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LONDON (AP) — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros (US$257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the December 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He's not a man, he's a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com .LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Andrew Holifield scored 17 points as Lamar beat Louisiana 74-45 on Saturday. Holifield also contributed 11 rebounds for the Cardinals (5-5). Janko Buljic scored 12 points, shooting 6 of 9 from the field. Alexis Marmolejos had 11 points and shot 4 for 5, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. Kyndall Davis finished with 11 points for the Ragin' Cajuns (2-9). Brandon Hardy added 10 points for Louisiana. Kentrell Garnett also recorded nine points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Burns puts up 17 points as Maine edges Canisius 84-79None

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Google Search Will Be Unrecognizable in the Future. That’s Just Fine for Alphabet Stock.Airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end with another record day for air travel in the United States. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday, most of them by car. However, travelers could be impacted by ongoing weather challenges and those flying to their destinations could be grounded by delays brought on by airline staffing shortages and an airport service workers strike . Here's the latest: Forty-four fights have been canceled today and nearly 1,900 were delayed by midday on the East Coast, according to FlightAware . According to the organization’s cheekily named MiseryMap , San Francisco International Airport is having the most hiccups right now, with 53 delays and three cancellations between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. While that might sound like a lot of delays, they might not be so bad compared to last Friday when the airport suffered 671 delays and 69 cancellations. In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line cutting, American Airlines has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won’t accept a boarding pass before the group it’s assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations — Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. ▶ Read more about American Airlines’ new boarding technology Travel can be stressful in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every holiday season and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves. Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful: 1. Make a checklist of what you need to do and what you need to bring 2. Carry your comfort with you — think noise-canceling headphones, cozy clothes, snacks and extra medication 3. Stay hydrated 4. Keep up to date on delays, gate changes and cancellations with your airline’s app ▶ Read more tips about staying grounded during holiday travel Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel. With more time before the holiday , people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines . “A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end,” Watterson said. “The Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late.” Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 — about one out of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights. Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX. On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said. In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures at some facilities to deal with an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. In the past, those facilities have included airports in New York City and Florida. “If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said. The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency’s lofty hiring goals. 5. Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car. 6. Drivers should get a slight break on gas prices . The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year. 7. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024. 8. The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through airport security checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving travel across the U.S. Workers who clean airplanes, remove trash and help with wheelchairs at Charlotte’s airport, one of the nation’s busiest, went on strike Monday to demand higher wages. The Service Employees International Union announced the strike in a statement early Monday, saying the workers would demand “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” The strike was expected to last 24 hours, said union spokesperson Sean Keady. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. The two companies contract with American, one of the world’s biggest carriers, to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. ▶ Read more about the Charlotte airport workers’ strike Parts of the Midwest and East Coast can expect to see heavy rain into Thanksgiving, and there’s potential for snow in Northeastern states. A storm last week brought rain to New York and New Jersey, where wildfires have raged in recent weeks, and heavy snow to northeastern Pennsylvania. The precipitation was expected to help ease drought conditions after an exceptionally dry fall. Heavy snow fell in northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains. Higher elevations reported up to 17 inches (43 centimeters), with lesser accumulations in valley cities including Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Around 35,000 customers in 10 counties were still without power, down from 80,000 a day ago. In the Catskills region of New York, nearly 10,000 people remained without power Sunday morning, two days after a storm dumped heavy snow on parts of the region. Precipitation in West Virginia helped put a dent in the state’s worst drought in at least two decades and boosted ski resorts as they prepare to open in the weeks ahead. