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The Pittsburgh Penguins are falling apart. The team that has seven wins in 23 games is devolving into a disorganized group of players whose poor defensive zone coverage only serves to mask a weak-willed team that has laid down for opponents so often that it seems like their natural position. It might be one thing to be outclassed or boat-raced by heavyweight teams such as the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets, but it’s another entirely to give away three-goal leads to the likes of the lowly San Jose Sharks or cower meekly to the Utah Something Somethings, who employed a pair of aging former Penguins defensemen in their top-four (Ian Cole and Olli Maatta) and still sport a losing record. Indeed, the Penguins’ melodrama continues to defy the belief that they’ve hit rock bottom by digging deeper with each passing game. An extended homestand with seven of eight games at PPG Paints Arena has only served to showcase exasperated fans and a disheartened team with a few disinterested players. Something has to give. Either coach Mike Sullivan is relieved of duties, or general manager Kyle Dubas trades away a couple of incorrigible players. Defenseman Erik Karlsson’s interest in the Penguins situation seems to be waning. The number of times in recent games that goals against are attributable to his effort or defensive mistakes is staggering. Our recent breakdown of the Penguins’ horrendous mistakes against Tampa Bay last Tuesday was not kind to Karlsson. There were more examples yet to come against Winnipeg on Friday, and there are far too many examples of dreadful Karlsson performances this season. The Karlsson situation seems to be careening toward a level not seen since Phil Kessel’s last days with the Penguins in 2019 when Kessel clashed with coaches and eventually teammates over his head-strong refusal of structure in favor of himself. In fact, the entire Penguins’ blue line is beleaguered. Kris Letang is significantly off from his expected production. Marcus Pettersson is a bit overwhelmed from covering for Karlsson, while Ryan Graves and Jack St. Ivany haven’t been good (Graves up, then way down before becoming a healthy scratch for several games). Matt Grzelcyk has been disappointing, as he has too often been caught puck-watching instead of defending. Utah’s first goal Saturday was a prime example of the Penguins’ breakdowns. Grzelcyk left his post to help Graves who was chasing the puck, but neither did the job and left the net front open. The defensemen’s issues only heighten the forwards’ struggles. The Penguins have ample forwards capable of sound defensive games, but each mistake is magnified, creating nothing short of chaos. We’re left with goalie Alex Nedeljkovic challenging teammates—any teammate who is sick of feeling this way—to do something about it. Nedeljkovic said players have to pay the price to make a play. Even casual observers can see that an attitude that has evaporated from the Penguins roster. “It sucks ... the only other way I can say it is if we want to stop feeling like this after games, if we want to stop getting embarrassed at home, do something about it,” Nedeljkovic said. “I don’t know. Pay a price. Do something else. Feel something else. Like, anything else.” In a couple of weeks, Sullivan will have been on the job for 10 years, which is an eternity plus infinity for a hockey coach. Even a couple of weeks ago, it would have been incorrect to say he had lost the locker room. However, it’s becoming clear that the locker room has lost the locker room, and Sullivan doesn’t appear to be able to get it back. Disheartened and discouraged players no longer have answers as to how to fix this mess. It would seem that more than a few players realize that Dubas’s roster was not good enough to win anything but participation trophies. Pride has gone away, too. After the team lost yet another 2-0 lead Tuesday against Tampa Bay, Sullivan ripped into his team. “Because we have to compete harder. We need more guys to compete harder and pay more attention to detail,” Sullivan said. “And we need to take more pride in playing defense.” It’s unfair to blame a coach for a poorly constructed roster, but it’s not unfair to lay blame for a team that is checking out or that lacks pride. The team should be much better than that and should have been good enough to remain on the periphery of the wild card race instead of the dubious race for the most ping-pong balls in the NHL Draft Lottery. The public perceptions that Sullivan hasn’t made changes are wildly inaccurate. The public outcry that Sullivan won’t play young players has been debunked by evidence that has largely been ignored. However, none of those issues matter if the team routinely quits, as they did Friday and Saturday. Life isn’t fair, and the Penguins badly need a jolt to salvage part of their season. It goes far beyond mere wins and losses, but to atmosphere, too. As part of the Penguins player development and thrust to get younger, it would be harmful to drop prospects into this souring stew of discontent and disappointment. Dubas and ownership told captain Sidney Crosby things would be better this season, and the Penguins would maintain a competitive roster but also try