milyon88 download AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1 Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots. Miami, SMU and Indiana round out the top 10. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.

Laurie Anderson: Ark: United States V review – a long and winding bid to make sense of AmericaNEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate” granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’” Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater “that President Biden condemned.” Related Articles Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump’s attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office.They argue continuing the case would present unconstitutional 'disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.'

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8 analysts have shared their evaluations of Compass COMP during the recent three months, expressing a mix of bullish and bearish perspectives. The following table summarizes their recent ratings, shedding light on the changing sentiments within the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months. Bullish Somewhat Bullish Indifferent Somewhat Bearish Bearish Total Ratings 3 3 2 0 0 Last 30D 2 1 0 0 0 1M Ago 0 0 0 0 0 2M Ago 1 1 2 0 0 3M Ago 0 1 0 0 0 Analysts have set 12-month price targets for Compass, revealing an average target of $7.81, a high estimate of $9.50, and a low estimate of $6.00. Observing a 18.15% increase, the current average has risen from the previous average price target of $6.61. Diving into Analyst Ratings: An In-Depth Exploration The perception of Compass by financial experts is analyzed through recent analyst actions. The following summary presents key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets. Analyst Analyst Firm Action Taken Rating Current Price Target Prior Price Target Michael Ng Goldman Sachs Raises Buy $8.00 $7.00 Jason Helfstein Oppenheimer Raises Outperform $9.50 $8.50 Bernie McTernan Needham Maintains Buy $8.00 $8.00 Jason Helfstein Oppenheimer Raises Outperform $8.50 $8.00 Matthew Bouley Barclays Raises Equal-Weight $6.00 $5.00 Bernie McTernan Needham Raises Buy $8.00 $6.00 Lloyd Walmsley UBS Raises Neutral $6.50 $4.40 Jason Helfstein Oppenheimer Raises Outperform $8.00 $6.00 Key Insights: Action Taken: Analysts adapt their recommendations to changing market conditions and company performance. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise' or 'Lower' their stance, it reflects their response to recent developments related to Compass. This information provides a snapshot of how analysts perceive the current state of the company. Rating: Offering insights into predictions, analysts assign qualitative values, from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of Compass compared to the broader market. Price Targets: Analysts gauge the dynamics of price targets, providing estimates for the future value of Compass's stock. This comparison reveals trends in analysts' expectations over time. Capture valuable insights into Compass's market standing by understanding these analyst evaluations alongside pertinent financial indicators. Stay informed and make strategic decisions with our Ratings Table. Stay up to date on Compass analyst ratings. Get to Know Compass Better Compass Inc provides an end-to-end platform that empowers residential real estate agents to deliver exceptional service to seller and buyer clients. The platform includes an integrated suite of cloud-based software for customer relationship management, marketing, client service and other critical functionality, all custom-built for the real estate industry and enabling core brokerage services. Business operations are conducted in the United States and earn revenue domestically. Unraveling the Financial Story of Compass Market Capitalization: With restricted market capitalization, the company is positioned below industry averages. This reflects a smaller scale relative to peers. Revenue Growth: Over the 3 months period, Compass showcased positive performance, achieving a revenue growth rate of 11.71% as of 30 September, 2024. This reflects a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. As compared to its peers, the revenue growth lags behind its industry peers. The company achieved a growth rate lower than the average among peers in Real Estate sector. Net Margin: Compass's net margin excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching -0.11% . This signifies efficient cost management and strong financial health. Return on Equity (ROE): Compass's ROE excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching -0.41% . This signifies robust financial management and efficient use of shareholder equity capital. Return on Assets (ROA): Compass's ROA stands out, surpassing industry averages. With an impressive ROA of -0.14% , the company demonstrates effective utilization of assets and strong financial performance. Debt Management: Compass's debt-to-equity ratio is below the industry average at 1.19 , reflecting a lower dependency on debt financing and a more conservative financial approach. Understanding the Relevance of Analyst Ratings Benzinga tracks 150 analyst firms and reports on their stock expectations. Analysts typically arrive at their conclusions by predicting how much money a company will make in the future, usually the upcoming five years, and how risky or predictable that company's revenue streams are. Analysts attend company conference calls and meetings, research company financial statements, and communicate with insiders to publish their ratings on stocks. Analysts typically rate each stock once per quarter or whenever the company has a major update. Analysts may enhance their evaluations by incorporating forecasts for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue, delivering additional guidance to investors. It is vital to acknowledge that, although experts in stocks and sectors, analysts are human and express their opinions when providing insights. Which Stocks Are Analysts Recommending Now? Benzinga Edge gives you instant access to all major analyst upgrades, downgrades, and price targets. Sort by accuracy, upside potential, and more. Click here to stay ahead of the market . This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan gave athletic director Warde Manuel a five-year contract extension Thursday on the heels of the Wolverines' upset over rival Ohio State and a strong start to the basketball season. Manuel, who has held the position since 2016, signed through June 30, 2030, the school announced. Manuel is also chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. “During Warde’s tenure as director, Athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” university President Santa J. Ono said in the announcement. Michigan had a disappointing football season, finishing 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten), but a 13-10 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State took some pressure off of the program. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for the rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Wolverines won the national championship last year in their final season led by coach Jim Harbaugh, whose tenure at the school involved multiple NCAA investigations for recruiting and sign-stealing allegations. Manuel supported Harbaugh through those processes. In basketball, the women's team made its season debut (No. 23) in the AP Top 25 this week. The men are 7-1 a season after firing coach Juwan Howard, who lost a school-record 24 games in 2023-24 as Michigan plummeted to a last-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1967. Michigan has won 52 Big Ten championships since 2020. “Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics," Manuel said in a statement. "I especially want to thank the student-athletes, coaches and staff who compete for each of our teams and who have helped us achieve unparalleled success athletically and academically. I am excited to continue giving back to a university that has provided me with so much over my career.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Ruben Amorim issues storm warning after smooth start with Manchester UnitedLAS VEGAS , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The growing demand for pelvic floor stimulation devices is driven by the rising incidence of urinary incontinence, neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions. Additionally, the increasing prevalence of risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, which are key contributors to urinary incontinence, is expected to further fuel this demand. Moreover, factors such as the aging population, frequent product launches and approvals, increased demand for home healthcare, and ongoing product innovations are anticipated to support the overall expansion of the pelvic floor stimulation devices market during the forecast period from 2024 to 2030. DelveInsight's Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Insights report provides the current and forecast market analysis, individual leading pelvic floor stimulation devices companies' market shares, challenges, pelvic floor stimulation devices market drivers, barriers, trends, and key market pelvic floor stimulation devices companies in the market. Key Takeaways from the Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Report As per DelveInsight estimates, North America is anticipated to dominate the global pelvic floor stimulation devices market during the forecast period. In the product type segment of the pelvic floor stimulation devices market, the mobile pelvic floor stimulation device category had a significant revenue share in the year 2023. This can be ascribed to the advantages offered by the category. Notable pelvic floor stimulation devices companies such as Medtronic, The Prometheus Group, INNOVO, Shenzhen XFT Medical Limited, Verity Medical Ltd., Tic Medizintechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Laborie, PZmed, TensCare Ltd., Renovia Inc., Novuqare, GymnaUniphy, InControl Medical, Athena Feminine Technologies, Inc., Creo Medical, and several others, are currently operating in the pelvic floor stimulation devices market. In February 2022 , Medtronic announced FDA approval for the InterStim X TM system, which delivers sacral neuromodulation (SNM) therapy. These devices are used to treat overactive bladder (OAB), chronic fecal incontinence (FI), and non-obstructive urinary retention. To read more about the latest highlights related to the pelvic floor stimulation devices market, get a snapshot of the key highlights entailed in the Global Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Report Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Overview Pelvic floor stimulation devices are medical tools designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles through electrical stimulation. These devices are commonly used to treat conditions like urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual dysfunction, which can occur due to weakened pelvic floor muscles. The devices work by sending mild electrical impulses to the muscles, causing them to contract and gradually become stronger over time. This therapy is non-invasive and can be performed in a clinical setting or at home, offering a convenient and effective solution for people looking to regain control over their pelvic health. In addition to improving muscle strength, pelvic floor stimulation devices can also enhance neuromuscular coordination, helping users gain better awareness and control of their pelvic floor muscles. This is particularly beneficial for women after childbirth or during menopause when the pelvic floor tends to weaken. For men, these devices can help with conditions such as post-prostatectomy incontinence. The devices are generally safe and well-tolerated, although it is important to consult a healthcare provider before starting treatment to ensure it is appropriate for individual needs. Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Insights In 2023, North America held the largest share of the global pelvic floor stimulation devices market. This is primarily due to factors such as the increasing prevalence of urinary incontinence, particularly among the elderly, and neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, various initiatives by governments and nonprofit organizations are driving market growth in the region. The demand for advanced technology and a growing number of regulatory approvals are further contributing to this growth. Moreover, the rise in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's is fueling demand for pelvic floor stimulation devices. Ongoing product development activities in North America are expected to further boost market expansion. To know more about why North America is leading the market growth in the pelvic floor stimulation devices market, get a snapshot of the Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Outlook Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Dynamics The global pelvic floor stimulation devices market has experienced notable growth due to rising awareness about pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence. These conditions affect millions of individuals, particularly women post-childbirth and older adults. The increasing focus on women's health , coupled with advancements in non-invasive treatments, has driven demand for pelvic floor stimulation devices, which offer a more effective and less invasive treatment compared to surgeries. The devices work by delivering electrical stimulation to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, offering relief and improving the quality of life for many patients. A key market driver is the growing aging population , particularly in regions like North America , Europe , and parts of Asia . With aging comes a higher prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction due to muscle weakening and other health conditions. Additionally, the increasing incidence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles has exacerbated the problem, further boosting the demand for solutions like pelvic floor stimulators. Technological advancements , such as wireless and portable devices, have also enhanced user convenience, driving adoption in home healthcare settings. However, the market is not without challenges. One significant barrier is the lack of awareness and societal stigma surrounding pelvic floor disorders, which may prevent individuals from seeking treatment. Moreover, the high costs associated with certain devices and limited insurance coverage for non-invasive treatments can restrict access to these devices for some patients, particularly in developing regions. Addressing these issues will be critical for sustained market growth. Despite these hurdles, there is significant growth potential for the pelvic floor stimulation devices market. Ongoing research and development efforts are focused on improving device efficacy and user experience, and the rise of telehealth and digital health platforms could expand access to these devices. Additionally, increasing collaborations between manufacturers and healthcare providers, along with government initiatives aimed at improving women's health, are likely to further propel market growth in the coming years. Get a sneak peek at the pelvic floor stimulation devices market dynamics @ Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Dynamics Analysis Report Metrics Details Coverage Global Study Period 2021–2030 Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market CAGR ~12% Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Size by 2030 USD 413 Million Key Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Companies Medtronic, The Prometheus Group, INNOVO, Shenzhen XFT Medical Limited, Verity Medical Ltd., Tic Medizintechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Laborie, PZmed, TensCare Ltd., Renovia Inc., Novuqare, GymnaUniphy, InControl Medical, Athena Feminine Technologies, Inc., Creo Medical, among others Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Assessment Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Segmentation Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Segmentation By Product Type: Fixed and Mobile Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Segmentation By Application: Urinary Incontinence, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Sexual Dysfunction, and Others Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Segmentation By End User: Hospitals & Clinics, Homecare Settings, and Others Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Segmentation By Geography : North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of World Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Product Profiles, Case Studies, KOL's Views, Analyst's View Which MedTech key players in the pelvic floor stimulation devices market are set to emerge as the trendsetter explore @ Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Companies Table of Contents 1 Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Report Introduction 2 Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Executive Summary 3 Competitive Landscape 4 Regulatory Analysis 5 Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Key Factors Analysis 6 Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Porter's Five Forces Analysis 7 Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Layout 8 Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Company and Product Profiles 9 KOL Views 10 Project Approach 11 About DelveInsight 12 Disclaimer & Contact Us Interested in knowing the pelvic floor stimulation devices market by 2030? Click to get a snapshot of the Pelvic Floor Stimulation Devices Market Trends Related Reports Pelvic Floor Disorders Treatment Devices Market Pelvic Floor Disorders Treatment Devices Market Insight, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast – 2030 report delivers an in-depth understanding of market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key pelvic floor disorders treatment devices companies, including Ethicon US, LLC, Boston Scientific Corporation, Coloplast Ltd., Medtronic, CooperSurgical Inc., Cook, MEDGYN PRODUCTS, INC., Personal Medical Corp., Dr. Arabin GmbH & Co. KG, Integra LifeSciences Corporation, Panpac Medical Corp, medesign I.C. GmbH, Zynex Inc., TensCare Ltd., Verity Medical Ltd., InControl Medical, The Prometheus Group, Laborie, Inc., ActivLife Technologies, Athena Feminine Technologies, Atlantic Therapeutics, Renovia Inc., among others. Stress Urinary Incontinence Devices Market Stress Urinary Incontinence Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast – 2030 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key stress urinary incontinence devices companies, including Boston Scientific Corporation, AscentX Medical Inc., Coloplast Corporation, Becton, Dickinson and Company, ConvaTec Group PLC, Ethicon US, LLC (Johnson & Johnson), Cook Medical Inc., Teleflex Incorporated, Caldera Medical Inc., Prosurg, Inc., Laborie, InControl Medical, Cousin Surgery, Hollister Incorporated, ZSI Surgical Implants, Atlantic Therapeutics, Flexicare (Group) Limited, A.M.I. GmbH, Axonics, Inc., Betatech Medical , among others. Urinary Incontinence Devices Market Urinary Incontinence Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecast – 2030 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key urinary incontinence devices companies, including NeoTract, Inc, Cook Medical Inc, C.R. Bard Inc, Coloplast Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Ethicon US, LLC, Medtronic PLC, A.M.I. Ltd, Teleflex Incorporated, Hollister Incorporated, ConvaTec Group PLC, Caldera Medical Inc, Prosurg, Inc, Laborie, Inc, Becton, Dickinson and Company, ZSI Surgical Implants, Atlantic Therapeutics, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Flexicare Group Limited, InControl Medical , among others. Fecal Incontinence Market Fecal Incontinence Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast – 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key fecal incontinence companies, including Palette Life Sciences, Cook MyoSite, 9 Meters Biopharma , among others. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant, and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Contact Us Shruti Thakur info@delveinsight.com +14699457679 https://www.delveinsight.com/medical-devices Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/3528414/DelveInsight_Logo.jpgSoft Material Solutions for Handheld Gaming Devices 11-22-2024 11:46 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire Key Challenges Faced by Handheld Gaming Device Manufacturers 1. Ergonomic Comfort Issues: Prolonged gaming can lead to hand fatigue and discomfort if devices lack ergonomic design. 2. Durability and Protection Concerns: Handheld devices often face heavy use, leading to wear and tear. Manufacturers need to ensure that their products can withstand repeated handling and accidental drops while maintaining their aesthetic appeal. 3. Lack of Product Differentiation: Standing out in a competitive market requires unique designs and functionalities. With the continuous rise of the gaming industry, handheld gaming devices are no longer just a tool for game operation, but also a medium for emotional interaction with players. How to choose a suitable soft material to overcome these challenges and create exceptional gaming devices with both aesthetics and practicality in terms of appearance and functionality is the core question manufacturers need to think about. How do soft materials address these challenges? 1. Ergonomic comfort solutions: Si-TPV Thermoplastic Elastomers [ https://www.si-tpv.com/3c-technology-material-for-improved-safety-aesthetics-and-comfort-product/ ] Controller Grips: Si-TPV Soft Elastic Material is a Tpu For Improved Handling (Slip-Resistant Thermoplastic Polyurethane) with a With a wide range of stiffness, excellent resilience, long-lasting skin-friendly soft touch, anti-slip and malleability, it is possible to create Wear Resistant Comfortable Handle Grips that ergonomically fit the natural curves of the user's hand. This reduces hand fatigue during extended gaming sessions and improves the overall comfort of the device. Si-TPV Thermoplastic Elastomers [ https://www.si-tpv.com/3c-technology-material-for-improved-safety-aesthetics-and-comfort-product/ ] Button Covers and Triggers: Buttons and triggers are critical to the gaming experience, and Si-TPV Thermoplastic Elastomers (Elastomeric Compounds/Elastomeric Materials) are an Extremely Silky Feel Material Without Additional Coating, commonly used to improve the tactile feel of buttons and triggers. Soft button covers provide better feedback, making it easier for players to press buttons accurately and quickly, as well as reducing wear and tear on the device, extending its lifespan. Image: https://www.si-tpv.com/uploads/%E4%BC%81%E4%B8%9A%E5%BE%AE%E4%BF%A1%E6%88%AA%E5%9B%BE_17304463171800.pngImage: https://www.si-tpv.com/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/241-square.jpgImage: https://www.si-tpv.com/uploads/eb04-imfiehq6993921.jpg 2. Durability and protection: Shock-absorbing protective case: Si-TPV Thermoplastic Elastomers [ https://www.si-tpv.com/3c-technology-material-for-improved-safety-aesthetics-and-comfort-product/ ] provide excellent impact resistance to protect the device from accidental drops and extend its life. These materials also protect against scratches, perspiration, and environmental factors such as UV rays and moisture. However, Si-TPV materials can also be used as Overmolding Materials, which are resistant to dirt, abrasion and scratches, and have a strong bond to the substrate. These properties prevent peeling and abrasion, ensuring that the equipment remains in good condition even under heavy use. 3. Product differentiation: Customisable aesthetics: Si-TPV Thermoplastic Elastomers [ https://www.si-tpv.com/3c-technology-material-for-improved-safety-aesthetics-and-comfort-product/ ] are easily customisable in terms of colour, texture and design, enabling manufacturers to create visually appealing and distinctive devices. Si-TPV, for example, enhances the vibrancy of colours to cater to different consumer preferences. * 4. Innovative Designs: Si-TPV Thermoplastic Elastomers are Modification For Tpu, or Softer TPUs, whose flexibility in hardness allows for the creation of unique, ergonomic designs that stand out from the competition. The recyclability of Si-TPV is also in line with growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, adding a sustainable edge to device innovation. In addition, it is Skin Friendly Materials, which is not harmful to the human body, making it more suitable for use in scenarios where it comes into contact with human skin. For additional details, please visit www.si-tpv.com or reach out to amy.wang@silike.cn via email. Media Contact Company Name: Chengdu Silike Technology Co., Ltd. Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=soft-material-solutions-for-handheld-gaming-devices ] Country: China Website: https://www.si-tpv.com/ This release was published on openPR.Kuwait City: In a special gesture, Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah came to see off PM Modi at the airport Sunday evening as he wrapped up his historic two-day visit to the West Asian country and left for India. “Thank you Kuwait! This visit was historic and will greatly enhance our bilateral relations. I thank the Government and people of Kuwait for their warmth. I also thank the PM of Kuwait for the special gesture of coming to the airport for the see-off,” PM Modi posted on X just before his departure. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held back-to-back meetings with the country’s Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah besides holding bilateral discussions with the country’s PM Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. “Held fruitful discussions with HH Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Our talks covered the full range of India-Kuwait relations, including trade, commerce, people-to-people ties and more. Key MoUs and Agreements were also exchanged, which will add strength to bilateral relations,” said PM Modi. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders discussed a roadmap to strengthen the strategic partnership in areas including political, trade, investment, energy, defence, security, health, education, technology, cultural, and people-to-people ties. “They emphasised on deepening economic cooperation between the two countries. The Prime Minister invited a delegation comprising the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to visit India to look at new opportunities in the fields of energy, defence, medical devices, pharma, food parks, among others. The leaders also discussed cooperation in traditional medicine and agricultural research,” read a statement issued by the PMO after the meeting. “They welcomed the recent signing of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) under which new Joint Working Groups in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture have been set up in addition to the existing JWGs on Health, Manpower and Hydrocarbons,” it added. Both leaders also witnessed the signing and exchange of bilateral agreements and MoUs after the talks. It included an MoU on defence cooperation, cultural exchange programme, an executive programme on cooperation in the field of sports and the framework agreement on Kuwait joining the International Solar Alliance. In what was the first meeting between the two leaders, Prime Minister Modi met and the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held discussions at the Bayan Palace and re-affirmed their full commitment to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation while agreeing to elevate the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. The leaders recalled the strong historical and friendly ties between the two countries with PM Modi thanking the Amir for ensuring the well-being of over one million strong Indian community in Kuwait. The Amir also expressed appreciation for the contribution of the large and vibrant Indian community in Kuwait’s development. “Excellent meeting with His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, IT, fintech, infrastructure and security. In line with the close relations between our two countries, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic level and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish further in the future,” the Prime Minister said. The PM appreciated the new initiatives being undertaken by Kuwait to fulfill its Vision 2035 and congratulated the Amir for successfully holding the GCC Summit earlier this month. Reciprocating Prime Minister’s sentiments, the Amir expressed appreciation for India’s role as a valued partner in Kuwait and the Gulf region and looked forward to greater role and contribution of India towards realisation of Kuwait Vision 2035. The Amir of Kuwait also conferred upon Prime Minister Modi ‘The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer’, the highest national award of Kuwait. PM Modi dedicated the award to the long-standing friendship between India and Kuwait, to the Indian community in Kuwait and to the 1.4 billion people of India. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the conferment of the award – instituted in 1974 and conferred only on select global leaders – on the historic visit of a Prime Minister of India to Kuwait after 43 years added a “special meaning” to the occasion. PM Modi also met with Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait. Both leaders had also met on the margins of the UNGA session in September, earlier this year. “Prime Minister conveyed that India attaches utmost importance to its bilateral relations with Kuwait. The leaders acknowledged that bilateral relations were progressing well and welcomed their elevation to a Strategic Partnership. They emphasised on close coordination between both sides in the UN and other multilateral fora. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that India-GCC relations will be further strengthened under the Presidency of Kuwait,” said PM Modi.

