gstar28 JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia's decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different — and the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. The award — and the glitzy festival itself — is a sign of Saudi Arabia's commitment to shaping a new film industry. “My heart is attached to cinema and art; I have always dreamed of a moment like this,” Dakheelallah, who still works a 9-5 job, told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “I used to work in voluntary films and help my friends in the field, but this is my first big role in a film.” The reopening of cinemas in 2018 marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that had instituted the ban 35 years before, under the influence of ultraconservative religious authorities. It has since invested heavily in a native film industry by building theaters and launching programs to support local filmmakers through grants and training. The Red Sea International Film Festival was launched just a year later, part of an attempt to expand Saudi influence into films, gaming, sports and other cultural fields. Activists have decried the investments as whitewashing the kingdom’s human rights record as it tightly controls speech and remains one of the world’s top executioners. With FIFA awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia this week, Lina al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist with the London-based rights group ALQST, said Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “has really managed to create this bubble where people only see entertainment and they don’t see the reality on the ground.” These efforts are part of Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan unveiled in 2016 to ease the economy's dependence on oil. As part of it, Saudi Arabia plans to construct 350 cinemas with over 2,500 movie screens — by this past April, across 22 cities, it already had 66 cinemas showing movies from the local film industry, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood. (The Red Sea International Film Festival attracts a host of talent from the latter industries, with Viola Davis and Priyanka Chopra Jonas also picking up awards Thursday.) The country's General Entertainment Authority last month opened Al Hisn Studios on the outskirts of Riyadh. As one of the largest such production hubs in the Middle East, it not only includes several film studios but also a production village with workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing and fashion tailoring. “These facilities, when they exist, will stimulate filmmakers,” said Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri. “Today, no writer or director has an excuse to imagine and say, ‘I cannot implement my imagination.’” The facilities are one part of the equation — the content itself is another. One of the major players in transforming Saudi filmmaking has been Telfaz11, a media company founded in 2011 that began as a YouTube channel and quickly became a trailblazer. Producing high-quality digital content such as short films, comedy sketches and series, Telfaz11 offered fresh perspectives on Saudi and regional issues. In 2020, Telfaz11 signed a partnership with Netflix to produce original content for the streaming giant. The result has been movies that demonstrate an evolution on the storytelling level, tackling topics that were once off-limits and sensitive to the public like secret nightlife in “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) and changing social norms in “Naga.” “I think we tell our stories in a very simple way, and that’s what reaches the world,” Elshehri says of the changing shift. “When you tell your story in a natural way without any affectation, it will reach every person.” But the films were not without their critics, drawing mixed reaction. Social media discoursed ranged from pleasure that Saudi film were tackling such topics to anger over how the films reflected conservative society. As Hana Al-Omair, a Saudi writer and director, points out, there are still many stories left untold. “We certainly have a long time ahead of us before we can tell the Saudi narrative as it should be,” she said, acknowledging that there are still barriers and rampant censorship. “The Goat Life,” a Malayalam-language movie about an Indian man forced to work without pay in Saudi Arabia, is not available on Netflix's platform in the country. Movies that explore political topics or LGBTQ+ stories are essentially out of the question. Even “My Driver and I,” featured at the Red Sea festival alongside 11 other Saudi feature-length films, was initially too controversial. It centers on a Sudanese man in Jeddah, living away from his own daughter, who feels responsible for the girl he drives as her parents are absent. It was initially blocked from being made because of the relationship between the girl and the driver, filmmaker Ahd Kamel has said, even though it's not a romantic relationship. Now in 2024, the film is a success story — a symbol of the Saudi film industry's evolution as well as the growing role of women like Kamel behind the camera and Dakheelallah in front of it. “I see the change in Saudi cinema, a very beautiful change and it is moving at a wonderful speed. In my opinion, we do not need to rush,” Dakheelallah said. “We need to guide the truth of the artistic movement that is happening in Saudi Arabia.” Baraa Anwer, The Associated Press

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Syrians celebrate change

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott is the quarterback of the near future for the Dallas Cowboys. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott is the quarterback of the near future for the Dallas Cowboys. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott is the quarterback of the near future for the Dallas Cowboys. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones will have to decide soon whether he feels the same about coach Mike McCarthy. Cooper Rush is making a good case to stay as Prescott’s backup. If Rush can help pull an upset in either of the final two games at Philadelphia on Sunday or home against Washington, he’ll have a winning record in three different seasons filling in for Dallas’ injured star QB. It was 1-0 in 2021 when Prescott had a calf strain, 4-1 a year later after Prescott broke a thumb in a season-opening loss and now 4-3 following a season-ending hamstring tear for the three-time Pro Bowler. Rush, who is a free agent after the season, helped keep a playoff season on track in 2022. He couldn’t do that again this season, losing the first two starts to cap a five-game losing streak that was too much for Dallas to overcome in pursuit of a fourth consecutive postseason trip for the defending NFC East champions. The Cowboys (7-8) were eliminated a few hours before kickoff against Tampa Bay on Sunday night. They won anyway, the 26-24 victory costing the Buccaneers control of their playoff fate. Rush had a career high for passing yards in a half with 226 before the break, and the defense made the big plays late when the offense couldn’t run out the clock. A week earlier, Rush threw a career-best three touchdown passes in a 30-14 victory over Carolina. “I think you’ve just seen a man take full advantage of his opportunities,” McCarthy said. “And what I love about Cooper is, you look at his performance, it’s improved every week because he’s always prepared properly. He’s an ace in the quarterback room, as far as getting ready each and every week even when he wasn’t the starter.” Last year, Dallas traded for Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick by San Francisco in 2021, to play behind Prescott and Rush and give the Cowboys another consideration for the future. There’s been plenty of talk about the Cowboys seeing what they have in a young QB who flamed out quickly with the 49ers. Lance’s contract is up after the season as well. Dallas has been steadfast in believing Rush was the best option to win now, and made winning a priority even as the playoff hopes faded. Now, it appears whatever future Lance has will be elsewhere. Like any QB, Rush would love a chance to start full time. He’s also 31 and knows a good situation when he sees one, even if the Cowboys did at one point give up on him by going with Andy Dalton as the backup in 2020. Rush returned later in that pandemic-altered season, and is about to finish an uninterrupted four-season run behind Prescott. “This is ball,” Rush said. “This is what you do. You get paid to do it. I don’t think people need much more motivation.” What’s working WR CeeDee Lamb simply won’t let an injured right shoulder sideline him this season. He has at least 100 yards receiving in the first half of the past two games and has surpassed 100 catches for the third time in his five seasons. Only two other receivers have done the latter. What needs help The Dallas run game was finally stuffed after a lengthy stretch of helping control games. McCarthy half-expected it against the usually stout rushing defense of the Bucs. The Cowboys had 31 yards rushing, their fewest in a win in almost four decades. Stock up K Brandon Aubrey had two 58-yard field goals and another from 53 against Tampa. He and Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn are in an intriguing duel for an NFL record. Aubrey has 14 field goals of at least 50 yards to 13 for Fairbairn this season. Whichever kicker finishes with more will have the record, unless they end up sharing it. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton might be better off watching the final two games as long as veteran Chuma Edoga stays healthy. They rotated early, but Guyton ended up getting just seven snaps. Guyton has been battling a variety of injuries this season. Injuries LB Eric Kendricks couldn’t go because of a calf injury, opening the door for Nick Vigil to play a season-high 69 snaps and lead the Cowboys with 10 tackles. It had been six weeks since Vigil played any defensive snaps. Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 10 — Star edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons. He would be the fifth player to do it. The other four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Next steps Rush is 9-2 as a starter against teams other than Philadelphia. He’s 0-2 against the Eagles, including a 34-6 loss in his first start after Prescott’s injury this season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement Advertisement

MIAMI — The Miami Heat on Friday set up a small trade that could have a wide-ranging impact across their roster and payroll. Reaching an agreement with the Indiana Pacers, the Heat will send out center Thomas Bryant once he is eligible to be traded Sunday. While the Heat will receive the right to swap 2031 second-round draft slots with the Pacers, the move was made to alleviate the Heat’s current position hard against the NBA’s punitive luxury tax and to also better align the roster. Bryant, 27, signed a one-year contract at the veteran minimum of $2.1 million in July at the outset of free agency to return for a second season. At the time, he waived his right to veto a trade this season. Sunday is the first day players signed in the offseason can be dealt. Beyond the savings against the luxury tax, the deal allows the Heat to better deploy their resources. Even with the Bryant deal, the Heat still have starter Bam Adebayo and reserves Kevin Love, Kel’el Ware and even Nikola Jovic to cast at center. With the open roster spot, the Heat next would be in position to convert one of their players on a two-way deal to a standard contract. Point guard Dru Smith, who currently is playing on a two-way deal, in recent games has emerged as a reliable rotation contributor. Players on two-way deals can be on the active roster for no more than 50 games over the 82-game regular season and are not playoff eligible. Should the Heat convert one of their current two-way players, it then would open such a slot for another two-way signing. Among options in that regard is summer and preseason prospect Isaiah Stevens, the point guard who is leading the G League in assists while playing for the team’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The open roster spot also could help facilitate a larger trade in which the Heat take back more players than are sent out, perhaps adding additional intrigue to the recent swirl of Jimmy Butler trade speculation. In the short term, the Heat likely are to go the maximum two weeks allowed to be at fewer than 14 players on standard contracts, saving the team further against the luxury tax. With the trade, the Heat also will create a $2.1 million trade exception. Initially signed in 2023 free agency, Bryant never quite gained traction with the Heat, held out of 10 consecutive games during a recent stretch. He now gets to play not far from his college campus, having been drafted out of Indiana University by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2017 NBA draft. The Pacers were in the market for an additional big man after losing big men Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman to season-ending Achilles injuries. ©2024 South Florida Sun Sentinel. Visit at sun-sentinel.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Ncino Q3 Earnings AssessmentNEW YORK (AP) — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Brian Thompson, 50, was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire , New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police had not yet established a motive. People are also reading... “Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said, adding that the shooting "does not appear to be a random act of violence.” Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows someone emerging from behind a parked car, pointing a gun at Thompson’s back, then firing multiple times from several feet away. The gunman continues firing, interrupted by a brief gun jam, as Thompson stumbles forward and falls to the sidewalk. He then walks past Thompson and out of the frame. “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Thompson was shot at least once in the back and once in the calf, Tisch said. The shooter, who wore a jacket, face mask and large backpack, fled through Midtown on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, police said. The assailant remained at large Wednesday afternoon, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., said in a statement. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.” Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the man pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Minutes before the shooting, he stopped at a nearby Starbucks, according to additional surveillance photos released by police on Wednesday afternoon. They offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive. The killing shook a part of New York City that's normally quiet at that hour, happening about four blocks from where tens of thousands of people were set to gather for Wednesday night’s tree lighting. Police promised extra security for the event. The hotel is also a short walk from other tourist sites, including the Museum of Modern Art and Radio City Music Hall, and is often dense with office workers and visitors on weekday mornings. Many security cameras are nearby. “We’re encouraging New Yorkers to go about their daily lives and their daily business but to be alert,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled. They were also searching Thompson's hotel room, interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues and reviewing his social media, Kenny said. Police said the e-bike that the shooter used to ride into Central Park came from the city’s bike-share program, CitiBike. A spokesperson for Lyft, which operates the program, said police had not yet contacted the company. Health care giant UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson's death. “I’m afraid that we — some of you may know we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” a company official told attendees, according to a transcript. “And as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today. ... I’m sure you’ll understand.” Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.” “This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote. Associated Press writers Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this story. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.

Support grows for Blake Lively over smear campaign claimThe arrival of the Internet thanks to Starlink has transformed social networks and media communication, after announcing that they will soon start offering the Direct to Cell service. This service will allow users to have data connection anywhere in the world, without the need to acquire an antenna and a router. PUBLICIDAD Innovation attracted millions of users to the service. Therefore, it is time to carefully examine whether the internet access provided by Starlink surpasses, equals, or is inferior in quality to the one provided by traditional fiber optic cable. PUBLICIDAD In this article, we will address the topics of speeds, latencies, and accessibility of each of the Internet alternatives. The purpose is for each person to be able to make the most appropriate decision regarding the choice of a data connection plan, whether it be short, medium, or long term. Which internet is better? The direct answer to this question is that, undoubtedly, fiber optic cable internet is superior . This does not mean it is the ideal option for all users, and we will explain the reasons why. Internet through fiber optic cable can reach, and even surpass, speeds of 1,000 Mbps (1Gbps). This figure is considerably higher than the 50-250 Mbps (0.050 - 0.250) offered by Elon Musk's Starlink service. Additionally, the latency of Starlink is significantly higher compared to that of fiber optic internet. If you usually play online or participate frequently in video calls for studying, working, or enjoying entertainment, it is not advisable to rely on the service provided by Elon Musk's company. In these situations, traditional connection is clearly superior. In addition to all this, we must consider that the costs of Starlink, which include both the installation equipment and the monthly fee, are double and sometimes even triple compared to the services of traditional telecommunications operators. Is it a bad idea to hire Starlink? At this point, it is likely that our readers are considering this question. And the truth is that is not the suggestion. It is known that Starlink is focusing on optimizing its speed and connection levels. The company provides something unique that no other telecommunications company can achieve: the ability to connect with any site in the world, no matter how far away it is. There are areas in the world where fiber optic cabling has not been installed, as the implementation of the service requires a complex installation. There is no need to envision a deprived community in a rural area of Africa. This recently happened in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile, where the projects of a telecommunications company did not reach the outskirts of the city, as they did not yet have the necessary wiring to provide the service. In such situations, Starlink is both the best and the only available alternative. Furthermore, the service installation does not require the intervention of an electronics or telecommunications specialist: Elon Musk’s company provides the antenna to install on the roof and the router to connect in the house.

