Your Guide to Navigating an Unpredictable Trump EraNone

Skattebo and Arizona State to the playoff after 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Big 12 newcomer Arizona State will represent the conference in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch the 12th-ranked Sun Devils beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game. The Sun Devils with 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham are 11-2 after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have won six games in a row. Iowa State is 10-3, already the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history. Boise State makes the College Football Playoff as Big 12's 1st-round bye chances dim INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The first big win in college football’s postseason goes to Boise State. The have Broncos captured the Mountain West Conference title and earned their spot in the sport’s first 12-team playoff. As for the losers, there was UNLV, which fell 21-7 to Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty and the Broncos in the conference title game. But more than that, it was the Big 12, which saw one path to a first-round bye in those playoffs blocked off by Jeanty and Company. Lindsey Vonn competes in a pair of downhills, another step on her comeback trail at the age of 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn finished in the middle of the pack in a pair of lower-level downhill events as she competed for the first time in nearly six years. The 40-year-old Vonn is on the comeback trail after stepping away from the sport because of injuries. Vonn wasn't concerned with times and places in the races so much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races she had enough points to enter World Cup events. Man City drops more points after draw with Crystal Palace and Man United loses again Manchester City’s Premier League title defense has taken another blow after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. Four-time defending champion City ended a seven-game winless run on Wednesday by beating Nottingham Forest. But City has dropped more points on Saturday after the draw at Selhurst Park. It could have been worse for City after Palace led twice. Pep Guardiola’s team is fourth in the standings and eight points behind leader Liverpool. Liverpool has a game in hand after its derby with Everton was postponed due to a storm. Amber Glenn becomes first US woman in 14 years to win figure skating Grand Prix Final GRENOBLE, France (AP) — Amber Glenn has become the first American to win the women’s Grand Prix Final competition since Alissa Czisny 14 years ago. Glenn landed a triple axel on her way to a total score of 212.07 points to beat Japan's Mone Chiba and triple world champion Kaori Sakamoto. That continues a stunning breakout season at the age of 25 for Glenn. The U.S. could win two more titles later Saturday. Ilia Malinin leads the men’s event ahead of the free skate and Madison Chock and Evan Bates lead the ice dance. Norris takes pole for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP and Hamilton 18th in Mercedes farewell ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Lando Norris took pole position for the last Formula 1 race of the season alongside teammate Oscar Piastri to put McLaren on the verge of a first constructors’ title in 26 years. Norris’ last lap put him .209 of a second faster than Piastri, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. .020 further back. Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton qualified 18th for his last race with Mercedes after a bizarre incident wrecked his final qualifying lap. A plastic pole marking the inside of a corner was knocked loose by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and Hamilton drove over it. Big 12's Yormark brings up hard choices for fans before sparsely attended title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — College football fans are facing some hard choices in the expanded playoff system with some teams set to play away from home multiple times. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark raised that point before the sparsely attended title game between No. 12 Arizona State and 16th-ranked Iowa State. There were thousands of empty seats at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Yormark says he remains committed to having a Big 12 title game. Besides the issues of fans, there have been suggestions that some leagues might be better off without title games as it relates to playoff hopes. Everton vs. Liverpool postponed because of Storm Darragh. Other Premier League games remain on LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool has been postponed because of Storm Darragh's dangerous winds and heavy rain on the west coast. The Met office says parts of Wales have experienced wind gusts of over 90 mph. The four other Premier League games Saturday remained on as planned. Manchester United will host Nottingham Forest at 5:30 p.m. local time at Old Trafford. The remaining games start at 3 p.m. local time. Aston Villa hosts Southampton and urged fans to use extra time to get to Villa Park in Birmingham. In London, Brentford will host Newcastle, and Crystal Palace will host Manchester City. Ashton Jeanty lets his play do the talking for CFP-bound Boise State BOISE, Idaho (AP) — After Ashton Jeanty streaked through the middle of UNLV’s defense on his way to a 75-yard touchdown run Friday night in the Mountain West Conference title game, he didn’t strike the Heisman pose. He didn’t even lobby for it after the game, instead letting his play do the talking in No. 10 Boise State's 21-7 victory over No. 19 UNLV 21-7. Jeanty added another 209 yards — his sixth game over 200 yards this season — to push his total to 2,497 — just 132 yards short of passing Barry Sanders’ FBS season rushing record. The Broncos earned a spot in the College Football Playoff with the victory. No. 