There are times when a postseason bowl seems like the first game of next year for the participating teams. That cliche means something a little different for NC State and East Carolina. The Wolfpack and Pirates face each other in the Military Bowl on Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland. Then they'll see each other again in about eight months. NC State opens the 2025 season at home against ECU on Aug. 30. There is certainly plenty of familiarity between these two programs, even though NC State (6-6) is in the ACC and East Carolina (7-5) is in the AAC. The teams — located about 80 miles apart — have met 32 times, most recently in 2022 when the Wolfpack won 21-20. From 1970-87, these teams played each other every year. Since 2004, they haven't gone more than two consecutive seasons without meeting. “Hour and a half down the road and you're playing — whether you play every year or don't play every year — I think it's still a rivalry," East Carolina coach Blake Harrell said. "Our fans still get excited. They still think that's a rivalry. Our players still think that's a rivalry.” People are also reading... NC State leads the series 19-13 and has won three straight — but East Carolina won three in a row before that. “It's weird playing a team that we open with next year,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said. “We don't play them that much. We play them every three years, so it's really a roster turnover. Every time we see them, it's a different ballclub for the most part. But yeah, finishing with who you open with is unique.” NC State and East Carolina met in the Peach Bowl in 1992 — during an eight-year hiatus in their regular-season series. ECU scored three touchdowns in the final 7:26 to win 37-34. “We had that time during COVID, we obviously all had some down time. I remember searching through YouTube, just past games to check out. That game did pop up," Harrell said. "That was a special moment for that team and that program at the time, and this could be a special moment for this team and this program.” NC State is playing in the Military Bowl for the first time. East Carolina was supposed to participate in 2021, but the game was canceled. The Pirates lost to Maryland in the 2010 edition. Harrell took over on an interim basis in the middle of the season when Mike Houston was fired. After leading the Pirates to four straight wins, Harrell had the interim tag removed . Freshman CJ Bailey took over at quarterback for NC State this season after concussion problems ended Grayson McCall's career. Bailey has completed 64.1% of his passes. Only Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson threw for more touchdowns as a freshman for the Wolfpack than Bailey, who has 14 TD tosses. “He's a really good player. Doesn't play like a freshman to me,” Harrell said. "Makes really good throws down the field, has a really good arm, and then if he takes off scrambling or if the quarterback-designed run game, he's a long strider. He can eat up some ground. Nobody ever catches him." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won his first NFL MVP Award with Greg Roman as his offensive coordinator. But the honeymoon didn't last.AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1

DRESSED as sunflowers in yellow petals and green tutus, the six Dutchmen had been boozing since 5.30am in preparation for their Ally Pally initiation. Now, 3,500 bladdered darts fans — also in fancy dress — were bellowing at them: “Have you seen a flower down a pint?” Bottoms up went the beers, with Rotterdam corn trader Willem ­Alderliesten, 29, telling me: “It’s crazy here. We love it!” Amid the dark, gloomy days of winter a shining star has reappeared in the sporting firmament — the World Darts Championship at ­Alexandra Palace. Long a hallowed British institution, darts was propelled into a different league last Christmas with the ­emergence of a bona fide superstar, Runcorn teenager Luke Littler . Now a bucket-list event, all 90,000 tickets for this year’s tournament sold out within 15 minutes in July. READ MORE ON DARTS Even Prince Harry has been to the arrows — although that was back in 2014 when he was fun. Ed Sheeran (the real one, not a fancy dress stooge) came the week before Christmas, downing a pint when the crowd demanded it. The Tractor Boys fan was also ­serenaded with a raucous: “Ipswich get battered everywhere they go.” Organisers the Professional Darts Corporation tweeted: “Multi-platinum award-winning artist Ed Sheeran in the house — and he’s watching a ­window clean- er take on a caravan salesman. You can’t beat the darts.” Most read in Darts So, dressed as a Christmas tree, clutching a 180 scorecard and giant foam hand, I trekked to Ally Pally to see if they’re right. Frothy lager Emerging from Wood Green Tube station at 11am, I joined the sloshed and surreal comet’s tail of humanity on the mile-long climb to the Palace. Lord Nelson, Donald Trump , the Toy Story cast, hordes of Mario Brothers, two Harry Potters and some­ Santas wove unsteadily through the genteel North London streets. With 90 minutes still to go before the darts afternoon session began, most seemed to have indulged in a morning session of their own. Opened as the “Palace of the ­People” in 1873, Ally Pally was once home to the BBC and hosted 1967’s 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, headlined by Pink Floyd. The LSD-soaked hippies watching must have thought they had witnessed the most far-out scenes ever seen on this North London hill. But that was before the darts. Entering the Palace’s Great Hall, I was greeted by a cacophonous Technicolor dream of my own. Thousands in the most ludicrous fancy dress and brandishing pitchers of frothy lager were belting out: “Stand up if you love the darts.” Everybody does. And then we all sing it again every few minutes throughout the session. It’s as if 500 stag and hen dos converged at a giant pub with quality darts a few feet away. The occasion is a potent mix of that most endearing of British traits — not taking ourselves too seriously — and our propensity for a ­roistering alcohol binge. Organisers expect as many as 250,000 pints to be sunk over the course of the 16-day tournament, which finishes on January 3. I’ve come as Captain Kirk for my 60th. What better way to celebrate your birthday? It’s now a firmly entrenched part of the festive calendar, and I met many family groups celebrating there. Retired City trader Rob Elston, from Orpington, Kent , and his children Richard, 31, Georgia , 28, Rianna, 23, and Sasha, 19, were all decked out in Star Trek costumes. Millwall fan Rob said: “I’ve come as Captain Kirk for my 60th. What better way to celebrate your birthday?” Inside the hall, there was a distinct fans’ hierarchy. Those people in the cheaper stands (around £55 a seat) continuously bantered with others who had managed to snaffle table seats (about £65 each). “Boring, boring tables,” was ­countered with “Feed the stands, let them know it’s Christmas, too” to the tune of Band Aid. Then there was the VIP seating area where, bizarrely, fancy dress is banned. Hospitality packages there begin at just under £400 a head. Two Michelin-starred chefs have conceived three-course meals and you can sip Taittinger champagne while listening to the banter in the cheap seats. When I visited, the only person ejected for misbehaviour was from the VIP seating. A security guard told me: “He was having a row with another table, then had a pop at our guys and got himself removed. What a waste of £400.” The table and stands — for once with one voice — serenaded the ­miscreant with chants of “W****r! W****r! W****r!” Then the hall echoed with another perennial darts singalong about the two footballing Toure brothers from the Ivory Coast, who played for ­Manchester City together. No one I spoke to at Ally Pally seemed to know why this footballing ditty has become part of the darts experience. In the bar area, sisters Lisa and Kairen Sotheron, from Colchester , Essex , gave me a rendition. In their Ninja Turtle outfits, they first chanted Yaya Toure’s name with their hands in the air, then as his brother Kolo’s name got an airing, their hands reached for the floor. Nurse Lisa, 44, told me: “I just love the atmosphere and the buzz. I’ve got a jug of beer and Kairen’s got a jug of vodka. And I actually like ­watching the darts.” Oh, yes, the darts. Sometimes it does feel like a giant beano with a sports event attached, rather than the other way round. I just love the atmosphere and the buzz I was once lucky enough to interview the late commentator Sid ­Waddell — a bard of darts, who did much to increase its popularity. He told me Ally Pally is “a cross between the Munich Beer Festival and Rome’s Colosseum when the Christians were on the menu. The crowd here are rock ’n’ roll. They are more important to the whole ­experience than any other sport. “Darts players need to be extroverts and big-headed. It’s a very aggressive and flashy sport.” Each match begins with a boxing-style walk-on, with players glad-handing their devoted fans. A good walk-on tune with some exuberant fist bumps and perhaps some provocative bottom-wiggling can win over the Pally. Nathan Aspinall’s walk-on to The Killers’ Mr Brightside is a sure-fire singalong, as is Joe Cullen’s Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis . With his long locks flowing, Ryan “Heavy Metal” Searle’s entrance to Black Sabbath’s Paranoid ­normally unleashes a few air guitarists in the crowd. Once on stage, the players are greeted by an incredible wall of noise, even when on the oche. There’s no Wimbledon-style “Quiet, please”. Each throw can be punctuated by roars and boos, the Toure song and banter between stands and tables. The best players seem to enter a Zen-like state, ­poker-faced. Then the crowd’s screams disappear, replaced by the regular thud of an arrow hitting the treble 20. Yet even the best pros can get the jitters. On his opening match at the Pally this year, Luke Littler admitted: “In the hours before the game, I was perfectly fine — then it was game on, and the bottom’s gone. It fell out. I didn’t know what to do with myself.” The players’ powers of arithmetic — charting routes to the favoured double 16 in nanoseconds — are astonishing and seemingly innate. Roars and boos Darts has come a long way since the first world championship in 1978 was televised on the BBC. Players sank pints and smoked on the oche, reflecting the sport’s birth in pubs and working men’s clubs. Killjoy governing body the British Darts Organisation banned booze in 1989, and the game drifted towards oblivion. Then, when top players engineered a breakaway from the BDO in 1992, the Professional Darts ­Corporation was born, with wily boxing and snooker promoter Barry Hearn eventually becoming chair. He ramped up the razzmatazz and in 2007 moved the championship, initially held at the Circus Tavern near the Dartford flyover in Kent, to the Ally Pally. So why is darts now more ­popular than ever? Dressed as a banana, Tom Arnold, 50, from West Malling, Kent, who works in sales, said: “It’s the Luke Littler effect — he’s given the whole thing a new lease of life and made it accessible to a new generation.” Littler, 17 — pipped by Luke Humphries in the final last year — is the reason thousands of kids unwrapped pristine dartboards on Christmas morning. It’s the Luke Littler effect — he’s given the whole thing a new lease of life and made it accessible to a new generation Only the Princess of Wales and Donald Trump had more Google searches in the UK in 2024. Littler is the spearhead of a sport going global. This year’s world championship began with dart players from 28 nations, including India , Japan , the Bahamas, South Africa and the Philippines. England had the most representatives with 26, followed by the ­Netherlands with 16. And Ally Pally is now a regular pilgrimage for darts fans from ­Germany, Belgium and Netherlands . Dressed in a blazer in the colours of the Dutch flag, Tom Beumer, 36, from Arnhem, told me: “We love the party, the beer and the fancy dress. The British create a crazy ­ atmosphere but the Dutch are crazy, too.” There is even talk that the Saudis are interested in snaffling this most drunken of occasions. PDC supremo Barry Hearn said recently: “The Saudis asked me for darts and I asked them a simple ­question — ‘Can we have alcohol?’. READ MORE SUN STORIES “And they said no. I said, ‘Well then you can’t have the darts’.” This festive cocktail of elite sport and British silliness is safe for now.This Black Friday , you can get an incredible deal on the Dyson V11 cordless vacuum. With a great 39% discount, this powerful and design cleaning machine is available at just $349, down from its original price of $569 . This offer is part of Amazon’s Black Friday Week deals and it includes their best price guarantee throughout the event period. If the price drops further during Black Friday, Amazon will refund you the difference, so there’s no need to wait. See at Amazon As an added bonus for holiday shoppers, Amazon is extending its return policy for this Black Friday deal. It means that you can return the Dyson V11 Origin until January 31, 2025, instead of the standard 30-day window. This is great if you’re considering the V11 as a Christmas gift. Most Premium Vacuum As you probably know, Dyson is a renowned British brand and it’s famous for producing some of t he world’s most powerful and efficient vacuum cleaners . The V11 Origin is no exception and boasts impressive suction power (185 AW !), innovative design and extended battery life. This cordless wonder also transforms effortlessly into a handheld vacuum so that you’ll be able to tackle any cleaning task in your home. The Dyson V11 Origin is equipped with Dyson’s latest motor technology and delivers up to 185 Air Watts (AW) of suction power. This massive power ensures that no dirt, dust, or debris is left behind-whether you’re cleaning carpets, hardwood floors or even tiles. The vacuum features three cleaning modes – Eco, Auto, and Boost – and you can adjust the suction power (from the LCD screen located at the top of the vacuum) based on your cleaning needs and maximize battery life. 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We really recommend not miss out on this exceptional Black Friday deal: this is the record low price for a premium Dyson V11 Origin vacuum and it might run out of stock very soon. Over 10,000 units have been sold in the past month on Amazon, and this vacuum is clearly among our favorite. See at Amazon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan gave athletic director Warde Manuel a five-year contract extension Thursday on the heels of the Wolverines' upset over rival Ohio State and a strong start to the basketball season. Manuel, who has held the position since 2016, signed through June 30, 2030, the school announced. Manuel is also chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. “During Warde’s tenure as director, Athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” university President Santa J. Ono said in the announcement. Michigan had a disappointing football season, finishing 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten), but a 13-10 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State took some pressure off of the program. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for the rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Wolverines won the national championship last year in their final season led by coach Jim Harbaugh, whose tenure at the school involved multiple NCAA investigations for recruiting and sign-stealing allegations. Manuel supported Harbaugh through those processes. In basketball, the women's team made its season debut (No. 23) in the AP Top 25 this week. The men are 7-1 a season after firing coach Juwan Howard, who lost a school-record 24 games in 2023-24 as Michigan plummeted to a last-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1967. Michigan has won 52 Big Ten championships since 2020. “Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics," Manuel said in a statement. "I especially want to thank the student-athletes, coaches and staff who compete for each of our teams and who have helped us achieve unparalleled success athletically and academically. I am excited to continue giving back to a university that has provided me with so much over my career.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

milyon88 online Meta platforms COO Javier Olivan sells stock worth $238,503TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett is rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett is rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett is rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs signed the two-time Super Bowl champion on Saturday, while also announcing safety Jordan Whitehead was activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers. Barrett spent five seasons with Tampa Bay from 2019 to 2023. He led the NFL with a franchise-record 19 1-2 sacks in his first year with the Bucs, then helped the team win its second Super Bowl title the following season. In all, Barrett started 70 games with Tampa Bay, amassing 45 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He was released last winter in a salary cap move, signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, then abruptly announced his retirement on social media before the start of training camp in July. Barrett, who also won a Super Bowl during a four-season stint with the Denver Broncos, decided to unretire last month. He signed with the Bucs after clearing waivers earlier in the week. Whitehead has missed the past four games with a pectoral injury. His return comes of the heels of the Bucs placing safety Christian Izien on IR with a pectoral injury. On Saturday, the Bucs also activated rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson from IR and elevated punter Jack Browning to the active roster from the practice squad. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl AdvertisementRed-Hot ETF Market Surges Past $71.1 Billion, Top Product Breaks $20 Billion Mark