Vivek Ramaswamy once compared DOGE co-chair Elon Musk to a ‘circus monkey’

( MENAFN - PR Newswire) BEIJING, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily Enterprises in Wuhan city, Central China's Hubei province, are expanding toward global markets under the Belt and Road Initiative, cultivating a large number of professionals and boosting local economic and social development. Eight years ago, YOFC, a Wuhan-based enterprise specializing in the production and sale of fiber-optics and cables, set up Yangtze Optics Africa Cable, or YOA Cable, in Durban, South Africa. Velile Mngonyama, a local production manager of YOA Cable, recalled that to start production smoothly, he and seven other colleagues, as the first group of foreign technical personnel, went to Wuhan in August 2016. There they completed a full set of training, from fiber-optic technology and equipment maintenance to production management, within a month. "When joining YOA Cable, I started from scratch, and it was the Chinese engineers at YOFC who patiently taught me how to use equipment and manage the production," he said. Today, YOFC has established eight production bases in countries involved in the BRI, with more than 50 overseas offices, serving more than 100 countries and regions. In Manila, the capital of the Philippines, a steaming bowl of hot dry noodles has become a regular on the table of Rayan Nalua, senior technical manager of the Philippine subsidiary of Wuhan FiberHome International Technologies. When he first joined the company 10 years ago, Nalua was a local technical engineer in the network operations and maintenance team. "At that time, my Chinese leaders and colleagues were very tolerant and gave me many opportunities," he said. Expanding to major cities such as Manila, Cebu and Davao, FiberHome Philippines has become an industry leader with more than 15,000 employees and launched projects across the country. Ivo, a Bulgarian employee of Wuhan-based HGTECH, an industrial tech enterprise producing laser equipment, said: "China develops rapidly, and the company innovates quickly as well. I enjoy this competitive atmosphere and want to do better." In 2012, he came to study mechanical engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and graduated with a master's degree in 2018. At the time, HGTECH was expanding into the European market and recruiting talents from home and abroad. At HGTECH, new self-developed products are emerging continuously. Initially unfamiliar with these products, Ivo took the initiative to search for information to understand the uses, performance, and advantages of the products, and how to provide solutions when issues arise. Soon after, Ivo secured his first order in Bulgaria, also HGTECH's first in the country. "Working in a high-level company requires continuous learning of new knowledge and mastering new skills," Ivo said. In Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Demeke Lule of Humanwell Pharmaceutical Ethiopia, a subsidiary of Wuhan-based Humanwell Healthcare, talked about his achievements over the past few years. "The pharmaceutical industry is a high-tech industry, and I want to learn advanced pharmaceutical knowledge to produce high-quality drugs urgently needed by Africans," Lule said. From equipment names to specific uses, from machine buttons to operating procedures, under the guidance of Chinese masters, he learned step-by-step. In 2019, Lule became the quality department's instruments head and was appointed as the executive manager of the quality department in 2022, responsible for process management, equipment maintenance, and training new employees. Meanwhile, 36-year-old Kristian Kumpumaki, a Swedish language specialist at Transn, an internet-based language services provider in Wuhan, said he hopes to bridge the gap of cultural exchange and mutual learning, allowing the world to understand the real China. In 2008, filled with curiosity and a longing for Chinese culture, he came to China. "I knew some information about China from the internet and news, and I really wanted to see what the real China was like." He first took a semester of Chinese language classes at the University of International Business and Economics. After completing his studies, he moved to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to work and continue studying Chinese. A Chinese friend once asked him to help translate a Swedish-language document, but he could not accurately translate it into Chinese. He turned to the internet, dictionaries and teachers, trying everything he could, but in the end, he only managed a rough translation. "That was my first experience with translation, far from achieving 'faithfulness, expressiveness, elegance', but it sparked my interest in translation," Kumpumaki said. He began to study translation, reading Chinese works and practicing Chinese expressions. Whenever someone asked him to help with translation, he did his best, considering it an opportunity for practice. Gradually, his translation skills improved significantly, and he could translate among Chinese, English and Swedish, even doing part-time translation work at some companies. While he did translation, Kumpumaki became more fascinated by Chinese culture and decided his career direction: to be the best possible translator. "Many foreigners do not understand the real China. I want to showcase and interpret Chinese wisdom that drives human civilization development, through my translation work, to the world." In early 2023, he joined Transn, becoming a full-time translator. Soon after, the company undertook a translation project of a well-known foreign automotive manufacturer, and Kumpumaki independently translated a part of it. "Translation in the automotive field involves many technical terms, which I was initially unfamiliar with. But my colleagues were very skilled; they taught me to understand the precise meaning of each word and how to translate more accurately," he said, adding that translating thousands of pages was very challenging, but with the help of his colleagues, he successfully completed the task. As the BRI continues to advance, the demand for multilingual translation and language services from various countries is increasing. Transn's overseas business is expanding in areas such as goods trade, service trade and e-commerce. SOURCE China Daily MENAFN17122024003732001241ID1109004982 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Laser Technology Market to Exhibit a Remarkable CAGR of 5.68% by 2028, Size, Share, Trends, Key Drivers, Demand, Opportunity Analysis and Competitive Outlook 12-04-2024 10:10 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: Data Bridge Market Research Laser technology market will reach at an estimated value of USD 17.98 billion by 2028 and grow at a CAGR of 5.68% in the forecast period of 2021 to 2028. Laser technology uses light energy by transforming the energy states of a material and it is a focused beam of photon particles. There are numerous types of lasers such as dye lasers, excimer lasers, fiber lasers, gas lasers and solid state lasers. Browse More About This Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-laser-technology-market Some of the major players operating in the laser technology market report are NeoPhotonics Corporation, Applied Laser Technology, Inc., Haas Laser Technologies, Inc., JENOPTIK AG, Lumentum Operations LLC, Laser Technology, Inc., PRIMA INDUSTRIE S.p.A., BYSTRONIC, MKS Instruments, LUMIBIRD, TRUMPF, IPG Photonics Corporation, Epilog Laser, eurolaser GmbH, Focuslight Technologies Inc., Access Laser Company, Han's Laser Technology Industry Group Co., Ltd, Novanta Inc., 600 Group PLC, Photonics Industries International. Inc., LaserStar Technologies Corporation, Coherent Inc. and Corning Incorporated among others. Competitive Landscape and Laser Technology Market Share Analysis : laser technology market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, regional presence, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies' focus related to laser technology market. Browse Trending Reports: https://dbmr064rs.blogspot.com/2024/12/frasier-syndrome-market-trends-forecast.html https://dbmr064rs.blogspot.com/2024/11/laboratory-centrifuge-market-trends.html https://dbmr064rs.blogspot.com/2024/11/frasier-syndrome-market-frasier.html https://dbmr064rs.blogspot.com/2024/12/perilymph-fistula-treatment-market.html About Data Bridge Market Research: An absolute way to predict what the future holds is to understand the current trend! Data Bridge Market Research presented itself as an unconventional and neoteric market research and consulting firm with an unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are committed to uncovering the best market opportunities and nurturing effective information for your business to thrive in the marketplace. Data Bridge strives to provide appropriate solutions to complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process. Data Bridge is a set of pure wisdom and experience that was formulated and framed in 2015 in Pune. Contact Us: - Data Bridge Market Research US: +1 614 591 3140 UK: +44 845 154 9652 APAC: +653 1251 1177 Email: - sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com This release was published on openPR.

gstar288 Lewiston-Porter has the same goal as most teams in Western New York — make it to Buffalo State. Just about everybody wants to take home some hardware and hang banners, but it takes an all-around effort and balanced attack on both fronts for teams to put some tallies in the left column and earn a spot at sectionals. Although lacking in size, Lew-Port has the ability to make up for it with their shooting talents. The Green Machine has the green light from behind the arc, netting 60 3-pointers in the first four games to jump out to 3-1 before being squashed by the Grand Island Vikings in the Niagara-Frontier League for their second loss in five games. Greydan Barnwell, Devan Barnwell and Michael Wylke led the way for the Lancers, splashing 50 of the 60 made 3s. “It’s just the offense we run and they have the greenlight to shoot it because as you can see, they're some pretty good shooters,’ head coach Patrick Krawczyk said. “We’re kind of small so we’re gonna have to rely on our shooting more than getting inside.” Devan Barnwell was responsible for 23 of the 3s, while Wylke netted 16 and Greydan Barnwell added 11. Wylke led all scorers in the first four games averaging 19 points, including 22 points versus the Lewis J. Bennett Tigers and a season-high 29 points in the following game, also against Newfane. Lewiston-Porter's Devan Barnwell (3) dribbles past CSAT's Jayden Adams at a game on Friday in Youngstown. Now, through six games, the team is 4-2 after losing to Grand Island and a win against the CSAT, upping their totals to 69 triples made and 57 field goals. Lew-Port knows it needs to tighten up in other areas of play to keep winning and keep morale up, especially before and during games. They’re utilizing a more fast-paced play style, shooting within 5-10 seconds of the shot clock and focusing on aggressive defense. Defense can win any game, but the shot won’t always be there — hence Krawczyk’s emphasis on defense. He also stressed the importance of the boys getting to the basket and getting some foul shots, but they are still a jump shooting team with the trio above in charge. The Lancers have three athletes listed 6–foot or taller, four listed at 5-foot-11, and another four athletes between 5-7 and 5-9. Devan Barnwell is 5-7, Wylke is 5-9, and Greydan Barnwell is 5-foot-11. Brian Detwiller is the tallest on the roster, standing at 6-3. “I think it's benefiting us cause we're a lot smaller of a team so shooting out from deep is a lot better for us because we get more options from it,” said Barnwell. The Barnwell’s and Wylke are dedicated to the game, opting to spend their summer mornings putting shots up rather than sleeping in, like many high schoolers do. “Those three are basketball players. That’s all they want to do is play basketball,” Krawczyk said. “We don’t get a lot of basketball players, we get people that play basketball.”

With technical prowess and considerable style, Marta danced around two sliding defenders, outwitted a goalkeeper and calmly scored as another player rushed forward in desperation to stop her. It was more Marta Magic.

Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened weekIrish MFA expresses condolences to Azerbaijan over plane crash

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In losing Sunday’s battle with the Buffalo Bills, perhaps the best team in football, Jerod Mayo won the war. Best I can tell, he’s staying put. For 2025, and maybe beyond. To his angry fan base and incredulous pockets of the New England Patriots’ media corps, remember Mayo’s future doesn’t hinge on winning this season. It’s not about what you want, or what I think. It’s about the Krafts, who hand-picked Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick four and a half years before he actually did, believing in him, and finding reasons to maintain that belief. In the eyes of someone who wants to believe, Sunday supplied enough reason. The Patriots led at halftime, then lost by three as 14-point underdogs. They became the first team since mid-October to hold the Bills under 30 points. Drake Maye outplayed the next MVP of the league for most of the game and took another step toward his destiny as a franchise quarterback, If that sounds like a low bar, that’s because it is. Such is life in Year 1 of a rebuild, a multi-year process ownership has committed to seeing through to the end with their organizational pillars now in place: Mayo, Maye and de facto GM Eliot Wolf. As frustrating as this 3-12 campaign has been, there are always nuggets of optimism amid the rubble of a losing season; particularly if you want to find them. The Krafts do, and so does Maye, who loves his head coach, by the way; calling questions about Mayo’s job security “BS.” “We’ve got his back,” Maye said post-game. Maye’s voice matters. Certainly more than any number of fans or media members. Ever since media-fueled speculation that Mayo could get canned at the end of his first season began rising, the caveat has always been the same: if, a Gillette Stadium-sized “if,” the Patriots bomb atomically down the stretch, ownership could pull the plug on Mayo. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport became the latest to join that chorus Sunday with this pregame report: “The Krafts want to keep Jerod Mayo,” he said. “They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right. Now if things go off the rails, if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season, we’ve seen this thing turn. “But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future.” Well, Mayo hasn’t lost the locker room. That’s a fact. To a man, both in public and from those I’ve spoken to in private, Patriots players believe in their head coach. Mayo might be a players’ coach, yes, in the best and worst senses. But the Patriots were a few plays away Sunday from pulling off their largest upset since Super Bowl XXXVI. “I think we’re building something good,” Maye said. The Patriots also played their best half of football this season against their toughest opponent yet. Another fact. Now, to the frustrated, I am with you. To the shocked, I understand. But to the trigger-happy, lay down your arms. Mayo, by all accounts, is returning in 2025. Alex Van Pelt, however, is another story. In the same vein that the Krafts could have viewed Sunday’s performance as a reason to save Mayo — despite his pathetic punt at midfield, down 10 with just eight and a half minutes left — they could have convinced themselves their offensive coordinator is the real problem. After all, team president Jonathan Kraft was visibly exasperated over Van Pelt’s play-calling during the Pats’ loss at Arizona a week earlier. Four days later, Van Pelt told reporters he had yet to hear from his boss. Well, that time may be coming. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter Sunday, Van Pelt called a pass that resulted in an unnecessary lateral and game-winning touchdown for Buffalo. His offense later operated like it was taking a Sunday drive with the game on the line, using up 3:16 of the final 4:19 en route to its final touchdown. Van Pelt, finally, weaponized Maye’s legs in critical situations, something that arguably should have been done weeks ago. Not to mention, Van Pelt’s top running back can’t stop fumbling, and the offensive line remains a hot mess. Call him Alex Van Fall Guy. Because Van Pelt’s offense, for the first time in a while, under-performed relative to Mayo’s defense. On merit, he deserves to stay; a case that’s harder to make for defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. But it’s not about merit this season. It’s not about what you want. It’s not about what I think. It’s about the Krafts; what they see, what they want, what they believe. Even in defeat. ____ Sent weekly directly to your inbox!The president of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society won’t seek re-election following a first term marked by infighting and low morale across the union’s operational ranks. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * The president of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society won’t seek re-election following a first term marked by infighting and low morale across the union’s operational ranks. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? The president of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society won’t seek re-election following a first term marked by infighting and low morale across the union’s operational ranks. Shortly after the final bell rang for winter break, Nathan Martindale took to social media to announce he will carry out his two-year appointment that ends in the spring and step away from labour relations after that. “After many conversations with my family and deep reflection on their needs, I have made the decision to not run for a second term as MTS president,” he wrote in a post uploaded to Facebook Friday. Martindale, a special education resource teacher in Winnipeg, has spent the last 12 years in full-time union roles. Since the turn of the century, all of his predecessors — including former presidents James Bedford, Norm Gould, Paul Olsen, Pat Isaak, Brian Ardern and Jan Speelman — have served two consecutive terms. Bedford told the he does not know details, aside from surface-level ones, but his friend and former colleague’s departure, as well as other recent high-profile exits from MTS, suggests “something’s gone badly off the rails.” Between 2011 and 2017, Martindale represented colleagues in the Winnipeg Teachers’ Association. He later joined the union’s governing board better known as “PX” — internal shorthand for the MTS provincial executive. “I have often been required to be out of town, as well as attend numerous evening and weekend obligations, all of which have taken me away from my family,” he wrote on his personal social media page. “With the ongoing needs of my family, including supporting my child with Type 1 diabetes, I know it is now time to prioritize being present for them.” “With the ongoing needs of my family, including supporting my child with Type 1 diabetes, I know it is now time to prioritize being present for them.” Martindale first assumed an interim president role on Feb. 24, 2023 — the day of Bedford’s mid-term retirement — before he won an internal election that spring. Per union bylaws, PX members are each elected to serve a two-year appointment. The president and vice-president are eligible for re-election for one additional term. Other members can serve up to three consecutive terms. Martindale was not made available for an interview on the subject. His office indicated the union leader is not taking any reporter calls over the holidays. Among many congratulatory comments and messages of thanks that users made on his post, Bedford wrote that it was an honour to work alongside Martindale. His original comment — which has since been edited — also stated, “It is unfortunate that you will likely be replaced by someone less caring, less experienced, and less dedicated to representing all members.” It was liked by a number of union representatives, including Jonathan Waite from the Seine River Teachers’ Association, PX member Sean Giesbrecht and Chris Darazsi, president of the local in the River East Transcona School Division. Lise Legal, president of the Pembina Trails Teachers’ Association, replied with a demand for Bedford’s “beyond disrespectful” sentence be deleted. The public exchange was made against the backdrop of a third-party probe into the union’s embattled headquarters on Portage Avenue. Bedford said he made the comment out of frustration that his “extraordinarily dedicated” successor is leaving and “a great team” is falling part. The union’s work environment became “highly political” during his tenure from 2019 to 2023, he added. MTS hired a consulting firm at the start of the school year raised by staff members who are in charge of servicing more than 16,600 public school teachers. Three different people have assumed the executive director role — the non-partisan counterpart to Martindale, and senior leader in charge of managing members of Teamsters Local Union 979 — over the last 13 months. Teamsters Canada spokesman Christopher Monette, who has been critical of MTS leaders for failing to provide a harassment-free work environment and viewing staff as “adversaries,” declined to weigh in on internal politics Monday. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “MTS has made efforts over the past months to address workplace concerns. While encouraging, we believe it is too early to provide a final assessment and will reserve further comments for now,” Monette said in an email. He noted that Teamsters continues to pursue outstanding grievances related to workplace issues that will be brought to an arbitrator in the new year. Martindale’s lengthy social media post touted negotiating the first provincewide collective agreement for teachers, navigating the classroom complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic and joining the Manitoba Federation of Labour as highlights during his time at MTS. He also acknowledged the union’s success in “slamming the door” on Bill 64, controversial Progressive Conservative proposed legislation that sought to eliminate Manitoba’s elected school boards in 2021. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the . Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she joined the newsroom as a reporter in 2019. . Funding for the education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the . Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the . Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she joined the newsroom as a reporter in 2019. . Funding for the education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the . Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement

Mashburn scores 18 as Temple beats Buffalo 91-71

New York Jets (4-11) at Buffalo (12-3) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL odds: Bills by 9 1/2. Series record: Bills lead 70-58. Against the spread: Jets 5-10, Bills 9-6. Last meeting: Bills beat Jets 23-20 on Oct. 14, at East Rutherford, New Jersey. Last week: Jets lost to Rams 19-9; Bills beat Patriots 24-21. Jets offense: overall (23), rush (31), pass (17), scoring (24). Jets defense: overall (4), rush (16), pass (5), scoring (16). Bills offense: overall (7), rush (9), pass (9), scoring (2). Bills defense: overall (23), rush (14), pass (25), scoring (11). Turnover differential: Jets minus-2; Bills plus-20. Jets player to watch QB Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old four-time NFL MVP is one touchdown pass from joining Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508) as the only players to throw 500 in the regular season. He’s dealing with a knee injury that he described as “a little MCL,” but insisted early in the week he’d play and was off the injury report on Friday. Rodgers could be playing in the last two games of his storied career as he’s undecided if he wants to return for a 21st year, and his future with the Jets uncertain as the team searches for a new general manager and head coach. Bills player to watch RB James Cook. The third-year player has topped 100 yards rushing in three of his past four, and scored five TDs, including one receiving, over that span. His 14 TDs rushing are tied for first in the NFL entering Thursday, and rank third on the Bills single-season list, behind Josh Allen, who scored 15 last year, and O.J. Simpson (16, 1975). Key matchup Bills pass rush vs. Jets O-line. The Bills, who rely mostly on a four-man pass rush, rank 25th in the NFL in by averaging 6.59% sacks per pass attempt. They face a veteran quarterback in Rodgers and a line that will be without starting left tackle after rookie Olu Fashanu (left foot) landed on IR this week. Max Mitchell and Carter Warren were competing this week to replace him. Key injuries Jets K Greg Zuerlein was being activated from injured reserve after missing seven games with a knee injury. ... WR Davante Adams (hip) was questionable, but optimistic about playing. ... DT Quinnen Williams sat out last week with a hamstring injury, but could return to play at Buffalo. ... CB Sauce Gardner (hamstring) was questionable, as were RT Morgan Moses (knee), S Tony Adams (ankle), CB Michael Carter II (back) and DE Haason Reddick (neck). ... The Bills are getting healthier with starting CB Rasul Douglas practicing fully after missing two games. ... Buffalo’s starting safety tandem of Damar Hamlin (rib) and Taylor Rapp (neck) were questionable after practicing on a limited basis all week after also missing the past two outings. ... Starting LB Matt Milano was off the injury report after missing last weekend with groin injury. ... Allen was listed as a full participant all week after hurting his throwing elbow and shoulder against New England. Series notes The teams have split the past two season series, with the Jets being the Bills only division rival to have beaten them once in each of the past two seasons. ... The Bills have won four straight at home since a 13-6 loss in a mean-nothing 2019 season finale in which Buffalo rested a majority of its starters after the first quarter. ... Buffalo is 16-8 in the past 24 meetings since snapping a six-game skid spanning the 2009-12 seasons. Stats and stuff The Jets are 2-8 since defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich replaced the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 on an interim basis. ... Rodgers is interception-free in seven of his past eight games, including none in each of the Jets’ past four on the road. ... Rodgers needs one TD pass to give him 25 for the season. It would be the 14th time in his 20-year career he reached the mark, tying him with Brees (14) for the third-most seasons with at least that many. Only Brady (17) and Manning (16) have more. ... Rodgers and WR Davante Adams have connected for 82 touchdowns, including the postseason, to tie Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third most in NFL history by a quarterback-wide receiver duo. ... Adams needs 72 yards receiving for his sixth 1,000-yard season. ... In nine games since being acquired from Las Vegas, Adams has 56 catches for 719 yards and six TDs. ... WR Garrett Wilson needs 13 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the third straight season to start his career. He’s six catches away from surpassing his career high of 95 set last season. ... The Jets went 99 yards on their opening possession to score a touchdown for the second straight game on their first drive after not doing so previously all season. ... New York scored nine points and had no punts in the loss to Los Angeles. The Jets joined the 1991 Colts — a 16-7 loss to the Patriots in the season opener — as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to score fewer than 10 points and not punt. ... The Jets allowed 110 net passing yards against the Rams, the third fewest they’ve given up this season and fifth time they held an opponent under 150 this season. ... The Bills are a win from clinching the AFC’s No. 2 seed entering the playoffs. ... Buffalo has 12 wins for just the seventh time in team history, and third since 2020, and in position to match the team record previously done four times (1990, 1991, 2020 and 2022). ... The Bills are 10-0 at home since a 24-22 loss to Denver on Nov. 13, 2023, and have an opportunity to finish a season without a home loss for just the second time in team history (8-0 in 1990). ... Allen’s 75 wins through his first seven NFL seasons are tied for the most with Russell Wilson. ... Allen, who threw just his sixth interception of the season last week and also has two lost fumbles, is 6-1 this season and 44-27 overall when committing turnover. ... Buffalo’s 29 TDs rushing match a single-season team record set in 2016. ... Buffalo is 4-3 this season when trailing at the half after overcoming a 14-7 deficit against New England. ... Buffalo improved to 28-22 when allowing 20 or more points since 2019. The team went a combined 12-67 when allowing that many from 2011-18. ... Buffalo forced three turnovers last week, and has a takeaway in all but one outing this season. Fantasy tip Allen might have gotten you to your championship weekend, but he could be hard-pressed to put up big numbers against the Jets. Allen is 3-2 in his past five meetings and averaging just 215 yards passing, with seven touchdowns and six interceptions while being sacked 16 times. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL The Associated Press

Road weariness preceded the holiday break for the Kings and now their rest will come to an abrupt close as they hit the ice for a rare pair of consecutive home games in which they’ll host their arch nemeses Saturday and a fellow “Expansion Six” franchise Sunday. First up, it’ll be the Edmonton Oilers, who took the crown of the hottest team in the NHL from the Kings as they vaulted from fifth to second in the Pacific Division in two and a half weeks’ time. Then, the Kings will welcome the Philadelphia Flyers, who still play on Broad Street but have been decidedly less bullyish of late, having dropped four of their past five decisions to slip back into the mushy middle of the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers most recently lost to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins by a 7-3 score, the same count that the Kings beat them by on Dec. 19 in Philly. For the Kings’ part, they wrapped up their second seven-game road trip of the season Sunday, finishing with the same 3-2-2 mark they did on their season-opening swing. They rallied for a point in Nashville and then endured a regulation defeat in Washington after what Capitals goalie Logan Thompson described as a “playoff-style game” concluded the Kings’ journey with losses on back-to-back dates. “I thought (the trip) wasn’t bad. We battled back in Nashville to get a point, which was good to get a point after coming into the third [period] down two,” defenseman Mikey Anderson told reporters. “Overall, you’re proud of the effort. All in all, it wasn’t a terrible road trip.” Phillip Danault missed that finale but participated fully in Friday’s practice, per Hockey Royalty’s Russell Morgan, who also reported that Trevor Moore and Trevor Lewis skated in red non-contact jerseys. Danault missed just one game while Moore has been out for the past five. Already missing top defender Drew Doughty, the Kings will need every healthy hand on deck this weekend. While Philly’s Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov will present challenges Sunday, Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and captain Connor McDavid entered Friday’s slate of games tied for the second-longest active scoring streak (nine games) while having the two most prolific surges. Draisaitl’s 20 points and McDavid’s 18 over the past nine games have helped the Oilers to an 8-1-0 record in those outings as part of an 11-2-0 display that’s propelled them above the Kings as well as the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers have allowed three or fewer goals in 12 of their past 13 games, falling 6-5 to the Florida Panthers in a rematch of last season’s Stanley Cup Final after their only other loss in that span came 1-0 to Pacific-topping Vegas. Both McDavid and Draisaitl have turned in a four-point performance during their active scoring sprees. Zach Hyman has returned to form, piling up 10 of his 13 goals this season in his past nine games. Former Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Ottawa, which marked his third game back from a lower-body injury. Edmonton has eliminated the Kings from three straight postseasons, with special teams taking on an outsized role, particularly last spring when the Oilers were all but automatic on the power play and were perfect on the penalty kill. The Kings entered the finale of their road trip in an 0-for-10 funk but converted on the power play for their only goal against Washington, while the Oilers have had a top-five power play since Dec. 1, cranking at a 30.8% clip with the extra man. Edmonton at Kings When: 1 p.m. Saturday Where: Crypto.com Arena How to watch: FDSNW Philadelphia at Kings When: 6 p.m. Sunday Where: Crypto.com Arena How to watch: FDSNW

Quarterback Blake Horvath had touchdown runs of 95 and 6 yards and defensive end Justin Reed sacked Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. on the game-deciding two-point conversion attempt with six seconds remaining. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Get healthier in the new year with these resources in the Williamsburg area Get healthier in the new year with these resources in the Williamsburg area James City County officer, 17-year-old injured in Christmas Eve crash James City County officer, 17-year-old injured in Christmas Eve crash Chinese student’s drone got stuck in tree near Newport News Shipbuilding, leading to Espionage Act prosecution Chinese student’s drone got stuck in tree near Newport News Shipbuilding, leading to Espionage Act prosecution Longtime Phoebus Auction Gallery to close after New Year’s Day event Longtime Phoebus Auction Gallery to close after New Year’s Day event How to dispose of natural Christmas trees in Hampton Roads How to dispose of natural Christmas trees in Hampton Roads Williamsburg leaders to prioritize funding for regional Trail757 project Williamsburg leaders to prioritize funding for regional Trail757 project ‘We’re buddies now’: William & Mary students work with dementia patients as part of new program 'We're buddies now': William & Mary students work with dementia patients as part of new program Juvenile humpback whale washes ashore on Outer Banks Juvenile humpback whale washes ashore on Outer Banks New Kent administrator’s capital improvement plan has some big ticket items New Kent administrator's capital improvement plan has some big ticket items RUSSIANS, U.S. FLY SIDE-BY-SIDE RUSSIANS, U.S. FLY SIDE-BY-SIDE Trending Nationally Body found in wheel well of plane from Chicago to Maui How Diddy and Luigi Mangione spent Christmas in Brooklyn jail Massive invasive python is freed into the Palm Beach County wilderness. Here’s why ‘Baby Driver’ actor Hudson Meek dead at 16 Pregnant woman stabbed multiple times by pizza deliverer disgruntled about tip, sheriff says

The Falcons are sticking with Kirk Cousins and may get a break thanks to a soft scheduleIn a head-scratching Truth Social post that Donald Trump may have intended as a private message to Elon Musk, the president-elect says Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has asked to meet with him. “Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago,” Trump posted on his social media platform Friday morning. “Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT” The message contains an apparent reference to the Tesla CEO’s son X Æ A-Xii, whom Musk usually refers to as X. Spokespeople for Trump and his transition team did not immediately respond when asked if the message was intended as a private correspondence with Musk, who’s become a fixture at Trump’s side. Spokespeople for Gates Ventures, the tech billionaire’s private office, also did not immediately respond when asked to confirm whether he’d requested a meeting with Trump. However, a person familiar with the talks confirmed to CNN that Gates has reached out to the Trump transition team about a possible meeting. Gates donated about $50 million to a PAC supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in last month’s election, but he congratulated Trump when he won. “I hope we can work together now to build a brighter future for everyone,” Gates wrote in his congratulatory note on social media. Gates would be the latest tech mogul to make nice with Trump. Apple’s Tim Cook and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg have both met with him, and others have collectively donated millions to Trump’s inauguration fund. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks this month at Mar-a-Lago , his private club and residence in Florida. “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Meta Gives $1 Million To Trump’s Inaugural Fund After Zuckerberg’s Mar-a-Lago Dinner Jeff Bezos Says He’s ‘Proud’ Washington Post Stopped Endorsing Presidential Candidates Donald Trump Hosts Apple CEO Tim Cook At Mar-A-Lago

Nick Kyrgios says positive tests for duo are ‘disgusting’ and ‘a horrible look’Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened weekCHICAGO , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Katten announced today that the firm advised CleanSpark Inc. on a $650 million convertible senior notes offering. Mark Wood , Partner and Co-Chair of the Capital Markets practice, led the Katten team that advised the company in connection with its offering of $650 million aggregate principal amount of 0.00% convertible senior notes due 2030. The notes were sold to the initial purchasers, led by Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. as Lead Book-Running Manager, in a private offering for resale to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). The issuance and sale of the notes closed on December 17, 2024 . In connection with the pricing of the notes, CleanSpark entered into capped call transactions with various counterparties and repurchased approximately $145 million of its common stock. ICR Capital LLC served as financial advisor to CleanSpark in connection with this offering. "We congratulate our client CleanSpark on successfully completing its first-ever 144A convertible notes offering," Wood said. "It has been a privilege to work alongside the CleanSpark team as it has led CleanSpark's growth in the bitcoin mining industry." CleanSpark is a market-leading, pure play Bitcoin miner. The company owns and operates a portfolio of mining facilities across the United States . Katten regularly advises companies within the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries, combining its regulatory expertise and deep experience in a wide range of sophisticated transactions to deliver holistic legal advice to companies in this industry. The Katten team also included Capital Markets Partners Elizabeth McNichol and Timothy Kirby , and Associates Maximillian Licona and Michael Tremeski; Financial Markets and Funds Partner Krassi Zourkova and Associate Eli Krasnow; and Transactional Tax Planning Partner Todd Hatcher and Associate Jeffrey Ng. Katten is a full-service law firm with approximately 700 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai . Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm's core areas of practice include corporate, financial markets and funds, insolvency and restructuring, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, structured finance and securitization, transactional tax planning, private credit and private wealth. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals. For more information, visit katten.com . Contact: Jacquelyn Heard +1.312.902.5450 jackie.heard@katten.com Leonor Vivanco-Prengaman +1.312.577.8371 leonor.vivanco-prengaman@katten.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/katten-advises-cleanspark-on-650-million-convertible-senior-notes-offering-302338629.html SOURCE KattenBills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined Jets

Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picksgstar28 login 。

Kobe Sanders, Nevada beat Oklahoma St. for fifth place in CharlestonThis week marks a year since the Government took power. And in that time, Winston Peters has done a phenomenal amount of globe-trotting. By the end of this week, the third-time foreign minister will have visited 38 countries – six of those countries he’s visited twice, and one of them three times (Indonesia).DSI Tyres, a leader in the tyre industry, along with its affiliated companies, has been recognized at several prestigious award ceremonies, including the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the Export Awards by the National Chamber of Exporters (NCE), and the Dragons of Asia Awards. At the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2024, regarded as Sri Lanka’s most prestigious and competitive brand recognition event, DSI Tyres received the ‘Agile Brand of the Year’ (Merit Award). This accolade was awarded for the company’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing market and social dynamics while adopting innovative and effective business strategies. DSI Tyres also achieved its first international recognition by winning the Black Dragon Award for the ‘Best Brand Building or Awareness Campaign’ at the 24th Dragons of Asia Awards, honouring their impactful marketing and communication initiatives.