24 Army wins AAC championship in first attempt as Daily runs for 4 TDs in 35-14 win over Tulane WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Bryson Daily rushed for four touchdowns to tie the American Athletic Conference championship game record, and No. 24 Army completed a perfect first season in the league by beating Tulane 35-14. Kanye Udoh rushed for 158 yards, including a 72-yarder to set up a Daily TD, and a score. Daily added 126 yards on the ground for the Black Knights, who overwhelmed AAC opponents with their bruising, clock-eating rushing attack during their first around the league, then ran it to perfection in the championship game. Army moved to 11-1. Daily had runs of 5, 3, 4 and 7 yards.China is experiencing a significant leap in its robotics industry, marked by state-of-the-art technologies with a wide range of applications across various aspects of daily life, from heavy-duty tasks to light-duty everyday chores. The Zhangjiang Valley in Shanghai is a dedicated industrial park spanning 4.2 kilometers, focusing on developing robotics manufacturing chains. The park emphasizes high-precision and high-value links through the participation of industry leaders to drive economic growth. A visit to these robot factories revealed the intricate stages of manufacturing and assembly. Approximately 90 percent of the raw materials are sourced domestically, while the remaining 10 percent is imported from various countries. The assembly process, involving both large and small components – joints, arms, and feet – takes about a month to complete. Each robotic arm can lift up to 50 kilograms. In one technological factory near the center of Shanghai, around 60 employees, including 30 programmers, work on integrating software and hardware at various stages. This process culminates in the installation of head cameras and hand and foot sensors, followed by rigorous testing to ensure the robot’s safe operation and prevent any harm to the user, who controls the robot remotely via an electronic panel. One of the engineers said that he welcomes cooperation with Egyptian engineers and innovators within the robotics field, with the aim of exporting this technology to the Middle East. He confirmed that one of these robot weighs approximately 70 kilograms and costs around $5,000 without the software, explaining that the robot can fight fires and assist patients. Medical marvels A significant surge and medical breakthrough is taking place in the world of robotics, with application in the rehabilitation of the hand, foot, and speech following strokes and accidents. Hand function is restored utilizing exact replicas of the hand, alongside physical training, and recovery from paralysis – thereby enhancing training through integrated work with intelligent sensing capabilities. This helps patients utilize their remaining muscle strength to complete grasping movements and stimulates the development of usage and increases medical involvement through voice-controlled devices to activate speech through voice-activated training using language centers. Under the tagline ‘Hand in Hand,’ a specialized robot has been developed to perform minimally invasive surgeries on coronary arteries, nerves, tumors, and blood vessels. The ‘Oubing’ team has successfully obtained over 100 patents covering all types of minimally invasive surgeries, heart, brain, and neurological diseases with high accuracy and avoidance of human error, thus eliminating medical liability. Experts in medical robot patents are working on artificial intelligence and remote diagnosis. This has been achieved at the Dongfang Hospital through the use of the first standard surgical robot using technology similar to the flexibility of surgical instruments. The Zhangjiang Robotics Valley is focused on developing medical robots for interventional procedures in the middle vascular cavity. These robots rely on three-dimensional and virtual reality in urological surgeries for adults, gynecological diseases, and heart failure. The Tongji University has achieved remarkable success in this field. The dexterous technological hand, operated by robots, contains 16 built-in miniature electric cylinders, six active degrees of freedom, and 12 joints with a hybrid control algorithm and millimeter-level positioning. The hand moves each finger independently according to external commands. China’s pride Then there is ‘Allengo’, a four-legged, multi-eyed inspection robot designed to navigate rough terrains, fires, and highly explosive areas. This robot was developed by the Shanghai Institute of Robotics Industry and Artificial Intelligence Systems. China has made massive strides in the robotics industry, with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping stating that robotics are the crown jewel of manufacturing, research, and development, serving as a measure of China’s scientific and technological innovation and a significant symbol of its advanced manufacturing level.Music Mogul's Judicial Saga: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Awaits Bail Ruling

Former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett is officially receiving his first start of the season. With Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts ruled out with a concussion , suffered against the Commanders last weekend, Pickett is stepping into the starting spot for the Eagles this weekend against the Cowboys. Pickett received his first extended action of the season last weekend against the Commanders, playing most of the game in a loss. He completed 14-of-24 pass attempts for 143 yards with a touchdown and interception, adding 13 yards on the ground, in relief. He wasn’t perfect, but he also wasn’t helped by his playmakers either. Wideout DeVonta Smith dropped a pass over the middle field just before the two-minute warning, which allowed the Commanders a chance to come back and win the game, 36-33. Now official: Eagles ruled out QB Jalen Hurts for Sunday’s