to revamp it as quickly as possible. Crosby re-upped for two more years after this one. Even Crosby’s voice is soft as he struggles to find words to describe what is going on. While Dubas has tried to plan for the future without a full teardown, the results of his roster construction are identical as losses pile up. In fact, there are no solutions except significant roster changes or an attempt to change the locker room dynamic by changing the head coach. “It’s not an easy experience to go through–what we’re going through. And so the biggest thing for me is to try to inspire these guys and make sure that we don’t we don’t give in to our emotions, that we’ve got to have some resilience to us,” Sullivan said on Saturday. It seems that ship has already sailed. The Penguins have buckled, and the few players who need to be inspired have chosen against it. No, life isn’t fair. A new coach would still have to deal with an inadequate defense corps and veterans losing faith. Changing coaches isn’t the panacea that many fans assume, and after the first 10 or 20 games, everything returns to normal. For the Penguins, that’s not good. We’ve reached the point where fans are tuning out and not showing up. They’re beyond angry and reaching indifference, which is very bad for business. While attendance was solid on Saturday, it was a mere 15,232 on Friday, with even fewer fans actually in the building. Expect attendance to nosedive as people decide to spend their money elsewhere rather than invest their emotions into a team that isn’t doing the same. So, to paraphrase Nedeljkovic, someone has to do something—anything. Changes need to be made if they don’t want to feel this way anymore. This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.LAS VEGAS — With a restructuring at Andretti Global that pushed Michael Andretti into a smaller role, the chances of his organization landing a Formula 1 team have substantially increased. So much so that F1 and Formula One Management could have a decision to grant the General Motors-backed entry a spot as the 11th team on the grid in the coming weeks. Dan Towriss, now the majority owner of the Andretti organization, was at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Thursday scoping his chances of entering the top motorsports series in the world. So was the FBI, allegedly, as part of a Department of Justice investigation into why F1 denied the Andretti organization expansion into the series. F1 currently has 10 teams that field 20 cars and only one — the organization owned by California businessman Gene Haas — is an American team. Las Vegas marks the third race this season in the United States, more than any other country, as F1 has exploded in American popularity over the last five years. Even so, Andretti could not get approval from F1 to enter the series. But, the situation changed in September when Andretti scaled back his role with his namesake organization. Now with Towriss in charge, talks have amplified, even though it is not clear what the name of an Andretti-less F1 team would even be. Cadillac would do the engines — but says it won't be ready until 2028 — which means a 2026 Towriss-led F1 team would be GM branded but with a partner engine supplier. Most of the existing teams have been largely opposed to an 11th team entering F1, citing a dilution in prize money and the massive expenses they've already committed to the series. But, Andretti among others believed the teams' position was personal in that they simply didn't like Andretti, who ran 13 races in the 1993 season. His father, Mario, is the 1978 F1 world champion. The Andretti application had already been approved by the FIA, which is F1's ruling body, but later denied by F1 itself. F1 promised to revisit the issue once General Motors had an engine ready to compete. The existing 10 F1 teams have no actual vote or say in if the grid is expanded, which Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reiterated Thursday when The Associated Press asked why the sudden chance of acceptance in a potential 11th team. "We have an obligation, a statutory obligation as directors, to present the standpoint that is the best for our company and for our employees, and we've done that," Wolff said. "I think if a team can add to the championship, particularly if GM decides to come in as a team owner, that is a different story. "And as long as it is creative, that means we're growing the popularity of the sport, we're growing the revenue of the sport, then no team will be ever against it. So I'm putting my hope in there." Wolff has been eager to hear from Towriss directly on what the plans for the organization are now that Andretti has a smaller role. "No one from Andretti or Andretti Global or whatever the name will be has ever spoken to me a single sentence in presentation of what the creative part is," he said. "But they don't need to because the teams don't decide. It is the commercial rights holder, with the FIA, we have no say. If I want to be invited to a party and go to the party, I'm sitting down at the table and telling who I am and why I'm really good fun and sitting here and everybody will enjoy my presence. "That hasn't happened, but you know, that's now my personal point of view, not a professional, because there's nothing we can do, nothing we can say," Wolff continued. "And I don't know the people. I've obviously spoken to Mario. I didn't speak to his son. I didn't speak to any other people that are behind that. I don't know who they are. So I know GM, GM is great." Fred Vasseur, team principal at Ferrari, said he's not opposed to another team if it adds value to F1. "The discussion is between FIA, the team, and FOM. It's not our choice," he said. "For sure, as Toto said, that if it's good for the sport, good for the show, good for the business, and adds value on the sporting side, that we are all OK." