The Charlotte Hornets will likely be without a key contributor this season. Forward Grant Williams is expected to miss significant time after suffering an injury late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game in Milwaukee, which the Bucks won 125-119 . Williams shot 43.9% from the field this season, while averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.9 minutes of play through the first 16 games. The 10.4 points per game is a career high for the sixth-year player, who was a first-round pick for the Boston Celtics in the 2019 NBA draft. Here's the latest on Williams’ injury: NBA True or False: Answering early season NBA Eastern Conference trends | For the Hoops All things Hornets: Latest Charlotte Hornets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more. Grant Williams’ injury update The Hornets announced that Williams' MRI results revealed that he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his right knee. He is expected to undergo further evaluation of his knee. Williams will be listed as out indefinitely until additional information on his status is provided, according to the team. ESPN reported that Williams also sustained damage to his meniscus and other knee ligaments that would keep him out for the remainder of the season, but the Hornets have yet to confirm this. Grant Williams' responses after injury "Appreciate all the love and support from those who have reached out," Williams said in a post on X. "Time to goto work it’s all we can do." Grant Williams’ career stats Through 5-plus seasons, Williams averages 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while shooting 45.2% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range. Williams played his first four seasons with the Celtics before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks following the 2022-23 season. He was then traded to the Hornets on Feb. 8, 2024.It has taken new Michigan coach Dusty May just nine games to guide the Wolverines into the Top 25. May and the Wolverines enter the poll at No. 14 and strive to continue their strong start when they face Arkansas in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night in New York. Michigan (8-1) has reeled off seven straight wins to crack the rankings for the first time in nearly 25 months. "All this stuff doesn't matter to me," May said of the rankings. "It does change the complexion of what we think about and things like that. Overall, I like where we are. We have guys who work well together and they put in the time." The Wolverines look to remain hot against the Razorbacks (7-2). John Calipari's first Arkansas squad has won its past two games. Calipari spent the previous 15 seasons as coach of Kentucky and claims he's excited to be in Arkansas. "I'm not bitter about anything. I'm not," Calipari said. "This is the first page of the first chapter of a new book. The timing for me and my career and my life, this is perfect. And I appreciate the fans and everybody giving me the opportunity to do that." The Razorbacks will be searching for their initial milestone victory under Calipari during their first visit to Madison Square Garden since 1997. Their losses this season are to then-No. 8 Baylor and Illinois on neutral courts. Calipari grabbed several players out of the transfer portal in the offseason, including guard Johnell Davis, one of the stars of the Florida Atlantic team that reached the 2023 Final Four. That squad was coached by May. One of the other Florida Atlantic starters was center Vladislav Goldin, who followed May to Michigan after the coach was hired in the offseason. Goldin has strung together three straight solid games, including a season-best 24 points in a 67-64 road win over then-No. 11 Wisconsin on Dec. 3. He followed that up with 20 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in Saturday's 85-83 home win over Iowa. "He's just been a guy that you can see when he's really locked in and focused there's a different level of play," said May, "and I think now he's finding that level of play." Goldin is part of a balanced attack. Roddy Gayle Jr. averages a team-best 12.2 points per game, followed by Tre Donaldson and Danny Wolf at 12.1 and Goldin at 12.0. Wolf averages a team-best 10 rebounds per game. Arkansas is coming off a 75-60 home victory over UTSA on Saturday. Adou Thiero excelled by matching his career high of 26 points to go with 10 rebounds. Thiero scored 17 points in the second half when the Razorbacks overcame a five-point halftime deficit to outscore the Roadrunners by 20. "We've been seeing that the whole summer," Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile said of Thiero's strong play. "Him dominating. Dominating in practice and (Calipari) pushing him. This is just a reflection of the work he's done this summer and him trusting the coaches." Thiero leads the Razorbacks with averages of 18.6 points and 6.1 rebounds. Boogie Fland is averaging 15 points and Zvonimir Ivisic is scoring 12 per game. Davis (9.3) started slow with just two double-digit outings in the first seven games before averaging 12.5 over the last two games. Michigan holds a 4-3 edge in the all-time series. The Wolverines recorded an 80-67 home victory on Dec. 8, 2012 in the most recent meeting. --Field Level MediaDiners at Sweetgreen in Willis Tower, get ready to meet the chef of the future: a robot that makes your salad to order. The California-based chain is launching its automated Infinite Kitchen system this week at the busy Loop restaurant, putting an assembly line of robotic chefs to work preparing bowls of everything from Kale