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts Two people died in the Pacific Northwest after a rapidly intensifying “ bomb cyclone ” hit the West Coast last Tuesday, bringing fierce winds that toppled trees and power lines and damaged homes and cars. Hundreds of thousands lost electricity in Washington state before powerful gusts and record rains moved into Northern California. Forecasters said the risk of flooding and mudslides remained as the region will get more rain starting Sunday. But the latest storm won’t be as intense as last week’s atmospheric river , a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows over land. “However, there’s still threats, smaller threats, and not as significant in terms of magnitude, that are still going to exist across the West Coast for the next two or three days,” weather service forecaster Rich Otto said. As the rain moves east throughout the week, Otto said, there’s a potential for heavy snowfall at higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada, as well as portions of Utah and Colorado. California’s Mammoth Mountain, which received 2 feet (0.6 meters) of fresh snow in the recent storm, could get another 4 feet (1.2 meters) before the newest system clears out Wednesday, the resort said. Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages. In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm . Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts: 9. Sierra Nevada: The National Weather Service office issued a winter storm warning through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at higher elevations and wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph (88 kph). Total snowfall of roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast, with the heaviest accumulations expected Monday and Tuesday. 10. Midwest and Great Lakes: The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, forecasters said. 11. East Coast: A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before heading to the Northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and breezy conditions, with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks. If the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains, forecasters said. ▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts

The last time I looked, the Stanley Cup was still won in June and not November. That’s why I find it puzzling that a well-respected hockey pundit such as Craig Button could make made such a bold statement that in his mind the Edmonton Oilers don’t have a team good enough to contend for the Stanley Cup. Button made this statement recently on Sportsnet with Jay Onrait and mentioned that, “they (the Edmonton Oilers) don’t have enough good players to be Stanley Cup contenders...that’s the bottom line.” These comments came on the heels of one the Oilers 3-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 18 – one of the Oilers worst performances of the season. The Oilers bounced back the next night with a 5-2 thumping of the Ottawa Senators to make their three-game eastern Canadian road swing look somewhat respectable. There’s a lot of hockey to be played between now and the beginning of the playoffs, and despite the Oilers somewhat-slow start to the season, I would respectfully counter Button’s commentary by saying that there are a few factors that still make the Oilers a team to watch out for in the NHL’s Western Conference. Oilers Have Key Players on the Injured List The Oilers sick bay is starting to pile up with Viktor Arvidsson and Zach Hyman out day to day, Darnell Nurse out until late November and Evander Kane on long term injured reserve (LTIR) after preseason hip surgery. Kane is a key factor for the Oilers as he will not only add a sorely-missed physical presence to the lineup when he returns, but if remains on LTIR until the playoffs, the Oilers could possibly add another impact player at the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline. They would have to take a page out of the Vegas Golden Knights’ LTIR playbook, where veteran forward Mark Stone has returned from LTIR just in time for the playoffs the last past three seasons. This point about LTIR and Kane’s eventual return signifies that the Oilers roster is still a work in progress, and I would see how the team is doing in late March and early April before saying whether they’re Stanley Cup contenders or not. Improvements To Oilers’ Defence Will Come It’s no secret the Oilers are looking for help on the back end. In a recent interview on Oilers Now , former NHL general manager (GM) Brian Lawton told host Bob Stauffer that there’s room for improvement on the blue line that could help the goaltenders. They discussed the possibility of the Oilers hitting the jackpot in a similar fashion to how they did when trading for Mattias Ekholm in 2022-23. Can lightning strike twice for the Oilers? There’s a lot of pressure on Oilers GM Stan Bowman to bring in a top-four defenceman. Right now the Oilers are relying on Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Brett Kulak, Travis Dermott, Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher to carry the load. Bouchard looks as though he’s emerging from his early-season slump and it looks like the Oilers have an emerging d-man in Emberson, so the sky isn’t completely falling right now. However, they could still use another proven defenceman for a drive to the playoffs. Oilers Forward Group Hasn’t Found Their Stride Yet The Oilers seem to be front end loaded but the reality is Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are currently carrying the team. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Jeff Skinner and Arvidsson are all under performing. There’s still a lot of runway left in the season for this group of forwards to turn things around. It might be wise for the coaching staff to give Skinner more time on the top two lines. He’s a proven goalscorer and point producer, and needs an opportunity to gel and find some chemistry with some line mates. Once that happens, the floodgates could open. Goaltending Will Improve Many fans are screaming for the Oilers to go out and get a Dominik Hasek type of goalie who can win games by himself. But top-end goalies don’t come cheap and the Oilers are tight against the salary cap. Is there a cheap Chris Osgood type goalie who performs well within the system established, or do the Oilers already have that in the duo of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard? Unless Bowman can fleece another team for a top-end goalie with salary retained, the Oilers will drive towards the postseason with Skinner and Pickard. Skinner especially needs to pick up his game, and he is capable of doing that. He’s still the guy that out-dueled Dallas Stars starter Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference