PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday. Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown. Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant finished with seven receptions for 197 yards. Altmeyer put Illinois in front with a 30-yard TD run with 3:07 to go. He passed to Josh McCray on the 2-point conversion, making it 30-24. Rutgers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Athan Kaliakmanis had a 15-yard run on fourth down. He passed to running back Kyle Manangai for a 13-yard TD with 1:08 remaining. Illinois then drove 75 yards in eight plays for the unexpected win. Kaliakmanis was 18 for 36 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 84 yards and two TDs. Monangai had a career-high 28 carries for 122 yards. Kaliakmanis found Ian Strong for a 2-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and he scored on a 1-yard run to lift Rutgers to a 24-15 lead early in the fourth quarter. Illinois responded with Aidan Laughery’s 8-yard TD run, setting up the roller-coaster finish. The start of the second half was delayed because of a scrum between the teams. There were no punches thrown and the officials called penalties on both schools. Monangai become the third player in Rutgers history to rush for 3,000 yards when he picked up 4 on a third-and-1 carry early in the second quarter. The defending conference rushing champion joins Ray Rice and Terrell Willis in hitting the mark. Illinois: The great finish keeps the Illini in line for its first nine-win season since 2007 and a prestigious bowl game this season. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights were seconds away from their first in-conference three-game win streak since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Illinois: At Northwestern next Saturday. Rutgers: At Michigan State next Saturday. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
French StandingsDETROIT – The Tuesday after the Detroit Lions’ Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings felt like any other day for Megan Stefanski — or so she thought. She’d clocked out from her job as a school librarian and swung by her family’s restaurant, Yooperman’s Bar and Grill in Goetzville, to meet a friend for a drink. Nothing out of the ordinary. But the moment she walked through the doors, everything changed. Detroit Lions mascot Roary, the cheerleaders, members of the marketing team and even the iconic Lions superfan Crack Man were waiting inside, holding signs and cheering: “Congrats! You’re going to the Super Bowl!” The Lions had selected Stefanski as their 2024 Fan of the Year, kicking off what could be described as a whirlwind experience. Since the announcement, her calendar has been filled with interviews, appearances, tailgates and more – all part of the fanfare surrounding her recognition as one of the team’s most dedicated supporters. On Thursday, Stefanski was among a group diehard Lions fans and social media influencers at a meet-and-greet for Detroit Lions legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson. The event was held at The Shadow Gallery in Detroit’s Eastern Market, a fitting backdrop just hours before the Lions squared off against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. Stefanski took a moment to reflect with MLive , sharing her thoughts on the surreal journey to the Super Bowl, her game-day predictions and what it would mean to watch the Lions make history by playing in the NFL’s biggest game. You’re already heading to the Super Bowl, but how much sweeter would it be if the Lions were the team playing in it? Been dreaming of it my whole life. It’s... We took over New Orleans last December (for Week 13). If it’s the Super Bowl, it’s going to be all Lions fans everywhere. Tonight’s game is a big one against the division rival Green Bay Packers. It won’t necessarily decide the division, but it’s crucial for the standings. How are you feeling about it? It’s must-win football, and the guys know that. And nothing stopped them so far. They know what they have to do and how many games they have to go. So I don’t think anything’s going to stop us. Nothing. Who do you think will be the biggest difference-makers in tonight’s game on both offense and defense? I think the boys (David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs) are going to be running. You’re going to see both Sonic and Knuckles just going for it today. I think Ben Johnson is going to pull some fun stuff out. And our defense? Those new guys, they’re ready to go to WAR for (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn). They’re just going to come in (and) they don’t need plays. They’re just going to be running and blitzing like crazy. The Lions have 13 defensive players on injured reserve. Does that worry you at all? I mean, it’s not the greatest, but we have so much depth that I believe it’s just next man up. They’re all ready to go. What about Green Bay? Is there anything about their offense or defense that concerns you? No. I mean, yeah, they’re ready to win. Every team’s ready to win. But I think the home-field advantage is going to be huge for us today. You know, we’re basically the 12th man. Seattle (Seahawks fans) have always claimed it, just like the Dallas (Cowboys) claimed to be America’s team. But nobody wants it as much as Detroit right now. That makes a big difference. What’s your score prediction for the game? I think we’ll have (multiple) touchdowns on them. I think we’ll give up one, maybe two, but maybe 42–18. 42–18? That’s a big one! I think they’re going to put points down. Ben Johnson’s ready to play today.
