Drake Maye outplayed the next MVP of the league for most of the game and took another step toward his destiny as a franchise quarterback, If that sounds like a low bar, that’s because it is. Such is life in Year 1 of a rebuild, a multi-year process ownership has committed to seeing through to the end with their organizational pillars now in place: Mayo, Maye and de facto GM Eliot Wolf. As frustrating as this 3-12 campaign has been, there are always nuggets of optimism amid the rubble of a losing season; particularly if you want to find them. The Krafts do, and so does Maye, who loves his head coach, by the way; calling questions about Mayo’s job security “BS.” “We’ve got his back,” Maye said post-game. Maye’s voice matters. Certainly more than any number of fans or media members. Ever since media-fueled speculation that Mayo could get canned at the end of his first season began rising, the caveat has always been the same: if, a Gillette Stadium-sized “if,” the Patriots bomb atomically down the stretch, ownership could pull the plug on Mayo. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport became the latest to join that chorus Sunday with this pregame report: “The Krafts want to keep Jerod Mayo,” he said. “They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right. Now if things go off the rails, if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season, we’ve seen this thing turn. “But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future.” Well, Mayo hasn’t lost the locker room. That’s a fact. To a man, both in public and from those I’ve spoken to in private, Patriots players believe in their head coach. Mayo might be a players’ coach, yes, in the best and worst senses. But the Patriots were a few plays away Sunday from pulling off their largest upset since Super Bowl XXXVI. “I think we’re building something good,” Maye said. The Patriots also played their best half of football this season against their toughest opponent yet. Another fact. Now, to the frustrated, I am with you. To the shocked, I understand. But to the trigger-happy, lay down your arms. Mayo, by all accounts, is returning in 2025. Alex Van Pelt, however, is another story. In the same vein that the Krafts could have viewed Sunday’s performance as a reason to save Mayo — despite his pathetic punt at midfield, down 10 with just eight and a half minutes left — they could have convinced themselves their offensive coordinator is the real problem. After all, team president Jonathan Kraft was visibly exasperated over Van Pelt’s play-calling during the Pats’ loss at Arizona a week earlier. Four days later, Van Pelt told reporters he had yet to hear from his boss. Well, that time may be coming. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter Sunday, Van Pelt called a pass that resulted in an unnecessary lateral and game-winning touchdown for Buffalo. His offense later operated like it was taking a Sunday drive with the game on the line, using up 3:16 of the final 4:19 en route to its final touchdown. Van Pelt, finally, weaponized Maye’s legs in critical situations, something that arguably should have been done weeks ago. Not to mention, Van Pelt’s top running back can’t stop fumbling, and the offensive line remains a hot mess. Call him Alex Van Fall Guy. Because Van Pelt’s offense, for the first time in a while, under-performed relative to Mayo’s defense. On merit, he deserves to stay; a case that’s harder to make for defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. But it’s not about merit this season. It’s not about what you want. It’s not about what I think. It’s about the Krafts; what they see, what they want, what they believe. Even in defeat. ____ Sent weekly directly to your inbox!

St. Petersburg council approves $23M repair to hurricane-ravaged Tropicana Field roof

Bodhi, the Shiba Inu who rose to internet stardom as the “ Menswear Dog ,” has passed away at 15 years old. His dog mom, Yena Kim, announced his death on Monday in an Instagram post. “I lost my soul dog,” she began the post, which featured several images of Bodhi dressed stylishly in an array of men’s clothing . “Bodhi was not just a fashion dog, or a pet to me. He was the fork in the road in my life that pivoted everything about who I was, where I was, who I met and the career I chose. He was my heart, my center, my everything,” Kim wrote. Bodhi became a viral sensation in 2013, when Kim and her husband David Fung dressed up their dog in Ralph Lauren menswear and posted the result on Tumblr. Since then, he’s gained 375,000 followers on Instagram with the username @mensweardog. Bodhi has also modeled in campaigns for Coach and Salvatore Ferragamo , and even released a capsule collection with Nike. Kim adopted the Shiba Inu from a New York City pet store in 2009, when she was a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, according to the The New York Times . She named the dog after Patrick Swayze’s character in the 1991 movie Point Break. “Even as he experienced cognitive decline, he would find me, his little body leaning and pressing against my leg. He was my place of comfort, my ultimate peace,” the caption read. “I toggle between crying and smiling thinking of him and it’s safe to say that I will never recover from this loss but if I could do it all again, I know I would in a heartbeat.” Bodhi struggled with kidney illness and spinal issues in the last two years of his life, Kim told The New York Times . He reportedly died in Brooklyn in his owner’s arms. On Instagram, fans of the “Menswear Dog” rushed to the comments section to share their condolences and pay tribute to the fashion icon. The official account for Brooks Brothers commented: “We always loved collaborating with Bodhi. We know he will be missed by so many.” “He was a legend,” wrote the popular dog-themed account We Rate Dogs. “Rest easy Bodhi.” Just last year, another viral Shiba Inu — Cheems Balltze, who inspired the “doge” meme — died at the age of 12 after a battle with cancer. The internet-famous dog, known for his adorable smile and love of cheeseburgers, passed away in August 2023 after falling asleep during a thoracentesis surgery, his owner wrote on social media. Balltze rose to internet fame in 2010, when a photo of a Shiba Inu dog crossing its paws was overlaid with scattered comic sans text — depicting what could be the pet’s inner monologue. Internet users quickly started referring to the image as “doge,” and it even spawned the new cryptocurrency “Dogecoin” in 2013.