Final last season. He just hasn’t found his game yet, but seems to have the talent and mental capacity to improve. Meanwhile Pickard, though not flashy, is still reliable. It’ll be interesting to see whether Bowman makes a move for a goaltender on or before the trade deadline. Oilers Currently in Contention in the Pacific Division It seems like nobody is running away with the Pacific Division. As of Nov. 21, the Oilers are just two points back of the division leading Golden Knights and are right in the thick of things after 20 games. The Oilers have a history of having a strong second half to the season and if they can stay with the pack in the Pacific over the next two months, they could have a legitimate shot at winning it. They are also currently only two points back of the Dallas Stars in the NHL’s Western Conference, and despite the strong start from both the Minnesota Wild and league-leading Winnipeg Jets, you just never know where things will land once winter turns to spring. It’s really hard to make predictions and look into the future. I don’t take much stock in the pre-season Stanley Cup predictions. They’re fun for fans and good for debate, but there are so many things that happen in a long NHL season. Right now the Jets look like the team to beat in the NHL but the playoffs can be a different animal. That’s why I wouldn’t count out a battle-hardened team like the Oilers to make some noise once the postseason comes. After all, they still have McDavid and Draisaitl on their roster and that alone can make all the difference. This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.CHICAGO (AP) — Jacob Meyer scored 23 points as DePaul beat Wichita State 91-72 on Saturday. Meyer shot 6 of 9 from the field, including 4 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 7 for 7 from the line for the Blue Demons (8-2). CJ Gunn scored 22 points, shooting 9 for 12, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc. Isaiah Rivera shot 6 for 11, including 5 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points, while adding seven rebounds. Harlond Beverly led the Shockers (8-2) in scoring, finishing with 14 points. Xavier Bell added 14 points for Wichita State. Quincy Ballard also had 12 points. Rivera scored 14 points in the first half and DePaul went into halftime trailing 47-42. Meyer led DePaul with 14 points in the second half and the Blue Demons outscored Wichita State by 24 points over the final half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Sarah Michelle Gellar cleared the air after she seemed to snub a reporter who asked about her former co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt . While at the premiere of her new series Dexter: Original Sin on Dec. 11, Gellar was asked if she knew whether Hewitt would be returning for the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot movie. “I have nothing to do with that,” the actress said quickly before stepping away . The moment went viral online and resurfaced old rumors of an on-set feud between the two women as stars of the original 1997 slasher movie. On Friday, however, Gellar explained why she seemed so cagey in her Instagram stories, chalking up her behavior to not wanting to violate non-disclosure agreements after she accidentally posted photos from the project’s set several weeks prior. “Aspiring actors please note: this deer in the headlights reaction is perfect for when you are excited to see so many old friends in one project but have already stupidly forgotten what NDA means once this month,” she wrote. Ultimately, Hewitt also confirmed her return to the reboot on Friday captioning a photo on Instagram. “It’s never too late to go back. Julie James is returning. I know what you will be doing next summer!” A post shared by Jennifer Love Hewitt (@jenniferlovehewitt) World-famous cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason said he was forced to cancel a concert after Air Canada refused to give his 300-year-old, $3,200,000 -cello a seat he had booked for his flight. Kanneh-Mason is touring Canada with his sister, pianist Kanneh-Mason, and the two released a joint statement addressing the show, which was supposed to take place Wednesday in Toronto. “First we had delays, then a cancellation, and the day concluded by being denied boarding with the cello – despite having a confirmed seat for it – on a new, final flight into Toronto,” they explained in the statement . “We can only dream of a time when all airlines have a standardized, global and carefully considered approach to the carriage of precious instruments that are booked to travel in the cabin.” The airline addressed the incident in a statement to CBC. “In this case, the customers made a last-minute booking due to their original flight on another airline being cancelled,” a spokesperson said. “We are still reviewing what happened including why the cello was not successfully rebooked.” Kanneh-Mason rose to world renown after playing at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s wedding. A post shared by Sheku (@shekukannehmason) Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Consuming cannabis as an adult feels very different than doing so as a fresh-faced 21-year-old—so why should your smoking habits make your space feel like a disheveled college dorm room? NWTN Home’s collection of chic smoking essentials offers a more elevated way to enjoy cannabis in the comfort of your home. NWTN Home is a smokeware brand bringing craftsmanship to the cannabis industry by designing what they call “homeware for the high-minded.” Its weed-associated products are built to double as elegant and functional houseware items , helping you upgrade your home into a full smoking sanctuary. Plus, they make the perfect holiday gifts for your favorite creative cannabis connoisseur! This hand-poured, marbled ashtray rests atop a sleek melamine rolling tray and includes a helpful brass tool that can assist in your rolling process, making it the perfect blend of form and function. This standout stackable flower pot ashtray set is a surefire solution to keep your space clean—and your houseguests impressed. No cannabis collection is complete without something to smoke out of! These avant-garde gravity bongs are inspired by vintage housewares and designed to seamlessly blend into your barware and greenware set-ups. Gideon Moncrieffe, a TikTok executive who was slashed on the