Police hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's masked killer after 'brazen, targeted' attack on NYC street NEW 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. “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. UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. Hegseth fights to save Pentagon nomination as sources say Trump considers DeSantis WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant Pete Hegseth fought to save his nomination to be Donald Trump's defense secretary Wednesday as the president-elect considered possible replacements in the face of growing questions about the former Fox News host's personal conduct and ability to win Senate confirmation. Hegseth met with legislators on Capitol Hill, conducted a radio interview and released an opinion article denying allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking. He insisted he was “not backing down one bit," that Trump was still supporting him and he planned to return Thursday for more meetings with lawmakers. But the president-elect's team was looking at alternatives including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump himself remained quiet about Hegseth while issuing a flurry of statements on social media Wednesday about other nominees and his news coverage. Hegeth, asked if he'd meet with Trump on Thursday, said he'd meet with him “anytime he'd like." Hegseth is the latest nominee-designate to be imperiled by personal baggage after the recent withdrawal of Trump’s initial pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vulnerabilities were well-documented. But Hegseth’s past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies, was not widely known. Supreme Court seems likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on medical treatments for transgender minors WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, the Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people, showcasing the uneasy intersection between law, politics and individual rights. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism of arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Peter Navarro served prison time related to Jan. 6. Now Trump is bringing him back as an adviser WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House adviser Peter Navarro, who served prison time related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, will return to serve in Donald Trump’s second administration, the president-elect announced Wednesday. Navarro, a trade adviser during Trump’s first term, will be a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, Trump said on Truth Social. The position, Trump wrote, “leverages Peter’s broad range of White House experience, while harnessing his extensive Policy analytic and Media skills.” The appointment was only the first in a flurry of announcements that Trump made on Wednesday as his presidential transition faced controversy over Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for Pentagon chief. Hegseth faces allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement, and Trump has considered replacing him with another potential nominee. As he works to fill out his team, Trump said he wanted Paul Atkins, a financial industry veteran and an advocate for cryptocurrency, to serve as the next chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He wrote on Truth Social that Atkins “recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before.” Trump also said he was changing course on his choice for White House counsel. He said his original pick, William McGinley, will work with the Department of Government Efficiency, which will be run by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with the goal of cutting federal spending. Now David Warrington, who has worked as Trump’s personal lawyer and a lawyer for his campaign, will serve as White House counsel. Israeli strikes on a Gaza tent camp kill at least 21 people, hospital says KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes tore through a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza on Wednesday, sparking fires and killing at least 21 people, according to the head of a nearby hospital, in the latest assault on a sprawling tent city that Israel designated a humanitarian safe zone but has repeatedly targeted. The Israeli military said it struck senior Hamas militants “involved in terrorist activities” in the area, without providing additional details, and said it took precautions to minimize harm to civilians. The strike on the Muwasi tent camp was one of several deadly assaults across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. An Israeli attack in central Gaza killed at least 10 more people, including four children, according to Palestinian medics. Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 attack, shows no signs of ending after nearly 14 months. Hamas is still holding dozens of Israeli hostages, and most of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is reliant on international food aid to survive. Israel is also pressing a major offensive in the isolated north, where experts say Palestinians might be experiencing famine. The Biden administration has pledged to make a new push for a Gaza ceasefire now that there's a truce in Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, ending more than a year of cross-border fighting. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump demanded this week the release of hostages held by Hamas before he is sworn into office in January. South Korean President Yoon's martial law declaration raises questions over his political future SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration lasted just hours, but experts say it raised serious questions about his ability to govern for the remaining 2 1/2 years of his term and whether he will abide by democratic principles. The opposition-controlled parliament overturned the edict, and his rivals on Wednesday took steps to impeach him. One analyst called his action “political suicide.” Yoon’s political fate may depend on whether a large number of people in coming days take to the streets to push for his ouster. Here's a look at the political firestorm caused by the martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years. Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday night was accompanied by a pledge to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces at a single stroke.” He vowed to protect the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” Yoon, a conservative, cited repeated attempts by his liberal rivals in control of parliament to impeach his top officials and curtail key parts of his budget bill for next year. French lawmakers vote to oust prime minister in the first successful no-confidence vote since 1962 PARIS (AP) — France’s far-right and left-wing lawmakers joined together Wednesday in a historic no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes that forces Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet members to resign, a first since 1962. The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed. President Emmanuel Macron insisted he will serve the rest of his term until 2027. However, he will need to appoint a new prime minister for the second time after July’s legislative elections led to a deeply divided parliament. Macron will address the French on Thursday evening, his office said, without providing details. Barnier is expected to formally resign by then. A conservative appointed in September, Barnier becomes the shortest-serving prime minister in France’s modern Republic. White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow. The U.S. believes that the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. Harris found success with women who have cats, but Trump got the dog owner vote: AP VoteCast WASHINGTON (AP) — The lead-up to the 2024 election was all about cat owners. But in the end, the dogs had their day. President-elect Donald Trump won slightly more than half of voters who own either cats or dogs, with a big assist from dog owners, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. Dog owners were much more likely to support the Republican over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Cat owners were split between the two candidates. About two-thirds of voters said they own a dog or cat, but pet owners don't usually get much attention from politicians. This year, however, past comments by Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, about “childless cat ladies” briefly became a campaign issue — and Taylor Swift signed her Instagram endorsement of Harris in September as “Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady.” Harris did end up decisively winning support from women who owned a cat but not a dog. Still, those voters were a relatively small slice of the electorate, and pet owners as a whole did not seem to hold Vance's remarks against the GOP ticket. Childless or not, women who only owned a cat were more likely to support Harris than were dog owners, or voters who had a cat and a dog. About 6 in 10 women who owned a cat but not a dog supported Harris, according to AP VoteCast. She did similarly well among women who did not own either kind of pet.

South Alabama 35, Southern Miss. 14In addition, it is the responsibility of media outlets and journalists to uphold the principles of accuracy and integrity in reporting. By fact-checking and verifying information before publishing it, media professionals can help prevent the spread of false information and maintain the trust of their audience.End of Article

Despite the technical hiccups, those lucky enough to gain access to OpenAI Sora were greeted with a user interface that was sleek, intuitive, and unlike anything they had seen before. From its eerily lifelike chatbots to its remarkable ability to understand and respond to complex queries, OpenAI Sora wowed users with its prowess and left them clamoring for more.

Beed: Thousands of people gathered in Maharashtra's Beed city on Saturday to protest against the brutal murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh as even MLAs from the ruling coalition demanded the sacking of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde . ET Year-end Special Reads Take That: The gamechanger weapon's India acquired in 2024 10 big-bang policy moves Modi government made in 2024 How governments tried to rein in the social media beast Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, former MP Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, local BJP MLAs Suresh Dhas, Abhimanyu Pawar; NCP MLA Prakash Solanke and NCP (SP) MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Sandeep Kshirsagar participated in the 'aakrosh morcha' or protest march that culminated in a rally. The protesters demanded arrest of Walmik Karad, an associate of Dhananjay Munde, a politician from Beed district. Santosh Deshmukh was allegedly abducted and tortured to death on December 9. While four persons have been arrested, Opposition leaders claimed in the state legislature during the winter session that Walmik Karad was the mastermind of the murder. Karad, named as an accused in a related case of extortion but not for the murder, is still at large. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

The second transplant was a success, and Lily's health improved dramatically. She was able to resume her studies, pursue her passion for art, and enjoy life to the fullest. But the challenges did not end there. A few years later, Lily's body began to reject the second transplanted kidney, putting her life in jeopardy once again.The project, which encompasses a diverse range of construction activities including commercial complexes, residential buildings, and infrastructure development, is set to redefine the urban landscape of Beijing. With a focus on sustainability, modern design principles, and cutting-edge technology, the project is poised to set new benchmarks for architectural excellence and urban planning.

The deal also includes a clause that entitles Inter Milan to a percentage of any future transfer fee involving Esposito. This means that if Napoli decides to sell the player in the future, Inter will receive a share of the transfer fee as part of the agreement.

The deal also includes a clause that entitles Inter Milan to a percentage of any future transfer fee involving Esposito. This means that if Napoli decides to sell the player in the future, Inter will receive a share of the transfer fee as part of the agreement.In conclusion, the 48-hour explosion of 104 points may have been a momentary triumph for the Denver Nuggets, but it has also shed light on deeper issues within the team. Nikola Jokic's proposed pay cut and the looming contract negotiations with key players like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are signals of a team at a crossroads. How the Nuggets navigate these challenges will determine their future success in the competitive landscape of professional basketball.Strictly fans furious as they blast judges for ‘under-scoring’ star – saying ‘that should have been four tens’

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Shiba Inu News: Trader Calls 2025 a Year of Big Gains, How High Will SHIB Price Go?Jewell Loyd could be donning a different WNBA jersey for the first time in her career. The 31-year-old guard on Wednesday requested a trade from the Seattle Storm, multiple reports said. The Chicago Sun-Times was the first to report the news. Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Loyd's request came shortly after an external investigation into reported accusations of harassment and bullying by the Storm's coaching staff was cleared. Noelle Quinn has led the Storm as head coach since 2021. ESPN reported, citing a source, that Loyd was the player who filed the complaint leading to the investigation. Quinn was also Loyd's teammate from 2016 to 2018. "The Storm recently received internal allegations of potential workplace policy violations," Seattle said in a statement provided to ESPN . "The organization retained an outside investigator to conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations. The investigation has been completed and there were no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying. "To protect the integrity of the process, and to preserve confidentiality, we chose not to comment while the investigation was ongoing. The Storm will continue to provide a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect." Quinn's staff this past season included former WNBA player Ebony Hoffman, former WNBA head coach Pokey Chatman and Perry Huang as assistants. Loyd, a six-time All-Star, helped Seattle win two WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020. The 2015 Rookie of the Year after being selected No. 1 overall, Loyd has been named an All-Star six times, including a present stretch from 2021 to 2024. The Notre Dame product led the WNBA in points per game in 2023 with an average of 24.7. She finished 2024 with averages of 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals on a 36/27/88 shooting split. She is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA.As we await further updates on Sun Minghui's condition, our thoughts and prayers are with him for a speedy and full recovery. May his journey back to health be smooth and successful, and may his return to the basketball court be met with cheers and applause from fans around the world. Sun Minghui's resilience and determination will undoubtedly see him through this challenging time, and we look forward to seeing him back in action, doing what he does best – inspiring and entertaining us with his remarkable talent and skill.

The current wave of violence is a stark reminder of the urgent need for stability and security in Haiti. The international community has condemned the bloodshed and called for an end to the senseless loss of life. Humanitarian organizations are working tirelessly to provide aid to those affected by the violence, but the scale of the crisis is overwhelming.The Mumbai Police received death threats against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday while the Samajwadi Party announced that it was quitting the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra. An ISKCON temple was set ablaze in Dhaka amid continued communal unrest in Bangladesh. Meanwhile the stock market indices logged their best week in six months after RBI cuts CRR by 50 bps. PM Modi threatened The Mumbai Police received a threat message against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday via WhatsApp. The text was sent to the traffic police helpline and mentioned two ISI agents and a plot to carry out a bomb blast to target Modi. The development comes less than two weeks after the Mumbai Police received an anonymous call threatening to assassinate the senior politician. Bangladesh unrest An ISKCON temple in Dhaka district was set ‘ablaze’ early on Saturday. Officials based out of Kolkata indicated that deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and all items inside the ISKCON Namhatta Centre were 'burned down completely'. Samajwadi Party quits MVA The Samajwadi Party pulled out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra on Saturday over ‘communal’ jibes from the allied Shiv Sena (UBT). Controversy arose earlier this week after MLC Milind Narvekar — a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray — hailed the demolition of the Babri Masjid and a newspaper advert congratulating those behind the incident. The Shiv Sena (UBT) secretary also posted images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and himself alongside the endorsement message. Syria crisis Syrian rebels entered the key city of Homs from the north and east on Saturday — days after capturing Hama. Insurgents — led by the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group — said they had seized most of the south. Meanwhile government forces dug in to defend the key central city of Homs in a bid to try and save the 24-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad. The militants now plan to march towards Damascus — the seat of power for Assad. Sensex, Nifty soar Domestic equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty 50 logged their best week since June in the previous session. The surge was mainly due to financials after the Reserve Bank of India boosted liquidity by cutting the cash reserve ratio by 50 basis points in its December monetary policy committee meeting. (With inputs from agencies)

Elon Musk's Net Worth Soars by $133 Billion in 2021The soaring success of MaoGeping's initial public offering reflects the growing recognition and demand for high-quality Chinese beauty products both domestically and internationally. With a strong emphasis on innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, MaoGeping has been able to carve out a niche for itself in an industry dominated by international giants.

Chinese celebrity Li Xiang recently caused a stir on social media by sharing her daughter's journey to getting her driver's license. Meanwhile, Wang Sicong, son of Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, was reportedly practicing driving with a Rolls-Royce. Not to be outdone, Wang Yue Lun, famous for being the son of actor Wang Xueqi, traveled to London to accompany his child during their driving test. The extravagant gifts of luxury cars to these young drivers have ignited a debate among netizens and fans.ECU CB Shavon Revel Jr. declares for NFL draftMr Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker”. Mr Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Mr Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was co-operating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Mr Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Mr Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison – the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the US attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Mr Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Mr Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offences “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was US attorney”. Mr Trump and the elder Mr Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

NFL Week 14 fantasy football, betting cheat sheet: Breece Hall doubtful against DolphinsORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted.As China continues its relentless campaign against corruption, cases like that of He Miao will be closely watched and serve as a reminder that no one is immune from accountability. Only by upholding the highest ethical standards and holding wrongdoers accountable can we build a society based on trust, fairness, and justice for all.

As the minutes turned into hours, the couple engaged in lively banter and playful interactions with their fans who tuned in to watch the live stream. Fans were treated to a rare glimpse into the couple's relationship, as Xiang Zuo and Xiaohua shared anecdotes, inside jokes, and playful teasing throughout the styling session.

According to Huo Nan, Jokic's willingness to make personal sacrifices for the greater good of the team is commendable but also indicative of potential financial constraints that could impact the Nuggets' ability to compete at the highest level. The 48-hour scoring outburst, while impressive, may have been a desperate attempt to prove the team's offensive firepower in light of these uncertainties.WASHINGTON — Linda McMahon once claimed an unearned education degree from East Carolina University. Now she is nominated to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Education. Trump announced Tuesday that McMahon, best known as a founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, is nominated to be the next education secretary. She is his first nominee to have served in his previous administration. “It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education,” Trump wrote in a news release. McMahon now must wait for the Senate to confirm her nomination. North Carolina roots McMahon grew up in New Bern. Her parents worked 30 minutes away at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and she attended the nearby Havelock High School. It was during high school that she met her now-estranged husband and business partner, Vince McMahon. Together they attended East Carolina University where, in 1969, she earned a degree in French. After college, they moved away from the Tar Heel State. But in 2010, McMahon’s ties to North Carolina would be noted in a story by the Hartford Courant, which reported that she received a position on the Connecticut Board of Education after wrongfully claiming to then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell that she graduated from ECU with an education degree. In response to the allegations, McMahon told the Courant, “she first thought she had been right, because she did a semester of student-teaching, and after state testing, emerged with the certificate to teach — although she never did,” the Courant reported. Education background Her college degree was one of several misleading statements the newspaper reported McMahon had made on her application. McMahon’s opponents had argued her connection to WWE, and its violent, sexual and vulgar content, sent the wrong kind of message. They also criticized her lack of experience in education, though supporters saw that as a win. She still faces that criticism as Trump’s nominee. McMahon’s resume also includes serving on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Despite the opposition, and news of her misidentified degree breaking in the Stamford Advocate a month before her confirmation hearing, the Connecticut legislature approved Rell’s nomination of McMahon. She would serve on the board for around a year. McMahon took to social media Thursday following the news that Rell died suddenly at 78. “Her dedication and approach to public service is the gold standard to which we all should aspire to,” McMahon wrote. “I was honored to have her appoint me to serve on the CT State Board of Education and so enjoyed working with her.” When McMahon resigned from Connecticut’s board in 2010, she told the Courant it didn’t have to do with their pending story. She said it was instead because of the board’s rules wouldn’t allow her to raise money for her Senate campaign while serving. She would go on to lose two separate Senate campaigns. Political work But McMahon never walked away from politics. She became a major donor and fundraiser for Republicans. During Trump’s 2024 campaign, she donated more than $20 million to the former and future president, NBC News reported. McMahon supported Trump from the beginning of his political career and it paid off for her when he nominated her to lead the Small Business Administration. After three years, McMahon resigned to lead America First Action, a Trump super-PAC. She chairs the America First Policy Institute board. Trump’s news release about her most recent nomination credits her for working on parents’ rights and universal school choice policy at the institute. She also serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team. Education’s future McMahon is one of several of Trump’s nominees who could face a tough nomination process. For McMahon, she’s accused of allowing one of her employees to use his position to sexually abuse five teenagers 15 and under The accusation is part of a lawsuit filed anonymously by former teenage employees. If McMahon clears the Senate nomination, she faces a different hurdle. It’s unclear how long her position might even exist. And once again, that might be left up to Congress to decide. One of Trump’s constant campaign promises was to shutter the Department of Education. However, that’s a promise Trump can’t keep without congressional approval.