Nandan Nilekani BENGALURU: Nandan Nilekani said he stands by his view that India need not spend resources building another large language model (LLM). He was responding to a question from us on the view expressed recently by Google Research India director Manish Gupta that India will benefit from building a foundation model . "Foundation models are not the best use of your money. If India has $50 billion to spend, it should use that to build compute, infrastructure, and AI cloud. These are the raw materials and engines of this game," he said. Foundation models like the ones that OpenAI and Meta are building often cost billions of dollars because they are being trained on vast amounts of data using very expensive infrastructure. Nilekani has in the past stressed that India should focus on building use cases for AI on top of the LLMs that are available globally. Last month, Gupta had said at the Bengaluru Tech Summit that he "respectfully disagreed" with Nilekani's advice on prioritising use case building over building foundation models around AI. "He is not preaching what he practised. He revolutionised India's technology landscape by starting with the basics. With Aadhaar, he did not start with use cases, he started with building foundations. We too must, using our constraints as ingredients for innovation," he said. Ready to Master Stock Valuation? ET’s Workshop is just around the corner!
Scott Barnes has reflected on his successful karting season after claiming two championships, including seven wins and more than 20 podium finishes. The Bermudian clinched the Skusa Superkarts USA Pro Tour title and retained his Skusa USA Winter Series championship in the Shifter Masters class. He also earned a runner-up finish in the Rok Masters category at the Stars Championship series. Adding to his accolades, Barnes was recognised as one of three “All-Star” drivers in the Masters division by eKartingNews – the leading karting racing website. He shared the honour with Maranello USA team-mate Joe Ruch and Niki Coello of Franklin Motorsport. “That’s a wrap on the 2024 race season,” Barnes wrote on social media. “I can’t say thank you enough to Maranello Karts and Carblos Racing Engines for everything they did for me, bringing me on the team has been amazing! “The Maranello Karts have been amazing all year and the Carblos Power engines have been crazy fast! “[A] big thank you to Cory at Simpsons MotorSports and Butterfield and Vallis, the Powerade brand, for the sponsorship. “Looking forward to 2025 season and competing for more wins and championships. Coming into 2025 hungry to win!” : ,Bankwell financial director Carl Porto buys $3,209 in stockStokes and McCullum need strong start to year that could define Bazball
Children may soon be better educated to prevent and report sexual abuse, after a local politician helped sponsor a new Ontario law that drew support from politicians of all stripes. The Ontario legislature approved Erin’s Law on Wednesday. It requires school boards to develop policies to engage students annually in the prevention and reporting of child sexual abuse, in a manner appropriate to their development. This includes age-appropriate techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult. The law mandates teacher and staff training, and provides resources for parents and guardians to recognize and address abuse. All three politicians who stood in the legislature to speak for the new law on its final vote are from this region, representing three political parties. Jess Dixon, Progressive Conservative MPP for Kitchener South—Hespeler, helped co-sponsor the law. She’s a former prosecutor who is drawing on her justice background to seek more support for children who are victimized. “Most victims of child sexual abuse know their abuser. And it can be very easy for (abusers) to manipulate them and scare them into silence,” Dixon said in an interview. Erin’s Law is about confronting that silence, she said, by helping children learn how to recognize and report an unsafe situation. Aislinn Clancy, Green MPP for Kitchener Centre, and Catherine Fife, New Democrat MPP for Waterloo, united in the legislature to speak in support of the new law alongside Dixon. “It’s always nice when we can agree on something,” Dixon said. Erin’s Law comes into effect when it receives royal assent. It is named after Erin Merryn, a survivor of child sexual abuse who has shared her story widely and whose advocacy has led 38 U.S. states to adopt legislation on prevention education. Reports to police of sexual crimes against children are soaring in Waterloo Region, from 83 crimes reported in 2013 to 541 crimes reported in 2023. This includes sexual violations against children as well as possessing, making or distributing child sexual abuse material.LAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Chris Kutz, a Boise State athletics spokesman, said in an email the university would not “comment on potential matchups at this time.” Doug Hoffman, an Aggies athletics spokesman, said in an email Utah State is reviewing the court’s order. “Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on,” Hoffman wrote. San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. Related Articles National Politics | Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirling National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump extends unprecedented invites to China’s Xi and other world leaders for his inauguration National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump National Politics | What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP-NORC poll The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman’s Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump posted. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to “supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace – from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products.” “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November’s election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. Instead, Trump said that ports and shipping companies should eschew “machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.” “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump posted. “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”
Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn’t install more automated systemsCozy winter fare: Make a French-style cassoulet at home
Karnataka bypolls victory: Shivakumar gives credit to CM’s leadershipLeftwing populists and far right teamed up to topple French PMS’wak minister proposes development of mobile apps to help students with learning loss
LANDOVER — After plenty of talk in recent weeks about Terry McLaurin lining up only on the left side, the Washington Commanders’ first offensive snap was a throw by Jayden Daniels to his top receiver — on the right side, of course. OK, Kliff Kingsbury. Well played. Beyond that not-so-subtle answer to criticism, Washington’s offensive coordinator went back to a tried-and-true recipe to get his unit back on track: running the ball early and often. Brian Robinson Jr. returned from a sprained ankle to account for 103 of a season-high 267 yards rushing in a 42-19 rout of Tennessee on Sunday that ended a three-game losing streak and showed what this offense can do when clicking in all facets. “It’s a beautiful thing to see,” said Robinson, who had the longest rushing touchdown of his three-year NFL career, a 40-yarder. “It’s a beautiful thing to do. Just glad we were able to really put it back out there and show the potential we have in our room and our running game. We have a serious run game, and we just got to believe in it.” A balanced attack with Daniels handing the ball off 36 times, throwing it 30 and running nine allowed the Commanders to dominate time of possession and improve to 8-5 going into their bye week. “It opens up a lot, obviously, to be able to get guys to move the line of scrimmage and get to the second level and let our backs do what they do,” said Daniels, who ran for 34 yards to go along with 206 yards passing. “We’re getting to those times of the season where in December, January when you’ve got to be able to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball.” Robinson playing makes a big difference. His teammates are 1-2 without him this season, and Austin Ekeler going on injured reserve Saturday because of a concussion put everything on Robinson’s shoulders. Averaging 6.4 yards on 16 carries got the job done. “Man, is he a difference maker,” coach Dan Quinn said. “When Brian can kick through and step and get onto the next level, he’s really difficult to tackle.” The defense thrived while needing to be on the field for less than 20 minutes, forcing a turnover and keeping Tennessee off the scoreboard until late in the first half. It was already 28-0 at that point. Rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil — who celebrated his alma mater, Michigan, upsetting Ohio State a day earlier by asking McLaurin about the result while the Buckeyes product was forced to sit in the interview room after their game with Sainristil’s Wolverines jersey — forced and recovered Tony Pollard’s fumble in the first quarter. The Commanders made it 21-0 three plays later. “Offense, defense, special teams we all feed off one another,” said six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who joined London Fletcher as the only players with 100-plus tackles in 13 consecutive seasons. “Whether it’s us getting turnovers, special teams getting turnovers or the offense going down the field and scoring, we all got to feed off of that and I felt like we did a good job of that.” The kicking game continues to struggle. Zane Gonzalez missed two field goal attempts while filling in for Austin Seibert, who went on injured reserve earlier in the week. Seibert reported a groin injury the day after missing an extra point that would have tied the score in the final minute against Dallas. If there are any Cyber Monday deals on kickers, the Commanders are in the market for a new one. They’ve had six on the roster since March. With starting right tackle Andrew Wylie out because of a concussion, Cornelius Lucas took his spot and did not miss a beat. Lucas opened the season splitting time at left tackle with rookie Brandon Coleman, and the journeyman lineman’s quick adjustment in Wylie’s absence helped the offense get on track. “I thought that’s a guy that was ready for the challenge,” Quinn said. Defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis was a healthy scratch against the Titans after Carl Davis was elevated from the practice squad. Quinn called it a coaching decision. Sitting the 2022 second-round pick is another blow to the four drafts Ron Rivera oversaw from 2020-23. Every first-round pick is now gone after cornerback Emmanuel Forbes’ release Saturday, and Mathis already has been passed on the depth chart by rookie Johnny Newton. Attrition added up through 13 consecutive games, and Ekeler and Seibert are out at least the next three games following the bye: at New Orleans on Dec. 15, against Philadelphia on Dec. 22 and against Atlanta on Dec. 28 or 29. Dealing with a hamstring injury, cornerback Marshon Lattimore has not played since the Commanders acquired him at the trade deadline from the