sports outfit

TORONTO - Bruce Brown intercepted a pass and streaked down the court, driving past some token defence from Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson for a one-handed slam dunk. Brown’s Toronto Raptors teammates burst off the home team’s bench, cheering for the veteran forward. “It’s just because they didn’t think I can jump, because I haven’t jumped really, or they haven’t seen it, and then they didn’t see it the last year,” Brown said, adding he knew he would dunk as soon as he crossed half-court. “I told them I could do it and I was like, ‘if I get the chance to, I’mma dunk it.’” It was Brown’s first dunk in eight months as he scored 12 points and had three rebounds off the bench in his season debut on Sunday as Toronto lost to Atlanta 136-107. He’d missed the first 31 games of the Raptors season as he recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery on Sept. 20, a process that took longer than he expected. “I thought I was gonna be out like six to eight weeks but some things didn’t go my way,” said Brown. “There was a lot of swelling in there for a while. “Things happened, and then I was supposed to come back, like, three, four weeks ago, but there was still swelling there, so they told me to take my time.” Brown averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks over 34 games with the Raptors last season. He was traded from the Indiana Pacers to Toronto on Jan. 18 as part of a package for all-star forward Pascal Siakam. He’s averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists over his career in 416 games with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana and Toronto. Brown’s return doesn’t just add depth to the Raptors’ lineup, but brings some much-needed energy to a struggling team that has lost 10 in a row. “You see him get out there and put his body on the line after being out for so long,” said Scottie Barnes, who led Toronto with 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists but eight turnovers in the loss. “He’s making himself so tired out there just guarding, pushing himself. That’s what the team needs. “We’ve all got to match that energy every single night. That’s the effort we’re going to need in order to win games.” Head coach Darko Rajakovic said that fatigue is a major factor in the NBA’s longest active losing skid. He said that a lack of focus played a role in Toronto’s season-high 31 turnovers on Sunday. “We hit a wall. We look tired. We look drained,” said Rajakovic. “Guys are not in a rhythm. That’s the reality that we’re in right now. We’ve got to find a way to get out of it.” It was the third consecutive game where the Raptors had given up over 130 points, and second 29-point blowout in a row. “Getting beat by 30, man, at home — that’s unacceptable,” said Barnes. “We can’t be doing that. We got to go out there and play harder, be smarter. “We had a lot of turnovers today. We can’t allow this to happen.” Brown was more optimistic. “We just need some rest, and we’ll push through it,” he said, noting that a stomach flu had spread through Toronto’s locker room. “I mean, all teams have this at some point, even championship teams, so we’ll push through it. We’ll be fine.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024.

Social Security changes coming in 2025 with automatic check increase worth up to $4,018 but it depends on your age

PLAINS, 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.By DAVID A. LIEB Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here’s a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect: Hollywood stars and child influencers California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the artificial intelligence industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use. Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so. Social media limits New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. Related Articles National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone National Politics | Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But enforcement is being delayed because of a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February. A new Tennessee law also requires parental consent for minors to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge. Several new California measures aimed at combating political deepfakes are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create fabricated images or videos in political ads . School rules on gender In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identification . The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies passed by several districts. Abortion coverage Many states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible , copayments or other cost-sharing requirements. Gun control A new Minnesota law prohibits guns with “binary triggers” that allow for more rapid fire, causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released. In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards. Medical marijuana Kentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use marijuana for medical purposes . To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana. Minimum wages Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases. The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour. Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Safer traveling In Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe. In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone cause an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law. Montana is the only state that hasn’t banned texting while driving , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Tax breaks Tenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay tax on their monthly rent , thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizona’s nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation. Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs. Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is cutting individual income taxes by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward. Voting rights An Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate. “I think it’s very important that people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens,” Young said. Associated Press writers Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed.