Rams don't dominate, but they're rolling toward the playoffs with superb complementary football

3 fall into ocean after California wharf partially collapses due to heavy surf from major storm

Unhappy shareholders boot a record 25 directors from Dish TV board in 3 yearsSCOTT McTOMINAY has been hogging the Serie A headlines for some outstanding performances for Napoli this season. Some brilliant goals too. 3 Scott McTominay has settled in quickly to Serie A life - and even scored against his Soctland team-mate's Torino side this month Credit: Getty 3 But Che Adams scored a goal against Empoli that will take some beating Credit: Getty 3 He found the net from the halfway line six minutes after coming on as a substitute Credit: x.com/seriea_en But Scotland team-mate Che Adams might just have eclipsed the former Manchester United man this weekend. While Napoli swooped for McTominay and Billy Gilmour this summer , Che Adams made the same move to Italy , but stayed in the northern city of Turin - and joined Torino. Early in the season they had a bright start, and established a spot at the top of the Serie A table, but since then have slowly fallen down the pecking order as Antonio Conte and his Scottish double-act lead the way instead. The growing Scottish contingent in the Italian top flight began with ex-Hibs midfielder Liam Henderson , and he came face to face with his fellow countryman when Empoli met Torino this evening - but Adams came out on top. Read More Serie A stories LOVE LANGUAGE McTominay's new skill has fans saying 'I'll love you till my heart breaks' STAR COMPARISON Billy Gilmour paid ultimate compliment by Napoli fans With an absolute screamer of a strike . The forward was only on the park six minutes as a substitute but launched what turned out to be the match winner from around 45 yards. It was a sensational goal and an important one too - Torino have only won ONCE since September 20 before this evening. And after four goals in 14 games Adams is also beginning to find his feet and show signs he's settled in. Most read in Football GAME ON Scotland's World Cup qualifying fixture dates and kick-off times in full LEVEL HEAD Clement shrugs off Celtic record as Rangers boss warns against Hoops' mind games BOOKIE BASHER Jim Delahunt's Celtic v Rangers League Cup Final verdict & 12/1 weekend acca LEAVE IT OUT Rodgers makes something clear about Clement 'financially out our league' claim The effort was lauded as a 'crazy idea' by relieved fans of his new club, but it's not the first time he's tried it. Rangers can't drop Tavernier vs Celtic after Spurs heroics, insists Kris Boyd And it's not the first time it's come off either. At Southampton he scored from the halfway line against Manchester City in one of the most memorable goals of the Covid season. This time though there were fans to witness and applaud it. And more filed praise on social media after it. One wrote: "Sorry if I ever doubted you Che". Another added: "Beautiful goal, the rest was a cry. But winning mattered." A third said: "Fabulous idea from Che, splendid goal, which gives us 3 points, for a crazy idea. Goal not from open play, but that's okay." And the strike made it's way to Southampton fans too. But fans from his former side were blase about it all. One replied: "What again! (Anyone remember the city game during lockdown)" Another added: "Nothing special he basically did it against Man City ." A third Saint said: "And how many tap ins did he miss for us?" Read more on the Scottish Sun BATTY WEATHER Record-breaking snow & temps on the way for Scotland as expert issues warning GER KIDDING Tottenham fans blast ex-Spurs star as he's spotted wildly celebrating Gers goal Adams' confidence and a return to goalscoring form would be a boost for Steve Clarke who will have him in his thoughts ahead of Scotland's crucial Nations League play-off double-header with Greece in March. The boss has struggled for firepower lately with neither Adams, Lawrence Shankland nor Lyndon Dykes finding form in front of goal. Keep up to date with ALL t h e latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

Texans claim WR Diontae Johnson off waivers from RavensNeurocrine Biosciences Announces FDA Approval of CRENESSITYTM (crinecerfont), a First-in-Class Treatment for Children and Adults With Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Scorpio natives commence this week with a potent surge of ambition and courage, as indicated by the planets highlighting increased fearlessness around December 30. This energy continues to shape the days leading into the new year, making you more open to taking calculated risks, whether in personal projects or social scenarios. If you have been planning short journeys or outings, you’ll be in the right mindset to enjoy them. Just be mindful that, while you’re eager to push boundaries, external factors like finances or family obligations may require you to adjust your plans. The middle of the week, particularly the 31st and the 1st, might feel like a test of endurance. Workloads could pile up, and you might feel restless or tense if you set overly ambitious targets for yourself. Scorpios are known for their perseverance, but remember to pace your efforts to avoid burnout. By the 2nd and 3rd of January, a wave of joy and relief emerges: you may reconnect with family, enjoy domestic harmony, or find creative ways to use your courage and resourcefulness at home. As the week wraps up, you focus more on personal well-being, mindful of what truly matters: a secure sense of self, stable relationships, and feasible ambitions for 2025. Love & Relationship In love, Scorpio’s hallmark intensity may be especially pronounced as you navigate shifting emotional landscapes. Early on, you might direct more attention toward your spouse or partner, eager to share your newfound confidence and perhaps even plan a venture together. Yet, around the 30th or 31st, minor friction could arise if your single-minded focus on work or personal goals excludes your partner’s needs. Strive for open communication: a heartfelt conversation can help keep emotional connections strong. For singles, the new year transition offers opportunities to meet intriguing individuals, possibly via group gatherings or an introduction through siblings. Keep an open mind—even if someone doesn’t immediately catch your eye, an unexpected bond may flourish if given time. By the end of the week, the domestic environment stabilizes, paving the way for relaxed, uplifting moments. Show genuine interest in loved ones’ plans and ideas, and you’ll enjoy a sense of emotional security that forms a solid bedrock for the weeks ahead. Education & Career Education and career endeavors fluctuate through the week in accordance with Scorpio’s robust yet sometimes overtaxed energy. If you’re a student, the first few days may bring unstoppable drive, allowing you to dive deep into textbooks or group studies with unwavering focus. Come midweek, tension or impatience might creep in—perhaps you sense deadlines looming or fear that you won’t reach your own high standards. Take this as a sign to recalibrate your schedule; balancing intense effort with restful breaks will help you achieve the results you desire. On the professional front, Scorpios in the workforce may feel the heat to deliver more than ever. Co-workers or supervisors might turn to you for leadership, especially if a challenging project needs a capable hand. This can be a chance to showcase your tenacity, but do keep an eye on your stress levels. By the week’s close, you’ll likely see tangible rewards—be it recognition, a commendation, or simply a satisfying sense of completion. If you own a business, exploring new markets or forging strategic partnerships could pay dividends, provided you’ve done thorough research before committing. Money & Finance Financially, this week carries a nuanced forecast. Early on, you might sense average or steady flows of income, and even consider purchasing big-ticket items—perhaps delayed from earlier months. While the planets hint you can accomplish these plans, proceed with a clear idea of your budget and upcoming expenses. In the middle of the week, particularly around the 31st or 1st, a sudden spike in workload could temporarily distract you from money matters. Make sure to set aside time to handle bills, taxes, or other financial obligations. By the 2nd and 3rd of January, a familial angle emerges in your monetary outlook. Whether you receive support from parents or siblings, or find yourself allocating resources for household improvements, family finances come into focus. This can solidify relationships and create a sense of shared purpose, provided you communicate clearly about the expenses involved. As the week ends, you should see your finances balancing out, with any risks you took paying off modestly. Maintain prudence, and you’ll find sustainable growth in the weeks to follow. Health & Well-being Scorpio’s physical and emotional well-being thrives on self-awareness, a quality you’ll need to harness this week. The planets hint at restlessness and a demanding workload, which can manifest as stress, insomnia, or physical aches if left unchecked. Regular breaks, breathwork exercises, or a brief meditation at the start or end of each day help keep you grounded. You may also benefit from a moderate fitness routine, such as jogging or yoga, to channel your extra energy into healthy outlets. As you progress into the weekend, your mood brightens, aided by time spent with loved ones and the satisfaction of completed tasks. Minor dietary adjustments—such as reducing caffeine or upping water intake—can further stabilize your emotional state. Scorpios sometimes hold onto tension, so consider journaling or engaging in a heart-to-heart talk with a trusted friend or partner. By Sunday, an emerging sense of balance in health and mindset prepares you for a more structured and positive month ahead. Discover everything about astrology at the Times of India , including daily horoscopes for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces .

Amaravati, Dec 28 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh DGP Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on Saturday claimed that the overall crime rate in the state declined by 5.7 per cent, while cybercrime had risen exponentially over the last 12 months. Addressing a press conference, Rao, the head of the police force in the southern state, stated that cybercrime, crimes against property, and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases were the three categories of crime that showed an upward trend. “In the last year, we have made commendable progress without compromising on police performance. Cybercrime has increased. Major sensational crimes were successfully detected, and criminals were arrested. We have extensively used technology,” said Rao. According to the top cop, 916 cybercrime cases were registered in 2024, marking a 34 per cent increase compared to 682 cases in 2023. “We are pleased that people are coming forward with complaints, even for the smallest offences, such as harassment,” he said. “However, there is no need to worry or be anxious, as cybercrime is rising globally, including in India.” Under the category of cybercrimes, people lost Rs 1,229 crore, a 610 per cent increase compared to Rs 173 crore in 2023. Similarly, Rs 225 crore was frozen under the cybercrime category in the current year. Rao also highlighted a 3 per cent rise in ganja (marijuana) cases under the NDPS category, from 1,761 cases in 2023 to 1,819 in 2024, while crimes against property rose slightly by 0.2 per cent. Police arrested 4,851 drug smugglers, seized 52,479 kg of ganja, and busted 15 inter-state gangs, among other breakthroughs. Crimes that showed a decline included crimes against women, and children, as well as crimes against SC/ST communities, road accidents, and cheating cases. A total of 7,863 people died in road accidents last year, compared to 8,136 in 2023, reflecting a decline of 3.35 per cent. In embracing technology for policing, Rao mentioned that police deployed 1,376 drones for crowd management and law-and-order operations, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As part of smart policing, AI-assisted investigation officers in determining whether a case was suitable for appeal, helped in chargesheet vetting, provided forensic tips, and more. AI also proved valuable in traffic management, issuing real-time alerts, and enabling predictive analysis. Police used traffic congestion analytics with AI and solved some highly elusive cases, such as the recent Bhimavaram parcel murder case. Further, the DGP noted that establishing an extensive CCTV network, utilising AI for smart policing, setting up cyber police stations, and expanding the use of drones are the way forward for Andhra Pradesh police. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

By DAVID BAUDER Time magazine gave Donald Trump something it has never done for a Person of the Year designee: a lengthy fact-check of claims he made in an accompanying interview. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’ National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg The fact-check accompanies a transcript of what the president-elect told the newsmagazine’s journalists. Described as a “12 minute read,” it calls into question 15 separate statements that Trump made. It was the second time Trump earned the Time accolade; he also won in 2016, the first year he was elected president. Time editors said it wasn’t a particularly hard choice over other finalists Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate Middleton. Time said Friday that no other Person of the Year has been fact-checked in the near-century that the magazine has annually written about the figure that has had the greatest impact on the news. But it has done the same for past interviews with the likes of Joe Biden, Netanyahu and Trump. Such corrections have been a sticking point for Trump and his team in the past, most notably when ABC News did it during his only debate with Democrat Kamala Harris this fall. There was no immediate response to a request for comment on Friday. In the piece, Time called into question statements Trump made about border security, autism and the size of a crowd at one of his rallies. When the president-elect talked about the “massive” mandate he had received from voters, Time pointed out that former President Barack Obama won more electoral votes the two times he had run for president. The magazine also questioned Trump’s claim that he would do interviews with anyone who asked during the campaign, if he had the time. The candidate rejected a request to speak to CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the magazine said. “In the final months of his campaign, Trump prioritized interviews with podcasts over mainstream media,” reporters Simmone Shah and Leslie Dickstein wrote. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

On “The Alex Marlow Show” on Friday, Breitbart Editor-in-Chief and host Alex Marlow discussed January 6. Marlow noted that there have been a lot of questions about whether there was an FBI presence at the January 6 protests and said, “just note that whenever you hear people like me say that everyone was overcharged, that January 6th was way overblown and that everyone overreacted to it.” “The Alex Marlow Show,” hosted by Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow, is a weekday podcast produced by Breitbart News and Salem Podcast Network. You can subscribe to the podcast on YouTube , Rumble , Apple Podcasts , and Spotify . Follow Breitbart.tv on Twitter @BreitbartVideo