USU men’s basketball: Aggies hit the boards, shared the ball and shot well in road winStocks record highest-ever single-day increase of 4,695 points KARACHI: Bouncing back from the previous session’s losses, the KSE-100 Index shattered records on Wednesday with a historic single-day gain of 4,695 points. This rally also marked the second-highest single-day increase in market capitalisation, surging by an impressive Rs526 billion. The bullish momentum, driven by a cooling political climate in Islamabad, pushed the index to a new milestone, closing above the 99,000 mark for the first time. Market analysts are abuzz with optimism, predicting the index is on the cusp of breaching the coveted six-figure threshold. The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE 100 Index surged by a record 4,695.09 points or 4.96 per cent to 99,269.25 points against 94,574.16 points recorded in the last session. The highest index of the day remained at 99,549.81 points while the lowest level was recorded at 97,188.28 points. Analyst Maaz Mulla at Topline Securities said the bulls staged a remarkable recovery as the KSE-100 Index soared to an intraday high of 4,975 points, recording the largest single-day gain in its history. This impressive rally followed yesterday’s sharp downturn, with the index closing at 99,269 -- up by 4,695 points or 4.96 per cent. “The market’s positive sentiment was largely driven by the opposition party’s decision to end its protest in the capital city [in the early hours of Wednesday],” he said. This shift marked a complete reversal from Tuesday’s turmoil, where the benchmark KSE-100 Index experienced its biggest single-day drop. In an extraordinary recovery, the market rebounded, fully offsetting and surpassing the previous session’s losses. In terms of market capitalisation, Tuesday’s decline of Rs480 billion was followed by an exceptional increase of Rs526 billion Wednesday, marking the second-highest single-day surge in history. The trading floor witnessed robust buying activity, with the index-heavy banking sector leading the charge. Other significant contributors included automobile assemblers, oil and gas exploration companies, oil marketing companies (OMCs) and power generation firms. Top contributors to the index’s upward trajectory were FFC, HBL, SYS, BAHL, and PPL, collectively adding 1,546 points. The KSE-30 index increased by 1,587.57 points or 5.39 per cent to 31,032.39 points against 29,444.82 points. Traded shares decreased by 59 million shares to 1,057.104 million shares from 1,116.324 million shares. The trading value dropped to Rs39.556 billion from Rs43.291 billion. Market capital expanded to Rs12.577 trillion against Rs12.052 trillion. Of the 453 companies active in the session, 356 closed in green, 52 in red and 45 remained unchanged. Ahsan Mehanti, an analyst at Arif Habib Corp, said, “Stocks closed to a new all-time high led by scrips across the board after the PTI ended protests in the capital, easing political noise and concerns for security unrest.” He said that upbeat economic indicators, speculations over likely lower CPI inflation for November and rupee stability played a catalyst role in the bullish activity. The highest increase was recorded in Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited, which rose by Rs348.78 to Rs19,368.13 per share, followed by Rafhan Maize Products Company Limited, which increased by Rs175.27 to Rs7,988.75 per share. A significant decline was noted in Pakistan Services Limited, which fell by Rs50.29 to Rs827.72 per share; Sapphire Textile Mills Limited followed it, which closed lower by Rs26.35 to Rs1,151.64 per share. Analyst Mubashir Anis Naviwala at JS Global said the PSX rebounded strongly, recovering sharply from Tuesday’s panic-driven selloff. “Investor activity picked up significantly, fuelled by easing political tensions, with robust gains seen across the board,” he said. “Renewed investor optimism, supported by improving macroeconomic indicators and declining fixed-income yields, signals a sustained bullish outlook for the equity market.” BO Punjab remained the volume leader with 114.966 million shares which closed higher by Re1 to Rs7.85 per share. Hascol Petrol followed it with 106.286 million shares, which closed lower by Re1 to Rs12.59 per share. Other significant turnover stocks included K-Electric Ltd, Fauji Foods Ltd, Bank Makramah, Pace (Pak) Ltd, Sui South Gas, Cnergyico PK, WorldCall Telecom and National Bank XD. In the futures market, 307 companies recorded trading, 291 of which increased, 15 decreased, and one remained unchanged.

NoneA voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challengeThe Cost of Control