Blue Jackets Need Better Road Play in Second Half

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams keep doing just enough to win, and a team that appeared to be rebuilding this season has climbed all the way to the brink of another playoff berth. The Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with their fourth straight victory since Thanksgiving. Their 19-9 win over the New York Jets in sub-freezing temperatures was not dominant — they trailed 9-6 entering the fourth quarter, and they were outgained by nearly 100 yards — but Los Angeles still matched its largest margin of victory this season and continued to look like a looming nightmare for any postseason opponent. The Rams have now won eight of 10 since their bye week, when they were 1-4 and the NFL world wondered whether they would trade Super Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp or even quarterback Matthew Stafford to spur their roster reboot. Los Angeles decided not to punt its season, and Sean McVay's team has driven from last to first. “You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” McVay said Monday. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship. Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.” The Rams also have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay — an achievement that shouldn’t get lost in the recent successes of a franchise that had 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before it rolled the dice and hired a 30-year-old head coach back in 2017. After winning it all in February 2022 and then having the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history, the Rams have made the most of their time in between true powerhouse status and a major rebuild. They also started slowly last year, entering their bye at 3-6 before a 7-1 finish. The Rams can become the first team in NFL history to make back-to-back postseason appearances after being three games under .500 each year. These Rams don't stand out on either side of the ball, although their talent level appears to be higher on offense than defense. Instead, they've mastered a delicate balance of complementary football — the offense and defense covering each other's weaknesses and setting up their teammates for success. The Rams have scored more than 30 points just once all season, and they managed only 31 points in their last two games combined. Their defense has allowed only one touchdown in the past two games — but right before that, Josh Allen and the Bills racked up 42 points and 445 yards in the most recent of a few defensive stinkers from LA this season. The Rams keep winning anyway, and now they can clinch McVay's fourth NFC West title by beating Seattle in two weeks. “Fortunately, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things to happen if you just handle your business,” McVay said. What's working Kyren Williams and the offensive line are driving the Rams' offense. After a slow start caused partly by McVay being forced to abandon the running game when the Rams repeatedly fell behind early, the 2023 Pro Bowler has surged to career highs of 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with his 122-yard performance in New York. What needs help Stafford's 110 yards passing were his fewest with the Rams and the second-fewest in his 16-year career from a full game. Sunday's weather was a major factor, but the Rams must throw the ball effectively to somebody other than Puka Nacua. Kupp has just 193 yards receiving in his past five games combined. Stock up Defensive back Jaylen McCollough made a career-high nine tackles in only 31 snaps. The undrafted rookie continues to be a remarkable find, earning playing time alongside veteran safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl and fellow rookie Kam Kinchens. Stock down CB Cobie Durant didn't play for the second straight week despite being cleared to return from his bruised lung. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon got every snap in place of Durant, who started LA's first 13 games. McVay praised Witherspoon's recent play when asked why Durant didn't get on the field in New Jersey. Injuries The Rams' improved health, particularly on both lines, is the key to their surge. McVay reported no new injuries out of the road trip following Tyler Higbee's successful season debut. Key number 12-1 — The Rams’ record in December with Stafford as their starter over his four years in LA. Next steps The Rams need to win at least one of their final two games to wrap up their first NFC West crown since 2021. They host eliminated Arizona on Saturday night, but can't clinch the division unless the Seahawks lose to moribund Chicago. The Rams are currently the NFC's third seed, but that doesn't matter a whole lot because both the third and fourth seeds will have to play one of the NFC North's two powerful wild-card teams in the opening round. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Greg Beacham, The Associated Press

Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in a 41-7 win over the Cowboys: Quarterback: B+ Kenny Pickett showed heart, and more importantly, effectiveness in starting in place of the injured Jalen Hurts (concussion). His day got off to a slow start with a first pass missile over A.J. Brown ’s head. But Pickett settled down, despite playing with a rib injury, and helped guide the Eagles to a 20-point lead before he left with what appeared to be aggravation of his injury. Pickett completed 10 of 15 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. He finally got going on the Eagles’ third drive and ended the possession with a 22-yard touchdown pass to a wide open DeVonta Smith. Two series later, he heaved a 49-yard toss to Smith. Pickett also scored a touchdown via Tush Push. He was denied on the first try from the 1-yard line, but got in for his second converted sneak of the first half. Pickett got drilled by Micah Parsons after throwing what was to be a splendid hookup with Brown in the end zone to open the second half. But a holding penalty negated the score and Pickett had to leave after another shot to his ribs. Tanner McKee came in and the Eagles didn’t miss a beat. He wasn’t asked to do a ton, but when called upon to drop back, he delivered. He connected with Brown for a 20-yard back shoulder touchdown late in the third quarter and later found Smith on a short crosser the receiver would take to the house. Running back: A Saquon Barkley become only the ninth running back to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season and is now only 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL record of 2,105 rushing yards in a season. He went over 100 yards rushing for the 11th time this season. Despite some early struggles to get the ground game going, he got going in the second half with the Eagles playing from ahead and whittling down the clock. Barkley finished with 167 yards on a season-high 31 carries. Will he get a chance to eclipse Dickerson’s mark in 17 games? Next week’s season finale vs. the New York Giants may have no meaning for the Eagles in terms of playoff seeding. Barkley did set the franchise mark for yards from scrimmage, breaking the previous record of 2,146 yards set by LeSean McCoy in 2013. Kenneth Gainwell got some extra snaps with the Eagles utilizing some two-back looks. He rushed just three times for 4 yards and caught a pass for 5 yards. Tyrion Davis-Price, who was called up from the practice squad with rookie Will Shipley (concussion) sidelined, got some mop-up carries. Receiver / tight end: A- Smith and Brown got open all day against a shorthanded Dallas secondary. Smith bounced back from his costly dropped pass against the Commanders — not that anyone doubted he would. He caught six passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Smith got dinged (pulverized?) early on a play in which fans wanted a flag thrown. Smith left and had his right wrist taped. He missed the next series, but returned and caught a 22-yard touchdown on a corner route out of the slot, and two drives later, toasted cornerback Andrew Booth for a 49-yard catch down to the 1-yard line. Smith ran a great route to convert a short third down on the opening drive of the second half. Brown wasn’t targeted as much, but he was efficient when targeted. He caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Brown had two near-touchdowns — one negated by penalty and another just out bounds — in the third quarter. But he caught his seventh touchdown of the season on the back shoulder from McKee. Tight end Grant Calcaterra made an acrobatic grab with one hand for 34 yards in the second quarter. It was a momentum changer with the offense mostly struggling up until that point. Reserve tight ends C.J. Uzomah and EJ Jenkins were called upon to run-block a bunch. They held their own. Backup receivers Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson weren’t targeted, but got a lot of exercise. Receiver Ainias Smith didn’t play much, if at all, again. In the four previous games, he was also active but did not play a snap. Offensive line: A It was tough sledding in the run game with the Cowboys focused on stopping Barkley in the first half. He had just 41 yards on 13 carries before the break. But the ground game exploded in the second half and left tackle Jordan Mailata & Co. helped lead the way. In terms of pass protection, the Eagles’ O-line didn’t allow a single sack. Lane Johnson continued his pass-blocking dominance at right tackle. He faced another tough assignment vs. Parsons. He kept him from wrecking the game plan, but the Dallas edge rusher did eventually knock Pickett from the game. Cam Jurgens had the pulling lead block on a Barkley 11-yard rush to the left in the fourth quarter. The Eagles center made sure the Tush Push worked without Hurts. Guards Landon Dickerson and Mekhi Becton made sure Dallas’ interior D-line didn’t push the pocket. Dickerson had some key run blocks. He led the way on a Barkley 8-yard gain off the left to open the second half. A drive later, he had the kick-out block on a Barkley 9-yarder. Dickerson committed two penalties — a false start on the Eagles’ offense’s first play from scrimmage and a hold, which negated a touchdown catch by Brown. Becton left late in the second quarter with an unspecified injury and was replaced by Tyler Steen. But he would return. He bounced back from a difficult outing last week in Landover, Md. Defensive line: A- Jalen Carter and crew allowed Rico Dowdle to rush for over 100 yards — the first time a running back eclipsed the century mark vs. the Eagles this season. But the Eagles’ front kept him from breaking off long runs when it mattered. Carter, nose