New York City subway by a stranger in 2023, is now suing the MTA for “systemic negligence,” according to the New York Post . The outlet, which obtained court filings, reports that Moncrieffe is suing for an unspecified amount because of the “profound psychological trauma” he has dealt with since the random attack by a rider named Sean Lewis. The slashing, which occurred shortly after the Daniel Penny fatal chokehold incident, came about when Moncrieffe stepped in during an argument Lewis was having with another rider. “I said, ‘Look, somebody was killed on the train two weeks ago, they were choked out because someone proceeded to be aggressive,’” Moncrieffe told Lewis before being sliced down his face. One hundred stitches were needed to sew up the 8-inch wound. Shortly before assaulting Moncrieffe, Lewis had been arrested for choking and threatening his girlfriend with a knife. In the suit, Moncrieffe called the incident “foreseeable” and urged the MTA to stay on top of its banned rider policy along with other safety measures. Lewis was sentenced to seven years in jail for slashing Moncrieffe. TV icon Oprah Winfrey left her longtime best friend Gayle King flabbergasted after surprising her with a huge 70th birthday bash. The big reveal was captured on camera and posted to Winfrey’s Instagram. King, her mouth agape, clutches her chest and freezes—completely astonished. The camera pans to show a room filled to the brim with King’s loved ones. “My bestie of 50 years is turning 70 so we gathered everyone that loved her to celebrate,” Winfrey captioned the post . “Hard thing to surprise her, O the stories we have made up, the lies we have told to keep this a secret. Happy birthday @gayleking, sorry we almost gave you a heart attack.” Winfrey and King, both successful media personalities, have been dear friends since they met as young journalists at Baltimore’s WJZ television station. When Winfrey celebrated her own 70th birthday a year earlier, she said , “No day is promised to any of us. So to reach this major milestone feels like grace in action.” A post shared by Oprah (@oprah) Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. 2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur . It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black , vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini. Paula Abdul has reached a settlement with American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe following a year-long sexual assault legal battle. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. “I am grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me...,” Abdul said in a statement. “I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women, facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect, so that they too can turn the page and begin a new chapter of their lives.” Lythgoe continued to dispute Abdul’s accusations, claiming, “We live in a troubling time where a person is now automatically assumed to be guilty until proven innocent, a process that can take years,” in a statement. Abdul accused Lythgoe of groping her in an elevator nearly 20 years ago when she was a judge on American Idol. A decade later, when she was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance , she alleged Lythgoe invited her to his home and then attempted to forced himself on her. Lythgoe stepped down as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance in January after a second suit was filed accusing him of sexually assaulting two contestants on a different show. A third lawsuit was filed in March, accusing Lythgoe of sexually assaulting a woman at his home in 2018. It’s been some 26 years since Jennifer Love Hewitt’s ‘final girl’ faced off with a vengeful killer fisherman in the I Know What You Did Last Summe r series. (That was in the film’s sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer ; a third film is not considered canon by horror fans, while a related TV series aired in 2021.) But with filming on an official threequel—set for release, wait for it, next summer—currently underway, Hewitt confirmed Friday that she’ll be reprising her original role. “It’s never too late to go back,” Hewitt wrote in an Instagram caption confirming the casting news. Hewitt joins her former co-star Freddie Prinze Jr. in the forthcoming film, alongside a lineup of young Hollywood talent who will near inevitably end up as roadkill . Perhaps unsurprisingly, Prinze Jr.‘s wife Sarah Michelle Gellar —who also starred in the first IKWYDLS movie—had previously confirmed she won’t be returning, because her character died . Fair enough! That hasn’t stopped the Internet from wondering if she didn’t really want to see Love Hewitt back either, with commenters reading deeply into an apparently shady red carpet moment . A post shared by Jennifer Love Hewitt (@jenniferlovehewitt) BBC reported that Apple’s new AI notification system sent a message from the outlet that falsely claimed Luigi Mangione shot himself. The new technology aims to group together notifications; however, it falsely wrote that the suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s Manhattan slaying had shot himself. The BBC sent a message to Apple in regards to the notification, but the company declined to comment. A BBC spokesperson said, “It is essential to us that our audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications.” The notification included other news stories, which were described correctly. The message read: “Luigi Mangione shoots himself; Syrian mother hopes Assad pays the price; South Korea police raid Yoon Suk Yeol’s office.” The BBC also reported that it’s seemingly not the only news organization dealing with the misleading summarizations. A screenshot allegedly showed that a New York Times grouped notification read that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arrested. The screenshot could not be independently verified by the BBC, and the New York Times declined to comment. The NFL wished Taylor Swift a Happy Birthday with a TikTok of her and Travis Kelce’s most memorable moments—on and off the field. Kelce’s employer posted the video of the singer and his relationship, which already has racked up over 1 million views. The caption read, “Karma is the guy on the @Chiefs saying happy bday to me.” The clips showed Kelce and Swift celebrating his wins at games, the pair at her concerts, and her glitzed out in Chiefs