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein was carted off the field with 5:32 left in the first quarter with an apparent left ankle injury during Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference game against host Louisville. The freshman was sacked at the Panthers' 49-yard line by Louisville's Ashton Gillotte, who rolled on the quarterback's ankle. Holstein was in a walking boot as he was helped to the cart. Holstein missed last week's game against Clemson after suffering a head injury in the loss to Virginia two weeks ago. Holstein was 3-for-5 passing for 51 yards and an interception before exiting. Nate Yarnell, who threw for 350 yards in the loss to Clemson, replaced Holstein. --Field Level Media

So much so that F1 and Formula One Management could have a decision to grant the General Motors-backed entry a spot as the 11th team on the grid in the coming weeks. Dan Towriss, now the majority owner of the Andretti organization, was at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Thursday scoping his chances of entering the top motorsports series in the world. So was the FBI, allegedly, as part of a Department of Justice investigation into why F1 denied the Andretti organization expansion into the series. F1 currently has 10 teams that field 20 cars and only one — the organization owned by California businessman Gene Haas — is an American team. Las Vegas marks the third race this season in the United States, more than any other country, as F1 has exploded in American popularity over the last five years. Even so, Andretti could not get approval from F1 to enter the series. But, the situation changed in September when Andretti scaled back his role with his namesake organization. Now with Towriss in charge, talks have amplified, even though it is not clear what the name of an Andretti-less F1 team would even be. Cadillac would do the engines — but says it won't be ready until 2028 — which means a 2026 Towriss-led F1 team would be GM branded but with a partner engine supplier. Most of the existing teams have been largely opposed to an 11th team entering F1, citing a dilution in prize money and the massive expenses they've already committed to the series. But, Andretti among others believed the teams' position was personal in that they simply didn't like Andretti, who ran 13 races in the 1993 season. His father, Mario, is the 1978 F1 world champion. The Andretti application had already been approved by the FIA, which is F1's ruling body, but later denied by F1 itself. F1 promised to revisit the issue once General Motors had an engine ready to compete. The existing 10 F1 teams have no actual vote or say in if the grid is expanded, which Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reiterated Thursday when The Associated Press asked why the sudden chance of acceptance in a potential 11th team. "We have an obligation, a statutory obligation as directors, to present the standpoint that is the best for our company and for our employees, and we've done that," Wolff said. "I think if a team can add to the championship, particularly if GM decides to come in as a team owner, that is a different story. "And as long as it is creative, that means we're growing the popularity of the sport, we're growing the revenue of the sport, then no team will be ever against it. So I'm putting my hope in there." Wolff has been eager to hear from Towriss directly on what the plans for the organization are now that Andretti has a smaller role. "No one from Andretti or Andretti Global or whatever the name will be has ever spoken to me a single sentence in presentation of what the creative part is," he said. "But they don't need to because the teams don't decide. It is the commercial rights holder, with the FIA, we have no say. If I want to be invited to a party and go to the party, I'm sitting down at the table and telling who I am and why I'm really good fun and sitting here and everybody will enjoy my presence. "That hasn't happened, but you know, that's now my personal point of view, not a professional, because there's nothing we can do, nothing we can say," Wolff continued. "And I don't know the people. I've obviously spoken to Mario. I didn't speak to his son. I didn't speak to any other people that are behind that. I don't know who they are. So I know GM, GM is great." Fred Vasseur, team principal at Ferrari, said he's not opposed to another team if it adds value to F1. "The discussion is between FIA, the team, and FOM. It's not our choice," he said. "For sure, as Toto said, that if it's good for the sport, good for the show, good for the business, and adds value on the sporting side, that we are all OK."