Caesar to Hummus Crunch. Early rollouts of the technology at nearly a dozen locations nationwide have shown promising results delivering food faster – and perhaps better – by going from farm-to-machine-to-table, according to Nicolas Jammet, a co-founder and chief concept officer at Sweetgreen. “I think the quality of the bowl, of the food, is actually better because each ingredient is held at the perfect temperature, perfect portion, perfect ratios, the greens are crisper,” Jammet said. “I actually think it’s a more consistent experience.” The proprietary technology, which looks like something out of “The Jetsons” – sans the flying cars – features a series of machines that dispense and mix salad ingredients in a bowl traveling along an assembly line. Human sous chefs keep the machines filled and finish the salad with everything from a squeeze of lemon, fresh basil or even a salmon filet, based on the order. Chicago has been something of a testing ground for Sweetgreen, with the first automated kitchen opening last year at a new restaurant in west suburban Naperville. One of the busiest Sweetgreen locations in the Chicago area, the retrofitted Willis Tower restaurant has been expanded by 40% with a 1,000-square-foot addition to accommodate the robotic system. The traditional salad line, where diners point at their ingredients and humans serve it up, will remain open side-by-side with the new automated one, Jammet said. The inaugural Infinite Kitchens have all been fully automated – from ordering to food preparation. Willis Tower is the 11th Sweetgreen restaurant to adopt the technology nationwide and the first to utilize a hybrid approach. “At our other Infinite Kitchens, it is just the Infinite Kitchen,” Jammet said. “We’re learning a lot here, so we’re just deciding to test this, and we’ll see how it goes.” Founded in 2007 by three newly minted Georgetown University graduates, Sweetgreen has grown into a national chain with 245 locations in 23 states and its birthplace, Washington. There are 23 locations in the Chicago area, including Willis Tower, which opened in 2019 and serves a large downtown lunch crowd. The Sweetgreen premise, from the first small restaurant opened near the Georgetown campus, was to fill a niche that wasn’t there during their college days by creating fresh and healthy fast food. The idea caught on in a big way. In November 2021, with the restaurant industry still struggling to recover from pandemic disruption, Sweetgreen went public with a splashy initial public offering that raised $364 million and valued the company at $5.5 billion after the first day of trading. The company’s stock price fell back to earth in the ensuing months, but regained traction this year, in part driven by the Infinite Kitchen rollout, lifting its market cap back to about $4.1 billion as of Friday. Two months before the IPO, Sweetgreen bought Boston-based Spyce for an undisclosed price, acquiring the startup’s innovative robotic kitchen technology, which could be used to prepare the growing fast casual chain’s salads without human hands in the mix. In May 2023, Sweetgreen launched its first Infinite Kitchen in Naperville, and has since installed 11 automated systems nationwide, including at a new restaurant inside the CNA building at 151 N. Franklin Street in late October and the expanded Willis Tower location, which debuted its robotic salad assembly line Monday. Sweetgreen is also retrofitting its Wall Street restaurant in New York, which is slated to be the 12th Infinite Kitchen location to open by year’s end. The chain’s robotic salad chef was named one of Time magazine’s best inventions of 2023. While still only available in 5% of its locations, its broader rollout could be integral to the future of Sweetgreen, and perhaps the restaurant industry at large. The advantages to the automated kitchen start with cost savings. During its third quarter earnings call in November, Sweetgreen said it has seen a 7% labor savings across its Infinite Kitchen locations. Sweetgreen, which is projecting revenue between $675 and $680 million this year, reported a net loss of $61 million through the first nine months, according to financial filings. It costs between $450,000 and $550,000 to install an Infinite Kitchen system at a restaurant, a capital expense the company believes it will bring down as it scales up. Next year, Sweetgreen plans to accelerate the rollout of its automated system, with more than half of its new stores using the format, as well as some additional conversions, Jammet said. Within five years, all new restaurants will likely be built with the technology, he said. “It’s a more productive, efficient labor model,” Jammet said. “In new restaurants, the number of team members you have to hire is less.” At the same time, Jammet said no one has been laid off at the Willis Tower restaurant with the opening of the automated kitchen, and employees who previously assembled salads have been “redeployed” to hospitality positions at the front of the house, he said. How the new robot crew handles the lunchtime rush this week, however, remains to be seen. Chicago office buildings are averaging about 53% of pre-pandemic occupancy levels, according to the latest weekly report by Kastle Systems. That has meant less lunchtime traffic for many restaurants in downtown Chicago. But Jammet said traffic has been improving and the Willis Tower restaurant is very busy on most weekdays. The Willis Tower restaurant handles about 25,000 customers a day, with long lines common during peak office lunch hours. If the automated kitchen does its job, traffic may