gear. “If you told me 2 years ago I would be following the NFL on tiktok and not falling asleep everytime a game is on TV... never would’ve believed it,” wrote one commenter. “Happy birthday Taylor. Thank you for uniting the Swifties and the Football Fans together in the name of art and sport,” another wrote. Swift has been seen at many Chiefs games since the beginning of her relationship with the tight end, with him visiting her at some of her tour dates. karma is the guy on the @Chiefs saying happy bday to me 🎶 #taylorswift #traviskelce #nfl #kansascitychiefs Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Apparently, boosting prostate health can actually be pleasurable—at least, that’s what premium sexual wellness brand MysteryVibe says. The Molto, an ultra-slim and bendable prostate vibrator designed by a doctor, is engineered to be the same size and width as a doctor’s finger and to mimic similar motions to that performed during an exam, allowing for not only intense prostate (the prostate is often hailed as the male ‘G-spot’) and anal stimulation but also a release of prostatic fluids. According to the brand, some studies have found that excess prostatic fluid can lead to inflammation and pressure, so not only is this a sex toy , but it’s also possibly an investment in your prostate health. Think of it almost like a lymphatic massage for your prostate—except one that can give you intense orgasms, too. Made with body-safe silicone, the multifunctional and gender-fluid vibrator is powered by one “anatomically-placed” motor that delivers potent yet precise vibration to the anus and prostate without feeling bulky or inflexible. It’s a great sex toy for those new to anal play or who are looking for an ultra-sleek vibrator with possible health-boosting benefits. The prostate vibrator is equipped with 16 vibration settings and eight pre-set vibration patterns, allowing for superior control and customization. Plus, the device comes with access to a catalog of vibration patterns with the free MysteryVibe smartphone app. Best of all? Because the Molto vibrator is an FDA-registered class II medical device, it’s also FSA/HSA eligible. Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson , known best to some for his past relationships with Kim Kardashian , Ariana Grande , Kate Beckinsale , and more famous women, now says he doesn’t want to be known as “this f---ing loser who just dates people,” in a new interview for W Magazine . to promote his new role as creative director for colorful sock brand Doublesoul, Davidson told the outlet his feeling that he was one of “a handful of celebs every couple of years” that the media “destroys,” after multiple run-ins with tabloids over his famous exes. “For some reason, I’m one of the people they chose to go after,” he said. But, he added, “It’s actually, in a way, a blessing, because it allowed me to take a step back and evaluate things. What do you want to be? Who are you?” Davidson said he only wants to be seen publicly “when it’s movie, stand-up, charity, or business ventures” and to focus on his stand-up career. “I’m someone who is from Staten Island, wanted to do stand-up, and if I got to do anything else because of stand-up, it was a miracle.” The iconic sitcom Malcolm in the Middle will hit screens for the first time in 18 years, with a limited run of four episodes set to premiere on Disney+ . Frankie Muniz, who will reprise his role as Malcolm, announced the reboot Friday, along with Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, who play his parents. The original creator of the show will also return as a writer. The new series follows Malcolm returning home with his daughter for his parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, according to Deadline . Christopher Kennedy Masterson, who played the eldest brother Francis, and Justin Berfield, who played the middle child Reese, are likely to be asked to reprise their roles. Though it’s unlikely that Erik Per Sullivan, who plays the youngest brother Dewey, will make an appearance. He quit acting in 2010 and has not appeared at any reunions. Malcolm in the Middle first premiered on Fox in 2000 and ran for seven seasons. Its success as a family comedy is credited with paving the way for other single-camera sitcoms.Venture investor and podcaster David Sacks will join the Trump administration as the "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar," President-elect Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Thursday. Sacks will guide the administration's policies for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, Trump wrote. Some of that work includes creating a legal framework for crypto, as well as leading a presidential council of advisors on science and technology . "David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas," Trump wrote. "He will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship." The appointment signals that the second Trump administration is rewarding Silicon Valley figures who supported his campaign. It also indicates that the administration will push for policies that cryptocurrency entrepreneurs generally support. Sacks became a major Trump booster earlier this year, hosting a fundraiser for the then-Republican nominee at his San Francisco mansion. Tickets sold for $50,000 a head, with a $300,000 tier that included perks like a photo with Trump. It was a stark change of tone for Sacks, who was sharply critical of Trump after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Sacks said on an episode of his All-In podcast soon after that Trump was "clearly" responsible for the events of Jan. 6, and that he had "disqualified himself from being a candidate at a national level." In July, Sacks spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Sacks is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur who sold Yammer, to Microsoft for $1.2 billion in 2012. He's also affiliated with the "PayPal mafia," an unofficial club of prominent technology figures and investors, including Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, who worked at PayPal in the 1990s. In recent years, Sacks has been best known for hosting the All-In podcast alongside fellow investors Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, and David Friedberg. In his post, Trump called it the "top podcast in Tech, where he and his friends discuss economic, political and social issues."