Neighbors call for closure and enforcement after triple shooting at "after-hours" bar in MilwaukeeCONWAY, Ark. (AP) — Elias Cato scored 23 points as Central Arkansas beat UNC Asheville 92-83 in double overtime on Sunday. Jordan Morris made two free throws with one second left for UNC Asheville (2-3) to force overtime tied at 71. Fletcher Abee's 3-pointer with 33 seconds left in the first overtime tied the game at 79 and led to the second extra period. Michael Evbagharu's layup gave Central Arkansas (2-4) the lead in the second OT and Cato followed with a 3-pointer as the Bears outscored the Bulldogs 21-12 to pull out the victory. Cato added nine rebounds for the Bears. Layne Taylor totaled 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals. Brayden Fagbemi pitched in with 19 points, seven assists and five steals. The Bulldogs (2-3) were led by Fletcher Abee, who recorded 27 points. UNC Asheville also got 17 points from Josh Banks. Toyaz Solomon finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Hola Prime Strengthens Leadership by Appointing Himanshu Chandel as Marketing DirectorROSEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — Republicans will start the year with at least a temporary majority in the Minnesota House after a Democrat decided not to appeal a judge's decision that he failed to establish residency in the suburban district he was elected to represent. That means Republicans will have a slim 67-66 majority in the House when the Legislature begins Jan. 14. That may not last long because Gov. Tim Walz has already scheduled a Jan. 28 special election in the Democratic-leaning district that Curtis Johnson won by 30 points in November. “While I disagree with the conclusions reached by the District Court, I recognize that whatever the decision on appeal the ultimate decision belongs to the Legislature, where it appears there is no viable pathway for me being allowed to retain my seat,” Johnson said in his resignation letter Friday. “Rather than dragging this out further, I have decided to resign now, so that a special election can be held as soon as possible.” Ramsey County Judge Leonardo Castro ruled last week that Johnson didn’t live in the Roseville-area district for the required six months ahead of the election and is therefore ineligible to serve. Johnson's Republican challenger, Paul Wikstrom, presented surveillance video and photos in court to show Johnson did not reside in the apartment he claimed as his residence. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the lack of utility hookups and regular activity at the apartment reinforced that conclusion. Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth, who is in line to become House speaker with the GOP in control, said she is pleased the judge's decision will stand. Previously, leaders of both parties had been working out a power-sharing agreement given that the chamber was expected to be divided equally 67-67. “This confirms that Republicans will have an organizational majority on day one, and we look forward to ensuring that a valid candidate represents District 40B in the upcoming legislative session,” Demuth said in a statement. Although Democrats argue that Republicans would need to have at least 68 seats to control the House. The Democrats' narrow one-vote control of the Senate — combined with Walz's veto power — will be able to stop Republicans from being able to pass laws, but the GOP could still push its agenda. Republicans will have working control of committees to advance bills to the floor, which could force Democrats from swing districts to face tough decisions on bills. And Republicans could try to launch investigations they have been seeking for a long time into the Walz administration and problems it has had limiting fraud. Demuth also questioned whether Walz has the power to set the special election so quickly even before the Legislature certifies the vacancy. If that argument prevails that would extend Republican control of the House longer, but the secretary of state's office told Minnesota Public Radio that Walz's order setting the special election is proper. Whenever the election happens, Democrats are confident they will win the seat, current House speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman said. “A prompt special election will allow the voters of District 40B to ensure that they will be represented in the Minnesota House for the bulk of the session,” Hortman said in a written statement. “We expect the district will again vote to elect a Democrat by overwhelming margins.” A pending court challenge in a different suburban district could also affect the balance of power in the House, but it appears Democrats will likely prevail in that dispute. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Brad Tabke, of Shakopee, was declared the winner by 14 votes over Republican Aaron Paul despite 20 missing ballots that were accepted but never counted and then apparently thrown away. At a hearing, his attorneys presented six of those affected voters who testified that they supported Tabke, which would be enough to preserve his win. A judge is expected to decide within the next few weeks how to proceed. The Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery's podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. “Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him,” Young wrote. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. In 1983, Woolery began an 11-year run as host of TV’s “Love Connection,” for which he coined the phrase, “We’ll be back in two minutes and two seconds,” a two-fingered signature dubbed the “2 and 2.” In 1984, he hosted TV’s “Scrabble,” simultaneously hosting two game shows on TV until 1990. “Love Connection,” which aired long before the dawn of dating apps, had a premise that featured either a single man or single woman who would watch audition tapes of three potential mates and then pick one for a date. A couple of weeks after the date, the guest would sit with Woolery in front of a studio audience and tell everybody about the date. The audience would vote on the three contestants, and if the audience agreed with the guest’s choice, “Love Connection” would offer to pay for a second date. Woolery told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2003 that his favorite set of lovebirds was a man aged 91 and a woman aged 87. "She had so much eye makeup on, she looked like a stolen Corvette. He was so old he said, ‘I remember wagon trains.’ The poor guy. She took him on a balloon ride.” Other career highlights included hosting the shows “Lingo," “Greed” and “The Chuck Woolery Show,” as well as hosting the short-lived syndicated revival of “The Dating Game” from 1998 to 2000 and an ill-fated 1991 talk show. In 1992, he played himself in two episodes of TV’s “Melrose Place.” Woolery became the subject of the Game Show Network’s first attempt at a reality show, “Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned,” which premiered in 2003. It shared the title of the pop song in 1968 by Woolery and his rock group, the Avant-Garde. It lasted six episode and was panned by critics. Woolery began his TV career at a show that has become a mainstay. Although most associated with Pat Sajak and Vanna White, “Wheel of Fortune” debuted Jan. 6, 1975, on NBC with Woolery welcoming contestants and the audience. Woolery, then 33, was trying to make it in Nashville as a singer. “Wheel of Fortune” started life as “Shopper’s Bazaar,” incorporating Hangman-style puzzles and a roulette wheel. After Woolery appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show” singing “Delta Dawn,” Merv Griffin asked him to host the new show with Susan Stafford. “I had an interview that stretched to 15, 20 minutes,” Woolery told The New York Times in 2003. “After the show, when Merv asked if I wanted to do a game show, I thought, ‘Great, a guy with a bad jacket and an equally bad mustache who doesn’t care what you have to say — that’s the guy I want to be.’” NBC initially passed, but they retooled it as “Wheel of Fortune” and got the green light. After a few years, Woolery demanded a raise to $500,000 a year, or what host Peter Marshall was making on “Hollywood Squares.” Griffin balked and replaced Woolery with weather reporter Pat Sajak. “Both Chuck and Susie did a fine job, and ‘Wheel’ did well enough on NBC, although it never approached the kind of ratings success that ‘Jeopardy!’ achieved in its heyday,” Griffin said in “Merv: Making the Good Life Last,” an autobiography from the 2000s co-written by David Bender. Woolery earned an Emmy nod as host. Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery served in the U.S. Navy before attending college. He played double bass in a folk trio, then formed the psychedelic rock duo The Avant-Garde in 1967 while working as a truck driver to support himself as a musician. The Avant-Garde, which tourbed in a refitted Cadillac hearse, had the Top 40 hit “Naturally Stoned,” with Woolery singing, “When I put my mind on you alone/I can get a good sensation/Feel like I’m naturally stoned.” After The Avant-Garde broke up, Woolery released his debut solo single “I’ve Been Wrong” in 1969 and several more singles with Columbia before transitioning to country music by the 1970s. He released two solo singles, “Forgive My Heart” and “Love Me, Love Me.” Woolery wrote or co-wrote songs for himself and everyone from Pat Boone to Tammy Wynette. On Wynette’s 1971 album “We Sure Can Love Each Other,” Woolery wrote “The Joys of Being a Woman” with lyrics including “See our baby on the swing/Hear her laugh, hear her scream.” After his TV career ended, Woolery went into podcasting. In an interview with The New York Times, he called himself a gun-rights activist and described himself as a conservative libertarian and constitutionalist. He said he hadn’t revealed his politics in liberal Hollywood for fear of retribution. He teamed up with Mark Young in 2014 for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and soon became a full supporter of Donald Trump while arguing minorities don’t need civil rights and causing a firestorm by tweeting an antisemitic comment linking Soviet Communists to Judaism. “President Obama’s popularity is a fantasy only held by him and his dwindling legion of juice-box-drinking, anxiety-dog-hugging, safe-space-hiding snowflakes,” he said. Woolery also was active online, retweeting articles from Conservative Brief, insisting Democrats were trying to install a system of Marxism and spreading headlines such as “Impeach him! Devastating photo of Joe Biden leaks.” During the early stages of the pandemic, Woolery initially accused medical professionals and Democrats of lying about the virus in an effort to hurt the economy and Trump’s chances for reelection to the presidency. “The most outrageous lies are the ones about COVID-19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, media, Democrats, our doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it,” Woolery wrote in July 2020. Trump retweeted that post to his 83 million followers. By the end of the month, nearly 4.5 million Americans had been infected with COVID-19 and more than 150,000 had died. Just days later, Woolery changed his stance, announcing his son had contracted COVID-19. “To further clarify and add perspective, COVID-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones,” Woolery posted before his account was deleted. Woolery later explained on his podcast that he never called COVID-19 “a hoax” or said “it’s not real,” just that “we’ve been lied to.” Woolery also said it was “an honor to have your president retweet what your thoughts are and think it’s important enough to do that.” In addition to his wife, Woolery is survived by his sons Michael and Sean and his daughter Melissa, Young said. Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits .

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DALLAS — The city of Dallas received hundreds of complaints last year of rental scooters being strewn around the streets when they were brought back last year. And to combat that issue, DART is launching a pilot program giving riders somewhere to leave these scooters. Several DART rail stations and bus transfer centers will now have designated scooter parking zones for riders to use. These six zones can be seen at Victory, EBJ/Union, SMU/Mockingbird stations and the CBD West Transfer Center downtown. DART said the goal of this program is to clear areas of clutter and walking hazards for riders, as well as to provide those who use the scooters somewhere to access or park them. This program will run for a few months, starting this month. “Whether people like them or not, scooters have become a popular form of transportation across our service area,” DART Vice President of Capital Design and Construction Trey Walker said in a statement. “We’re acknowledging this fact while attempting to get ahead of scooter clutter at our stations with this pilot program. We want to ensure that our transit stations remain safe, and we continue to maximize efficiency with our train and bus operations.” Each zone is specially marked and clear of walkways, platforms and paths. DART says it will work with the city to process data for rental companies, ensuring the scooters are equipped with geofencing technology to mark their locations. Two of the companies, Lime and Bird, are working with DART to place scooter locations on the GoPass app to make it easier for riders to find these scooters. The parking zones will also be monitored by DART staff to determine their effectiveness.Low-quality catheters supplied to Bengal govt hospitals at high price, probe orderedRenn fund's president Murray Stahl acquires $3,492 in stock

A voting machine firm suing Fox News now wants to probe Murdoch family trust fightIt has been a revival season for Augustana College cross country runners. For the first time since 2015, the Vikings men qualified as a team for the NCAA Division III National Championships. The senior-laden team competes in the season’s final meet on Saturday at the Lavern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. The 8K race is set for 11 a.m. CST. Fifth-year senior Emma Odle will carry the Augie banner into the 6K women’s championship at 10 a.m. looking to improve on her 70th-place finish in last year’s championship. With a Top 40 All-America finish, she could be the first female runner from Augie to earn such honors since 1998. It’s safe to say that things are turning around for the men’s program. “It’s a testament to what our seniors, in particular, and upperclassmen have done in terms of their leadership, their investments, their commitments and connections with each other,” said Chad Gunnelson, Augustana director of track & field/cross country. “What they’ve done is really helped elevate everyone’s ability to compete. People are also reading... “They all chose to buy into Coach (Kyle) Flores’s training and to really put the team first.” That showed last Saturday when the Vikings finished fifth in the always-tough Midwest Regional they hosted at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island. Led by seniors Joe Langridge, Grant Ackard, Finbar Martin, Alex Gazarek, Rock Island’s Donovan Garro, and Joe Gibbons, the Vikings earned a coveted at-large berth into this week’s championship run. They will be joined in Indiana this week by sophomores Jose Gomez and Adam Miller along with freshman Ethan Storie. The Vikings, led by captains Langridge and Garro, are ranked No. 28 in the latest national coaches poll, giving the Vikings a target to shoot for this weekend. Gunnelson noted the Vikings have run shoulder-to-shoulder with teams ranked just ahead of them and said a finish in the Top 20 would be significant. To get to that point, Gunnelson said that Flores will have the Vikings shoot for a fast start and be ahead of the pack and heavy traffic back in the field. Ahead of schedule could also describe the resurrection of the program Paul Olsen built into a national treasure. “I’m proud of the men to come in to change the culture and gravitating toward team performance and year-around training,” Gunnelson said. “The senior class is a very significant part of how this has happened. They have made the biggest difference and it’s been their leadership and investment in the program that has helped accelerate that timeline. “Without such an incredible group of young men, we aren’t able to make this jump so quickly.” Also making huge jumps in her efforts, Odle has become a threat to become just Augie’s third female cross country All-American and first since Christina Gamzer (30th) in 1998. Odle, already a track & field All-American, has made her fifth season one to remember. She set a school record with a personal best this season of 21:30.41 in winning the CCIW Championships individual title. She qualified for her second national meet with a time of 21:48.6, which was 26 seconds faster than her 70th-place time at last year’s NCAA Division III National Championships. That has her set up for this weekend as she ventures into her final 6K race as an individual advancing after spending the fall leading a young and inexperienced team. “She is an aggressive runner and she is fearless,” Gunnelson said. “The nice thing is she now has experience running at last year’s national meet and knows what to expect this year. “She has been in some extremely competitive races where she has finished high. The opportunities that she has had and what she has done with those opportunities puts her in a strong position to finish very high. Top 20 or 25 is going to be a great place, but realistically, the goal is to be an All-American.” Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! sports writer/golf editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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Before Sunday's slate of games, the New York Jets possessed the seventh overall pick in the 2025 draft. After a week of crazy finishes, the Jets walk out with...the seventh overall pick in the draft. Week 12 of the NFL season did little to help the Jets in any major way as they try and secure a top draft pick to improve their chances of either taking a quarterback, or a top player in 2025. There is good news, though! By Tony Fisher With the Tennesse Titans pulling off an upset win over the Houston Texans, and the Carolina Panthers fighting the Kansas City Chiefs to the bitter end, two teams that have higher current picks than the Jets are clearly playing good football down the stretch. Related: Source Off! Conflicting Reports Show Confusion In Jets Leadership If the Titans and Panthers were able to win some additional games over the next few weeks, it could catapult the Jets into the driver's seat for a top-five selection with further chances of improving their draft stock as well. New York also has a date upcoming against the two-win Jaguars who are currently slated to have the top overall pick this year in December. If the Jets lose to Jacksonville, it could get them inside the top five and within striking distance for a quarterback. The path is obviously there for the Jets to get a top player from the 2025 class. Pick a name; Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and Miami QB Cam Ward can be one of many considerations. But the general goal? That much should be clear to this point. As of now, though, Week 12 didn't help them as much as it could have. And it leaves New York needing help from other teams down the stretch. Related: Rodgers 'Keeping Injury Secrets' from Rudderless Jets?Magnus Carlsen says D Gukesh is no longer a favourite against Ding Liren in World Chess Championship 2024

Helping to drown out the noiseMoove Partners Waymo to Launch Groundbreaking Autonomous Fleet CollaborationThe Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit group working to secure the release of all cannabis prisoners, called on President Joseph Biden this week to use his clemency powers to free thousands of individuals incarcerated for federal marijuana-related offenses that are now legal in many states. The group noted that the president on Monday pardoned two turkeys in an annual Thanksgiving tradition and urged him to “#PardonPeopleNotPoultry.” Members of Congress and justice advocates including the nonprofit group Last Prisoner Project are ... [+] calling on President Biden to release those in prison for marijuana-related offenses. Two years ago, Biden issued a mass pardon for thousands of Americans convicted of federal offenses for simple cannabis possession. He expanded the clemency late last year to include thousands more convicted of use and possession of marijuana on federal lands and the District of Columbia. In a statement, Biden said the pardons reflects his position that “no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana.” “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana,” he added, according to an October 2022 report from the Associated Press. “It’s time that we right these wrongs.” Despite these actions, the Last Prisoner Project (LPP) notes in a statement that Biden “has yet to release a single person still incarcerated for cannabis through commutation.” Although the pardons granted relief to thousands of people with a conviction on their records, the president’s clemency actions did not address the approximately 3,000 individuals serving time in federal prisons for cannabis related offenses. Less Than 2% Of Clemency Petitions Approved Sarah Gersten, LPP executive director and general counsel, notes in an email that the Biden administration has granted only 1.6% of the clemency petitions submitted during his presidency, according to a report from Axios, the worst in modern presidential history. Additionally, 84% of voters support the release of those incarcerated for offenses that have since been legalized, according to a 2020 ACLU study . 60+ Early Black Friday Deals Worth Shopping Right Now 10 Unofficial Hoka Black Friday Sales You Don’t Want To Miss “If President Biden truly wants to leave a positive legacy on social and racial justice it is imperative that he use the tools afforded to him by the executive clemency power to reform our criminal justice system and release the nearly 3,000 federal cannabis prisoners,” Geller writes. Members Of Congress Call On Biden To Grant Clemency To Cannabis Prisoners Last week, LPP representatives joined members of Congress, justice advocates, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with an open letter to the president. The letter called on Biden to “use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges.” The letter asked the president to issue pardons for those still in federal prison for cannabis offenses before his term ends in January. “We urge you to use your executive clemency power to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration,” more than 50 lawmakers wrote in the letter, according to a statement from LPP. Last Prisoner Project is urging President Biden to Pardon People, Not Poultry “While cannabis is now legal in Minnesota and many states across America, thousands remain behind bars in federal prisons for the same substance – a reminder of the work still ahead,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, said on the Capitol steps on November 20. “President Biden still has time to build on his initial pardons and take decisive action. He can extend clemency to every person still serving time for federal cannabis offenses, many of whom have already spent decades behind bars. In Minnesota, we've shown that cannabis legalization and expungement can move hand in hand. Now it's time for federal action to match this progress.” LPP is urging supporters to send a letter to the White House urging President Biden to prioritize granting clemency to those Americans with unjust cannabis sentences over a turkey this Thanksgiving by visiting PeopleNotPoultry.com .

No. 23 Texas A&M aims to hand Oregon first loss at Players EraBy MEAD GRUVER and AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge’s order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.