move a little faster this week. While robots may be making the salads at Sweetgreen, every bowl still has a human touch – at least for now. People are cooking chicken, steak and salmon, stocking the machines with salad ingredients and finishing the bowls with toppings before giving them to customers. Ultimately, the collaboration between man and machine may be no less than “reimagining the whole fast food experience,” Jammet said, where robots don a chef’s hat and people wear a smile. “We ask our team members to be fast, friendly and accurate on our front line, which is really hard to do,” Jammet said. “So in this new model, the Infinite Kitchen gets to be fast and accurate, and our team members get to be really focused on the friendly part.” ___ ©2024 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WINNIPEG — Mike O’Shea stood in front of reporters Friday and kept his cool while answering questions about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 41-24 Grey Cup loss to the Toronto Argonauts last weekend. The head coach was asked if he made a mistake keeping injured quarterback Zach Collaros in the game, why star running back Brady Oliveira didn’t get the ball more and whether a flawed game plan led to Winnipeg’s third consecutive championship loss. “As an entire team, we didn’t have our best game,” O’Shea said in his end-of-the-season press conference. “We didn’t lack effort. We didn’t lack desire. “We didn’t have our best game as an entire team. Three phases. Coaches — everybody. Me especially.” O’Shea admitted he missed calling a timeout in the fourth quarter when there were only 11 Blue Bombers on the field instead of 12. “I don't get the count over the headset as quickly as I probably need to, we can't count. As I'm seeing a guy come off, that's the right time for that timeout that I should have used,” O’Shea said. He also said he should have used a challenge flag earlier on a play he didn’t identify, and checked on his players more during the game. But hindsight wouldn’t change his decision to put Collaros back in the game after the index finger on his throwing hand was cut deep when it hit a defender’s helmet. “He absolutely deserves every opportunity to lead this team,” O’Shea said. “From what I saw and from chatting with him very briefly, I felt really comfortable with that. I didn't think it was going to be easy, but I thought it's Zach, so...” The injury to Collaros’s finger happened late in the third quarter when the Blue Bombers were trailing the Argonauts 17-10. The veteran left the game and returned with a bandaged finger that needed five stitches and a numbing agent. He wore a glove on the hand and told reporters earlier this week it was difficult to grip the ball. Collaros said he warned receivers in the huddle his throws might not have the usual zip and they should be prepared to come back for the ball. “(I) saw him delivering the ball on the sidelines. Then you see him deliver a couple balls out there and some of them are pretty damn good, right?” O’Shea said. “The awareness of Zach to say to the receivers, ‘hey, work a little harder for me,’ I think it’s natural and what should be said. I think they already know that.” When Collaros re-entered the game, he threw interceptions in back-to-back series. “On one of them he got rid of the ball and I thought it was a good ball and the defensive player made a good play,” O’Shea said of the picks. “One slipped right out of his hand or I don't know if it got tipped or not. You've got to give him that opportunity.” Oliveira was questioning his lack of opportunities in the game when he spoke to reporters earlier in the week. The CFL’s newly minted most outstanding player and top Canadian only had 11 carries for 84 yards and one late touchdown. About 17 or 18 run plays were called, O’Shea said. “One starts off with a procedure penalty in the first and then six of those get pulled because there's X number of guys in the box or the read says this is not a run play anymore, this is now a pass play,” he said. “You call that many runs and then a pile of them get pulled because of the structure of the defence. That's OK with me at that point.” O’Shea said Bombers offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce has been granted permission to talk to CFL teams with head-coaching job openings. The B.C. Lions are reportedly interested in Pierce. The Edmonton Elks also have a vacant head coach spot. If Pierce doesn’t become a head coach, O’Shea said he wants him to stay in Winnipeg. He believes Pierce had the offence “extremely well-prepared” for the Grey Cup. “I’m never going to question the play-calling, and I think what’s going on here is we’re questioning,” O’Shea said. “We’re trying to find blame and fault when that’s nowhere in our DNA of how we built this eight, nine, 10 years ago. We’re starting to try and find all these answers and question all these people that were 0-4 and 2-6 and then 10-1, and we just didn’t play our best game.” The Bombers finished 11-7 and claimed the West Division title that earned them a fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup. They won the championship in 2019 and ’21, but lost 28-24 to the Montreal Alouettes last year and 24-23 to Toronto in 2023. “We're the same group that got there, that went on a phenomenal run after a bad start, and a bad start for a lot of reasons that we overcame,” O’Shea said. “I just, I don't question any of it. I look for answers, too. I watch the film over and over and over again. And look to already make notes on how we're going to be better, how we're going to get back there again.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