NoneNEWS : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken numerous year-end actions that will benefit consumers in the coming year. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU : More money in your pocket, more protection from fraud and scams. Consumers may not realize that when they get a break in their favor, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is behind it. The CFPB was created in 2011, in the wake of the Great Recession, by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. It’s an independent federal agency that exists to make sure consumers are treated fairly, enforcing consumer financial laws and reviewing business practices to make sure they’re on the level and not ripping people off. It has a toll-free hotline and website for consumer complaints and two years ago set up an easy petition process to make it easier for organizations and consumers to petition the government for change (your right under the First Amendment). The CFPB has ended 2024 with a bang, taking action on several issues that will put money in consumer pockets, as well as finding new ways to keep consumers from getting ripped off or scammed. Enjoy it while you can – the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have promised they will curtail the agency’s powers. One of the new administration’s main focuses is to remove regulations and rules for big business, which means consumer wallets will take a beating. That’s a column for next month, though. Today, as 2024 comes to an end, let’s celebrate some of the gifts that the CFPB has given American’s working folks. The CFPB earlier this month announced that it is closing the loophole that allows large banks to charge excessive overdraft fees for account holders, which the agency considers junk fees. Overdraft fees, or NSF (non-sufficient funds) fees, cost American consumers billions a year, and have the most negative impact on low-income and marginalized consumers, who can least afford to lose their bank account or pay the cascading effect of fee upon fee. My first-ever It’s Your Money column, in December 2021 addressed overdraft fees and noted that some banks during the pandemic had quietly lowered or eliminated them. The new rules apply to the biggest banks – those with $10 billion in assets or more. When the agency first started looking at closing the overdraft loophole, it found that Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase accounted for more than $1 billion overdraft revenue reported by banks, one third of what was reported overall. The CFPB has gone after large banks, and continues to, to get them to return illegal overdraft fees to consumers. The agency reported in its December news release that it brought a $95 million enforcement action against Navy Federal Credit Union for illegal surprise overdraft fees. It also took action against Wells Fargo, Regions Bank, and Atlantic Union for illegal overdraft fees – $205 million, $141 million, and $5 million in unlawful fees respectively, the agency said. Banks claim that overdraft fees are the product of a practice that helps customers – the bank allows a payment that would normally be returned to go through. The fee, often $35 or more, is just the cost of doing business. When the bank covers your overdraft, technically its making a loan to you. So, overdraft protection is a very high-interest loan. Most consumers cover the overdraft in three days or less, but still pay that “high interest.” The whole overdraft fee thing started decades ago when people paid their bills using paper checks, which they mailed. Sometimes the checks would take weeks or more to clear the consumer’s bank account, and by then the money may no longer be there to cover it. Those fees didn’t account for much profit for banks back in the 1960s, when the Truth in Lending Law was drafted, so banks successfully lobbied for a loophole that exempted the fees from the rules other financial fees came under. So, unlike loans, the lenders weren’t required to disclose the fee to customers. Now, 50-plus years later, NSF fees are big money for banks. Most banks don’t give an account-holder the choice of overdraft protection (I’m old enough to remember when many did, and charged a fee for it). Once people started using debit cards, financial institutions “began raising fees and using the exemption to churn high volumes of overdraft loans on debit card transactions,” the CFPB said. Enrollment became automatic – it just happened without the customers realizing it. When the CFPB proposed the rule in 2023, it estimated 23 million households pay overdraft fees annually. Since the agency announced its initiative to curb junk fees, it said, many banks have started to reduce or eliminate them. Consumers have saved $6 billion annually because of that, the agency said. “However, even with these changes, consumers still paid more than $5.8 billion in 2023 in reported overdraft and NSF fees.” The new rule, which is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 1 (giving banks 10 months to figure out a plan or the new administration a chance to scuttle it) allows lenders to choose an option: Cap overdraft fees $5, which is the estimated amount most banks can cover costs associated with administering a courtesy overdraft program. Cap the fee at an amount that covers costs and losses “for banks that wish to offer overdraft as a convenient service rather than as a profit center,” the CFPB said. Disclose the terms of their overdraft loan just like other loans. If the lender wants to have a profit-making overdraft service, it must comply with standard requirements governing other loans, like credit cards. Customers must have a choice on whether to open the overdraft credit line, and the bank must provide account-opening disclosures that would allow comparison shopping, send periodic statements, and give the account-holder a choice of whether to pay automatically or manually. The CFPB is part of the White House Competition Council, a group of independent federal agencies and cabinet departments established by President Joe Biden’s 2021 Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. The council includes the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Transportation, which also have taken action on junk fees. The overdraft fee action is part of the CFPB’s effort, as a member of that council, to tackle junk fees in general. Earlier this month, the CFPB returned $1.8 billion to 4.3 million Americans who were ripped off by “credit repair” businesses that charged illegal advance fees or used deceptive bait-and-switch advertising. Companies that engaged in these illegal practices included Lexington Law and CreditRepair.com. The refund constituted the largest-ever distribution from the CFPB’s victims relief