Saints, so his debut for them could come against his old team. 7 — Years since Washington last won a December home game before Sunday, in Week 16 of the 2017 season. The team’s previous December victory of any kind was in 2021. Rest up. As McLaurin said before leaving the stadium, “I’m going to enjoy this bye week.”NEW YORK (AP) — The leaders of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign insist they simply didn't have enough time to execute a winning strategy against Donald Trump , pointing to “ferocious" political headwinds that were ultimately too much to overcome in the 107-day period after President Joe Biden stepped aside . Harris' leadership team, speaking on the “Pod Save America” podcast that aired on Tuesday, defended strategic decisions over the campaign's closing days, some of which have faced scrutiny in the weeks since Trump's decisive victory . Specifically, they defended Harris' outreach to Republican voters, her unwillingness to distance herself from Biden, her silence on Trump's attacks on her transgender policies and her inability to schedule an interview with popular podcaster Joe Rogan. “In a 107-day race, it is very difficult to do all the things you would normally do in a year and a half, two years,” said Harris campaign senior adviser Jen O'Malley Dillon. David Plouffe, another senior adviser, added, “There was a price to be paid for the short campaign." The pointed reflections on Harris' loss came just before she declared she was “proud of the campaign we ran” during a conference call with supporters as the party begins a painful process of self-examination. Trump won every swing state and made gains among key voting groups traditionally aligned with Democrats — young voters and voters of color, among them. Backed by the resounding win, the Republican president-elect is claiming a mandate to enact his populist agenda as he prepares to return to the White House on Jan. 20. Harris acknowledged her defeat during the conference call, but praised the political organization her team built that featured more than 408,000 volunteers who knocked on nearly 20 million doors and made over 219 million phone calls. “What we did in 107 days was unprecedented,” she said, noting that her campaign also raised more than $1.4 billion, which marks a record for U.S. presidential campaigns. Still, Harris' campaign finished the election in debt . And none of the Harris advisers acknowledged any mistakes during the wide-ranging podcast interview hosted by former Democratic operatives. Instead, they indicated that Harris had few options given the compressed timeframe and the broad anti-incumbent headwinds that have challenged elected officials across the world. They also gave Trump's team some credit. They specifically pointed to Trump's closing attack ad, which highlighted Harris' support for taxpayer-funded sex reassignment surgeries for transgender prisoners. “Obviously, it was a very effective ad at the end,” said Harris deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks. “I think that it made her seem out of touch.” The campaign tested several potential response ads but, in the end, decided it was best to avoid a specific rebuttal. “There’s no easy answers to this,” O'Malley Dillon said. Plouffe said he thought the Trump attack ad against “Bidenomics” was even more effective, but he acknowledged that the transgender attacks were not helpful. “She was on tape," he said. "Surgery for trans people who want to transition in prison was part of the Biden-Harris platform in 2020. It was part of what the administration did, right?” And while the campaign has faced lingering questions about its media strategy, Harris' team said she actually wanted to participate in a podcast with Rogan, who is among the world's most popular podcasters and ultimately endorsed Trump. Stephanie Cutter, another Harris senior adviser, said the campaign wasn't able to “find a date” to make it work. “We had discussions with Joe Rogan’s team. They were great. They wanted us to come on. We wanted to come on,” she said. “Will she do it sometime in the future? Maybe. Who knows. But it didn’t ultimately impact the outcome one way or the other.” Plouffe noted that the campaign offered to do the Rogan podcast on the road in Austin, Texas. Trump ultimately did his interview with Rogan in the podcaster's studio. Harris' campaign brass also defended her decision to court moderate Republicans in the campaign's closing days. The decision has drawn ire from some progressives, who believe Harris should have worked harder to turn out more traditional Democratic voters. “This political environment sucked, OK? We were dealing with ferocious headwinds,” Plouffe said. “So we had a complicated puzzle to put together here in terms of the voters.” He acknowledged some “drift” toward Trump among non-college-educated voters, particularly voters of color, which made Harris' outreach to moderate voters even more important. “Yes, of course, you have to maximize your turnout and your vote share amongst liberal voters if you’re a Democrat. That was a huge focus,” he said. He added, “You’ve got to couple that with dominating in the middle. Not just winning it a little. We have to dominate the moderate vote." Speaking on Tuesday's conference call, Harris' running mate Tim Walz described the election result as “incredibly disappointing” and “a bit scary." But he praised the campaign's effort. “There will be a day of reckoning when it will be asked, ‘What did you do during the 2024 campaign?’ Well, I know the people on this call can say, everything they possibly could,” Walz said. “And for that, as an American, I’m incredibly grateful.”