Inter beats Como and closes gap at the top of Serie A while Bove back on Fiorentina sidelinePLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.

Ross Barkley’s 85th-minute goal gave them victory in Germany after goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran early in each half were cancelled out by Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner. That sent them up to third in the new league phase of the competition ahead of Wednesday’s games and with matches against Monaco and Celtic to come, Villa have an excellent chance of finishing in the top eight. Job done... in the end 😅 #RBLAVL #UCL pic.twitter.com/PRD1Hi1Q3A — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 10, 2024 That would mean they would avoid a play-off round to make it through to the last 16 and Emery says that is the target. “Today was key. Juventus at home, we were thinking more to win but in the end we accepted the draw because it was important for a point to be more or less in the top 24,” he told Amazon Prime. “Today was a match we were thinking at the beginning was key to be a contender to be in the top eight with the last two matches to be played. “It is going to be difficult and we have to get some more points but we now have the possibility to achieve this option. “We are going to enjoy and try to get top eight but we have to be happy because we are in the top 24 and maybe even the top 16. “We weren’t contenders in the beginning to get there but now we have to accept it.” Leipzig, who are flying high near the top of the Bundesliga, are out after losing all six matches. They did pose a threat to Villa, who inflicted some of their own problems on themselves, notably a rare gaffe from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for Openda’s equaliser. But Emery was happy with his side’s performance. “I try to enjoy and always we want to improve and sometimes it is hard but today the team were performing well, playing seriously and I was enjoying it,” he added. “We tried to overcome the mistakes we made and we did. More or less we were playing consistently. One mistake and they score but then we played very well. “Champions League is very difficult and we have to expect that every team playing at home are feeling strong. We played with consistency and domination.”Unai Emery knows Champions League top-eight spot is possible for Aston Villa

Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president who led the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died at the age of 100. The Carter Center announced Sunday that his father died at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by family. His death comes about a year after his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, passed away. Despite receiving hospice care at the time, he attended the memorials for Rosalynn while sitting in a wheelchair, covered by a blanket. He was also wheeled outside on Oct. 1 to watch a military flyover in celebration of his 100th birthday. The Carter Center said in February 2023 that the former president and his family decided he would no longer seek medical treatment following several short hospital stays for an undisclosed illness. Carter became the longest-living president in 2019, surpassing George H.W. Bush, who died at age 94 in 2018. Carter also had a long post-presidency, living 43 years following his White House departure. RELATED STORY: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: A love story for the ages Before becoming president Carter began his adult life in the military, getting a degree at the U.S. Naval Academy, and rose to the rank of lieutenant. He then studied reactor technology and nuclear physics at Union College and served as senior officer of the pre-commissioning crew on a nuclear submarine. Following the death of his father, Carter returned to Georgia to tend to his family's farm and related businesses. During this time, he became a community leader by serving on local boards. He used this experience to elevate him to his first elected office in 1962 in the Georgia Senate. After losing his first gubernatorial election in 1966, he won his second bid in 1970, becoming the state’s 76th governor. As a relative unknown nationally, Carter used the nation’s sour sentiment toward politics to win the Democratic nomination. He then bested sitting president Gerald Ford in November 1976 to win the presidency. Carter battles high inflation, energy crisis With the public eager for a change following the Watergate era, Carter took a