fund, which is funded by civil penalties paid by companies that violate consumer protection laws, the agency said. A court ruled in August 2023 that the credit repair conglomerate violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule’s advance fee prohibition, which requires credit repair companies that engage in telemarketing to not collect fees until they provide documentation showing they have achieved the promised results, at least six months after the results were achieved. Following the court’s ruling on the suit, which was filed by the CFPB, the companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, shutting down 80% of their business operations, including their telemarketing call centers, the CFPB said. By the way, here’s tip if you’re looking for help repairing your credit or getting out from under credit debt: Find a nonprofit consumer credit agency. You can find one on the National Federation for Credit Counseling website. One big clue that an agency is a nonprofit is that it will have .org at the end of it’s url, not .com. If you opt for a for-profit debt settlement company, similar to the ones the CFPB came down on, keep an eye on fees, tax implications and the hit that your credit score will take. It’s a good idea to research for-profit debt settlement online before taking that leap. Digital non-bank payment apps like Venmo, Zelle, and GooglePay, have become incredibly popular. It may surprise you to learn that there is very little regulation, and that means a big opening to set you up to be scammed, among other things. The CFPB estimates that the most widely used apps process more than 13 billion consumer payments a year – this includes Apple, Google, Amazon, PayPal, Block, Venmo, and Zelle, among others. In late November, the agency finalized a rule to supervise the largest nonbank companies that offer digital funds transfer and payment wallet apps. The rule means that companies that handle more than 50 million transactions a year must follow the same federal law that applies to large banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions. The rule gives the CFPB authority to enforce financial law with these companies, particularly in these major areas: Privacy and Surveillance . Federal law allows consumers to opt out of certain data collection and sharing practices, and also prohibits misrepresentations about data protection practices. These large companies, which collect vast quantities of data about an individual’s transactions, should provide that option. Errors and Fraud. Consumers have the right, under federal law, to dispute transactions that are incorrect or fraudulent, and financial institutions must investigated such complaints. The agency said that’s particularly concerned “about how digital payment apps can be used to defraud older adults and active duty servicemembers.” It said that the payment apps should manage these issues on their own instead of designing their systems, which many do, to shift disputes to banks, credit unions, and credit card companies. Debanking. Consumers rely on payment apps and “can face serious harms when they lose access to their app without notice or when their ability to make or receive payments is disrupted.” Consumers have reported concerns to the CFPB about disruptions to their lives because of account closures or freezes. The agency’s supervision unit has also created a supervision technology program that assesses, among other things, technology and technology controls and its impact on compliance with federal consumer financial law. You’ve heard that your data is out there. That it’s sold. That bad people may use it for bad purposes. But like many people you may think, “Meh. Me? It just doesn’t seem like something to worry about.” Well, lucky for those who feel that way, the CFPB is still looking out for you. The agency proposed a rule in early December to rein in data brokers that sell sensitive personal and financial information that can be used to target and defraud consumers. The proposed rule would limit the sale of identifiers like Social Security numbers and phone numbers, and would make sure that financial data, like income, is only shared for legitimate purposes (facilitating a mortgage approval, for instance), and not sold to scammers targeting people who are in financial distress. The rule would clarify that when data brokers sell sensitive consumer information they are acting as a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, “which requires them to comply with accuracy requirements, provide consumers access to their information, and maintain safeguards against misuse,” the agency said. The FCRA was enacted in 1970 “to, among other things, strictly limit the use of personal data by a growing data surveillance industry,” the CFPB pointed out in its news release about the proposed rule. It would ensure that the FCRA’s privacy protections protect consumers from technology that wasn’t even dreamed up when that law was enacted. The CFPB developed the proposed rule after “extensive market monitoring that revealed widespread evasion of consumer protections” by data brokers. The brokers claim they aren’t subject to FCRA requirements “even while selling the very types of sensitive personal and financial information Congress intended the law to protect,” the agency said. Data brokers “collect and sell detailed information about Americans’ personal lives and financial circumstances to anyone willing to pay,” the agency said in a news release. The proposal would address “critical threats” data-selling agencies pose, including: National security and surveillance risks . “Countries of concern,” like China and Russia, can buy detailed personal information about military service members, veterans, government employees, and other Americans for pennies per person, the CFPB said. “This enables the creation of detailed dossiers for potential espionage, surveillance, or blackmail operations, allowing relatively small investments to be leveraged into mass surveillance operations.” Criminal exploitation. Identity thieves and scammers buy financial profiles to target vulnerable consumers, particularly seniors and people who are in financial distress. The information is used to run fraud schemes and steal retirement savings, “often targeting Americans who can least afford the losses.” Violence, stalking, and personal safety threats to law enforcement personnel and domestic violence survivors: Dangerous people who target judges, law enforcement officers, government employees, domestic abuse survivors, or individuals in an unpopular profession can use contact information to stalk, threaten and harm. Perpetrators can buy current contact information in order to do that. To address these risks, under the rule: Any company