tackle Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams plugged the middle, as usual, but Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt did well to set the edge and contain the run game. The aforementioned all had individual moments. Carter batted a Cooper Rush pass that deflected off Smith’s hands just before the half. Davis recovered a fumble in the second quarter. Williams had two run stops. Sweat set the edge and held Dowdle to no gain on a first-quarter outside run. Early in the third quarter, he teamed up with linebacker Zack Baun for a tackle for loss. Smith continued his stellar play in the second half of the season. He forced a fumble in the fourth quarter and had several pressures. Smith had a late second-quarter hurry that forced Rush to step up before an eventual incomplete pass. He took a holding penalty in the end zone when tasked with dropping into coverage on Dallas’ first touchdown. Hunt finished with six tackles — four of them solos. Bryce Huff left with an early shoulder injury, but returned before the half. Huff was playing in his first game since being placed on injured reserve following hand surgery in November and didn’t stand out much. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo shot into the backfield and slowed Dowdle when he was dropped for a tackle for loss in the first quarter. Linebacker: A- With Nakobe Dean (abdomen) out, Baun wore the green dot and called the defensive plays. It didn’t affect his performance. Baun finished with seven tackles and added to his Pro Bowl-worthy resumé for the season. Oren Burksstarted in place of Dean (abdomen) and rotated with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He struggled to get off blocks early vs. the run game, but he rebounded and forced a fumble midway through the second quarter. Burks finished with a team-high eight tackles. Trotter didn’t look out of place in the snaps the rookie played and had three stops. Cornerback: B+ Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell had some early issues, but they never let Cowboys receivers get behind them as the Eagles wore out Rush and a weak Dallas offense. Rush completed just 15 of 28 passes for 147 yards. Slay got turned around by receiver Brandin Cooks for a 16-yard gain on Dallas’ first drive. He also got beaten again by Cooks for 22 yards on a third-down conversion in which he was also flagged for holding. But he tightened up the hatches in the final three quarters. Mitchell had tight coverage on Cooks on an early deep fade route. Receiver Jalen Brooks got him for a 12-yard gain on a back-shoulder route in the first quarter. He got outdueled by receiver Jalen Tolbert on a corner fade touchdown — the Cowboys’ first touchdown of the game. He allowed another 12-yard catch on a back shoulder in the second quarter. Cooper DeJean was solid. He had five tackles and a pass breakup. Dowdle got around DeJean on an early swing pass that was ruled a rushing play. He recovered Nolan Smith’s forced fumble. Safety: A C.J. Gardner-Johnson snagged two interceptions before leaving the game with an injury. He atoned for last week’s ejection with a pick-six on his first series. On third-and-3, he read Rush’s eyes and intercepted a pass to Cooks. Gardner-Johnson went 69 yards the other way for the first touchdown of his NFL career. His sixth interception came on an errant deep throw that Mitchell could have easily caught as well. Gardner-Johnson, nevertheless, did well to track the ball from the post. Reed Blankenship ran step for step with Cowboys receiver KaVontae Turpin on a fade route into the corner of the end zone early in the fourth quarter. He contributed three tackles. Special teams: A Jake Elliott handled kickoffs full-time for the first time this season after Braden Mann’s struggles at Washington. He had five touchbacks on seven kicks. The Eagles kicker also made all his kicks — two field goals and five extra points. Mann averaged 36 net yards on three punts. DeJean averaged 7.5 yards on two punt returns. Gainwell had a 36-yard kick return in the first quarter. Coaching: A Despite being without his starting quarterback, and losing his backup in the third quarter, Nick Sirianni guided the Eagles to a walkover victory and the NFC East crown. The head coach wrangled an impressive performance from his players and assistants. No Hurts may have played into his fourth-down decision making. On the Eagles’ second series, Sirianni punted on fourth-and-1 at his own 46. Mann’s subsequent punt rolled into the end zone for 32 net yards on the change of possession. A few series later, though, Sirianni went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 30 with Pickett picking it up via the Tush Push. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called a great game. He never lost touch with the run even though the Cowboys were depleted in the secondary. Run-heavy play calling to open the second half resulted in a field goal and the Eagles expanding their lead to 27-7. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio ’s unit forced four turnovers and bled the Cowboys down as the game progressed. ©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. ©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Visit at inquirer.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

PLAINS, 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.