game vs. Dallas due to his concussion. Eagles QB Kenny Pickett now will replace Hurts. pic.twitter.com/I4RcuVzzZo — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 27, 2024 It was a gutsy effort by Pickett, who said he was good to go earlier this week after dealing with a rib injury against the Commanders. He has a chance to show that he’s continued to grow since arriving in Philadelphia in March. The Steelers traded Pickett to the Eagles on March 16, after spending two seasons with the team. And even through a disappointing tenure with the Steelers, Pickett reflected positively on his time in Pittsburgh. “(I) gave everything I had there and loved all of my teammates and coaches that I came across — some absolutely great memories that I’ll take forever and lifelong friendships,” Pickett said following the trade. “And just talking to guys after it all went down, grateful that we had the time we had together.” Pickett was one of the best quarterbacks in college football in 2021, completing 334-of-497 pass attempts (67%) for 4,319 yards with 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions — adding 241 yards and five more touchdowns on the ground. He finished his Pitt career as the all-time leader in passing yards, completions, total offense, touchdowns responsible for and passing touchdowns. He’s thrown the most 300-yard passing games (16) and 400-yard passing games (five) and his 32 wins are the most as a Pitt starter. Pickett completed 1,045-of-1,674 career passing attempts (just over 62%) for 12,303 yards and 81 touchdowns, to just 32 interceptions, in 52 career appearances (49 starts). He also added 809 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. He led Pitt to its first ACC title in 2021, earning All-ACC, All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Kenny Pickett threw for 4,474 yards (62.6% completion) with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his 25 games as a Steeler, and while he wasn’t put in the best situation to succeed in the NFL, his lack of production was problematic. The Steelers brought signed Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in March, and it spelled the end for Pickett and the Steelers. This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Sports Now and was syndicated with permission.

The Edmonton Oilers entered this season under the assumption they'd need to trade for a top four defenceman, but the play of Brett Kulak may be changing Stan Bowman's priorities for the trade deadline. Brett Kulak has regularly been elevated to the second pairing by Coach Knoblauch, playing over 20 minutes of ice each game this month - and he's been fantastic. Oilers analyst Alan Mitchell believes Kulak could be the team's ideal top four defenceman , which could open up possibilities for the Oilers to trade for a goaltender or a forward as well. This isn't the first time now that it's been suggested Kulak could handle a top four role, which could change the Oilers trade plans. A few weeks ago, Kulak's emergence promoted Mitchell to believe the Oilers may instead acquire a quality bottom pair defenceman , instead of a big name top four defender. The Oilers entered the season only positive that Ekholm, Bouchard, and Nurse would handle the top four roles, but the veteran Kulak has proven so far that he can handle the increased ice. He's got surprising speed for a 30 year old defender, which allows him to quickly close gaps and get into position at the right times. Kulak is fantastic with his on-ice awareness and ability to pick up the weak areas of his defence partner - a true defenceman that's always aware of any gaps in coverage. The Oilers should continue to give him the increased ice, and if he handles it well, it could free up the Oilers trade plans significantly. Edmonton could trade for an established defender for their bottom pairing, but perhaps at a cheaper salary than a top four. With the cap saving, perhaps the Oilers target an addition elsewhere on the roster, like a goaltending tandem with Mackenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks . We'll see how it unfolds for the rest of the season, but it's great to see the Stony Plain native step up to play the best hockey of his career when the Oilers needed it the most. This article first appeared on Oilers Daily and was syndicated with permission.NEW YORK (AP) — With the end of 2024 around the corner, you might be reflecting on financial goals for 2025. Whether you’re saving to move out of your parents’ house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated, said Courtney Alev, consumer advocate for Credit Karma. “Entering a new year doesn’t erase all our financial challenges from the prior year,” Alev said. “But it can really help to bring a fresh-start mentality to how you’re managing your finances.” If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle. Here are some tips from experts: Change your relationship with money Think about how you currently deal with finances — what’s good, what’s bad, and what can improve. “Let this be the year you change your relationship with money,” said Ashley Lapato, personal finance educator for YNAB, a budgeting app. If you feel like money is a chore, that there’s shame surrounding the topic of money, or like you were born being “bad at money,” it’s time to change that mentality, Lapato said. To adjust your approach, Lapato recommends viewing money goals as an opportunity to imagine your desired lifestyle in the future. She recommends asking questions like, “What do my 30s look like? What do my 40s look like?” and using money as a means to get there. Liz Young Thomas, head of SoFi Investment Strategy, added that it’s key you forgive yourself for past mistakes in order to move into the new year with motivation. Know your “why” When setting your financial resolutions for 2025, it’s important to establish the “why” of each, said Matt Watson, CEO of Origin, a financial tracking app. “If you can attach