more hands-on approach to governing. This, however, meant he became the public face of a number of issues facing the U.S. in the late 1970s, most notably America’s energy crisis. He signed the Department of Energy Organization Act, creating the first new cabinet role in government in over a decade. Carter advocated for alternative energy sources and even installed solar panels on the White House roof. During this time, the public rebuked attempts to ration energy. Amid rising energy costs, inflation soared nearly 9% annually during Carter's presidency. This led to a recession before the 1980 election. Carter also encountered the Iran Hostage Crisis in the final year of his presidency when 52 American citizens were captured. An attempt to rescue the Americans failed in April 1980, resulting in the death of eight service members. With compounding crises, Carter lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in 1980 as he could only win six states. Carter’s impact after leaving the White House Carter returned to Georgia and opened the Carter Center, which is focused on national and international issues of public policy – namely conflict resolution. Carter and the Center have been involved in a number of international disputes, including in Syria, Israel, Mali and Sudan. The group has also worked to independently monitor elections and prevent elections from becoming violent. Carter and his wife were the most visible advocates for Habitat for Humanity. The organization that helps build and restore homes for low- and middle-income families has benefited from the Carters’ passion for the organization. Habitat for Humanity estimates Carter has worked alongside 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build 4,390 houses. “Like other Habitat volunteers, I have learned that our greatest blessings come when we are able to improve the lives of others, and this is especially true when those others are desperately poor or in need,” Carter said in a Q&A on the Habitat for Humanity website. Carter also continued teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown well into his 90s. Attendees would line up for hours, coming from all parts of the U.S., to attend Carter’s classes. Carter is survived by his four children.Cyberpunk 2077's 2.2 update adds new "secrets", expanded customisation options, and more

MP holiday weekend tips and closures

Ross Barkley’s 85th-minute goal gave them victory in Germany after goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran early in each half were cancelled out by Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner. That sent them up to third in the new league phase of the competition ahead of Wednesday’s games and with matches against Monaco and Celtic to come, Villa have an excellent chance of finishing in the top eight. Job done... in the end 😅 #RBLAVL #UCL pic.twitter.com/PRD1Hi1Q3A — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 10, 2024 That would mean they would avoid a play-off round to make it through to the last 16 and Emery says that is the target. “Today was key. Juventus at home, we were thinking more to win but in the end we accepted the draw because it was important for a point to be more or less in the top 24,” he told Amazon Prime. “Today was a match we were thinking at the beginning was key to be a contender to be in the top eight with the last two matches to be played. “It is going to be difficult and we have to get some more points but we now have the possibility to achieve this option. “We are going to enjoy and try to get top eight but we have to be happy because we are in the top 24 and maybe even the top 16. “We weren’t contenders in the beginning to get there but now we have to accept it.” Leipzig, who are flying high near the top of the Bundesliga, are out after losing all six matches. They did pose a threat to Villa, who inflicted some of their own problems on themselves, notably a rare gaffe from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for Openda’s equaliser. But Emery was happy with his side’s performance. “I try to enjoy and always we want to improve and sometimes it is hard but today the team were performing well, playing seriously and I was enjoying it,” he added. “We tried to overcome the mistakes we made and we did. More or less we were playing consistently. One mistake and they score but then we played very well. “Champions League is very difficult and we have to expect that every team playing at home are feeling strong. We played with consistency and domination.”