Nothing's guaranteed, but Bucs need to win out to give themselves best shot to make the playoffsThis is today’s headline-making news for tech-savvy gamers: ARM Holdings, the trailblazer in semiconductor and software design, is seeing fluctuations in its share price that could signal significant shifts for the gaming industry. As of today, ARM’s share price is capturing the attention of investors and gaming enthusiasts alike. Known for its innovative chip designs used in an array of high-performance gaming consoles and devices, any movement in ARM’s stock could spell future game-changing technology advancements. ARM’s architectural designs are at the core of many gaming systems, making it a central player in the gaming market. This proficiency not only affects device performance but also the development of new technologies such as cloud gaming, AI implementations, and enhanced graphics capabilities. As ARM continues to forge partnerships with tech giants and explore advancing into new markets, its financial market performance becomes an indicator for upcoming tech innovations. Today’s share price reflects investor confidence in ARM’s ongoing expansion in the robust gaming technology sector. Analysts are keenly observing how these stock movements might influence the landscape of gaming hardware development. The potential impact of ARM’s financial health extends to both industry incumbents and emerging gaming companies, underlining how crucial this company’s trajectory is for future tech evolution. This intriguing connection between stock markets and gaming advances spotlights a new dimension for gaming bloggers and enthusiasts to follow, ensuring they stay ahead in an ever-evolving tech world. ARM’s Stock Journey: A Sign for Gaming’s Next Big Leap? ARM Holdings, a linchpin in semiconductor and software design, is currently under a magnifying glass due to notable fluctuations in its stock price. Such movements are not just for the scrutiny of financial analysts but are also sparking curiosity among gaming enthusiasts. With ARM’s design architecture forming the backbone of many high-performance gaming consoles, changes in its market valuation often signal potential tech innovations on the horizon. Unveiling the Innovator’s Profile ARM’s contributions extend beyond just providing high-speed processors for gaming consoles; its architecture is pivotal in driving innovations like cloud gaming, artificial intelligence, and enhanced graphic technologies. Partnering with industry giants, ARM continues to push boundaries, which inevitably places the company’s market performance as a bellwether for forthcoming advancements in gaming technology. What to Expect from ARM’s Market Movements? # Predictions for Gaming Tech: 1. Cloud Gaming Revolution: As ARM collaborates with cloud service providers, investors can anticipate more robust cloud gaming solutions that level up user experiences. 2. Growth in AI Integration: As ARM expands its reach, the incorporation of AI in gaming is expected to take a leap, vastly improving gameplay dynamics and personalization. 3. Enhanced Graphics: With ongoing advancements in ARM’s hardware capabilities, future gaming systems are likely to deliver unmatched graphics performance. Market Analysis: ARM’s Position in the Gaming Sector ARM’s consistent performance in the technology sector underlines its critical role in gaming hardware development. Recent stock fluctuations have piqued the interest of both incumbents and newcomers in the gaming industry. This attention highlights the essential function ARM serves in pacing technological progression, implying that any shifts in its financial standing could directly affect market dynamics. Looking Ahead: Trends and Insights ARM’s trajectory suggests a future rich with transformative gameplay innovations, powered by semiconductors that process faster and smarter than before. As gaming continues to embrace new technological frontiers, understanding ARM’s financial health becomes a tool not only for investors but also for developers looking to stay at the cutting edge of gaming evolution. For more information on ARM Holdings and its role in technological advancements, visit the ARM Holdings website to dive deeper into their world-renowned innovations and partnerships shaping the future of gaming. Whether you are an investor or a tech-savvy gamer, keeping an eye on ARM’s developments could provide valuable insights into where the gaming industry is headed next. As these stock movements unfold, the gaming world waits with bated breath for what could be the next big technological leap.