the financial goal to a bigger life goal, it’s much more motivating and more likely you’ll continue on that path,” Watson said. Whether you’re saving to buy a house, pay off credit card debt or take a summer vacation, being clear about the goal can keep you motivated. Watson also recommends using a tool to help you keep track of your finances, such as an app, spreadsheet, or website. Budget, budget, budget “After three years of inflation, your pay increases are likely still playing catch up to your monthly expenses, leaving you wondering where all the money is going,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. “Make that monthly budget for 2025 and resolve to track your spending against it throughout the year.” McBride said that you may need to make adjustments during the year as certain expenses increase, which would require cutting back in other areas. “Calibrate your spending with your income, and any month you spend less than budgeted, transfer the difference into your savings account, ideally a high-yield savings account,” he said. Pay down outstanding debt “Interest rates aren’t likely to come down very fast, so you’re still going to have to put in the hard work of paying down debt, especially high-cost credit card debt, and do so with urgency,” McBride said. Start by taking stock of how much debt you have now relative to the beginning of the year. Hopefully you’ve made steady progress on paying it down, but, if you’ve gone in the other direction, McBride encourages making a game plan. That includes looking into 0% balance transfer offers. Take control of your credit card interest rate “You have more power over credit card interest rates than you think you do,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “Wielding that power is one of the best moves you can make in 2025.” A 0% balance transfer credit card is “a good weapon” in the fight against high card APRs, or annual percentage rates, he said. A low-interest personal loan is an option as well. You may simply be able to pick up the phone and ask for a lower interest rate. LendingTree found that a majority of people who did that in 2024 were successful, and the average reduction was more than 6 points. Set realistic, practical goals When planning for your financial resolutions, it’s important to consider how you’re going to make your goals sustainable for your lifestyle, said Credit Karma’s Alev. “It really is a marathon, not a sprint,” Alev said. Alev recommends setting realistic, practical goals to make it easier to stick with them. For example, instead of planning to save thousands of dollars by the end of the year, start by saving $20 a paycheck. Even when your plans are achievable, there are times you’ll get derailed. Maybe it’s an unexpected medical bill or an extraordinary life event. When these situations happen, Alev recommends trying not to feel defeated and working to get back on track without feeling guilty. Don’t ‘flamingo’ or bury your head in the sand “You can’t manage what you can’t see, so set a New Year’s resolution to check your credit score monthly in 2025,” said Rikard Bandebo, chief economist at VantageScore. “Be sure to pay more than the minimum on your credit accounts, as that’s one of the best ways to boost your credit score.” Bandebo also advises student loan borrowers to make all payments on time, as servicers will begin to report late payments starting in January, and missed payments will affect borrowers’ credit scores. Automate savings, where possible Automated changes, like increasing workplace 401(k) plan contributions, setting up direct deposits from paychecks into dedicated savings accounts, and arranging for monthly transfers into an IRA and/or 529 college savings accounts all add up quickly, McBride said. Slow down Your financial goals can encompass more than just managing your money better — they can also be about keeping your money safe from scams. A golden rule to protect yourself from scams is to “slow down,” said Johan Gerber, vice president of security solutions at Mastercard. “You have to slow down and talk to other people if you’re not sure (whether or not) it’s scam,” said Gerber, who recommends building an accountability system with family to keep yourself and your loved ones secure. Scammers use urgency to make people fall for their tricks, so taking your time to make any financial decision can keep you from losing money. Focus on financial wellness Your financial goals don’t always have to be rooted in a dollar amount — they can also be about well-being. Finances are deeply connected with our mental health, and, to take care of our money, we also need to take care of ourselves. “I think that now more than any other year, your financial wellness should be a resolution,” said Alejandra Rojas, personal finance expert and founder of The Money Mindset Hub, a mentoring platform for women entrepreneurs. “Your mental health with money should be a resolution.” To focus on your financial wellness, you can set one or two goals focusing on your relationship with money. For example, you could find ways to address and resolve financial trauma, or you could set a goal to talk more openly with loved ones about money, Rojas said. __ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.Geoffrey Hinton says he doesn’t regret the work he did that laid the foundation for artificial intelligence, but wishes he thought of safety sooner. The British-Canadian computer scientist says the technology has now progressed so fast that he thinks it could achieve superintelligence in the next five to 20 years. Superintelligence is intelligence that surpasses even the smartest humans. When superintelligence happens, Hinton says humanity will have to seriously worry about how it can stay in control. His remarks came at a press conference in Stockholm, where Hinton is due to a receive the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday. Hinton and co-laureate John Hopfield are being given the prize because they developed some of the underpinnings of machine learning, a computer science that helps AI mimic how humans learn. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2024. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