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NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.Hindu organisations have started a signature campaign appealing to the Prime Minister and theMinister for Law and Justiceto fast-track the court hearings in the Kashi Gyanvapi and Mathura Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi disputes. The groups, including the Hindu Janjagruti Sangh, said that the cases are of historical, religious, and social importance and restoration of the Kashi and Mathura shrines are 'of national importance' and 'a pivotal point in the struggle for the existence of Hindus'. Temples hold extraordinary significance in Sanatan Dharma and have played a crucial role in preserving, protecting, and upholding Bharatiya culture and traditions, the letter says.The groups said that there is historical evidence that the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi was demolished during the reign of Mughal king Aurangzeb in 1669 and the Gyanvapi mosque constructed on the remains of the temple. A study by the Archaeological Survey of India confirms the existence of a temple beneath the site, the letter says. Similarly, the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura was also demolished on the orders of Aurangzeb in 1670, the letter says.The letter further adds that the Kashi and Mathura are as emotionally significant to Hindus as the Ram Mandir and while it took over 75 years for the Ram Mandir case to be resolved in independent India's courts, Hindus hope that such prolonged delays do not occur for Kashi and Mathura. Following the Supreme Court’s verdict handing over the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi to the Hindus, there is a fervent demand among Hindus for the restoration of sacred sites like Kashi and Mathura, which were similarly desecrated during the Mughal invasions, the letter says. The groups have called for fast-track courts similar to the ones established to ensure swift justice in important legal cases. '... similar urgency must be shown for cases concerning the faith of a billion Hindus. These are not ordinary temples but central to the spiritual and cultural lives of Hindus', the letter adds.'It is unfortunate that while the truth regarding Hindu temples is there for all to see, these cases remain unresolved. These sites of historical and religious significance still await justice. Justice delayed is justice denied — therefore, the prolonged delay in delivering judgments on the Kashi and Mathura matters amounts to injustice.'Delays in cases concerning Kashi and Mathura may lead to unrest and erode the common man’s faith in the judiciary, the letter adds.

Vertex, Inc. ( NASDAQ:VERX – Get Free Report ) shares hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $53.04 and last traded at $52.98, with a volume of 143372 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $52.31. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have commented on VERX shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Vertex from $42.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Vertex from $42.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. JMP Securities upped their price objective on shares of Vertex from $47.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Vertex from $43.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of Vertex from $45.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vertex presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $52.30. View Our Latest Analysis on VERX Vertex Stock Up 0.7 % Vertex ( NASDAQ:VERX – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $170.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $165.70 million. Vertex had a net margin of 4.73% and a return on equity of 24.92%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.06 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vertex, Inc. will post 0.38 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling at Vertex In other Vertex news, major shareholder Jeffrey Westphal sold 1,225,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.42, for a total value of $48,289,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,895 shares in the company, valued at $311,220.90. This trade represents a 99.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Also, major shareholder Item Second Irr. Trust Fbo Kyl sold 158,900 shares of Vertex stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.27, for a total transaction of $5,922,203.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,430,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,299,827. This trade represents a 10.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 4,330,722 shares of company stock valued at $197,009,011 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 44.58% of the company’s stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Banque Pictet & Cie SA raised its stake in shares of Vertex by 551.9% during the second quarter. Banque Pictet & Cie SA now owns 949,540 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,231,000 after buying an additional 803,881 shares during the last quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Vertex in the second quarter valued at approximately $22,173,000. Brown Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Vertex in the third quarter valued at approximately $20,938,000. Premier Fund Managers Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Vertex by 787.0% in the third quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd now owns 524,775 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,280,000 after buying an additional 465,610 shares during the period. Finally, Geneva Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vertex by 40.1% in the third quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 1,450,599 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,863,000 after buying an additional 414,945 shares during the period. 59.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Vertex ( Get Free Report ) Vertex, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides enterprise tax technology solutions for retail trade, wholesale trade, and manufacturing industries in the United States and internationally. The company offers tax determination; compliance and reporting, including workflow management tools, role-based security, and event logging; tax data management; document management; analytics and insights; pre-built integration that includes mapping data fields, and business logic and configurations; industry-specific solutions; and technology specific solutions, such as chain flow accelerator and SAP-specific tools. See Also Five stocks we like better than Vertex What Are the U.K. Market Holidays? How to Invest and Trade Tesla Investors Continue to Profit From the Trump Trade How to Calculate Return on Investment (ROI) MicroStrategy’s Stock Dip vs. Coinbase’s Potential Rally Insider Selling Explained: Can it Inform Your Investing Choices? Netflix Ventures Into Live Sports, Driving Stock Momentum Receive News & Ratings for Vertex Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vertex and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Apple approaches $4 trillion valuation as investors bet on AI momentumGary Gensler's legacy of chaosNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Nissan’s Overly Ambitious Goals Fuel Investor, Supplier DistrustCharming property on coastal outskirts of Totland Bay up for sale

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