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Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgenderPresident-elect Donald Trump said Monday that he would impose tariffs on all products coming into the United States from Canada, Mexico and China on his first day in office, a move that would scramble global supply chains and impose heavy costs on companies that rely on doing business with some of the world’s largest economies. In a post on Truth Social, Trump mentioned a caravan of migrants making its way to the United States from Mexico, and said he would use an executive order to levy a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico until drugs and migrants stopped coming over the border.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took a swipe Wednesday at President-elect Donald Trump's embattled choice to succeed him at the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth , who has called for ending the role of women in combat. Austin, in one of his final public addresses, told cadets at West Point that throughout his 40-year military career, the women he has seen in combat have been "incredibly" capable, competent and brave. "So look, if I get a little fired up about this, it’s just because this isn’t 1950. It isn’t 1948," Austin said in a speech at his alma mater, referencing the year that President Harry Truman desegregated the military. "It is 2024." More: Shaking up the Pentagon? A look at Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host Trump picked as Defense secretary Barring women from combat, a ban that was lifted in 2016 , would make the military smaller and weaker, Austin said. Women make up about 17% of the military's ranks. They have fought and died in America's recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team. "So," Austin said, "enough already." More: Just 10 years ago, women were banned from combat. Now, they're on the front lines, climbing the ranks. Hegseth, a decorated combat veteran, has said women have no place on the battlefield, alleging that it "hasn't made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated." Hegseth's nomination appeared to be floundering Wednesday as he sought support from senators on Capitol Hill. He faced growing skepticism after reports have surfaced about his alleged alcohol abuse and treatment of women. Hegseth has vowed to go after "woke" policies at the Pentagon. A 1975 graduate of West Point, Austin urged cadets to follow the academy's timeless values during periods of upheaval. "Times change," Austin said. "But the values of West Point do not change. Duty, honor, country: thosevalues will always steer you home."

Modern technologies are developing in all areas of our lives, and reproductive technologies are no exception. Today, ovulation can be determined in various ways – by symptoms, based on ultrasound, and by an increase in certain hormones. Each of these methods has its pros and cons. For example, determining ovulation by ultrasound is quite accurate, but you will need to visit a doctor every day, which is not convenient for everyone. Symptoms may not appear in everyone. But in the modern world, there is also an excellent way to determine ovulation – these are ovulation tests that can be done at home. The issue of determining ovulation and how it occurs is very important in medicine, so technologies are constantly developing there. In this article, we will talk about two modern technologies – ovulation tests and the world’s first recording of ovulation in real-time. Why do we need to know when we ovulate? It is actually very important to determine what the chances are of conceiving a child in a natural cycle. We need to answer the basic questions – is there ovulation at all and on what day does it occur. Knowing the day of ovulation with the help of an ovulation tracker is necessary to calculate the optimal moment for natural conception and in many types of infertility treatment. It is possible to reliably determine the day of ovulation in a clinical setting. However, modern express diagnostic technologies allow you to get the necessary information before visiting a doctor at home. And, as indicated on the packaging of popular tests, with an accuracy of up to 99% and even higher. The principle of the ovulation test is the determination of luteinizing hormone in a woman’s urine. In every woman’s body, this hormone is present in small quantities. But only before ovulation and directly at the moment of ovulation, the level of LH increases several times. The hormone reaches its maximum 36 hours before ovulation. Unlike a pregnancy test, you can determine the approaching ovulation not by the level of LH concentration in your urine, but also in your saliva. An ovulation test will help you choose the most favorable time to conceive a child and plan your pregnancy. The length of your full menstrual cycle minus 17 is the method for figuring out when to use an ovulation test. Your menstrual cycle, for instance, lasts 28 days, starting on the first day of your period in one month and ending on the first day of your period in another. Therefore, 11 is obtained by subtracting 17 from 28. This implies that on the eleventh day following the onset of your first bleeding, you can begin performing an ovulation test. Refraining from eating or drinking any liquids 4 hours before taking the test is advisable. In recent years, researchers have performed a remarkable feat — for the first time ever, they have managed to document the mechanisms of ovulation on video. The observation was however done using mouse follicles. The study revealed three main ovulation processes: In the final phase, the egg gets into the fallopian tube. It expands because of the secretion of hyaluronic acid in its structure. The element of the follicle volume is added by hyaluronic acid while the contraction is facilitated by the smooth muscles. Thus, dozens of scientific works have revealed that the inhibition of these processes contributes to the suppression of ovulation. The second phase is characterized by the disintegration of the follicle, and the third phase by the release of the mature egg. After ovulation, the follicle turns into a corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. It is this hormone that prepares the uterus for possible implantation of the embryo. If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum disappears after 14 days and a new menstrual cycle begins. It is important that the ovulation process is regulated by external stimuli, but occurs autonomously since all the necessary mechanisms are embedded in the follicle itself. The new technique allows us to study ovulation with high accuracy. What does this mean for us? It means that new prospects for research in the field of reproductive medicine and infertility treatment will soon be found. Modern technologies are revolutionizing ovulation diagnostics, offering more accessible and accurate methods for identifying fertile periods. This progress not only aids family planning but also contributes significantly to reproductive medicine and infertility treatment.EAST LANSING, Mich. — The sight was a common one for Andrew Kolpacki. For many a Sunday, he would watch NFL games on TV and see quarterbacks putting their hands on their helmets, desperately trying to hear the play call from the sideline or booth as tens of thousands of fans screamed at the tops of their lungs. When the NCAA's playing rules oversight committee this past spring approved the use of coach-to-player helmet communications in games for the 2024 season, Kolpacki, Michigan State's head football equipment manager, knew the Spartans' QBs and linebackers were going to have a problem. "There had to be some sort of solution," he said. As it turns out, there was. And it was right across the street. Kolpacki reached out to Tamara Reid Bush, a mechanical engineering professor who not only heads the school's Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory but also is a football season ticket-holder. Kolpacki "showed me some photos and said that other teams had just put duct tape inside the (earhole), and he asked me, 'Do you think we can do anything better than duct tape,?" Bush said. "And I said, 'Oh, absolutely.'" Bush and Rylie DuBois, a sophomore biosystems engineering major and undergraduate research assistant at the lab, set out to produce earhole inserts made from polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic, using a 3D printer. Part of the challenge was accounting for the earhole sizes and shapes that vary depending on helmet style. Once the season got underway with a Friday night home game against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, the helmets of starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and linebacker Jordan Turner were outfitted with the inserts, which helped mitigate crowd noise. DuBois attended the game, sitting in the student section. "I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment and pride," DuBois said. "And I told all my friends around me about how I designed what they were wearing on the field." All told, Bush and DuBois have produced around 180 sets of the inserts, a number that grew in part due to the variety of helmet designs and colors that are available to be worn by Spartan players any given Saturday. Plus, the engineering folks have been fine-tuning their design throughout the season. Dozens of Bowl Subdivision programs are doing something similar. In many cases, they're getting 3D-printed earhole covers from XO Armor Technologies, which provides on-site, on-demand 3D printing of athletic wearables. The Auburn, Alabama-based company has donated its version of the earhole covers to the equipment managers of programs ranging from Georgia and Clemson to Boise State and Arizona State in the hope the schools would consider doing business with XO Armor in the future, said Jeff Klosterman, vice president of business development. XO Armor first was approached by the Houston Texans at the end of last season about creating something to assist quarterback C.J. Stroud in better hearing play calls delivered to his helmet during road games. XO Armor worked on a solution and had completed one when it received another inquiry: Ohio State, which had heard Michigan State was moving forward with helmet inserts, wondered if XO Armor had anything in the works. "We kind of just did this as a one-off favor to the Texans and honestly didn't forecast it becoming our viral moment in college football," Klosterman said. "We've now got about 60 teams across college football and the NFL wearing our sound-deadening earhole covers every weekend." The rules state that only one player for each team is permitted to be in communication with coaches while on the field. For the Spartans, it's typically Chiles on offense and Turner on defense. Turner prefers to have an insert in both earholes, but Chiles has asked that the insert be used in only one on his helmet. Chiles "likes to be able to feel like he has some sort of outward exposure," Kolpacki said. Exposure is something the sophomore signal-caller from Long Beach, California, had in away games against Michigan and Oregon this season. Michigan Stadium welcomed 110,000-plus fans for the Oct. 26 matchup between the in-state rivals. And while just under 60,000 packed Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for the Ducks' 31-10 win over Michigan State three weeks earlier, it was plenty loud. "The Big Ten has some pretty impressive venues," Kolpacki said. "It can be just deafening," he said. "That's what those fans are there for is to create havoc and make it difficult for coaches to get a play call off." Something that is a bit easier to handle thanks to Bush and her team. She called the inserts a "win-win-win" for everyone. "It's exciting for me to work with athletics and the football team," she said. "I think it's really exciting for our students as well to take what they've learned and develop and design something and see it being used and executed."

Trump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the PentagonDolphins coach Mike McDaniel says he was surprised by reports of Shaq Barrett's unretirement planInternational Flavors & Fragrances Inc. stock rises Monday, still underperforms market

By MEAD GRUVER and AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge’s order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.Pro-democracy Group Lauds Tinubu’s Efforts On Economy, Security

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Indeed it did. Democrat Adam Gray's come-from-behind victory over Republican Rep. John Duarte in a Central Valley farm-belt district Tuesday — the final House contest decided this year — gave Democrats their third pick-up of a GOP-held seat in the state, a small victory in a tough year for Democrats nationally. While Democratic wins narrowed the gap in the House, Republicans held their ground in two other toss-up contests that helped the GOP defend its fragile majority in Washington. Republicans won 220 House seats this election cycle , with Democrats holding 215 seats. Despite falling short of a majority, Democrats stressed that the party will gain seats next year, leaving the chamber even more closely divided. “Netting three seats was a very big deal,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, who lives in Redlands, east of Los Angeles, said in Washington. Democratic enthusiasm was tempered, however, by turnout figures that lagged the 2020 presidential election in the heavily Democratic state, even with Kamala Harris leading the Democratic ticket in her home state. Also, Republicans made incremental gains in the state Legislature. Voters overwhelmingly endorsed a ballot proposal that makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders again and increases penalties for some drug charges amid frustration over retail crimes, a proposal opposed by some Democrats. The election showed Democrats will need to pay closer attention to issues like crime and the cost of living, even in a state where the party holds every statewide office and dominates the Legislature and congressional delegation, Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney said. In the House, Democrats “were hoping that California would push them over the top to gain a majority. But their gains elsewhere were not strong enough,” Pitney added, pointing to GOP wins in North Carolina. Gray won by a margin of less than 200 votes, with election officials reporting Tuesday all ballots had been counted. Duarte captured the seat in 2022 when he defeated Gray by one of the closest margins in the country, 564 votes. He was often listed among the most vulnerable House Republicans given that narrow margin of victory in a district with a Democratic tilt — about 11 points over registered Republicans. Gray said in a statement: “We always knew that this race would be as close as they come, and we’re expecting a photo finish this year, too.” In other Democratic House gains, first-time candidate Derek Tran ousted Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in a Southern California district anchored in Orange County, while Democrat George Whitesides toppled Republican Rep. Mike Garcia is a district north of Los Angeles. In a district east of Los Angeles, Republican Rep. Ken Calvert again held off Democrat Will Rollins in a repeat of their 2022 contest. And Republican Rep. David Valadao kept his grip on a farm-belt seat, despite its heavy Democratic registration edge. The outcome will leave Republicans with nine of the state's 52 U.S. House seats next year. Although California is often seen as a liberal monolith, a string of House districts has proved volatile in recent elections, spotlighting their importance to both parties. Democrats snatched seven seats from Republicans in 2018, then Republicans seized four from Democrats in 2020. In the 2022 elections, Republicans gained one seat, from 11 to 12, while Democrats dropped to 40 seats from 42, after California lost a House seat in reapportionment after the 2020 census. Overall, the state dropped to 52 districts from 53. The state played a pivotal role in securing the gavel for Republicans in 2022 and installing Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield as speaker .

Patriots' coaches enter bye week confident Drake Maye can be a franchise quarterbackAs the investigation unfolds, South Korea faces a critical moment in its history, where the very foundations of democracy and the rule of law are being put to the test. The outcome of the probe will not only determine the fate of President Yoon Suk-yeol but also shape the country's future trajectory and reputation on the global stage.

The film follows the intertwined lives of four brothers – Liang, Wei, Zhang, and Chen – who are bound together by blood and loyalty in the tumultuous underworld of Hong Kong's criminal underworld. As the narrative unfolds, we witness the rise and fall of these four characters, each with their own ambitions, secrets, and betrayals. The linear structure of the film allows us to see how their paths intersect and diverge, leading to a series of shocking twists and turns that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Due to a steady rain Wednesday, no dirt was overturned during a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on International Leadership Texas' new Aggieland High School. It was still an exciting day for those who gathered, including IL Texas founder Eddie Conger and Aggieland High School principal Linda Lang. “The road to our new building hasn’t always been the smoothest,” Lang said during the ceremony held in the gym on the IL Texas College Station K-8 campus. “I have loved our home in the former police department building over the last three years but I cannot wait for our new facility to be built and for us to have a new home.” Members of the Aggieland High School JROTC presented the colors for the national anthem performed by the Aggieland High School band. There were also performances from the College Station K-8 campus orchestra, K-8 band and the second through fifth grade choir. “It’s exciting to be able to have a new high school finally,” Conger said. “The kids are looking forward to it; IL Texas is looking forward to it so that we have a permanent structure for our high school students.” The city of College Station was represented by assistant police chief Michael Pavelka, Chief Billy Couch and Mayor John Nichols. “We are really pleased to be a partner with ILT,” Nichols said during the ceremony. “The current high school is our former police station so we are pleased we had a facility available and we could work out an arrangement so that not only (the school) could use it for the first couple of years but we could extend the lease on that building through the time it takes to build the new building.” Among the honored guests was former Texas A&M football player Hugh McElroy, a College Station K-8 campus staff member, and Gen. (Ret.) Joe Ramirez, the outgoing Texas A&M vice president of student affairs. Ramirez has an IL Texas school named in his honor in Cleveland, Texas. The state representative-elects for the area, Trey Wharton and Paul Dyson, were invited to attend but were unable to make it because they were going through orientation at the capitol in Austin. “It’s so good to see everyone here in spite of the rain today,” IL Texas Executive Director of Government Relations Victor Carrillo said. “We had to make a few changes.” IL Texas Aggieland High School opened in the fall of 2019 when ninth grade was added to the College Station K-8 campus on Longmire Road. There were 40 ninth graders that first year. In the fall of 2020, the school added 10th grade and for a few months the ninth and 10th grade students had to make do with using K-2 classrooms with small chairs and desks. “This has been a long time coming,” Lang said following the ceremony. “I know the students are really excited to get a bigger building and a building that’s our own.” In January 2021 the high school took up residence in the old College Station police station on Texas Avenue South near Cy Miller Park and Bee Creek. Aggieland High School students will remain at the old police station until the new school is completed. “We are pleased to welcome a new high school building in College Station,” Nichols said. “We are looking forward to seeing it as it's going up and when it’s completed.” Aggieland High School's new location will be just south of the College Station K-8 campus on Longmire Road. It will be built in two phases. The first phase will be a two-story building of 72,489 square feet that will include space for administration, classrooms, an air rifle range, media center, fine arts room, food service as well as a field complex containing a soccer field and a baseball field. The first phase is set to start work in February with completion planned for January 2026. Phase two is planned to be completed sometime during the 2026-27 school year. “Having more specific spaces and labs for our students is something we’re looking forward to,” Lang said. “We’ll have specific CTE or career tech classrooms for our computer science, our audio-video classes.” Phase two will be 54,653 square feet and will include athletics space, a gym, a stage and fine arts area as well as more classrooms. “Right now we have almost everything for our students but we are missing things like a dance space, a gym,” Lang said. “We have a multipurpose room right now which our coaches do an amazing job making it work but it will be nice to have an actual gym.” IL Texas is a free public charter school with 25 physical campuses in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Cleveland and College Station areas. It was started in the fall of 2012 by Conger, an Aggie from the Class of 1981 and a former member of the United States Marine Corps. Conger saw a need for a school that would prepare students for success on the international stage. “I spent 20 years in the Marine Corps traveling around the world and it was in that service that I saw other officers from other countries speak other languages,” Conger said. “We in Texas and as Americans we do not really learn other languages. Our mission is to prepare kids for exceptional leadership roles in the international community by emphasizing servant leadership, mastering English, Spanish and Chinese and strengthening the mind, the body and the character.” The school follows the state standards like any other public school. It differs from other public schools in that it has eight core curriculum areas: math, science, social studies, English/language arts, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, physical fitness and leadership. “We have space at Aggieland and it’s an amazing opportunity for students. We’ve had students get to travel the world, travel across the United States,” Lang said. “This is a great place where students have a place to belong but also excel. We have space available and we are more than happy to welcome students in.” More information on Aggieland High School can be found at aggielandhs.iltexas.org .Alibaba's quick response to the incident was crucial in addressing any potential customer fears and maintaining confidence in the reliability of its cloud services. Through official statements and updates on the situation, Alibaba emphasized that the fire was contained and extinguished promptly by the on-site emergency response teams. The company also stated that no customer data or services were impacted by the incident, thanks to robust backup systems and contingency plans in place.