SINGAPORE companies remain slightly optimistic about business prospects over the next six months, as they exited a nearly two-year-long period of sales contraction in the third quarter of 2024, a quarterly survey has shown. The net balance for business prospects was 7 per cent, down by a “negligible” one percentage point from the previous quarter, the latest Business Times-Singapore University of Social Sciences Business Climate Survey showed. The net balance is the difference between the share of companies with an increase and those with a decrease in an indicator, compared to the year-ago period. A positive net balance suggests expansion. For the first time in two years, the sales net balance was positive, indicating expansion. It was 6 per cent, strengthening eight points from the previous quarter. This brings a close to the seven-quarter-long contraction phase in sales – the fifth such phase since the survey began in 1996. However, survey consultant Chow Kit Boey noted that the net balance was lower for overall sales than overseas ones, implying that domestic sales were worse than sales abroad. Economists said this is consistent with Singapore’s export-led economic recovery that is also reflected in official data. OCBC chief economist Selena Ling said the improvement in the global electronics industry may be a contributing factor, while stimulus measures in China could have helped stabilise the Chinese economy as well. Overseas customers may have also been front-loading imports ahead of expected trade tensions under incoming US president Donald Trump, she added. It is thus “not a total surprise that overseas sales may have outperformed domestic sales, which were possibly restrained by the gradually cooling local labour market conditions”, she said. Separately, for orders and new business, contraction eased by a further three percentage points to -6 per cent in Q3, marking the fourth straight month of improvement. But performance did not improve in terms of profits, which remained in contraction. The profits net balance was unchanged at -10 per cent in Q3, despite having eased for three straight quarters previously. Economists told BT that the continued contraction could be reflective of elevated business costs. They also do not expect things to improve. Maybank economist Brian Lee said: “Firms will have to grapple with more policy-induced cost increases in the months ahead, particularly on the manpower front, for instance with the hikes in S-Pass qualifying salaries and levy rates.” From Sep 1 next year, the minimum qualifying salary for new S-Pass applications will rise to at least S$3,300, while the Tier 1 levy rate will also be increased to S$650, from S$550. Minimum qualifying salaries for Employment Passes are also set to rise from Jan 1, to S$5,600, from S$5,000. Bucking the trend of contracting profits, however, was the financial and business services sector. In this segment, companies whose profits improved in Q3 outnumbered those whose profits declined. Financial and business services companies have also turned optimistic about business prospects in the next six months. The sector was one of two “star performer” segments in the Q3 survey, alongside commerce. Companies in the commerce sector were the only group to see expansion in orders or new business. When asked which countries held the best business prospects in the next 12 months, businesses were most bullish about Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, with these answers accounting for 55 per cent of responses. Overall, Singapore remains the most-cited country. But its vote share has fallen, and it now shares the top rank with Indonesia, the survey consultant Chow noted. Compared with a year ago, more companies now see Indonesia as offering the best business prospects, she noted. Among small companies, Indonesia has overtaken Malaysia to reach the top position. The country is also the most cited by firms in the manufacturing, commerce, as well as transport and communications sectors. OCBC’s Ling noted that pre-election jitters have faded and the new Prabowo administration – which came into power in late October – may be a catalyst for this optimism. Maybank’s Lee said the optimism towards Indonesia and Malaysia is likely due to their high growth prospects. “Malaysia has come into keener focus given its rising prowess (in) attracting investments in high-tech fields like semiconductors and data centres,” he said. Major infrastructure projects such as the upcoming Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link could also be buoying sentiment. On the whole, Chow expects Singapore’s gross domestic product to grow 3.7 to 4 per cent in Q4, in view of “external conflicts and political rivalry”. Full-year growth could come in at 3.4 to 3.5 per cent, she said. This is in line with several economists’ forecasts. Both DBS and Maybank have pencilled in full-year growth at 3.5 per cent, while OCBC is expecting 3.3 per cent growth due to a moderation in Q4. DBS economist Chua Han Teng noted that the ongoing recovery in external-oriented sectors such as manufacturing, trade-related services and modern services should continue in the final months of the year. “However, the election of Donald Trump as the next US president and his campaign promises to widen the trade war raise the downside risks and uncertainties for businesses in highly trade-reliant economies like Singapore over the coming years,” he said. Maybank’s Lee said Trump’s win and the Republican sweep could dampen business sentiment in Singapore, with the largest impact likely to be on overseas sales. More protectionist US policies under Trump could stifle regional trade and foreign direct investment, he added.