Rourke 2.0: Nathan’s brother Kurtis named NCAA’s top Canadian

CreateAI Announces Results of 2024 Annual Meeting of StockholdersNew 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns

Royal Caribbean has been on a mission to make the painful parts of cruising easier. It has done that in lots of little ways, like making it slightly easier to both log on to ship WiFi and switch your internet service between devices. That's just a sort of incremental improvement, but making something happen near automatically that used to take a few clicks does count as an improvement. Add in lots of small improvements, and the overall cruise experience will get markedly better. Royal Caribbean also offers "Express" check-in lanes at some terminals. These allow passengers who have completed all of their pre-boarding items properly to board the ship faster. Related: Royal Caribbean makes key decision on Labadee, Haiti port Not everyone qualifies and it's only being used on select sailings, but if you get Express, you do get onboard faster. Once onboard, the improvements will keep coming. Royal Caribbean recently made it so people who buy dining packages can book their reservations before they get on the ship. That solves two problems. First, anyone with a dining package no longer has to stand in line on embarkation day (the day the ship sails) to make multiple lunch and dinner reservations. Second, because those people aren't in line taking 15-20 minutes to make all those bookings, people who want a reservation or two face much shorter lines. But, the cruise line's biggest improvement has to be the new elevator system being used on Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas. These elevators don't have buttons. Instead, passengers input their desired floor on keypads near the elevator, and they are given a letter that corresponds to which elevator they should take, Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet Royal Caribbean's elevators are just the beginning While elevators seem like a small thing, the new system is actually a major improvement to the onboard experience. Passengers no longer have to jockey for position to board an elevator during crowded times. In addition, the new system generally makes no more than two stops. That prevents you from being in a full elevator that stops on every floor where the person in the back is always the one who needs to get out. It also eliminates the experience of having a kid push every button the second their parent isn't looking. Fixing the elevator experience was something Royal Caribbean prioritized with the launch of Icon of the Seas. At a media event on that ship, the cruise line's CEO talked a little bit about the process of launching the new elevators. More Royal Caribbean: "We were obsessively focused...We know a lot about the flow of people. We know a lot about how to create a delightful experience that also moves people around," he said, We were really nervous about them.:" Despite those early jitters, Bayley has been pleased with the elevator, which will be part of Star of the Seas, the next Icon-class ship, and seemingly all Royal Caribbean ships going forward. "We've been delighted with the elevator lobbies," he added. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Royal Caribbean wants to fix cabin entry Currently, Royal Caribbean passengers use their SeaPass card (a plastic room key) to enter their cabins. Select ships also allow people to buy special bracelets that can serve as door keys. SeaPass cards, however, are easily lost or forgotten. Many people wear them on lanyards, or carry them in a purse or wallet. It's easy to forget yours by the pool, leave it at a bar, or forget it in a machine in the casino on ships that use that system to log play. Star of the Seas will be testing a new facial recognition technology that will make it possible to use your face as your room key. "Star of the Seas will be the first cruise ship to embrace facial recognition as a way to make it easier to get to your cabin," wrote Matt Hochberg on The Royal Caribbean Blog . ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise This will be a pilot with a small number of cabins, at least at first. Royal Caribbean filed a patent on this technology in Nov. In the filing, the cruise line said it planned to use facial recognition to unlock cabins but also could be used for other functions onboard as well. Anyone who has gotten back to their cabin and realizes their key is either inside or lost somewhere on the ship will appreciate this option. That's especially true during times when Guest Services, the place where you go to get a new key, is busy. Currently, many US cruise ports use facial recognition when ships arrive instead of making people show their physical passports. Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered.Team China athletes compete during the group all-round final of rhythmic gymnastics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Aug 10, 2024. — Xinhua photo NANJING (Dec 25): Few forces have united the world as profoundly as sports throughout 2024. For China, sports not only showcased the country’s athletic excellence, but also illuminated its cultural richness and capacity for fostering global unity and friendship. Enhanced understanding Beyond igniting passion and stirring emotions, athletics emerged as a pivotal window through which the world has gained a deeper insight into China. At the Paris Olympics, a tapestry of fleeting moments demonstrated how sports can serve as a bridge for the global community to appreciate Chinese culture. Numerous Chinese athletes seamlessly integrated competitive prowess with traditional cultural elements, earning widespread acclaim on the international stage. In the group all-around artistic gymnastics final, Chinese gymnasts donned attire embellished with traditional cultural motifs, their routines themed around the Han and Tang dynasties, highlighting the distinctive allure of Chinese culture. The dynamic performance commenced with three vibrant ribbons forming the shape of the ancient Chinese zither, incorporating movements reminiscent of Chinese martial arts and drumming, culminating in China’s first gold medal in artistic gymnastics at the Paris Olympics. Team China athletes compete during the group all-round final of rhythmic gymnastics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France on Aug 10, 2024. — Xinhua photo China’s artistic swimming team also shone in Paris, securing gold in both the team and duet events. Their near-flawless routines showcased the artistic beauty inherent in Chinese culture. For instance, eight swimmers formed the oracle bone script character for “mountain” with their bodies, symbolising their ambition and resilience. In the duet competition, lotus leaf patterns on their costumes and fluid movements illustrated the aesthetics of traditional Chinese painting. At breakdancing’s Olympic debut, China’s Qi Xiangyu infused traditional martial arts elements into his routine. His smooth yet powerful movements, exuding a unique vigour, featured intricate techniques from Drunken Fist and Tai Chi. Dragon boat racing was included as a demonstration event for the second successive Olympics, displaying Chinese culture to a wider audience. Even the subtle cultural accessories worn by Chinese athletes sparked conversations among international spectators. Tennis singles champion Zheng Qinwen sported a red wristband symbolizing “good fortune,” while swimmer Zhang Yufei donned a panda headpiece on the podium after the women’s 50m freestyle final. Additionally, Deng Yawen, victorious in the women’s freestyle BMX park race, wore a classical cloud-shaped hairpin, epitomizing traditional Chinese elegance. Increasingly, more international athletes are also embracing Chinese culture. At the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in April, several drivers customized their helmets with Chinese motifs. Notably, George Russell’s helmet featured dragons and tigers alongside his Chinese name, while Alex Albon’s was adorned with a panda design. Members of foreign diplomats team are seen during a friendly football match event between foreign diplomats team and a local amateur team in Rongjiang County of southwest China’s Guizhou Province on Sept 28, 2024. –Xinhua photo Deeper friendship Sports have also embodied the inclusiveness and warmth of the Chinese people, forging friendly bonds that connect China with the world and deepen international interactions. For those seeking to experience grassroots sporting enthusiasm in China, the “Village Super League” in Rongjiang County, Guizhou, has become a must-see event. This football carnival, originating from southwest China onto the global stage, has partnered with the English Premier League and welcomed numerous global guests, including Brazilian football legend Kaka. Furthermore, it has extended its unique tournament model to Africa, fostering cross-continental sports collaboration. Dozens of overseas teams have visited to engage in football exchanges this year, with the sport’s universal appeal allowing Guizhou’s distinctive cultural heritage to be shared globally. It has endeared the place to an ever-growing number of international visitors, cultivating new friendships and mutual appreciation. Friendships have also been forged among athletes. During the Paris Olympics women’s singles badminton medal ceremony, China’s silver medalist He Bingjiao wore the emblem of the Spanish Olympic Committee on the podium in deference to her semifinal rival, Carolina Marin. Silver medalist He Bingjiao of China holds a Spanish Olympic Committee pin during the awarding ceremony after the badminton women’s singles gold medal match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France on Aug 5, 2024. — Xinhua photo The Spaniard had been forced to withdraw from the semifinals due to injury, prompting He to express heartfelt sympathy. This small yet moving gesture of warmth and respect fostered a friendly bond between the two athletes. Fifty-three years ago, interactions between Chinese and American table tennis players sowed the seeds of cross-cultural friendship. This year, over 60 Chinese and American youths participated in a table tennis summer camp in Beijing. On the training courts, these young paddlers engaged in spirited rallies, while off the courts, they explored scenic landmarks together, nurturing cross-national friendship and continuing the legacy of camaraderie. On the competitive stage, they may be rivals; off it, they are friends. This revered sporting ethos is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and exemplifies the country’s long-standing practice of fostering international exchanges through athletics. — Xinhua