NATO chief discusses ‘global security’ with TrumpMeals on Wheels of Hillsborough County is spreading joy and warm wishes to the 1,200 older adults it serves. Meals on Wheels' mission is to meet the social and nutritional needs of older adults in the community. The organization said many look forward to seeing its volunteers year-round, but the holiday gift program helps spread some extra holiday spirit for those who need it. "The holiday gift program supports our nutritional program," said Zach Paone, director of development for Meals on Wheels. "We are already providing nutritional meals for folks, but what so many people we're seeing out there rely on is that person-to-person contact of the delivery driver." Anyone interested in helping out with Meals on Wheels' mission can find more information on its website .Are you ready to meet the most stunning and captivating character in the latest update of the popular game "Desolate Zone Zero"? Look no further, because the S-Class Super Handsome Male Character PV is here to sweep you off your feet with his unparalleled charm and charisma. And the best part? You can claim him for free by logging into the new version of the game!

The implications of these accusations go far beyond the football pitch, as they also raise questions about the integrity and transparency of the sport as a whole. Fans of Manchester City, as well as football enthusiasts around the world, are left wondering how such a successful and high-profile club could find itself embroiled in such a scandal.Elon Musk has shared a baseless conspiracy theory about comedian Ellen DeGeneres ’s decision to move to the United Kingdom with her wife . The billionaire , who is set to head Donald Trump ’s newly-created Department of Government Efficiency , shared a post on Thursday suggesting DeGeneres left the US “after the election” due to her past affiliation with Sean ‘ Diddy ’ Combs. A resurfaced 2016 X, then-Twitter, post from DeGeneres sparked baseless theories on the platform. “’Happy birthday, P Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean Combs, or as I call him, Cuddle McSnugglestuff,” DeGeneres’s post read. “You don’t need to know why. @iamdiddy.” A user shared a screenshot of her post, commenting: “It makes sense why she fled the country after the election.” Musk then re-shared it, adding the eyebrow-raised emoji. Combs was arrested in September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges . Federal prosecutors allege that Combs and his associates threatened, abused and coerced women and others around him “to fulfill his sexual desires” – which allegedly included forcing victims into engaging in recorded sexual activity which he referred to as “Freak Offs.” Musk’s post comes after reports that DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi moved to the United Kingdom. While rumors have spread that the duo left due to Trump’s electoral victory, the couple actually purchased the Cotswolds house in October – well before Election Day. An unnamed source with knowledge of their move told The Daily Mail this week that DeGeneres and Rossi planned to move leave before the election — but are glad to be getting away in the wake of Trump’s victory. “As things panned out with Trump winning, she is glad she is making the move and going to be away from the US,” the source said. The Independent has contacted DeGeneres’s representative for comment. The billionaire’s post about DeGeneres came after a tiff with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on X. “Just learned tonight at Mar-a-Lago that Jeff Bezos was telling everyone that @realDonaldTrump would lose for sure, so they should sell all their Tesla and SpaceX stock,” Musk posted early Thursday morning. Bezos was quick to reply : “Nope. 100% not true.” “Well, then, I stand corrected,” Musk responded, along with a laughing emoji. Musk isn’t the first in Trump’s orbit to spread baseless claims about Combs. Donald Trump Jr . previously peddled an unfounded conspiracy theory suggesting that Combs was arrested so celebrities who were affiliated with him would endorse his father’s opponent, Kamala Harris . “We’re seeing unprecedented amounts of pay-for-play again,” Trump Jr. said earlier this month. “Again, none of this is organic. It’s a paid influencer operation. Know that. The celebrities who aren’t getting paid are getting probably paid in another way because they’re either on an Epstein list or a Diddy party list or both.” Trump Jr. presented no concrete evidence to support this claim or to tie any celebrities to Combs. Further, many of the celebrities who endorsed Harris were signaling support for Biden and Democratic candidates long before Combs was arrested.

As the Champions League group stage draws ever closer, football fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the excitement and drama that the competition never fails to deliver. With the supercomputer's predictions placing Liverpool at the top of their group and Manchester City and Real Madrid advancing to the playoffs, it sets the stage for an exhilarating and unpredictable journey towards the crowning of the next Champions League winner. Fans will be on the edge of their seats as they witness the unfolding drama and spectacle of Europe's premier club competition.

AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:48 p.m. EST

gstar28 casino login A US judge ruled on Friday in favor of Meta Platforms' WhatsApp in a lawsuit accusing Israel's NSO Group of exploiting a bug in the messaging app to install spy software allowing unauthorized surveillance. US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, granted a motion by WhatsApp and found NSO liable for hacking and breach of contract. The case will now proceed to a trial only on the issue of damages, Hamilton said. NSO Group did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, according to Reuters. Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said the ruling is a win for privacy. "We spent five years presenting our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies could not hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their unlawful actions," Cathcart said in a social media post. "Surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated." Cybersecurity experts welcomed the judgment. John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher with Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab — which first brought to light NSO’s Pegasus spyware in 2016 — called the judgment a landmark ruling with “huge implications for the spyware industry.” “The entire industry has hidden behind the claim that whatever their customers do with their hacking tools, it's not their responsibility,” he said in an instant message. “Today's ruling makes it clear that NSO Group is in fact responsible for breaking numerous laws.” WhatsApp in 2019 sued NSO seeking an injunction and damages, accusing it of accessing WhatsApp servers without permission six months earlier to install the Pegasus software on victims' mobile devices. The lawsuit alleged the intrusion allowed the surveillance of 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists and dissidents. NSO had argued that Pegasus helps law enforcement and intelligence agencies fight crime and protect national security and that its technology is intended to help catch terrorists, pedophiles and hardened criminals. NSO appealed a trial judge's 2020 refusal to award it "conduct-based immunity," a common law doctrine protecting foreign officials acting in their official capacity. Upholding that ruling in 2021, the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals called it an "easy case" because NSO's mere licensing of Pegasus and offering technical support did not shield it from liability under a federal law called the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which took precedence over common law. The US Supreme Court last year turned away NSO's appeal of the lower court's decision, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.

TAMPA, Fla. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Partsol is proud to announce a significant agreement with the United States Army for a technology-enabled service subscription powered by our proprietary Cognitive AI and Absolute Truth algorithms. This partnership represents a pivotal step in advancing precision, efficiency, and actionable insights for mission-critical operations. "Our Cognitive AI and Absolute Truth algorithms are designed to deliver unparalleled precision and confidence in decision-making," said Dr. Darryl Williams , CEO of Partsol. "This collaboration underscores our commitment to supporting national security with innovative, reliable technology." Partsol's technology-enabled service subscription leverages cutting-edge Cognitive AI to analyze complex datasets, provide actionable insights in real time, and enhance operational readiness. "This agreement highlights the transformative power of Partsol's solutions to address the most complex challenges with clarity and precision," said John Callahan , President of Partsol. "We are honored to support the U.S. Army in achieving its mission-critical objectives." About Partsol Partsol, a Partnership Solutions International company, is dedicated to advancing Cognitive AI. Leveraging its proprietary Absolute Truth algorithms, Partsol equips organizations with precise, predictive insights that empower confident, data-informed decisions. To learn more, visit Partsol.com or connect with Partsol on LinkedIn. Contact Teresa Salinas Marketing Director teresa.salinas@partsol.com 400 N. Ashley Drive, Ste. 300, Tampa, FL View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/partsol-secures-technology-enabled-service-subscription-with-the-us-army-302316978.html SOURCE PartsolNoneJoe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion

Scientists develop coating for enhanced thermal imaging through hot windowsPilates Equipment Market: 37% of Growth to Originate from North America, with AI Redefining the Market Landscape - Technavio

People determined to spread toxic messages online have taken to masking their words to bypass automated moderation filters. A user might replace letters with numbers or symbols, for example, writing “Y0u’re st00pid” instead of “You’re stupid”. Another tactic involves combining words, such as “IdiotFace”. Doing this masks the harmful intent from systems that look for individual toxic words. Similarly, harmful terms can be altered with spaces or additional characters, such as “h a t e ” or “h@te”, effectively slipping through keyword-based filters. While the intent remains harmful, traditional moderation tools often overlook such messages. This leaves users — particularly vulnerable groups — exposed to their negative impact. To address this, we have developed a novel pre-processing technique designed to help moderation tools more effectively handle the subtle complexities of hidden toxicity. An intelligent assistant Our tool works in conjunction with existing moderation. It acts as an intelligent assistant, preparing content for deeper and more accurate evaluation by restructuring and refining input text. By addressing common tricks users employ to disguise harmful intent, it ensures moderation systems are more effective. The tool performs three key functions. It first simplifies the text. Irrelevant elements, such as excessive punctuation or extraneous characters, are removed to make text straightforward and ready for evaluation. It then standardises what is written. Variations in spelling, phrasing and grammar are resolved. This includes interpreting deliberate misspellings (“h8te” for “hate”). Finally, it looks for patterns. Recurring strategies such as breaking up toxic words (“I d i o t”), or embedding them within benign phrases, are identified and normalised to reveal the underlying intent. These steps can break apart compound words like “IdiotFace” or normalise modified phrases like “Y0u’re st00pid”. This makes harmful content visible to traditional filters. Importantly, our work is not about reinventing the wheel but ensuring the existing wheel functions as effectively as it should, even when faced with disguised toxic messages. Catching subtle forms of toxicity The applications of this tool extend across a wide range of online environments. For social media platforms, it enhances the ability to detect harmful messages, creating a safer space for users. This is particularly important for protecting younger audiences, who may be more vulnerable to online abuse. By catching subtle forms of toxicity, the tool helps to prevent harmful behaviours like bullying from persisting unchecked. Businesses can also use this technology to safeguard their online presence. Negative campaigns or covert attacks on brands often employ subtle and disguised messaging to avoid detection. By processing such content before it is moderated, the tool ensures that businesses can respond swiftly to any reputational threats. Additionally, policymakers and organisations that monitor public discourse can benefit from this system. Hidden toxicity, particularly in polarised discussions, can undermine efforts to maintain constructive dialogue. The tool provides a more robust way for identifying problematic content and ensuring that debates remain respectful and productive. Better moderation Our tool marks an important advance in content moderation. By addressing the limitations of traditional keyword-based filters, it offers a practical solution to the persistent issue of hidden toxicity. Importantly, it demonstrates how small but focused improvements can make a big difference in creating safer and more inclusive online environments. As digital communication continues to evolve, tools like ours will play an increasingly vital role in protecting users and fostering positive interactions. While this research addresses the challenges of detecting hidden toxicity within text, the journey is far from over. Future advances will likely delve deeper into the complexities of context—analysing how meaning shifts depending on conversational dynamics, cultural nuances and intent. By building on this foundation, the next generation of content moderation systems could uncover not just what is being said but also the circumstances in which it is said, paving the way for safer and more inclusive online spaces.LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 21, 2024-- In today's fast-paced society, more and more singles with entrepreneurial spirit are looking for innovation, adventure, and independence. These individuals are often self-driven, eager to push boundaries in both their careers and personal lives. 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About MillionaireMatch Founded in 2001, MillionaireMatch has grown to serve nearly 6 million of high-quality members such as executives, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and investors, alongside high-net-worth individuals including celebrities, influencers, millionaires, and billionaires. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241221333594/en/ CONTACT: Dani Johnson press@MillionaireMatch.com KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY WOMEN MEN COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE LIFESTYLE SOCIAL MEDIA CONSUMER DATA MANAGEMENT SOURCE: MillionaireMatch Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/21/2024 09:15 AM/DISC: 12/21/2024 09:15 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241221333594/en

Atlassian CEO Michael Cannon-Brookes sells $2.19 million in stockThe Trump economy: How will tariffs, taxes, and big debt affect workers?

Knife River Names Pladsen Vice President and Chief Excellence Officer

Atlassian CEO Michael Cannon-Brookes sells $2.19 million in stock

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration finalized nearly $6.2 billion in funding for Micron Technology on Tuesday, firming up a deal to boost domestic semiconductor production before Donald Trump returns to the White House. The Biden administration has been working to green-light agreements with firms in the chip making supply chain over recent months, hoping to cement it as part of his legacy before leaving office in January. Once a deal is finalized, funds can start heading to companies when they hit certain milestones. The Micron investment helps bring development and production of advanced memory semiconductor technology to U.S. shores, said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. This "is crucial for safeguarding our leadership on artificial intelligence and protecting our economic and national security," she added in a statement. The United States has been trying to reduce its dependence on China and other countries for semiconductors. In this case, Washington is keen to build up a reliable domestic supply of chips that can go into advanced technologies ranging from personal computing to artificial intelligence -- including enabling new AI models. The latest funding comes under the CHIPS and Science Act, a major law passed during Biden's term aimed at strengthening the U.S. semiconductor industry. The Micron deal in particular supports the company's two-decade plan, including investments of some $100 billion in New York and $25 billion in Idaho, said the Commerce Department. This should create some 20,000 jobs and help the U.S. grow its share of advanced memory manufacturing, the department added. Apart from the efforts in New York and Idaho, the Commerce Department also signed a preliminary agreement with Micron for up to $275 million in proposed funding to expand and modernize its facility in Virginia. The aim is to support a "stable supply" of Micron's technology, involving chips that are key to the automotive and industrial markets, the department noted. "Memory chips are foundational to all advanced technologies," Raimondo said. "As the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, Micron is uniquely positioned to bring leading-edge memory manufacturing to the U.S.," said Micron President Sanjay Mehrotra in a statement. The United States used to make nearly 40 percent of the world's chips but this proportion is now around 10 percent, with none being the most advanced chips. While the U.S. government has unveiled over $36 billion in grants through the CHIPS Act, some of the funds remain in a due diligence phase and cannot yet be disbursed until agreements are made final.None