Michigan, Ohio State fight broken up with police pepper spray after Wolverines stun Buckeyes 13-10None
As Donald Trump’s cabinet begins to take shape, those on both sides of the abortion debate are watching closely for clues about how his picks might affect reproductive rights policy in the president-elect’s second term. Trump’s cabinet picks offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue on the campaign trail. He attempted to distance himself from anti-abortion allies by deferring to states on abortion policy, even while boasting about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood for half a century. In an NBC News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he doesn't plan to restrict medication abortion but also seemed to leave the door open, saying “things change.” “Things do change, but I don't think it's going to change at all,” he said. The early lineup of his new administration, including nominations to lead health agencies, the Justice Department and event the Department of Veterans Affairs, has garnered mixed — but generally positive — reactions from anti-abortion groups. Abortion law experts said Trump's decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump's administration. “It almost seems to suggest that President Trump might be focusing his administration in other directions," said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Karen Stone, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said while many of the nominees have “extensive records against reproductive health care,” some do not. She cautioned against making assumptions based on Trump's initial cabinet selections. Still, many abortion rights groups are wary, in part because many of the nominees hold strong anti-abortion views even if they do not have direct ties to anti-abortion activists. They're concerned that an administration filled with top-level officials who are personally opposed to abortion could take steps to restrict access to the procedure and funding. After Trump’s ambiguity about abortion during his campaign, "there’s a still a lot we don’t know about what policy is going to look like," said Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. That approach may be revealed as the staffs within key departments are announced. Trump announced he would nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which anti-abortion forces have long targeted as central to curtailing abortion rights nationwide. Yet Kennedy shifted on the issue during his own presidential campaign. In campaign videos, Kennedy said he supports abortion access until viability, which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks, although there is no defined timeframe. But he also said “every abortion is a tragedy” and argued for a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a stance he quickly walked back. The head of Health and Human Services oversees Title X funding for a host of family planning services and has sweeping authority over agencies that directly affect abortion access, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The role is especially vital amid legal battles over a federal law known as EMTALA, which President Joe Biden’s administration has argued requires emergency abortion access nationwide, and FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, called Kennedy an “unfit, unqualified extremist who cannot be trusted to protect the health, safety and reproductive freedom of American families.” His potential nomination also has caused waves in the anti-abortion movement. Former Vice President Mike Pence, a staunch abortion opponent, urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the group had its own concerns about Kennedy. “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary," she said. Fox News correspondent Marty Makary is Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, which plays a critical role in access to medication abortion and contraception. Abortion rights groups have accused him of sharing misinformation about abortion on air. Russell Vought, a staunch anti-abortion conservative, has been nominated for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was a key architect of Project 2025, a right-wing blueprint for running the federal government. Among other actions to limit reproductive rights, it calls for eliminating access to medication abortion nationwide, cutting Medicaid funding for abortion and restricting access to contraceptive care, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUDs. Despite distancing himself from the conservative manifesto on the campaign trail, Trump is stocking his administration with people who played central roles in developing Project 2025. Trump acknowledged that drafters of the report would be part of his incoming administration during the Sunday interview with NBC News, saying “Many of those things I happen to agree with.” “These cabinet appointments all confirm that Project 2025 was in fact the blueprint all along, and the alarm we saw about it was warranted,” said Amy Williams Navarro, director of government relations for Reproductive Freedom for All. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a former television talk show host who has been accused of hawking dubious medical treatments and products. He voiced contradictory abortion views during his failed Senate run in 2022. Oz has described himself as “strongly pro-life, praised the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, claimed “life starts at conception” and referred to abortion as “murder.” But he also has echoed Trump’s states-rights approach, arguing the federal government should not be involved in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” he said during a Senate debate two years ago. An array of reproductive rights groups opposed his Senate run. As CMS administrator, Oz would be in a key position to determine Medicaid coverage for family planning services and investigate potential EMTALA violations. As Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi defended abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period. Now she’s Trump’s choice for attorney general. Her nomination is being celebrated by abortion opponents but denounced by abortion rights groups concerned she may revive the Comstock Act, an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion. An anti-abortion and anti-vaccine former Florida congressman, David Weldon, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects and monitors abortion data across the country. Former Republican congressman Doug Collins is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid a political battle over abortion access and funding for troops and veterans. Collins voted consistently to restrict funding and access to abortion and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “This is a team that the pro-life movement can work with," said Kristin Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion organization Students for Life.Electric vehicle industry at crossroads, not a dead end
Nolte: Taylor Lorenz Out at Vox Media, Days After Cheering CEO's Murder
B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new position in Wabash National Co. ( NYSE:WNC – Free Report ) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 51,312 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $985,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG owned approximately 0.12% of Wabash National as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WNC. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in Wabash National by 35.5% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 37,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,109,000 after purchasing an additional 9,696 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in Wabash National by 7.2% during the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 9,273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $278,000 after purchasing an additional 624 shares during the period. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lifted its position in Wabash National by 78.4% during the first quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 24,173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $724,000 after purchasing an additional 10,625 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Wabash National during the first quarter valued at approximately $233,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its position in Wabash National by 5.5% during the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 39,677 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,189,000 after purchasing an additional 2,063 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.05% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Wabash National in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Wabash National Stock Up 2.1 % Shares of WNC stock opened at $19.31 on Friday. Wabash National Co. has a 12 month low of $15.94 and a 12 month high of $30.07. The stock has a market cap of $836.90 million, a P/E ratio of -3.56 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $18.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.14. Wabash National ( NYSE:WNC – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23 by ($0.04). Wabash National had a negative net margin of 10.94% and a positive return on equity of 22.98%. The business had revenue of $464.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $477.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.16 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 26.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Wabash National Co. will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year. Wabash National Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 9th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.66%. Wabash National’s dividend payout ratio is currently -5.89%. About Wabash National ( Free Report ) Wabash National Corporation provides connected solutions for the transportation, logistics, and distribution industries primarily in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Transportation Solutions and Parts & Services. The Transportation Solutions segment designs and manufactures transportation-related equipment and products dry and refrigerated van trailers, platform trailers, tank trailers, and truck-mounted tanks; truck bodies for dry-freight transportation; cargo and cargo XL bodies for commercial applications; refrigerated truck bodies; platform truck bodies; and used trailers, as well as laminated hardwood oak flooring products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Wabash National Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wabash National and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .‘We didn’t have a good day’: Greens set to suffer significant election lossesResolution of Non-Compliance with the NYSE Rules
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday as Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag and were met by Buckeyes who confronted them. Police had to use pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