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In recent news, a prominent media figure named Da Bing has found himself under scrutiny for a misjudgment that has sparked controversy among the public. Da Bing, known for his sharp wit and outspoken personality, recently criticized individuals who take advantage of loopholes in the system to benefit themselves at the expense of others. While his intention may have been noble, his words have backfired, leading to widespread backlash and criticism.

In addition to the convenience of one-click direct access, Gaode Maps and Lenovo Baiyin have also integrated a feedback system to gather user opinions and improve service quality continuously. This feedback mechanism allows customers to rate their service experience and provide valuable insights for future enhancements and optimizations.

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TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spokespersons from , co-founders of and Canada’s largest online donation and fundraising platform, are available for media interviews to discuss GivingTuesday, which takes place this year on December 3rd. As many Canadians continue to struggle under financial pressure and are turning to charities to meet essential needs, CanadaHelps is highlighting how communities can unite this giving season by engaging in generosity. As the world’s largest generosity movement, celebrates and encourages all forms of giving, including donating, volunteering, performing acts of kindness, and more. More than $13.6 million was donated within 24 hours via CanadaHelps.org to support registered charities on GivingTuesday in 2023. This year, the organization is aiming to surpass last year’s total. The holiday season is a critical fundraising time for charities with approximately 40% of annual donations being made in the final two months of the year on CanadaHelps.org. The generosity shown on GivingTuesday and throughout the rest of the year sustains the vital work of charities year-round. Generosity is especially critical given the record-breaking use of food banks reported across the country as Canadians struggle under financial pressures and turn to charities for daily essentials including food and shelter. Spokespeople can speak to findings from with insights on Canadians turning to charities for support, including: Spokespeople can highlight a variety of easy ways Canadians can participate in GivingTuesday, including donating to a favourite charity or cause, volunteering, fundraising, setting up a monthly donation, purchasing (as holiday season gifts and stocking stuffers), performing acts of kindness, and so much more. Like so many small businesses that rely on postal service to deliver packages, many charities rely on direct mail which represents a critical portion of their annual revenue. With the Canada Post strike, many charities are concerned that they will be forgotten among supporters who would normally mail in a cheque at the end of the year. Spokespeople can speak to the impact of the labour dispute on Canada’s charitable sector, can share examples of charities in select cities that are affected, and offer alternatives to traditional mail for giving. While the arts and culture sector provides significant personal and cultural benefits to Canadians, according to , only 6% of the population says they prioritize arts and culture charities as important causes they support. Spokespeople can speak to the unique benefits of arts and culture organizations in uniting people, some of the challenges facing these charities, and highlight examples of the impact of specific arts charities in communities across Canada. As Canadians search for the perfect gift to give this holiday season, spokespeople can discuss the variety of giving options for all budgets that can make a vital impact on charities and the communities that rely on them. Spokespeople can speak to creative ways that parents can use GivingTuesday to engage children in giving while also learning about specific causes of interest and impact. Companies across the country are embracing GivingTuesday as a way to make a positive impact. Spokespeople can highlight how businesses are supporting charities, how it benefits their organizations, and provide examples of how select companies are supporting this day of generosity. Spokespeople can speak to strategic ways of giving and using charitable tax benefits to receive up to 49% of their contribution back as a tax credit. They can also discuss how monthly donations and donations of securities are strategic ways to give and how these methods grew 11% and 32% respectively on CanadaHelps in 2023 compared to the prior year. For 11 consecutive years, fewer Canadians have been engaging in charitable giving. Canada Revenue Agency tax filer data shows donation rates declined from 23.4 percent in 2010 to 17.7 percent in 2021 (among those Canadians claiming tax receipts). Spokespeople can speak to popular causes Canadians are supporting, ways Canadians are giving, and how we can reverse declines in the number of Canadians who give. Canadians are increasingly disconnected and have shrinking social networks, which is correlated with lower rates of giving. Recent global data also highlighted how Canada is the second most polarized nation when it comes to giving, only behind Great Britain.* Spokespeople are available to speak to these trends and how generosity can unite communities this holiday season. GivingTuesday has global roots and has made a local impact. Launched in 2012 in the United States as a response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday and brought to Canada in 2013 by CanadaHelps, GivingTuesday is now celebrated in more than 90 countries. In Canada, an estimated six million Canadians have participated in GivingTuesday. CanadaHelps is Canada’s largest online donation and fundraising platform, and a charity advancing philanthropy through technology. For Canadians, CanadaHelps.org is a safe and trusted destination for discovering and supporting any charity in Canada. CanadaHelps also develops affordable fundraising technology used by more than 30,000 charities, and provides free training and education so all charities can increase their impact and succeed in the digital age. Since 2000, more than 4.8 million people have donated upwards of $3.2 billion through CanadaHelps. Connect with CanadaHelps on , , , and .

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milyon88 bwin LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland finds that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor assaulted a woman in a hotel. (CORRECTS: A previous APNewsAlert misstated the claim the jury found him liable for.).Unwrap the latest AI features with Amazon Fire Tablets

BOSSCAT Recognized for Excellence, Innovation and Growth with Prestigious 2024 Contractor/Rehab Company of the Year Award at the Third Annual IMN SFR Industry Awards Event in Scottsdale, AZ on December 2, 2024 . CHARLESTON, S.C. , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BOSSCAT TM Home Services and Technologies, a leading provider of home technology, improvement and repair solutions, announced today that it has been awarded the prestigious IMN 2024 Contractor/Rehab Company of the Year Award at the third annual Industry Award Ceremony. The award recognizes the company's commitment to customer-centered innovation, excellence in service delivery, cost effectiveness and focus on client satisfaction. "This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire BOSSCAT team," said Dan Vercek , Senior Vice President of Field Operations. "We are honored to be recognized by IMN for our commitment to delivering superior home services, and this recognition inspires us to continue raising the bar for excellence in the industry." The event, held on December 2, 2024 in Scottsdale, AZ , brought together leading companies and professionals from across the industry to celebrate achievements in service, innovation, and growth. BOSSCAT stood out among a competitive field of nominees for its exceptional growth in the past year, driven by strategic partnerships, innovative technologies, and a commitment to championing both customers and skilled tradesmen and women. About Information Management Network (IMN) Founded in 1994, IMN is the premier real estate conference business in the United States , providing a high-quality intelligence and networking platform that drives industry connections, deal flow and knowledge transfer across multiple corporate functions and property types. IMN's series of SFR conferences have been considered the de facto gatherings for the industry since their inception 12 years ago, featuring a "Who's Who" of SFR & BTR owner/operators, ranging from large institutional groups to smaller players, property managers, "fix & flippers", lenders, and service providers/vendors. Over 1,600 SFR professionals attend the must-attend event for the industry's calendar, where attendees will establish connections, generate business and learn from SFR pioneers driving this space forward. Learn more at sfrwest.com About BOSSCAT Home Services and Technologies BOSSCAT Home Services and Technologies is the leading real estate platform reshaping homeownership by digitizing home inspection data for instant estimates and online ordering of repair, renovation, and maintenance services. Proprietary technology and exclusive access to proprietary data power the platform to deliver lifecycle services at scale through innovative products, process automation, and direct integration with industry partners. BOSSCAT's Instant Estimate technology is available in all 50 states and Canada. The company is a licensed and insured general contractor in all operational markets with a commitment to advancing the skilled trades. BOSSCAT has been recognized by Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing, privately held repair and renovation companies in the country for three consecutive years. Learn more at BosscatHome.com . MEDIA INQUIRIES: Mark Kearns Chief Financial Officer Mark@BosscatHome.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bosscat-home-services-and-technologies-wins-imn-2024-contractor-of-the-year-award-at-third-annual-industry-award-ceremony-302334312.html SOURCE BOSSCAT

Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving timeRome: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Sunday inaugurated the new Chancery of the Embassy of India in Rome, a few hours after he arrived in Italy on a three-day visit to attend the Outreach session of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting where India has been invited as a guest country. "It befits the continued expansion of India-Italy partnership in recent years. Will also help us serve better the Indian community in Italy," the EAM posted on X after inaugurating the new premises of the Embassy of India in Rome. Jaishankar is also scheduled to participate in the 10th edition of the MED Mediterranean Dialogue in Rome, being organised by Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) in collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. The conference will be inaugurated on Monday with a speech by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani. Besides EAM Jaishankar, the event will also be attended by high-level representatives from all over the enlarged Mediterranean region, as well as representatives of numerous relevant international organisations, including Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General, Arab League; Taher al-Baour, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Libya; Abdallah Bou Habib, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Lebanon; Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauritania; Shaya Mohsin Zindani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Yemen and Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria. In Fiuggi, which is hosting the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, EAM Jaishankar is expected to hold discussions on major regional issues and global topics, including the stability of the Indo-Pacific -- a priority region for political balances and world trade. He is also expected to meet his counterparts from Italy and other participating nations in the G7 related engagements and hold bilateral discussions during the visit. India and Italy, both ancient civilizations with rich cultural heritage, enjoy strong people-to-people connect propelled by a large Indian diaspora and long standing Indological Studies tradition in Italy. In their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday (November 18), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni had reiterated their commitment to advancing the India-Italy Strategic Partnership and announced a Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29 which outlines their vision for the next five years. The Action Plan will pursue joint collaborations, programmes and initiatives in key sectors of trade and investment, science and technology, new and emerging technologies, clean energy, space, defence, connectivity and people-to-people linkages. Meanwhile, the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Fiuggi will be the second to be hosted in Italy in 2024, after the one held in Capri from April 17 to 19. Under the Italian Presidency, the G7 Foreign Ministers have also met, in recent months, on the sidelines of major international events in Munich, Washington and New York. "As in Capri, the agenda of the Fiuggi Ministerial Meeting will focus on the main issues at the heart of the international debate, starting with the situation in the Middle East following Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023. Among the topics under discussion will be the serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the situation in Lebanon, the one in the Red Sea, and the need to promote a credible political horizon for the region that guarantees peace and security, from the perspective of 'two Peoples, two States'," stated the Italian G7 Presidency, earlier this week.

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“Barbenheimer” was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn’t stopped people from trying to make “Glicked” — or even “Babyratu” — happen. The counterprogramming of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office. This combination of images shows promotional art for "Gladiator II," left, and "Wicked." And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, “Saw Patrol” ). This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation “Wicked” opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic “Gladiator II.” Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: “Wickiator,” “Wadiator,” “Gladwick” and even the eyebrow raising “Gladicked” have all been suggested. “'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more,” actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of “Gladiator II” this week. “I think we should all band around ‘Glicked.’ It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it.” As with “Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, “Glicked” also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging muscles. Both films topped Fandango’s most anticipated holiday movie survey, where 65% of respondents said that they were interested in the “Glicked” double feature. Theaters big and small are also pulling out the stops with movie-themed tie-ins. B&B Theaters will have Roman guards tearing tickets at some locations and Maximus popcorn tubs. Marcus Theaters is doing Oz photo ops and friendship bracelet-making. Alamo Drafthouse is leaning into the singalong aspect (beware, though, not all theaters are embracing this) and the punny drinks like “Defying Gravi-Tea.” This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande in a scene from the film "Wicked." “Rather than it being in competition, I think they’re in conversation,” “Gladiator II” star Paul Mescal said. “This industry needs a shot in the arm. Those films gave it last year. We hope to do it this year.” And the hope is that audiences will flock to theaters to be part of this moment as well. It's a sorely needed influx of could-be blockbusters into a marketplace that's still at an 11% deficit from last year and down 27.2% from 2019, according to data from Comscore. “Competition is good for the marketplace. It’s good for consumers,” said Michael O'Leary, the president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “Having two great movies coming out at the same time is simply a multiplier effect.” “Glicked” is currently tracking for a combined North American debut in the $165 million range, with “Wicked” forecast to earn around $100 million (up from the $80 million estimates a few weeks ago) and “Gladiator II” pegged for the $65 million range. “Barbenheimer” shattered its projections last July. Going into that weekend, “Barbie” had been pegged for $90 million and “Oppenheimer” around $40 million. Ultimately, they brought in a combined $244 million in that first outing, and nearly $2.4 billion by the end of their runs. It’s possible “Glicked” will exceed expectations, too. And it has the advantage of another behemoth coming close behind: “Moana 2,” which opens just five days later on the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday. “Glickedana” triple feature anyone? This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Pedro Pascal, left, and Paul Mescal in a scene from "Gladiator II." “These are 10 important days,” O'Leary said. “It’s going to show the moviegoing audience that there’s a lot of compelling stuff out there for them to see.” There are infinite caveats to the imperfect comparison to “Barbenheimer,” as well. “Wicked” is a “Part One.” Musicals carry their own baggage with moviegoers, even those based on wildly successful productions (ahem, “Cats”). “Gladiator II” got a head start and opened internationally last weekend. In fact, in the U.K. it played alongside “Paddington in Peru,” where that double was pegged “Gladdington.” “Gladiator” reviews, while positive, are a little more divided than the others. And neither directors Ridley Scott nor Jon M. Chu has the built-in box office cache that Christopher Nolan’s name alone carries at the moment. The new films also cost more than “Barbie” ($145 million) and “Oppenheimer” ($100 million). According to reports, “Gladiator II” had a $250 million price tag; “Wicked” reportedly cost $150 million to produce (and that does not include the cost of the second film, due next year). The narrative, though, has shifted away from “who will win the weekend.” Earlier this year, Chu told The Associated Press that he loves that this is a moment where “we can root for all movies all the time.” Close behind are a bevy of Christmas releases with double feature potential, but those feel a little more niche. There’s the remake of “Nosferatu,” the Nicole Kidman kink pic “Babygirl” and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.” The internet can’t even seem to decide on its angle for that batch of contenders, and none exactly screams blockbuster. Sometimes the joy is just in the game, however. Some are sticking with the one-name mashup (“Babyratu”); others are suggesting that the fact that two of the movies feature real-life exes (Timothée Chalamet and Lily-Rose Depp) is enough reason for a double feature. And getting people talking is half the battle. When in doubt, or lacking a catchy name, there’s always the default: “This is my Barbenheimer.” Associated Press journalist John Carucci and Film Writer Jake Coyle contributed reporting. Last summer, Malibu's iconic blonde faced off against Cillian Murphy and the hydrogen bomb in the unforgettable "Barbenheimer" double feature. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

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The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday. Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pick WASHINGTON (AP) — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members. It's a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members. They're a key part of the Democratic base but are gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as budget chief, Chavez-DeRemer for Labor WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Bessent, 62, is founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management. He previously had worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. Trump also said he would nominate Russell Vought, 48, to lead the Office of Management and Budget, a position he held during Trump's first term. And Trump chose Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican, as his labor secretary, and Scott Turner, a former football player who worked in Trump’s first administration, as his housing secretary. Afraid of losing the US-Canada trade pact, Mexico alters its laws and removes Chinese parts MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has been taking a bashing for allegedly serving as a conduit for Chinese parts and products into North America. Officials here are terrified that a re-elected Donald Trump or politically struggling Justin Trudeau could simply expel their country from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. Mexico's ruling Morena party is so afraid its has gone on a campaign to get companies to replace Chinese parts with locally made ones. And its legislators are consciously tweaking the wording of major laws to try to make them compatible with the trade pact's language. Mexico hopes the rules of the trade pact would prevent the U.S. or Canada from simply walking away. Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorship CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s government has withdrawn a bill that would give a media watchdog power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Sunday that the government was unable to drum up the support needed to pass the legislation. The opposition spokesman, David Coleman, said the bill “betrayed our democracy” and amounted to “censorship laws in Australia.” The bill would have granted the Australian Communications and Media Authority power over digital platforms by approving an enforceable code of conduct or standards for social media companies if self-regulation fell short. He'll be the last meatpacker in the Meatpacking District. Here's how NYC's gritty 'hood got chic NEW YORK (AP) — The last meatpackers in New York's Meatpacking District have agreed to end their leases early and make way for development on their city-owned lot. A third-generation meatpacker says he is ready to retire and he'll be proud to be there when the building closes. The closure date has not been set, but will mark the end of over a century of industrial life in the Meatpacking District. Starting in the 1970s, a new nightlife scene emerged as bars and nightclubs moved in. Today it's a hub for shopping, tourism, and recreation and only echoes of that grit remain. US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. What to know about Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen money manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction and deregulation, to serve as his next treasury secretary. Bessent is a past supporter of Democrats who has become an enthusiastic supporter of Trump. He’s an advocate of cutting spending while extending the tax cuts approved by Congress in Trump’s first term. He has said tariffs imposed during a second Trump administration would be directed primarily at China.Unai Emery has praised Jhon Duran's change in behaviour at Aston Villa and claims the striker is now improving all aspects of his game. Duran bagged his 10th goal of the season on Tuesday night, scoring a beauty as he beat Peter Gulacsi from distance after coming off the bench for the start of the second half against RB Leipzig . It was his third strike in the Champions League after six appearances, while he netted his fourth winning goal of the Premier League season last weekend in the win over Southampton. "He's getting better in everything," Emery said. "I’m very happy with him. I’m always trying to get the best out of him and to focus as well as possible. On the field, we can see him improve. He’s competing with Watkins - sometimes they are together - my idea is to build the team around the players we have. READ | Every word Unai Emery said on Watkins injury, January transfer window and Nottingham Forest READ | Chelsea star reveals Aston Villa transfer talks and Unai Emery decision "Duran, we needed him in the second half in Leipzig, he played fantastically well. We have two fantastic players in Duran and Watkins when both are available. They are intelligent, smart. We want to be tactically strong too - but when we are attacking, I want more of them. "Duran is young, he came here 23 months ago, the process is ongoing. Sometimes it’s been quicker, other times, more slowly. Last summer, he was injured and didn’t play in pre-season. I’m trying to work with him as a player and a human. I want to speak a lot with him and to understand him. Every game, he get the chance to show his capacity and potential." Emery added: "My expectation of him is so high. He now needs time to build and gain in his capacities at the high level he wants. In terms of his potential, I don't know exactly where he can finish. But we are working with him to exploit his capacity in the process. "Being more mature, more responsible and disciplined in the organisation we are trying to set every match on the field. In his process, he is getting better completely. The potential, I don't know where he is going to finish or to achieve it and when, but he needs time. "He's just had his birthday and turned 21. He is young. Of course, he is impatient and wants everything so quick. We are speaking a lot with him - us, the players are trying to support and help him. His commitment and behaviour every day with us is much better." What do you make of Emery's comments? Tell us in the comments section...4DDiG Christmas Sale 2024: Enjoy Up to 80% Off on Top Software Products