that sells data about income or financial tier, credit history, credit score, or debt payments would be considered a consumer reporting agency required to comply with the FCRA, regardless of how the information is used. When consumer reporting agencies collect information like names, addresses, or ages for credit reports, any sale of that information would be covered by the FCRA’s protections. Companies relying on consumers’ consent to obtain or share a consumer’s credit report would need separate, explicit authorization to do so from the consumer, rather than burying permissions in fine print. “These changes would significantly limit the ability of data brokers to sell sensitive contact information that could be used to target, harass, or dox individuals seeking privacy protection, including domestic violence survivors,” the agency said. The proposed rule would preserve pathways created by the FCRA for government agencies to access consumer report information for legitimate law enforcement, counterterrorism, and counterintelligence purposes, it said. The proposed rule is part of a broader government-wide initiative to protect Americans’ sensitive personal data, complementing recent Executive Orders and actions by other federal agencies, CFPB said. In October, the Department of Justice proposed a rule to prevent access to Americans’ sensitive personal data by Russia, Iran, China, and other countries of concern. The rule hasn’t gone into effect yet – it goes through a public comment period, which ends in March, then is reviewed by several panels and agencies, before it becomes final, likely a year or so from now. It would likely be enacted in 2026. That means it’s still up to you to protect your data as best as you can. The CFPB earlier this month launched rulemaking to address the harmful effects of inaccurate credit reporting that negatively affects survivors of domestic, elder and other financial abuse. “People trapped by domestic abuse must often sign documents under the threat of violence, ruining their financial lives and making it even more difficult to escape,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a news release. “Expanding identity theft protections could help survivors rebuild their financial lives and would ensure that our credit reporting system is not used as a tool for domestic and elder abuse.” I wrote in April 2022 about financial abuse as a major, but unrecognized, factor in domestic abuse. The CFPB is on board, too. “Abusers often use coerced debt as a tool of control, forcing their partner or other family members to take out credit cards or loans through threats, physical violence, or manipulation,” the release said. “They may secretly open accounts in survivors’ names, force them to sign financial documents, or run up charges on existing accounts.” This type of financial abuse “creates substantial, long-lasting harm for survivors,” the agency said. Nearly three-quarters of domestic violence survivors report staying in abusive relationships longer in part because of coerced debt. “The impact falls particularly hard on women of color, who face higher rates of financial abuse resulting in nearly double the average debt burden,” the CFPB said. Once the debt is removed from survivors’ credit reports, credit scores for one-third improve by 20 points or more, enough to qualify for better rates on loans, the agency said. The agency seeks public comment on: The prevalence and extent of harm to people with coerced debt, including through the credit reporting system. Evidence regarding the relevance of coerced debt to a survivor’s credit risk. Barriers to accessing existing protection under federal or state law for survivors of economic abuse. Challenges resulting from coerced debt facing specific populations including survivors of intimate partner violence and gender-based violence, older Americans, and children in foster care. Potential documentation or self-attestation requirements for showing that a person’s debt was coerced. The rulemaking was in response to a petition submitted by the National Consumer Law Center and the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice. The agency established a petition process in 2022 “to help Americans exercise the constitutional rights to petition the government,” it said. “The new protocols ensure that there is an easy and transparent way to request action.” The deadline for submitting comments on the advance notice is March 7. It’s not the first time the agency has tackled abuse and its relation to credit. In 2022, the CFPB finalized a rule that prohibits credit bureaus from providing reports that contain negative information about human trafficking survivors when the information resulted from the trafficking. The CFPB is also working on identifying potential violations of these rules, it said. We’ll keep you updated on what goes on with these new rules and proposed ones. Banks and other financial institutions have fought hard against the agency’s junk fee rules and the Trump administration has promised “significant changes” to curtail the CFPB’s power. The Washington Post reported in November that Trump’s transition team is looking for candidates to lead the agency – likely pro-business and banking ones – and would also scale back its oversight. The agency is funded by the Federal Reserve, unlike most federal agencies, which are funded by Congress. It was done this way in order to keep its rule-making and enforcement independent of the political process. The law governing the CFPB sets a cap for its budget, which is adjusted for cost of living. The U.S. Supreme Court in May voted 7-2 that the funding method is constitutional after two trade associations representing payday (high-interest) lenders challenged it. In June, after the Supreme Court ruling, a group of Republican senators introduced the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Accountability Act, which would shift funding the agency to Congress. That bill didn’t pass, but is likely to come up again now that the Senate will and House will both have a Republican majority. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans campaigned on promises to reduce regulations on business. They are under increasing pressure from banks and other money-driven businesses and institutions to roll back rules that keep them from making higher profits, and have indicated they support that, too. You can reach Maureen Milliken at mmilliken@manchesterinklink.com We don’t spam! You're on the list! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.So you're gathering with relatives whose politics are different. Here are some tips for the holidays

Texans foiled by mistake after mistake in 32-27 loss to TitansAbdelgowad scores 26 in UMass' 86-52 victory over UMass-Boston