Shortstop Willy Adames and San Francisco Giants finalize $182 million, 7-year contractFor the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal. His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, with the help of his agent Scott Boras, left, agreed to a $765 million, 15-year deal with the New York Mets on Sunday. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft. Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Juan Soto's deal comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. Stiliana Nikolova, of Bulgaria performs in the rhythmic gymnastics individuals all-round qualification round, at La Chapelle Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India reacts as he collides with San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. India was safe and Campusano was charged with an error. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Kimberley Woods of Britain competes in the women's kayak cross time trial at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Noah Lyles, of the United States, jumps as he limbers-up ahead of the men's 100-meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) A member of the Seattle Mariners tosses a ball against a wall during drills at spring training baseball workouts, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia waits to receive serve during her first round match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Czech Republic's Jiri Beran, left, competes with France's Yannik Borel in the men's team epee bronze final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) France's Adrien Truffert jumps over Argentina's goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli during a quarterfinal soccer match between France and Argentina, at Bordeaux Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Bordeaux, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Fans interfere with a foul ball caught by Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Italy's Sara Curtis splashes her face with water before a women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Ivory Coast 's Seko Fofana, top, duels for the ball with Nigeria's Victor Osimhen during the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Costa Rica midfielder Jefferson Brenes, from left, Alvaro Zamora (21), Francisco Calvo (15) and Joseph Mora (8) are pelted with drinks and trash after celebrating a Brenes goal in the second half of a CONCACAF Nations League Play-In soccer match against Honduras, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Gabrielle Thomas, of the United States, celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's 200 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Tyrrell Hatton, of England, reacts on the 11th hole during a practice round in preparation for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Augusta, GA. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Quincy Hall, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's 400-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Tim Tszyu, of Australia, hits Sebastian Fundora in a super welterweight title bout Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers takes the field prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Workers peep through curtains to watch a match between France's Gael Monfils and Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the China Open tennis tournament held at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Amy Yang, of South Korea, is doused after winning the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Sahalee Country Club, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Sammamish, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Workers remove snow from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes) United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti) Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, scores his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue ) Czech Republic's Michal Kempny, right, punches United States' Brady Tkachuk during the quarterfinal match between Czech Republic and United States at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Turkey's Taha Akgul, left, competes with Georgia's Geno Petriashvili in a men's freestyle 125 kg category gold medal wrestling match during the European Wrestling Championships, in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith cries after winning the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Carles Coll Marti of Spain competes in the men's 200-meter breaststroke heat at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III and guard CJ McCollum in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A man in a monk's robe waves the French flag as the peloton passes during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 163.5 kilometers (101.6 miles) with start in Macon and finish in Dijon, France, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Belgium's Jeremy Doku, left, challenges for the ball with Romania's Andrei Ratiu during a Group E match between Belgium and Romania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A spectator walks through a water mist sprayer on her way to Eiffel Tower Stadium to watch a beach volleyball at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Gabriel Medina, of Brazil, kicks off of a wave as he warms up prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, is reflected on a surface as she performs on the balance beam during the women's artistic gymnastics all-around finals in Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Wyndham Clark waits to hit on the 17th hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Kolkata Knight Riders' wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz dives to make an unsuccessful attempt to run out Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket final match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai, India, Sunday, May 26, 2024.(AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.) Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Serbia's Novak Djokovic embraces his daughter Tara after defeating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Spain's Dani Olmo clears the ball from the goal line during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A fleet of boats compete in the mixed multihull sailing race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) A horse watches from its stable ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Silver medalist Simone Biles, of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles, of the United States, right, bow to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, during the medal ceremony for the women's artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Denver celebrates after winning the championship game against Boston College in the Frozen Four NCAA college hockey tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Denver won 2-0 to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Washington safety Kamren Fabiculanan (13) and cornerback Elijah Jackson (25) break up a pass to Eastern Michigan wide receiver Terry Lockett Jr. (3) in the end zone during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 30-9. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Milwaukee Bucks' AJ Johnson, right, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Jared McCain, center, and Adem Bona during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Elise Mertens, of Belgium, serves against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Italy's Giovanni Tocci competes in the men's 3m springboard diving preliminary at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Wearing a device that measures his energy consumption, the Israel Amputee Football Team player, Ben Maman, left, fights for the ball with a young soccer player from a local team during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) A soccer fan dressed as Spiderman watches Brazil play Uruguay in a Copa America quarterfinal match on a screen set up for fans on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Brazil lost in a penalty shootout and Uruguay qualified for the semifinals. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Men dressed in traditional clothes try to pull the opponent over the table at the German Championships in Fingerhakeln or finger wrestling, in Bernbeuren, Germany, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, kicks the ball after double faulting against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Water is sprayed on the pitch as the ball boys and girls walk along the center line before the start of the men's Group A field hockey match between South Africa and Germany at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Cleveland Browns defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) reaches for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Morocco's Widad Bertal celebrates after defeating Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in their women's 54kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher) Brazil's Priscila eyes the ball during a women's semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Simone Biles of the United States competes on the balance beam during a women's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young fan before the start of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Real Madrid's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mozambique's Deizy Nhaquile battles rough seas during a women's dinghy race, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People watch the cauldron rise at sunset by the Olympic rings during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/John Locher) A light show is projected from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Kateryna Tabashnyk, a high jumper, sits for a portrait Sunday, June 9, 2024, at the athletics arena of the "Polytechnic" sports complex, which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Sent weekly directly to your inbox!

10 convicts in May 9 violent protests sentenced to jail, finedLAHAINA, Hawaii — An opportunity in paradise has turned into a trip to hell for Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies. The No. 2 team in the country is officially out of sorts after losing two games in two days to unranked opponents. Colorado came back from an 11-point deficit to beat the two-time champs 73-72 in the opening game of the consolation bracket Tuesday in the Maui Invitational. A tough right-handed runner by Andrej Jakimovski with 8.5 remaining gave the Buffs the lead; Jakimovski didn't have to worry about a big man because, for the second straight day, UConn had its top two bigs, Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. , foul out. Andrej called game. 📺ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/Dnhf5hAjgz Hassan Diarra 's 3-point attempt fell awry and Colorado pulled off the upset. The Buffs came into the day ranked No. 82 at KenPom.com. For UConn, the defeat marks the first time Dan Hurley's team has taken on back-to-back losses since Jan. 18, 2023. UConn, which had not lost consecutive games since January 2023, will try to avoid going 0-3 in the Maui Invitational when it plays in the seventh-place game, the last tipoff on Wednesday night against the loser of Tuesday's Iowa State-Dayton game. This post will be updatedAsia’s gasoline margins climbed to more than a 15-week high, buoyed by lower export capacity from China, with regional players capitalising on this. The crack rose to $7.06 per barrel over Brent crude, its highest since Aug. 2. An LSEG report stated that “amid expectations of thinning outflows from China, while Indian barrels may possibly be drawn away from the region amid upcoming turnarounds in the Middle East. The potential drop in supplies could provide some support to price benchmarks in the near term, although a lack of fresh demand outlets may cap this upside.” In naphtha, the margins dipped by $2.83 to $85.45 per metric ton over Brent crude. Refining margins for naphthahave dipped due to the persistently poor downstream petrochemical margins, while demand remained dampened by reduced operating rates at ethylene crackers in the region. Oil prices edged higher in early trade on Tuesday after falling in the previous session as investors took stock of a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, weighing on oil’s risk premium. The supply of oil and gas will be plentiful, with oil markets being “comfortable” this year and next unless major geopolitical escalation happens, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol told a conference in Norway on Tuesday. One gasoil deal and no naphtha trade. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Haridas)

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a "saw" putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. "I'm always looking for ways to improve," Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. "But it was really our first time working together and it's something that's different than what I've done in the past," Scheffler said. "This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let's table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. "Figured this is a good week to try stuff." He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. "I really enjoyed the way it felt," he said. "I felt like I'm seeing some improvements in my stroke." Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. "The wind wasn't blowing much so it was relatively stress-free," Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. "Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more," Thomas said. "I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back." Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. "It's very specific for courses, but gave it a try," he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75.

The Hundreds Catches 'Em All in New Pokémon Capsule

Key details to know about the arrest of a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEOMoRAC acknowledges contributors to adding Myanmar’s Thingyan Festival to UNESCO list

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.Penn State holds firm in AP Poll, keeping home playoff hopes alivegstar28 app 。

Giants topple Colts 45-33 to eliminate Indy from the playoff raceOver 75,000 approved homes yet to commence constructionSignificant milestones in life and career of Jimmy Carter

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Vegas Golden Knights kick off their four-game homestand as they host the Calgary Flames for the second time this season on Sunday at 5 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. THINGS WE LOVE: GAMES AT THE FORTRESS 🏰🤩 📺: Vegas 34 📲: KnightTime+ 📻: @VGKRadioNetwork | Deportes Vegas 1460 📰: https://t.co/xYN7mr5W8w pic.twitter.com/VGqISYcQtU Kolesar said after practice on Saturday that the team is continuously identifying areas for growth. To extend the team's season-long five-game win streak, Vegas will look to keep growing its game. Head coach Bruce Cassidy has emphasized the importance of controlled aggression in the team's ability to apply pressure and create scoring opportunities. The Golden Knights will look to continue what they did well in Friday's 6-3 win against the Sharks. 🎥 Cassidy on the penalty kill: They should feel good about themselves. It's gotten progressively better here the last month, and hopefully it becomes a strength of our team. pic.twitter.com/LnfsURPnKf Where to watch Unless they are nationally televised, all Vegas Golden Knights games are broadcast on Vegas 34 and streamed on the KnightTime+ app. Vegas 34 (KMCC) can be found as Channel 34 on Cox Cable and DIRECTV, and as Channel 34.1 for viewers with an antenna. For streaming services, Vegas 34 can be found on the DIRECTV streaming app or on FuboTV. You can also consider purchasing a Tablo Total System to receive live broadcast TV and a selection of free streaming channels.

NoneMichael Anton, who served in the first Trump administration as its national security spokesman, reportedly pulled himself out of contention for a job at the National Security Council in the second administration because he did not want to work with returning senior Trump administration official Sebastian Gorka. A Washington Post reporter posted on X: New: Michael Anton was a leading candidate to become deputy national security adviser but pulled himself out of contention when he was told he would have to work with Sebastian Gorka at the NSC, per sources A source familiar with the transition, however, confirmed to Breitbart News that it was true that Anton backed out of working in the NSC when told that Gorka — who is close to President-Elect Donald Trump — was returning. Trump announced Friday that Gorka would return to the White House as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism. Gorka told the Post, “I don’t comment to the fake failing news.” While Anton claimed that Gorka had yelled at him in a Fox News green room, Anton himself had a reputation for screaming at people, including this reporter over a story that would reflect negatively on then-Trump National Security Adviser and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster. Anton had gained recognition for writing one essay under a pseudonym that was seen as the “intellectual case” for Trump’s election back in 2016. That essay landed him a job in the first Trump administration from February 2017 to April 2018. He resigned after McMaster was fired. Trump has been staffing his White House with advisers he personally trusts, after acknowledging that he made some staffing mistakes during his first administration, with staffers and aides who undermined him and his agenda. The Post reporter claimed Anton was “expected to be in contention for other administration jobs.” Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on ”X” , Truth Social , or on Facebook .

‘I’ve always been a team player’: Ben Carroll on the VCE exam crisis and what drives himThe longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.

Conners, Tate lead Appalachian State over Sam Houston 66-63

LEGANES: Kylian Mbappe scored his first goal in five games for Real Madrid as the champions beat Leganes 3-0 on Sunday in La Liga. Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham also struck as Madrid moved second, four points behind leaders Barcelona with a game in hand. Los Blancos capitalized after Barcelona slipped to a draw at Celta Vigo on Saturday with a straightforward win against 14th-placed Leganes. Madrid face Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday in the Champions League in a crucial game for the Spanish side after two defeats in their first four European matches and warmed up with a solid performance. “The team managed the good feelings that we had in the (previous 4-0 win) against Osasuna well, and we confirmed them today,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian lined up with young center-back Raul Asencio as well as Dani Ceballos, who was afforded a rare start and Turkish playmaker Arda Guler. Ancelotti was missing long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao among others, but was able to bring goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois back in for the visit to Butarque, in the Madrid suburbs. Mbappe started in his favoured left wing position, a change of strategy from Ancelotti after using Vinicius Junior there until now. It paid dividends as the forward netted his second goal in his last eight games, although he had a strike ruled out for offside beforehand. “We changed the position of the forwards, with Mbappe outside and he did well, like Vinicius inside,” said Ancelotti. Mbappe was left out of France’s squad for the second time in as many months during the recent international break and has been struggling with off-field problems, possibly affecting his start to life at Madrid following his move from Paris Saint-Germain. Guler had Madrid’s first real chance but Marko Dmitrovic parried his effort after the midfielder cut in from the right. Mbappe broke the deadlock shortly before half-time, teed up at the back post by Vinicius, who nipped in to capitalize on some Leganes defensive confusion. Sealing the win Valverde, captaining Madrid for the first time and playing out of position at right-back, drilled home his team’s second in the 66th minute from a free-kick. Dmitrovic thwarted a powerful Mbappe strike as the French forward looked to grab a second and seal Madrid’s win. In the end it was England star Bellingham, netting his second goal of the season, heading home a rebound from close range after Brahim Diaz’s deflected shot hit the crossbar. “We were very comfortable in the first half, playing the game we wanted to, but (to concede) after a mistake... hurts more, it got away from us because of our errors,” admitted Leganes defender Sergio Gonzalez. “The team gave everything, and with the smallest opportunities, they punished us.” Ancelotti was happy with 21-year-old centre-back Asencio’s performance on his first start for the club. “It surprised me in that he’s a player with maturity, always well positioned, very well positioned, and it means the youth academy has done a good job with him,” said the coach. — AFPQuarterback Brock Purdy threw without pain Monday and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will wait until midweek to determine the progress of edge rusher Nick Bosa and left tackle Trent Williams. It remains to be seen who will and won’t be available when the 49ers embark on a cross country trip to face AFC East power Buffalo, currently 9-2 and the No, 2 seed in the conference. The 49ers are expected to get a practice lift with the activation of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who will begin his 21-day window off injured reserve after offseason Achilles surgery after being injured in the Super Bowl. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who worked with the scout team last week as he works through his grief following the loss of his 23-month-old daughter, may also begin getting work again with the first team. Are things actually looking up for the 49ers? One thing’s for sure is that the 49ers are looking up at everybody else in the AFC West but are still only a game out of first place with Seattle and Arizona at 6-5 and the 49ers and Rams at 5-6. It’s clear to Shanahan any pathway to the playoffs would be as a division title rather than as a wild card. “You look at the whole NFC picture and if you don’t win the division, 10-7 is not guaranteed to get in as a wild card by any means this year,” Shanahan told reporters during his weekly conference call. “That is why the Seattle game was so tough, and that’s why last night was even worse. “We know exactly what the playoff situation is, but really all that matters is this week when you do need to go on a run and put a lot of wins to even think of that, then you’d better be thinking of only one thing – and that’s Buffalo.” Should Purdy be unable to go, Shanahan said Brandon Allen would get a second start at quarterback. SNAP JUDGEMENTS 72: Safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha and middle linebacker Fred Warner played every defensive snap. 49: When Allen at quarterback and Jaylon Moore at left tackle play every snap (along with Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni and Jake Brendel) then you know there’s a problem with injuries. And Allen and Moore were the least of their problems. 44: Leonard Floyd played 61 percent — about his usual number — even without Nick Bosa in the lineup. With 3 1/2 sacks in his last two games, he’s a half-sack behind Bosa fo the team lead. 33: Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr. played 67 percent of the snaps — the same as Deebo Samuel — and did not have a pass thrown his way. 21: Robbie Beal Jr. played a season-high number of snaps in Bosa’s absence at defensive end and did not appear on the stat sheet for having a tackle or an assist. 9: Running back Jordan Mason has played 14 snaps in three games since McCaffrey’s return and has six carries for 26 yards. 4: Tashun Gipson was promoted to the 53-man roster but still hasn’t played on defense in three games at safety. He had four special teams snaps against Green Bay. More to come on this breaking story . . .None