Why Atiku can’t be president in 2027 – Okupemilyon88 net 。

The UK Government was warned that a “save David campaign” for UUP leader Lord Trimble would ruin progress made under the Good Friday Agreement. Extensive confidential documents in the lead-up to the collapse of Northern Ireland’s institutions in 2002 have been made available to the public as part of annual releases from the Irish National Archives. They reveal that the Irish Government wanted to appeal to the UK side against “manipulating” every scenario for favourable election results in Northern Ireland, in an effort to protect the peace process. In the years after the landmark 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a number of outstanding issues left the political environment fraught with tension and disagreement. Mr Trimble, who won a Nobel Peace Prize with SDLP leader John Hume for their work on the Agreement, was keen to gain wins for the UUP on policing, ceasefire audits and paramilitary disarmament – but also to present his party as firmer on these matters amid swipes from its Unionist rival, the DUP. These issues were at the front of his mind as he tried to steer his party into Assembly elections planned for May 2003 and continue in his role as the Executive’s first minister despite increasing political pressure. The documents reveal the extent to which the British and Irish Governments were trying to delicately resolve the contentious negotiations, conscious that moves seen as concessions to one group could provoke anger on the other side. In June 2002, representatives of the SDLP reported to Irish officials on a recent meeting between Mr Hume’s successor Mark Durkan and Prime Minister Tony Blair on policing and security. Mr Blair is said to have suggested that the SDLP and UUP were among those who both supported and took responsibility for the Good Friday Agreement. The confidential report of the meeting says that Mr Durkan, the deputy First Minister, was not sure that Mr Trimble had been correctly categorised. The Prime Minister asked if the SDLP could work more closely with the UUP ahead of the elections. Mr Durkan argued that Mr Trimble was not only not saleable to nationalists, but also not saleable to half of the UUP – to which Mr Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid are said to have laughed in agreement. The SDLP leader further warned that pursuing a “save David” campaign would ruin all they had worked for. Damien McAteer, an adviser for the SDLP, was recorded as briefing Irish officials on September 10 that it was his view that Mr Trimble was intent on collapsing the institutions in 2003 over expected fallout for Sinn Fein in the wake of the Colombia Three trial, where men linked to the party were charged with training Farc rebels – but predicted the UUP leader would be “in the toilet” by January, when an Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting was due to take place. A week later in mid September, Mr Trimble assured Irish premier Bertie Ahern that the next UUC meeting to take place in two days’ time would be “okay but not great” and insisted he was not planning to play any “big game”. It was at that meeting that he made the bombshell announcement that the UUP would pull out of the Executive if the IRA had not disbanded by January 18. The move came as a surprise to the Irish officials who, along with their UK counterparts, did not see the deadline as realistic. Sinn Fein described the resolution as a “wreckers’ charter”. Doubts were raised that there would be any progress on substantive issues as parties would not be engaged in “pre-election skirmishing”. As that could lead to a UUP walkout and the resulting suspension of the institutions, the prospect of delaying the elections was raised while bringing forward the vote was ruled out. Therefore, the two Governments stressed the need to cooperate as a stabilising force to protect the Agreement – despite not being sure how that process would survive through the January 18 deadline. The Irish officials became worried that the British side did not share their view that Mr Trimble was not “salvageable” and that the fundamental dynamic in the UUP was now Agreement scepticism, the confidential documents state. In a meeting days after the UUC announcements, Mr Reid is recorded in the documents as saying that as infuriating as it was, Mr Trimble was at that moment the “most enlightened Unionist we have”. The Secretary said he would explore what the UUP leader needed to “survive” the period between January 18 and the election, believing a significant prize could avoid him being “massacred”. Such planning went out the window just weeks later, when hundreds of PSNI officers were involved in raids of several buildings – including Sinn Fein’s offices in Stormont. The resulting “Stormontgate” spy-ring scandal accelerated the collapse of powersharing, with the UUP pulling out of the institutions – and the Secretary of State suspending the Assembly and Executive on October 14. For his part, Irish officials were briefed that Mr Reid was said to be “gung ho” about the prospect of exercising direct rule – reportedly making no mention of the Irish Government in a meeting with Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan on that day. The Northern Ireland Secretary was given a new role and Paul Murphy was appointed as his successor. A note on speaking points for a meeting with Mr Murphy in April showed that the Irish side believed the May elections should go ahead: “At a certain stage the political process has to stand on its own feet. “The Governments cannot be manipulating and finessing every scenario to engineer the right result. “We have to start treating the parties and the people as mature and trusting that they have the discernment to make the right choices.” However, the elections planned for May did not materialise, instead delayed until November. Mr Trimble would go on to lose his Westminster seat – and stewardship of the UUP – in 2005. The November election saw the DUP emerge as the largest parties – but direct rule continued as Ian Paisley’s refused to share power with Sinn Fein, which Martin McGuinness’ colleagues. The parties eventually agreed to work together following further elections in 2007. – This article is based on documents in 2024/130/5, 2024/130/6, 2024/130/15

There were two recent articles published, one titled “Corvallis looks to drum up millions for facilities project” (Dec. 19) and “Albany residents decry solutions that would usher in more affordable housing” (Dec. 21). I would like to provide a viewpoint of how these two issues are related. The Corvallis article basically details the quandary of how to fund a new city hall complex with a price tag of $189 million. It lists three options for funding the project: new revenue sources, expanding existing revenue and freeing up existing revenue. One important thing highlighted was identifying the revenue sources that do not require voter approval. This is important because it seems the city and some council members recognize that many in the community are not supportive of more taxes and fees. Missing from the discussion is how much revenue the city of Corvallis has lost in handing out 30-year property tax exemptions for affordable housing. More on that later. The article on Albany details the Dec. 11 City Council meeting where individuals like myself spoke opposed to both an excise tax on construction and a 20-year tax exemption for new affordable housing projects. While city staff can estimate how much money they would steal with a construction excise tax, they are unable to put a dollar figure on the lost revenue from a 20-year property tax exemption. The city has no idea how that future revenue shortfall would be made up. As an Albany resident and business owner, this greatly concerns me, as I believe it should concern every Albany taxpayer. Now here is the tie-in of these two issues. Corvallis previously enacted both a construction excise tax and 30-year property tax exemption to incentivize affordable housing. But as I warned back in December of 2022 , this scam is really creating “subsidized” housing and a future financial disaster. I estimated that a single project could cost the city $10 million to $15 million over 30 years in lost revenue. How ironic that Corvallis is now trying to figure out how to fund a new city hall. I question whether they even know how much revenue they have forfeited on projects with the 30-year property tax exemption. My warning to Albany was to not go down this same rabbit hole. The idea that Albany has to follow Corvallis’ lead and enact every tax and policy is absurd. Some people live in Albany because they cannot afford to live in Corvallis. Enacting the same policies, taxes and fees that increase the cost of housing in Albany is not beneficial to those coming to Albany in search of more affordable housing. We can disagree on the actual amount of lost revenue. The reality is there’s no cap on the number of projects that the city will give a property tax exemption to. Portland does not have an actual cost of the revenue they have lost on their 10-year property tax exemption for affordable housing, but it estimates it is between $129 million to $135 million on just the current projects. Past history in Albany reveals a city council that mostly rubber stamps every proposal that city staff present. This needs to change. Why is it that city employees (who are not elected) are able to decide which issues are socially pressing and then formulate their “solution” to said problem(s) with the result always involving more taxpayer money? This grows government and the need for more people to manage said programs. I hope this is a wakeup call because from what I see — the new affordability crisis is the cost of government. John Robinson Albany businessman John Robinson is a general contractor involved in residential remodeling and building activities. Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!Adobe: Not Worth Its Premium Anymore (Rating Downgrade)Rep. Raúl Grijalva gives up role as ranking Democrat on key House committee

Dec 2 (Reuters) - The United States will provide Ukraine with a $725 million weapons package, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv in its war with Russian invaders before leaving office in January. The assistance will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), drones and land mines, among other items, Blinken said in a statement. Reuters had reported last week that the Biden administration planned to provide the equipment, much of it anti-tank weapons to ward off Russia's attacking troops. "The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression," Blinken's statement said. The announcement marks a steep uptick in size from Biden's recent use of so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the U.S. to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency. Recent PDA announcements have typically ranged from $125 million to $250 million. Biden has an estimated $4 billion to $5 billion in PDA already authorized by Congress that he is expected to use for Ukraine before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. The tranche of weapons represents the first time in decades that the United States has exported land mines, the use of which is controversial because of the potential harm to civilians. Although more than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning their use, Kyiv has been asking for them since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in early 2022, and Russian forces have used them on the front lines. The land mines that would be sent to Ukraine are "non-persistent," with a power system that lasts for just a short time, leaving the devices non-lethal. This means that - unlike older landmines - they would not remain in the ground, threatening civilians indefinitely. Sign up here. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Rami Ayyub; editing by Jonathan Oatis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters Patricia Zengerle has reported from more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China. An award-winning Washington-based national security and foreign policy reporter who also has worked as an editor, Patricia has appeared on NPR, C-Span and other programs, spoken at the National Press Club and attended the Hoover Institution Media Roundtable. She is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — New York City’s police commissioner says the gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO matches shell casings found at the crime scene. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. He frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But the Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge. It’s fuzzy how much common ground Biden and Trump’s teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House. Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.

Should AI be used to resurrect extinct species like the Neanderthal? | Mohammad Hosseini

( MENAFN - ING) Main views and forecasts: The latest data shows that the economy performed visibly worse than expected over the first nine months of the year, growing only 0.9% year-to-date (YTD). Annual growth printed again below consensus at 1.1% in the third quarter. While data due on 6 December will reveal the full picture, high-frequency data and anecdotal evidence point to a continuation of the strong private consumption trends and a marginal investment spending increase, both weighed on by net exports. Given the electoral context, government spending likely remained generous into the year-end. Current spending (as a % of GDP) was roughly 2.0pp higher this year compared to 2023, growing in magnitude in the third quarter, according to the budgetary execution data up to October. On the supply side, civil engineering-related activities continued to outshine pretty much every other sector as manufacturing and most services activities remained a drag or at best a neutral factor for output. Key worrying trends come from the IT sector, which has been flashing red for four months now and from this year's drought, which is set to weigh on the agricultural output, as well as on the food inflation. Overall, we have recently revised down our growth forecast for 2024 from 1.3% to 1.0% on the back of persistently weak growth prints and limited potential of improvements this year. In essence, while internal demand is strong, the economy continues to perform poorly at preventing the benefits of sturdy activity from dissipating externally through imports, which weighs on growth. In the fourth quarter of 2024, early signs paint a mixed picture. The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) picked up in October-November. Above-average consumer confidence, fuelled by still-high wage growth, is likely to help the persistent momentum of private consumption in the near term. On the more negative side, some of the real income gains will be lost as a result of the likely acceleration of inflation towards the year-end. What's more, the likely desire of policymakers to preserve a relative FX stability through a volatile year-end might have led to tighter financial conditions more recently, as visible in the diminishing interbank liquidity surplus. In turn, this could result in the peak of an already vigorous consumer credit growth by the end of the year. All in all, while private consumption is likely to remain strong in the fourth quarter, some early signs of fatigue are not excluded. After this year's 1.0% projected outturn, for 2025, we have pencilled in an acceleration towards 2.6%. At a technical level, base effects stemming from this year's low outturn will contribute positively. Concerning economic drivers, real wage gains (albeit smaller than in 2024) and new minimum wage increases will continue to drive private consumption, while EU-funded large-scale investments are set to carry on. An automatic indexation of pensions is also scheduled for January 2025, which will give an extra boost to consumption. Lower interest rates in the eurozone should limit the downfall of the external sector somewhat, although at this stage our house view is that structural factors will continue to keep European activity in a weak state, at least in the near term. Upside potential could come from a more expansionary fiscal stance in Germany next year, depending on the early election outcome. Returning to local factors, a fiscal reform to kick in next year could be in the making, potentially posing downside risks for growth and possible upside inflationary pressures. Key factors to watch are the structure, magnitude, and timing of these fiscal changes. In our view, the lengthier the political negotiations for a new government will be, the higher the risks for sub-optimal fiscal measures. Overall, risks to growth steming from the current electoral context are now higher and asymmetrically tilted to the downside. On the other hand, potential early boosts to activity, productivity, and future business expectations could stem from the progress that will have been achieved on large-scale investments (especially roads) by then and immediately ahead. Ultimately, many of the simultaneous ongoing projects are 'once-in-a-generation' public works, delayed for many years. It should not be long before they start to impact business efficiency and optimism more visibly. Last but not least, a boost to activity will also come from the Schengen ascension scheduled for January 2025. Bottom line, at face value, the fiscal correction will likely weigh to an extent on growth in the short run. If delayed, it will force sub-optimal measures (i.e. a larger-than-planned increase in one or more of the main taxes). However, (re)gaining the credibility on the fiscal front is a must in our view, especially after a year when the budget deficit could exceed 8.0% of GDP. Maintaining market access and smooth financing is particularly important at a time when infrastructure-driven productivity improvements will be in full swing, in an international context where friendshoring and nearshoring will likely remain key policy priorities. Not to avoid the elephant in the room, strictly on the economic front, even in a scenario where the political landscape shifts towards being less policy continuity-oriented, the negative impact on growth and additional fiscal slippage could still be limited by the relatively tight RRP milestones that condition still generous EU funds disbursements. The market's patience on the fiscal developments has been constantly tested throughout 2024. This was due to both subsequent upward revisions of the budget deficit target and financing needs in the short run, as well as through a reasonable questioning of the credible path towards a 3.0% deficit in the long run. The uncertainty surrounding the elections outcome insert more uncertainty into the picture, adding to the upside risks for the 2025 deficit. In the first nine months of the year, the trade balance (most important driver of the BoP) worsened visibly as the deficit increased 15.1% year-on-year. This is already reversing last year's gains. The negative drivers, compared to the same period of 2023, were higher deficits in foods, fuels, chemicals and manufactured products, coupled with a much smaller surplus in raw materials. A smaller deficit was recorded in the auto sector. Overall, the trade balance reading continues to reflect a strong internal demand generated by a sharp response of consumers to real wage gains, a significant fiscal slippage and large-scale investments. All of these elements have boosted imports significantly, while the state of the German industry and European activity as a whole remained weak, weighing on exports. For 2025, we don't expect meaningful changes in the trade balance dynamics, since we do not anticipate a significant or sudden cooling of the economy. Meanwhile, our view is that the outlook for the eurozone economy remains relatively gloomy, which will still act as a headwind for exports in the near term. Here, upside risks stem from potential industry stimulus programmes in Germany, while downside risks stem from US tariffs entering the scene. Turning to the surplus in services, declines in 2024 compared to 2023's EUR13.5bn surplus are now likely as the surplus over the first half of the year is now almost 15.0% smaller. Transport and IT activities will likely continue to bring most of the surpluses. Meanwhile, tourism abroad will likely continue to weigh negatively on the services trade balance for the foreseeable future. On other items, we expect EU-funds inflows directed towards infrastructure projects to continue to stimulate the capital account, while on foreign direct investments, we could see some marginal pickup as the new infrastructure projects gradually start to shape up new business opportunities which were previously not viable. All in all, we expect the current account deficit to remain elevated in 2025 as well. Nevertheless, we have pencilled in a small improvement from this year's projected -7.9% of GDP to -7.4% of GDP. The persistent fiscal slippage, with a slow-paced projected adjustment, will continue to remain the main cause of concern for rating agencies, weighing on Romania's prospects. While the bar for a downgrade remains high, we think, risks for an eventual negative outlook cannot be ignored and have likely increased. Overall, we expect the rating reports to display a harsher tone on fiscal developments. That said, we see rating downgrades as a possibility in the case of an imminent and significant EU funds absorption issue, which is not the case right now, or a general deterioration in the relations with the EC – also not the base case. A prolonged political instability period (also not anticipated) could weigh in on the negative side as well since this would delay the needed fiscal reform. However, the fact that the deficit remains high but there is a plan agreed with the EC that backs EU funds inflows and the financial markets' confidence should, in principle, keep rating agencies from downgrading Romania over the forecasting horizon. The NBR began the easing cycle in July-August on the back of a fairly good inflation progress through the first half of the year. The 50bp of cuts in the summer brought the policy rate to 6.50%, where it has remained since. This has been in line with our view that only a gradual and slow easing cycle is currently viable, given the upside risks for inflation through the medium term. Some of them, mainly food inflation, have indeed materialised. Also, services inflation continued to remain stubbornly high. This led to a higher projected inflation path through the medium term, which involves an acceleration over the next few months. This factor, coupled with higher uncertainty stemming from local elections, geopolitics and the policy of central banks in core markets, could lead the NBR to embark on a policy strategy that involves less excess liquidity in the interbank market. Remember, over the last two years, EU funds inflows and the government's FX debt sales have indirectly boosted the interbank excess liquidity, which reached a peak of RON60.7bn in January this year. In practice, this led to looser financial conditions for both the government and the private sector, compared to the outcome where the NBR had intervened to sterilise this excess liquidity at the policy rate. As such, market rates have revolved around the deposit facility of the Bank, and not the key rate. As of recent, interbank rates started to shift visibly higher from the previous alignment with the 5.50% deposit facility, and at the time of writing, they sit close to the midground between it and the 6.50% key rate. This could be an indication that the NBR wishes to bring the liquidity surplus closer to levels that could be kept in-check, if needed, without large-scale and sudden market interventions. As such, it should not be excluded that, going forward, we might see excess liquidity levels sitting between RON10bn and RON20bn, as a middle ground between tackling higher uncertainties and preserving not-too-tight financial conditions. We believe that NBR's policy restrictiveness had a limited impact on the domestic demand and credit activity. On top, upside risks for inflation are now magnified by the possibility of both food and energy price pressures hitting the economy simultaneously or at close intervals, at a time when the minimum wage and pensions continue to grow. This raises the stakes for the need to preserve the policy space in the near term. This is also in tune with Governor Isarescu's recent hint that rates might stay in place until there is more clarity on the fiscal outlook and the subsequent inflationary pressures attached to it. Concerning the FX markets, we continue to think that there is little room for EUR/RON to move from the current levels in the short run. The NBR will likely aim for the disinflationary trend to resume as soon as possible, after the projected near-term term hiccup, and we think that FX stability will continue to play a key role here. All in all, we continue to see policymakers remaining cautious with policy easing ahead. We have recently revised our total rate cuts forecasted for 2025 from a total of 100bp to 75bp. Moreover, we expect the Bank to hold fire through the first half of the year, with cuts backloaded into the second part of 2025. As such, we foresee a key rate of 5.75% at the end of 2025, with upside risks at play. Key factors to watch are the extent of wage growth moderation, the fiscal reform and energy markets developments. MENAFN02122024000222011065ID1108948980 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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milyon88.net World's longest flight takes 22 hours - but lucky passengers see something breathtakingProgressing through Palworld and coming into contact with higher-level Pals and enemies means only one thing – you need weapons. Whether you’re a fan of Melee combat or want to cause high damage from afar, here’s how you unlock every weapon currently in Palworld. With each update to Palworld , more weapons are added, allowing you to expand your armory and do huge amounts of damage to new high-level Pals. Each new weapon recipe is unlocked via the Technology Ladder , with the levels for each noted below. It goes without saying that the higher level you need to be to unlock a weapon, the more damage it will do, but the harder it will be to make. Melee Weapons If you want to get up close and personal in order to see the life drain from the eyes of your enemies, Melee weapons are the way to go. As you progress further through the game and your level increases, they might be the only chance you have of inflicting just enough damage to a Pal in order to catch it without outright killing them with one shot. Ranged Weapons All the way from a Bow and Arrow to the massively powerful Rocket Launcher, these weapons do a large amount of damage and are perfect for defeating the Tower bosses or higher-level Pals. Here’s how to get them and what Ammunition you need in order to use them. Grenades It’s always a good idea to stock up on grenades, which now come in a range of different varieties as of the Feybreak update of December 2024. They do a high amount of damage of the same type as their name, making them really strong if a certain Pal has a weakness to any of the Grenades you’re carrying, and can be very useful if you’re low on ammo for your chosen main weapons.

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Hudson Meek, the 16-year-old actor who appeared in “Baby Driver,” died last week after falling from a moving vehicle in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to CNN affiliate WVTM. The teen sustained blunt force trauma in the fall on Dec. 19 and was admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where he died from his injuries on Dec. 21, the Jefferson County Coroner’s office told CNN affiliate WVTM . “His 16 years on this earth were far too short, but he accomplished so much and significantly impacted everyone he met,” reads a post on his Instagram account . Hudson Meek attends the "A Different Man" premiere during the Deauville American Film Festival in Deauville, France, on September 9. The teen actor had various acting and voice over credits, most notably playing a younger version of Ansel Elgort’s character Baby in 2017 movie “Baby Driver.” Meek also voiced the lead in “Badanamu Stories” — a children’s show that examines themes relevant to preschoolers, according to IMDb . He also appeared in shows including NBC’s “Found” and The CW’s “Legacies,” as well as the recently released thriller “The School Duel.” Meek’s obituary described the teenager as a “reflective and thoughtful” avid traveler and fan of the outdoors. “He loved snow-skiing and could easily navigate the hardest trails that no one else in the family would dare attempt,” the obituary read. “One of his favorite places to be was at the lake, tubing and wakeboarding.” The Vestavia Hills Police Department is still investigating the circumstances surrounding Meek’s death, WTVM reported. CNN has reached out to Vestavia Hills police for more information on the incident. Glynis Johns, a Tony Award-winning stage and screen star who played the mother opposite Julie Andrews in the classic movie “Mary Poppins” and introduced the world to the bittersweet standard-to-be “Send in the Clowns” by Stephen Sondheim, died, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2023. She was 100. Adan Canto, the Mexican singer and actor best known for his roles in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Agent Game” as well as the TV series “The Cleaning Lady,” “Narcos,” and “Designated Survivor,” died Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, after a private battle with appendiceal cancer. He was 42. Bud Harrelson, the scrappy and sure-handed shortstop who fought Pete Rose on the field during a playoff game and helped the New York Mets win an astonishing championship, died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. He was 79. The Mets said that Harrelson died at a hospice house in East Northport, New York after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. He was 46. Jack Burke Jr., the oldest living Masters champion who staged the greatest comeback ever at Augusta National for one of his two majors, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Houston. He was 100. Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “The Leader of the Pack,” died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 75. Norman Jewison, a three-time Oscar nominee who in 1999 received an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, died “peacefully” Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, according to publicist Jeff Sanderson. He was 97. Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, hosted the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. He was 91. Melanie, a singer-songwriter behind 1970s hits including “Brand New Key,” died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. She was 76. Born Melanie Safka, the singer rose through the New York folk scene and was one of only three solo women to perform at Woodstock. Her hits included “Lay Down” and “Look What They've Done to My Song Ma.” Chita Rivera, the dynamic dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. She was 91. Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing-off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. He was 76. Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as “Kick Out the Jams” and influenced everyone from the Clash to Rage Against the Machine, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to Jason Heath, a close friend and executive director of Kramer's charity, Jail Guitar Doors. Heath said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer. He was 75. Actor Ian Lavender, who played a hapless Home Guard soldier in the classic British sitcom “Dad’s Army,” died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 77. Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith, whose pro-American anthems were both beloved and criticized, died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 62. Henry Fambrough, the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, whose hits included “It’s a Shame,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” and “The Rubberband Man,” died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, of natural causes, according to a statement from his spokeswoman. He was 85. Bob Edwards, right, the news anchor many Americans woke up to as founding host of National Public Radio's “Morning Edition” for nearly a quarter-century, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 20243. He was 76. He's shown here with sports announcer Red Barber. Don Gullett, a former major league pitcher and coach who played for four consecutive World Series champions in the 1970s, died Feb. 14. He was 73. He finished his playing career with a 109-50 record playing for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. Lefty Driesell, the coach whose folksy drawl belied a fiery on-court demeanor that put Maryland on the college basketball map and enabled him to rebuild several struggling programs, died Feb. 17, 2024, at age 92. Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. Despite the effort of Denver Broncos defensive back Steve Foley (43), Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Golden Richards hauls in a touchdown pass during NFL football's Super Bowl 12 in New Orleans on Jan 15, 1978. Richards died Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, of congestive heart failure at his home in Murray, Utah. He was 73. Richards' nephew Lance Richards confirmed his death in a post on his Facebook page. Comedian Richard Lewis attends an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Dec. 25, 2012. Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” died Feb. 27, 2024. He was 76. He died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham. Former Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov attends a session of the Federation Council, Russian parliament's upper house, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Ryzhkov, former Soviet prime minister who presided over failed efforts to shore up the crumbling economy in the final years before the collapse of the USSR, died Feb. 28, 2024, at age 94. Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. Akira Toriyama is pictured in 1982. Toriyama, the creator of one of Japan's best-selling “Dragon Ball” and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, died March 1, 2024. He was 68. Iris Apfel, a textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style, died March 1, 2024, at 102. Andy Russell, the standout linebacker who was an integral part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ evolution from perennial losers to champions, died Feb. 29, 2024. He was 82. Russell won two Super Bowls during a 12-year NFL career between 1963-76 that was briefly interrupted by a stint in the military. Russell played in 168 consecutive games and spent 10 years as a team captain. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times. Russell remained active in the Pittsburgh community after retiring, writing several books and launching the Andy Russell Charitable Foundation. Pittsburgh Pirates' Ed Ott slides across home late out of reach of Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey to score the winning run in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the World Series at Baltimore, Oct. 11, 1979. Ott, a former major league catcher and coach who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. He batted .259 with 33 homers and 195 RBIs in 567 major league games. Ott and Steve Nicosia were the main catchers when the Pirates won it all in 1979. In a photo supplied by ESPN, Chris Mortensen appears on the set of Sunday NFL Countdown at ESPN's studios in Bristol, Conn., on Sept. 22, 2019. Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. Mortensen announced in 2016 that he he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even while undergoing treatment, he was the first to confirm the retirement of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Mortensen announced his retirement after the NFL draft last year so that he could “focus on my health, family and faith.” Singer Steve Lawrence, left, and his wife Eydie Gorme arrive at a black-tie gala called honoring Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas on May 30, 1998. Lawrence, a singer and top stage act who as a solo performer and in tandem with his wife Gorme kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, died Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at age 88. Gorme died on Aug. 10, 2013. Martin Luther King III, right, the son of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., walks with his daughter Yolanda, and Naomi Barber King, left, the wife of Rev. King's brother, A.D., through an exhibition devoted to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, in Atlanta. Civil rights activist Naomi Barber King died Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Atlanta, according to family members. She was 92. A Texas man who spent decades using an iron lung after contracting polio as a child died March 11, 2024, at the age of 78. Paul Alexander's longtime friend Daniel Spinks says Alexander died Monday at a Dallas hospital. Spinks called his friend one of the "bright stars of the world.” Friends of Alexander, who graduated from law school and had a career as an attorney, say he was a man who had a great joy for life. Alexander was a child when he began using an iron lung, a cylinder that encased his body as the air pressure in the chamber forced air in and out of his lungs. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford stands near the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever during training Aug. 23, 1965, in the Gulf of Mexico. Stafford, who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, died March 18, 2024, at 93. New York Rangers' Chris Simon celebrates his second-period goal against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004, at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon has died. He was 52. Simon died March 18, 2024, according to a spokesperson for the NHL Players' Association. M. Emmet Walsh arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, March 1, 2014, in Santa Monica, Calif. Walsh, the character actor who brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to films including “Blood Simple” and “Blade Runner,” died March 19, 2024, at age 88, his manager said Wednesday. "Babar" author Laurent de Brunhoff, who revived his father's popular picture book series about an elephant-king, has died at 98 after being in hospice care for two weeks. De Brunhoff was a Paris native who moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. He died March 22, 2024, at his home in Key West, Florida. Just 12 years old when his father, Jean de Brunhoff, died of tuberculosis, Laurent drew upon his own gifts as a painter and storyteller and as an adult released dozens of books about the elephant who reigns over Celesteville, among them "Babar at the Circus" and "Babar's Yoga for Elephants." Longtime Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos has died at the age of 94. His family announced in a statement that Angelos, who had been ill for several years, died March 23, 2024. Angelos was owner of an Orioles team that endured long losing stretches and shrewd proprietor of a law firm that won high-profile cases against industry titans such as tobacco giant Philip Morris. Angelos’ death came as his son, John, was in the process of selling the Orioles to a group headed by Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein. Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million in 1993, at the time the highest for a sports franchise. His public role diminished significantly in his final years. Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, left, and his running mate, vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, wave to supporters Oct. 25, 2000, at a campaign rally in Jackson, Tenn. Lieberman died March 27, 2024. He was 82 and died Wednesday of complications from a fall. Lieberman nearly won the vice presidency on Democrat Al Gore's ticket in the disputed 2000 White House race. Eight years later, he came close to joining the GOP ticket as John McCain’s running mate. The Democrat-turned-independent stepped down from the Senate in January 2013 after 24 years. His independent streak often irked Senate Democrats he aligned with. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years. Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” died March 28, 2024. He was 87. Gossett always thought of his early career as a reverse Cinderella story, with success finding him from an early age and propelling him forward, toward his Academy Award for “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He also was a star on Broadway, replacing Billy Daniels in “Golden Boy” with Sammy Davis Jr. in 1964 and recently played an obstinate patriarch in the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple.” Former cast members of SCTV, from left, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, foreground, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, pose at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival on March 6, 1999, in Aspen, Colo. Flaherty, a founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV,” died Monday, April 1, 2024 at age 82. John Sinclair talks at the John Sinclair Foundation Café and Coffeeshop, Dec. 26, 2018, in Detroit. Sinclair, a poet, music producer and counterculture figure whose lengthy prison sentence after a series of small-time pot busts inspired a John Lennon song and a star-studded 1971 concert to free him, has died at age 82. Sinclair died Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at Detroit Receiving Hospital of congestive heart failure following an illness, his publicist Matt Lee said. Boston Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, right, tips his cap to fans as majority owner John Henry holds the 2013 World Series championship trophy during a parade in celebration of the baseball team's win, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in Boston. Larry Lucchino, the force behind baseball’s retro ballpark revolution and the transformation of the Boston Red Sox from cursed losers to World Series champions, has died. He was 78. Lucchino had suffered from cancer. The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, his last project in a career that also included three major league baseball franchises and one in the NFL, confirmed his death on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Playwright Christopher Durang appears on stage with producers to accept the award for best play for "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on June 9, 2013 in New York. Also on stage are actors, background from left, Shalita Grant, Kristine Nielsen and Billy Magnussen. Durang died Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at his home in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, of complications from logopenic primary progressive aphasia. He was 75. In this Oct. 16, 1969 file photo, New York Mets catcher Jerry Grote, right, embraces pitcher Jerry Koosman as Ed Charles, left, joins the celebration after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the Game 5 to win the baseball World Series at New York's Shea Stadium. Grote, the catcher who helped transform the New York Mets from a perennial loser into the 1969 World Series champion, died Sunday, April 7, 2024. He was 81. In this July 8, 2003 photo, Lori, left, and George Schappell, conjoined twins, are photographed in their Reading, Pa., apartment. Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They were 62. The University of Edinburgh says Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of a sub-atomic particle that came to be known as the Higgs boson, died April 8, 2024, at 94. Higgs predicted the existence of the particle in 1964. But it would be almost 50 years before the its existence could be confirmed at a particle collider in Switzerland called the Large Hadron Collider. Higgs’ work helps scientists understand of the most fundamental riddles of the universe: how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.7 billion years ago. Higgs won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work, alongside Francois Englert of Belgium. A retired U.S. Army colonel who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Korean War died April 8, 2024, at age 97. A funeral home says that Ralph Puckett Jr. died Monday at his home in Columbus, Georgia. President Joe Biden presented Puckett with the Medal of Honor in 2021, more than seven decades after Puckett was seriously wounded leading an outnumbered company of Army Rangers in battle. Puckett refused a medical discharge and served as an Army officer for another 20 years before retiring in 1971. Puckett received the U.S. military's highest honor from President Joe Biden on May 21, 2021, following a policy change that lifted a requirement for medals to be given within five years of a valorous act. O.J. Simpson, left, grimaces June 15, 1995, in a Los Angeles courtroom as he famously tries on one of the leather gloves prosecutors say he wore the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered. Simpson, t he decorated football star who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but wound up in prison years later in an unrelated case, died April 10, 2024. He was 76. His family made an announcement Thursday in a statement on Simpson's X account. Simpson said last year that he was battling prostate cancer. Simpson’s gridiron legacy was forever overshadowed by the 1994 knife slayings of Brown Simpson and Goldman. A criminal court jury found him not guilty of murder, but a separate civil trial jury found him liable. Simpson's nine-year prison stint in Nevada was for the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers. Francis Coppola and wife, Eleanor, pose July 16, 1991, in Los Angeles. Eleanor Coppola, who documented the making of some of her husband Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic films, including the infamously tortured production of “Apocalypse Now,” and who raised a family of filmmakers, has died. She was 87. Coppola died April 12, 2024, at home in Rutherford, California, her family announced in a statement. Eleanor, who grew in Orange County, California, met Francis while working as an assistant art director on his directorial debut, the Roger Corman-produced 1963 horror film “Dementia 13.” Their first-born, Gian-Carlo, quickly became a regular presence in his father’s films, as did their subsequent children, Roman, and Sofia. After acting in their father’s films and growing up on sets, all would go into the movies. Robert MacNeil, seen in February 1978, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show for with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died April 12, 2024, at age 93. Artist Faith Ringgold poses for a portrait in front of a painted self-portrait during a press preview of her exhibition, "American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold's Paintings of the 1960s" at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, June 19, 2013. Ringgold, an award-winning author and artist who broke down barriers for Black female artists and became famous for her richly colored and detailed quilts combining painting, textiles and storytelling, died Friday, April 12, 2024, at her home in Englewood, N.J. She was 93. Alabama coach Bear Bryant, left, talks with his former star quarterback Steve Sloan, right, after practice in Miami for the Orange Bowl game New Years' night against Nebraska, Dec. 29, 1968. Former college coach and administrator Sloan, who played quarterback and served as athletic director at Alabama. has passed away. He was 79. Sloan died Sunday, April 14, 2024, after three months of memory care at Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, according to an obituary from former Alabama sports information director Wayne Atcheson. Oakland A's pitcher Ken Holtzman poses for a photo in March 1975. Holtzman, who pitched two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and helped the Oakland Athletics win three straight World Series championships in the 1970s, died April 14, 2024. He finished with a career record of 174-150 over 15 season with four teams and was the winningest Jewish pitcher in baseball history. Carl Erskine, center, pictured with teammate Duke Snider, left, and manager Charley Dressen in 1952, after beating the Yankees 6-5 in Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, Oct. 5, 1952. Erskine, who pitched two no-hitters for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 in the World Series, has died. Among the last survivors from the celebrated Brooklyn teams of the 1950s, Erskine spent his entire major league career with the Dodgers. He helped them win five National League pennants from 1948-59. Erskine won Game 3 of the 1953 World Series, beating the Yankees 3-2. He appeared in five World Series, with the Dodgers beating the Yankees in 1955 for their only championship in Brooklyn. Erksine died April 16 in his hometown of Anderson, Indiana, according to a hospital official. He was 97. St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog lets umpire John Shulock, right, know how he feels about Shulock's call on the tag attempt on Kansas City Royals Jim Sundberg by Cardinals catcher Tom Nieto, second from left, in the second inning of Game 5 of the 1985 World Series in St. Louis. Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. Herzog, affectionately nicknamed “The White Rat,” was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling an overall record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985. Under Herzog, the Cardinals won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987 and won the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. He died April 15, 2024, and was 92. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., gestures as he answers questions regarding the ongoing security hearing on Capitol Hill, June 18, 2002, in Washington. Graham, who chaired the Intelligence Committee following the 2001 terrorist attacks and opposed the Iraq invasion, died April 16, 2024. He was 87. His family announced the death Tuesday in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham. Graham served three terms in the Senate and two terms as Florida's governor. He made an unsuccessful bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasizing his opposition to the Iraq invasion. But that bid was delayed by heart surgery in January 2003, and he was never able to gain enough traction with voters to catch up. He didn’t seek re-election in 2004 and was replaced by Republican Mel Martinez. Guitar legend and Allman Brothers Band co-founder Dickey Betts died April 18, 2024, at age 80. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer wrote the band's biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man.” Manager David Spero told The Associated Press that Betts died early Thursday at his home in Osprey, Florida. He says Betts had been battling cancer for more than a year and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Betts shared lead guitar duties with Duane Allman in the original Allman Brothers Band to help give the group its distinctive sound and create a new genre: Southern rock. Acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Kid Rock were influenced by the Allmans’ music, which combined blues, country, R&B and jazz with ’60s rock. Contemporary Christian singer Mandisa, who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album “Overcomer,” died April 18, 2024. She was 47. Mandisa gained stardom after finishing ninth on “American Idol” in 2006. In 2014, she won a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album for “Overcomer,” her fifth album. She spoke openly about her struggles with depression, releasing a memoir that detailed her experiences with severe depression, weight-related challenges, the coronavirus pandemic and her faith. David Pryor, a former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator who was one of the state’s most beloved and active political figures, died April 20, 2024, at the age of 89. His son, former two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, says the Democrat died Saturday of natural causes in Little Rock surrounded by family. David Pryor was considered one of the Democratic party’s giants in Arkansas and remained active in public life after he left office, including serving on the University of Arkansas’s Board of Trustees. Roman Gabriel was known for his big size and big arm. He was the first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL. And he still holds the Los Angeles Rams record for touchdown passes. Gabriel died April 20, 2024, at age 83. His son posted the news on social media. He says Gabriel died at home of natural causes. Gabriel starred at North Carolina State and was the No. 2 pick by the Rams in the 1962 draft. The Oakland Raider of the rival AFL made him the No. 1 pick. Gabriel signed with the Rams and later played with the Philadelphia Eagles. Andrew Davis, an acclaimed British conductor who was music director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and orchestras on three continents, died April 20, 2024. He was 80. Davis died Saturday at Rusk Institute in Chicago from leukemia. That is according to his manager, Jonathan Brill of Opus 3 Artists. Davis had been managing the disease for 1 1/2 to 2 years but it became acute shortly after his 80th birthday on Feb. 2. Davis was music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1975-88, Britain’s Glyndebourne Festival from 1988-2000, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1989-2000, then was music director of the Lyric Opera from 2000-21. Former hostage Terry Anderson waves to the crowd as he rides in a parade in Lorain, Ohio, June 22, 1992. Anderson, the globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent who became one of America’s longest-held hostages, died April 21, 2024. Anderson was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years. Anderson, who was tortured and chained to a wall, wrote about his experiences in the best-selling memoir, “Den of Lions.” After returning to the United States in 1991, Anderson gave public speeches, taught journalism and, at various times, operated a blues bar, Cajun restaurant, horse ranch and gourmet restaurant. He also struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. British army veteran Bill Gladden, who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle a few days later, wanted to return to France for the 80th anniversary of the invasion so he could honor the men who didn’t come home. It was not to be. Gladden, one of the dwindling number of veterans who took part in the landings that kicked off the campaign to liberate Western Europe from the Nazis during World War II, died April 24, his family said. He was 100. With fewer and fewer veterans taking part each year, the ceremony may be one of the last big events marking the assault that began on June 6, 1944. Duane Eddy, a pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser,” “Forty Miles of Bad Road" and “Cannonball” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians, died April 30 at age 86. With his raucous rhythms, and backing hollers and hand claps, Eddy sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and mastered a distinctive sound based on the premise that a guitar’s bass strings sounded better on tape than the high ones. Author Paul Auster has died at age 77. Auster was a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1." Auster’s death on April 30 was confirmed by his literary representatives. Auster completed more than 30 books, translated into dozens of languages. He never achieved major commercial success in the U.S., but he was widely admired overseas for his cosmopolitan worldview and erudite and introspective style. Auster’s novels were a mix of history, politics, genre experiments, existential quests and self-conscious references to writers and writing. Co-pilots Dick Rutan, right, and Jeana Yeager, no relationship to test pilot Chuck Yeager, pose for a photo after a test flight over the Mojave Desert, Dec. 19, 1985. Rutan, a decorated Vietnam War pilot, who along with copilot Yeager completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling, died late Friday, May 3, 2024. He was 85. Music producer Steve Albini, seen in his Chicago studio in 2014, produced albums by Nirvana, the Pixies and PJ Harvey. Albini died at 61. Brian Fox, an engineer at Albini’s studio, Electrical Audio, says Albini died after a heart attack May 7. In addition to his work on canonized rock albums such as Nirvana‘s “In Utero,” the Pixies’ breakthrough “Surfer Rosa,” and PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me,” Albini was the frontman of the underground bands Big Black and Shellac. He dismissed the term “producer” and requested he be credited with “Recorded by Steve Albini." San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame football player Jimmy Johnson, left, is honored by owner Jed York before a 2011 game between against the St. Louis Rams in San Francisco. Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Jimmy Johnson, a three-time All-Pro and member of the All-Decade Team of the 1970s, has died. He was 86. Johnson's family told the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he died May 8. Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. He played his entire 16-year pro career with San Francisco. He played in 213 games, more than any other 49ers player at the time of his retirement. San Diego Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs fires a throw to first from his knees but is unable to get Los Angeles Dodgers' D. J. Houlton at first during the third inning of a baseball game June 22, 2005, in San Diego. Burroughs, a two-time Little League World Series champion who won an Olympic gold medal and went on to a major league career that was interrupted by substance abuse, has died. He was 43. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s online records said Burroughs died Thursday, May 9, 2024, with the cause of death deferred. Producer Roger Corman poses in his Los Angeles office, May 8, 2013. Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood's most famous actors and directors an early break, died Thursday, May 9, 2024. He was 98. A.J. Smith, a longtime NFL executive who was the winningest general manager in Chargers history, has died. He was 75. His son, Atlanta assistant general manager Kyle Smith, announced in a statement released by the Falcons that his father died May 12. Kyle Smith said his father had been battling prostate cancer for seven years. The Chargers won five division titles during Smith’s 10 seasons as GM. The franchise’s 98 wins, including the playoffs, were the sixth most in the league from 2003-12. Saxophone player David Sanborn performs during his concert at the Stravinski hall at the "Colours of Music night" during the 34th Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland on July 10, 2000. Sanborn, the Grammy-winning saxophonist who played lively solos on such hits as David Bowie's “Young Americans” and James Taylor's “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and enjoyed his own highly successful recording career as a leading performer of contemporary jazz, died Sunday, May 12, 2024, at age 78. Nobel laureate Alice Munro has died. The Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honored short story writers was 92. Munro achieved stature rare for an art form traditionally placed beneath the novel. She was the first lifelong Canadian to win the Nobel and the first recipient cited exclusively for short fiction. Munro was little known beyond Canada until her late 30s but became one of the few short story writers to enjoy ongoing commercial success. A spokesperson for publisher Penguin Random House Canada said Munro died May 13 at home in Port Hope, Ontario. Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie,” died May 16. He was 92. For two decades Coleman labored in movies and TV shows as a talented but largely unnoticed performer. That changed abruptly in 1976 when he was cast as the incorrigibly corrupt mayor of the hamlet of Fernwood in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” a satirical soap opera. He won a Golden Globe for “The Slap Maxwell Story” and an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in Peter Levin’s 1987 small screen legal drama “Sworn to Silence.” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi listens to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not in photo, during a joint news conference following their meeting at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 24, 2024. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others were found dead at the site of a helicopter crash site, state media reported Monday, May 20, 2024. Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center known as Mr. Raider for his durability through a litany of injuries, died May 19. He was 86. The cause of death was not immediately known. Otto joined the Raiders for their inaugural season in the American Football League in 1960 and was a fixture on the team for the next 15 years. He never missed a game because of injuries and competed in 210 consecutive regular-season games and 308 straight total contests despite undergoing nine operations on his knees during his playing career. His right leg was amputated in 2007. Ivan F. Boesky, the flamboyant stock trader whose cooperation with the government cracked open one of the largest insider trading scandals on Wall Street, has died at the age of 87. A representative at the Marianne Boesky Gallery, owned by his daughter, confirmed his death. The son of a Detroit delicatessen owner, Boesky was once considered one of the richest and most influential risk-takers on Wall Street. He had parlayed $700,000 from his late mother-in-law’s estate into a fortune estimated at more than $200 million. Once implicated in insider trading, Boesky cooperated with a brash young U.S. attorney named Rudolph Giuliani, uncovering a scandal that blemished some of the most respected U.S. investment brokerages. Boesky died May 20. Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek poses with the Oscar for best original score for his work on "Finding Neverland" during the 77th Academy Awards, Feb. 27, 2005, in Los Angeles. Polish composer Kaczmarek, who won a 2005 Oscar for the movie “Finding Neverland,” has died on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at age 71. Kaczmarek’s death was announced by Poland’s Music Foundation. Train bassist and founding member Charlie Colin has died at 58. Colin’s sister confirmed the musician's death Wednesday to The Associated Press. Variety reported Colin slipped and fell in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels. Train formed in San Francisco in the early ’90s. Colin played on Train's first three records, 1998’s self-titled album, 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter” and 2003’s “My Private Nation.” The track “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned two Grammys. Colin left the band in 2003. He also worked with the Newport Beach Film Festival. Colin died May 22. Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar nominee whose most famous works skewered America’s food industry and who notably ate only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died of cancer. He was 53. Spurlock made a splash in 2004 with his groundbreaking film “Super Size Me,” and returned in 2019 with “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” — a sober look at an industry that processes 9 billion animals a year in America. Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music. Spurlock died May 23. Richard M. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who helped form millions of childhoods by penning classic Disney tunes, has died. He was 95. Sherman, along with his late brother Robert, wrote hundreds of songs together, including songs for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, “It’s a Small World (After All).” The Walt Disney Co. announced that Sherman died Saturday due to age-related illness. The brothers won two Academy Awards for Walt Disney’s 1964 smash “Mary Poppins.” Robert Sherman died May 25 in London in 2012. Basketball Hall of Fame legend Bill Walton laughs during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022. Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday, May 27, 2024, the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71. “The Godfather” producer Albert S. Ruddy died May 25 at 94. The Canadian-born producer and writer won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” developed the raucous prison-sports comedy “The Longest Yard” and helped create the hit sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes." A spokesperson says Ruddy died Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center. Ruddy produced more than 30 movies and was on hand for the very top and the very bottom. “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby” were box office hits and winners of best picture Oscars. But Ruddy also helped give us “Cannonball Run II” and “Megaforce,” nominees for Golden Raspberry awards for worst movie of the year. Larry Allen, one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL during a 12-year career spent mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, died June 2. He was 52. The Cowboys say Allen died suddenly on Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico. Allen was named an All-Pro six consecutive years from 1996-2001 and was inducted into the Pro Football of Hall of Fame in 2013. He said few words but let his blocking do the talking. Allen once bench-pressed 700 pounds and had the speed to chase down opposing running backs. Bob Hope and Janis Paige hug during the annual Christmas show in Saigon, Vietnam, Dec. 25, 1964. Paige, a popular actor in Hollywood and in Broadway musicals and comedies who danced with Fred Astaire, toured with Bob Hope and continued to perform into her 80s, died Sunday, June 2, 2024, of natural causes at her Los Angeles home, longtime friend Stuart Lampert said Monday, June 3. Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, died June 4 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his son said. Jones was 90. At the time of his death, Jones was the oldest living winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Rufus Parnell Jones was born in Texarkana, Arkansas, in 1933 but moved to Torrance as a young child and never left. It was there that he became “Parnelli” because his given name of Rufus was too well known for him to compete without locals knowing that he wasn’t old enough to race. Boston Celtics' John Havlicek (17) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers' Chet Walker (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball playoff game April 14, 1968, in Boston. Walker, a seven-time All-Star forward who helped Wilt Chamberlain and the 76ers win the 1967 NBA title, died June 8. He was 84. The National Basketball Players Association confirmed Walker's death, according to NBA.com . The 76ers, Chicago Bulls and National Basketball Retired Players Association also extended their condolences on social media on Saturday, June 8, 2024. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. British actor Timothy West, who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain's waterways, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. 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, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The search for a woman who is believed to have fallen into a sinkhole in western Pennsylvania shifted to a recovery effort after two treacherous days of digging through mud and rock produced no signs of life, authorities said Wednesday. Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said during a news conference that authorities no longer believe they will find 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard alive, but the search for her remains continues. “We’ve had no signs of any form of life or anything” to make rescuers think they should “continue to try and push and rush and push the envelope, to be aggressive with the potential of risking harm to other people,” Limani said. He noted oxygen levels below ground were insufficient. Emergency crews and others have tried to locate Pollard for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near the sinkhole above a long closed, crumbling mine. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. “We feel like we failed,” Limani said of the decision to change the status of the effort from a rescue to a recovery. “It’s tough.” Limani praised the crews who went into the abandoned mine to help remove material in the search for Pollard in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh.. “They would come out of there head to toe covered in mud, exhausted. And while they were getting pulled up, the next group’s getting dropped in. And there was one after the next after the next,” Limani said. Authorities said earlier that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and was not stable. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer, said earlier Wednesday. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” Searchers used electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. In coming days, they plan to greatly widen the surface hole, with winter weather forecast in the region. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers used water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said Tuesday. Searchers also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment to no avail. Pollard's family called police about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Limani said the searchers met with her family before announcing the shift from rescue to recovery. Pollard's son, Axel Hayes, described her as a happy woman who liked going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. She used to work at Walmart but recently was not employed. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate the sinkhole was new. Pollard lived in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were found by state police. It's unclear what happened to the cat. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

JCB1-125DC 125A DC Miniature Circuit Breaker: Features and Application

Trending News Today Live Updates: In today's fast-paced world, staying informed about the latest developments is more important than ever. Trending News Today brings you the most current and impactful stories from across the globe, covering a wide range of topics including politics, technology, entertainment, sports, and social issues. Whether it's a significant political event, a groundbreaking technological innovation, or the latest in pop culture, we provide you with up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis. Our goal is to ensure that you're always in the loop, aware of the trends that are shaping the world around us. Stay tuned for the latest news that matters. Trends News Today Live: Walmart's $100 Birkin bag lookalike is selling out—Here’s why everyone wants oneHudson Meek, the 16-year-old actor who appeared in “Baby Driver,” died last week after falling from a moving vehicle in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to CNN affiliate WVTM. The teen sustained blunt force trauma in the fall on Dec. 19 and was admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where he died from his injuries on Dec. 21, the Jefferson County Coroner’s office told CNN affiliate WVTM . “His 16 years on this earth were far too short, but he accomplished so much and significantly impacted everyone he met,” reads a post on his Instagram account . Hudson Meek attends the "A Different Man" premiere during the Deauville American Film Festival in Deauville, France, on September 9. The teen actor had various acting and voice over credits, most notably playing a younger version of Ansel Elgort’s character Baby in 2017 movie “Baby Driver.” Meek also voiced the lead in “Badanamu Stories” — a children’s show that examines themes relevant to preschoolers, according to IMDb . He also appeared in shows including NBC’s “Found” and The CW’s “Legacies,” as well as the recently released thriller “The School Duel.” Meek’s obituary described the teenager as a “reflective and thoughtful” avid traveler and fan of the outdoors. “He loved snow-skiing and could easily navigate the hardest trails that no one else in the family would dare attempt,” the obituary read. “One of his favorite places to be was at the lake, tubing and wakeboarding.” The Vestavia Hills Police Department is still investigating the circumstances surrounding Meek’s death, WTVM reported. CNN has reached out to Vestavia Hills police for more information on the incident. Glynis Johns, a Tony Award-winning stage and screen star who played the mother opposite Julie Andrews in the classic movie “Mary Poppins” and introduced the world to the bittersweet standard-to-be “Send in the Clowns” by Stephen Sondheim, died, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2023. She was 100. Adan Canto, the Mexican singer and actor best known for his roles in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Agent Game” as well as the TV series “The Cleaning Lady,” “Narcos,” and “Designated Survivor,” died Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, after a private battle with appendiceal cancer. He was 42. Bud Harrelson, the scrappy and sure-handed shortstop who fought Pete Rose on the field during a playoff game and helped the New York Mets win an astonishing championship, died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. He was 79. The Mets said that Harrelson died at a hospice house in East Northport, New York after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. He was 46. Jack Burke Jr., the oldest living Masters champion who staged the greatest comeback ever at Augusta National for one of his two majors, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Houston. He was 100. Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “The Leader of the Pack,” died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 75. Norman Jewison, a three-time Oscar nominee who in 1999 received an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, died “peacefully” Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, according to publicist Jeff Sanderson. He was 97. Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, hosted the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. He was 91. Melanie, a singer-songwriter behind 1970s hits including “Brand New Key,” died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. She was 76. Born Melanie Safka, the singer rose through the New York folk scene and was one of only three solo women to perform at Woodstock. Her hits included “Lay Down” and “Look What They've Done to My Song Ma.” Chita Rivera, the dynamic dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. She was 91. Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing-off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. He was 76. Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as “Kick Out the Jams” and influenced everyone from the Clash to Rage Against the Machine, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to Jason Heath, a close friend and executive director of Kramer's charity, Jail Guitar Doors. Heath said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer. He was 75. Actor Ian Lavender, who played a hapless Home Guard soldier in the classic British sitcom “Dad’s Army,” died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 77. Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith, whose pro-American anthems were both beloved and criticized, died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 62. Henry Fambrough, the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, whose hits included “It’s a Shame,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” and “The Rubberband Man,” died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, of natural causes, according to a statement from his spokeswoman. He was 85. Bob Edwards, right, the news anchor many Americans woke up to as founding host of National Public Radio's “Morning Edition” for nearly a quarter-century, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 20243. He was 76. He's shown here with sports announcer Red Barber. Don Gullett, a former major league pitcher and coach who played for four consecutive World Series champions in the 1970s, died Feb. 14. He was 73. He finished his playing career with a 109-50 record playing for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. Lefty Driesell, the coach whose folksy drawl belied a fiery on-court demeanor that put Maryland on the college basketball map and enabled him to rebuild several struggling programs, died Feb. 17, 2024, at age 92. Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. Despite the effort of Denver Broncos defensive back Steve Foley (43), Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Golden Richards hauls in a touchdown pass during NFL football's Super Bowl 12 in New Orleans on Jan 15, 1978. Richards died Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, of congestive heart failure at his home in Murray, Utah. He was 73. Richards' nephew Lance Richards confirmed his death in a post on his Facebook page. Comedian Richard Lewis attends an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Dec. 25, 2012. Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” died Feb. 27, 2024. He was 76. He died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham. Former Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov attends a session of the Federation Council, Russian parliament's upper house, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Ryzhkov, former Soviet prime minister who presided over failed efforts to shore up the crumbling economy in the final years before the collapse of the USSR, died Feb. 28, 2024, at age 94. Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. Akira Toriyama is pictured in 1982. Toriyama, the creator of one of Japan's best-selling “Dragon Ball” and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, died March 1, 2024. He was 68. Iris Apfel, a textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style, died March 1, 2024, at 102. Andy Russell, the standout linebacker who was an integral part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ evolution from perennial losers to champions, died Feb. 29, 2024. He was 82. Russell won two Super Bowls during a 12-year NFL career between 1963-76 that was briefly interrupted by a stint in the military. Russell played in 168 consecutive games and spent 10 years as a team captain. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times. Russell remained active in the Pittsburgh community after retiring, writing several books and launching the Andy Russell Charitable Foundation. Pittsburgh Pirates' Ed Ott slides across home late out of reach of Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey to score the winning run in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the World Series at Baltimore, Oct. 11, 1979. Ott, a former major league catcher and coach who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. He batted .259 with 33 homers and 195 RBIs in 567 major league games. Ott and Steve Nicosia were the main catchers when the Pirates won it all in 1979. In a photo supplied by ESPN, Chris Mortensen appears on the set of Sunday NFL Countdown at ESPN's studios in Bristol, Conn., on Sept. 22, 2019. Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. Mortensen announced in 2016 that he he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even while undergoing treatment, he was the first to confirm the retirement of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Mortensen announced his retirement after the NFL draft last year so that he could “focus on my health, family and faith.” Singer Steve Lawrence, left, and his wife Eydie Gorme arrive at a black-tie gala called honoring Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas on May 30, 1998. Lawrence, a singer and top stage act who as a solo performer and in tandem with his wife Gorme kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, died Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at age 88. Gorme died on Aug. 10, 2013. Martin Luther King III, right, the son of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., walks with his daughter Yolanda, and Naomi Barber King, left, the wife of Rev. King's brother, A.D., through an exhibition devoted to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, in Atlanta. Civil rights activist Naomi Barber King died Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Atlanta, according to family members. She was 92. A Texas man who spent decades using an iron lung after contracting polio as a child died March 11, 2024, at the age of 78. Paul Alexander's longtime friend Daniel Spinks says Alexander died Monday at a Dallas hospital. Spinks called his friend one of the "bright stars of the world.” Friends of Alexander, who graduated from law school and had a career as an attorney, say he was a man who had a great joy for life. Alexander was a child when he began using an iron lung, a cylinder that encased his body as the air pressure in the chamber forced air in and out of his lungs. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford stands near the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever during training Aug. 23, 1965, in the Gulf of Mexico. Stafford, who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, died March 18, 2024, at 93. New York Rangers' Chris Simon celebrates his second-period goal against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004, at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon has died. He was 52. Simon died March 18, 2024, according to a spokesperson for the NHL Players' Association. M. Emmet Walsh arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, March 1, 2014, in Santa Monica, Calif. Walsh, the character actor who brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to films including “Blood Simple” and “Blade Runner,” died March 19, 2024, at age 88, his manager said Wednesday. "Babar" author Laurent de Brunhoff, who revived his father's popular picture book series about an elephant-king, has died at 98 after being in hospice care for two weeks. De Brunhoff was a Paris native who moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. He died March 22, 2024, at his home in Key West, Florida. Just 12 years old when his father, Jean de Brunhoff, died of tuberculosis, Laurent drew upon his own gifts as a painter and storyteller and as an adult released dozens of books about the elephant who reigns over Celesteville, among them "Babar at the Circus" and "Babar's Yoga for Elephants." Longtime Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos has died at the age of 94. His family announced in a statement that Angelos, who had been ill for several years, died March 23, 2024. Angelos was owner of an Orioles team that endured long losing stretches and shrewd proprietor of a law firm that won high-profile cases against industry titans such as tobacco giant Philip Morris. Angelos’ death came as his son, John, was in the process of selling the Orioles to a group headed by Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein. Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million in 1993, at the time the highest for a sports franchise. His public role diminished significantly in his final years. Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, left, and his running mate, vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, wave to supporters Oct. 25, 2000, at a campaign rally in Jackson, Tenn. Lieberman died March 27, 2024. He was 82 and died Wednesday of complications from a fall. Lieberman nearly won the vice presidency on Democrat Al Gore's ticket in the disputed 2000 White House race. Eight years later, he came close to joining the GOP ticket as John McCain’s running mate. The Democrat-turned-independent stepped down from the Senate in January 2013 after 24 years. His independent streak often irked Senate Democrats he aligned with. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years. Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” died March 28, 2024. He was 87. Gossett always thought of his early career as a reverse Cinderella story, with success finding him from an early age and propelling him forward, toward his Academy Award for “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He also was a star on Broadway, replacing Billy Daniels in “Golden Boy” with Sammy Davis Jr. in 1964 and recently played an obstinate patriarch in the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple.” Former cast members of SCTV, from left, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, foreground, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, pose at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival on March 6, 1999, in Aspen, Colo. Flaherty, a founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV,” died Monday, April 1, 2024 at age 82. John Sinclair talks at the John Sinclair Foundation Café and Coffeeshop, Dec. 26, 2018, in Detroit. Sinclair, a poet, music producer and counterculture figure whose lengthy prison sentence after a series of small-time pot busts inspired a John Lennon song and a star-studded 1971 concert to free him, has died at age 82. Sinclair died Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at Detroit Receiving Hospital of congestive heart failure following an illness, his publicist Matt Lee said. Boston Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, right, tips his cap to fans as majority owner John Henry holds the 2013 World Series championship trophy during a parade in celebration of the baseball team's win, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in Boston. Larry Lucchino, the force behind baseball’s retro ballpark revolution and the transformation of the Boston Red Sox from cursed losers to World Series champions, has died. He was 78. Lucchino had suffered from cancer. The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, his last project in a career that also included three major league baseball franchises and one in the NFL, confirmed his death on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Playwright Christopher Durang appears on stage with producers to accept the award for best play for "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on June 9, 2013 in New York. Also on stage are actors, background from left, Shalita Grant, Kristine Nielsen and Billy Magnussen. Durang died Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at his home in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, of complications from logopenic primary progressive aphasia. He was 75. In this Oct. 16, 1969 file photo, New York Mets catcher Jerry Grote, right, embraces pitcher Jerry Koosman as Ed Charles, left, joins the celebration after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the Game 5 to win the baseball World Series at New York's Shea Stadium. Grote, the catcher who helped transform the New York Mets from a perennial loser into the 1969 World Series champion, died Sunday, April 7, 2024. He was 81. In this July 8, 2003 photo, Lori, left, and George Schappell, conjoined twins, are photographed in their Reading, Pa., apartment. Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They were 62. The University of Edinburgh says Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of a sub-atomic particle that came to be known as the Higgs boson, died April 8, 2024, at 94. Higgs predicted the existence of the particle in 1964. But it would be almost 50 years before the its existence could be confirmed at a particle collider in Switzerland called the Large Hadron Collider. Higgs’ work helps scientists understand of the most fundamental riddles of the universe: how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.7 billion years ago. Higgs won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work, alongside Francois Englert of Belgium. A retired U.S. Army colonel who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Korean War died April 8, 2024, at age 97. A funeral home says that Ralph Puckett Jr. died Monday at his home in Columbus, Georgia. President Joe Biden presented Puckett with the Medal of Honor in 2021, more than seven decades after Puckett was seriously wounded leading an outnumbered company of Army Rangers in battle. Puckett refused a medical discharge and served as an Army officer for another 20 years before retiring in 1971. Puckett received the U.S. military's highest honor from President Joe Biden on May 21, 2021, following a policy change that lifted a requirement for medals to be given within five years of a valorous act. O.J. Simpson, left, grimaces June 15, 1995, in a Los Angeles courtroom as he famously tries on one of the leather gloves prosecutors say he wore the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered. Simpson, t he decorated football star who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but wound up in prison years later in an unrelated case, died April 10, 2024. He was 76. His family made an announcement Thursday in a statement on Simpson's X account. Simpson said last year that he was battling prostate cancer. Simpson’s gridiron legacy was forever overshadowed by the 1994 knife slayings of Brown Simpson and Goldman. A criminal court jury found him not guilty of murder, but a separate civil trial jury found him liable. Simpson's nine-year prison stint in Nevada was for the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers. Francis Coppola and wife, Eleanor, pose July 16, 1991, in Los Angeles. Eleanor Coppola, who documented the making of some of her husband Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic films, including the infamously tortured production of “Apocalypse Now,” and who raised a family of filmmakers, has died. She was 87. Coppola died April 12, 2024, at home in Rutherford, California, her family announced in a statement. Eleanor, who grew in Orange County, California, met Francis while working as an assistant art director on his directorial debut, the Roger Corman-produced 1963 horror film “Dementia 13.” Their first-born, Gian-Carlo, quickly became a regular presence in his father’s films, as did their subsequent children, Roman, and Sofia. After acting in their father’s films and growing up on sets, all would go into the movies. Robert MacNeil, seen in February 1978, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show for with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died April 12, 2024, at age 93. Artist Faith Ringgold poses for a portrait in front of a painted self-portrait during a press preview of her exhibition, "American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold's Paintings of the 1960s" at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, June 19, 2013. Ringgold, an award-winning author and artist who broke down barriers for Black female artists and became famous for her richly colored and detailed quilts combining painting, textiles and storytelling, died Friday, April 12, 2024, at her home in Englewood, N.J. She was 93. Alabama coach Bear Bryant, left, talks with his former star quarterback Steve Sloan, right, after practice in Miami for the Orange Bowl game New Years' night against Nebraska, Dec. 29, 1968. Former college coach and administrator Sloan, who played quarterback and served as athletic director at Alabama. has passed away. He was 79. Sloan died Sunday, April 14, 2024, after three months of memory care at Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, according to an obituary from former Alabama sports information director Wayne Atcheson. Oakland A's pitcher Ken Holtzman poses for a photo in March 1975. Holtzman, who pitched two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and helped the Oakland Athletics win three straight World Series championships in the 1970s, died April 14, 2024. He finished with a career record of 174-150 over 15 season with four teams and was the winningest Jewish pitcher in baseball history. Carl Erskine, center, pictured with teammate Duke Snider, left, and manager Charley Dressen in 1952, after beating the Yankees 6-5 in Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, Oct. 5, 1952. Erskine, who pitched two no-hitters for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 in the World Series, has died. Among the last survivors from the celebrated Brooklyn teams of the 1950s, Erskine spent his entire major league career with the Dodgers. He helped them win five National League pennants from 1948-59. Erskine won Game 3 of the 1953 World Series, beating the Yankees 3-2. He appeared in five World Series, with the Dodgers beating the Yankees in 1955 for their only championship in Brooklyn. Erksine died April 16 in his hometown of Anderson, Indiana, according to a hospital official. He was 97. St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog lets umpire John Shulock, right, know how he feels about Shulock's call on the tag attempt on Kansas City Royals Jim Sundberg by Cardinals catcher Tom Nieto, second from left, in the second inning of Game 5 of the 1985 World Series in St. Louis. Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. Herzog, affectionately nicknamed “The White Rat,” was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling an overall record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985. Under Herzog, the Cardinals won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987 and won the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. He died April 15, 2024, and was 92. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., gestures as he answers questions regarding the ongoing security hearing on Capitol Hill, June 18, 2002, in Washington. Graham, who chaired the Intelligence Committee following the 2001 terrorist attacks and opposed the Iraq invasion, died April 16, 2024. He was 87. His family announced the death Tuesday in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham. Graham served three terms in the Senate and two terms as Florida's governor. He made an unsuccessful bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasizing his opposition to the Iraq invasion. But that bid was delayed by heart surgery in January 2003, and he was never able to gain enough traction with voters to catch up. He didn’t seek re-election in 2004 and was replaced by Republican Mel Martinez. Guitar legend and Allman Brothers Band co-founder Dickey Betts died April 18, 2024, at age 80. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer wrote the band's biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man.” Manager David Spero told The Associated Press that Betts died early Thursday at his home in Osprey, Florida. He says Betts had been battling cancer for more than a year and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Betts shared lead guitar duties with Duane Allman in the original Allman Brothers Band to help give the group its distinctive sound and create a new genre: Southern rock. Acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Kid Rock were influenced by the Allmans’ music, which combined blues, country, R&B and jazz with ’60s rock. Contemporary Christian singer Mandisa, who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album “Overcomer,” died April 18, 2024. She was 47. Mandisa gained stardom after finishing ninth on “American Idol” in 2006. In 2014, she won a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album for “Overcomer,” her fifth album. She spoke openly about her struggles with depression, releasing a memoir that detailed her experiences with severe depression, weight-related challenges, the coronavirus pandemic and her faith. David Pryor, a former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator who was one of the state’s most beloved and active political figures, died April 20, 2024, at the age of 89. His son, former two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, says the Democrat died Saturday of natural causes in Little Rock surrounded by family. David Pryor was considered one of the Democratic party’s giants in Arkansas and remained active in public life after he left office, including serving on the University of Arkansas’s Board of Trustees. Roman Gabriel was known for his big size and big arm. He was the first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL. And he still holds the Los Angeles Rams record for touchdown passes. Gabriel died April 20, 2024, at age 83. His son posted the news on social media. He says Gabriel died at home of natural causes. Gabriel starred at North Carolina State and was the No. 2 pick by the Rams in the 1962 draft. The Oakland Raider of the rival AFL made him the No. 1 pick. Gabriel signed with the Rams and later played with the Philadelphia Eagles. Andrew Davis, an acclaimed British conductor who was music director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and orchestras on three continents, died April 20, 2024. He was 80. Davis died Saturday at Rusk Institute in Chicago from leukemia. That is according to his manager, Jonathan Brill of Opus 3 Artists. Davis had been managing the disease for 1 1/2 to 2 years but it became acute shortly after his 80th birthday on Feb. 2. Davis was music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1975-88, Britain’s Glyndebourne Festival from 1988-2000, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1989-2000, then was music director of the Lyric Opera from 2000-21. Former hostage Terry Anderson waves to the crowd as he rides in a parade in Lorain, Ohio, June 22, 1992. Anderson, the globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent who became one of America’s longest-held hostages, died April 21, 2024. Anderson was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years. Anderson, who was tortured and chained to a wall, wrote about his experiences in the best-selling memoir, “Den of Lions.” After returning to the United States in 1991, Anderson gave public speeches, taught journalism and, at various times, operated a blues bar, Cajun restaurant, horse ranch and gourmet restaurant. He also struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. British army veteran Bill Gladden, who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle a few days later, wanted to return to France for the 80th anniversary of the invasion so he could honor the men who didn’t come home. It was not to be. Gladden, one of the dwindling number of veterans who took part in the landings that kicked off the campaign to liberate Western Europe from the Nazis during World War II, died April 24, his family said. He was 100. With fewer and fewer veterans taking part each year, the ceremony may be one of the last big events marking the assault that began on June 6, 1944. Duane Eddy, a pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser,” “Forty Miles of Bad Road" and “Cannonball” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians, died April 30 at age 86. With his raucous rhythms, and backing hollers and hand claps, Eddy sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and mastered a distinctive sound based on the premise that a guitar’s bass strings sounded better on tape than the high ones. Author Paul Auster has died at age 77. Auster was a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1." Auster’s death on April 30 was confirmed by his literary representatives. Auster completed more than 30 books, translated into dozens of languages. He never achieved major commercial success in the U.S., but he was widely admired overseas for his cosmopolitan worldview and erudite and introspective style. Auster’s novels were a mix of history, politics, genre experiments, existential quests and self-conscious references to writers and writing. Co-pilots Dick Rutan, right, and Jeana Yeager, no relationship to test pilot Chuck Yeager, pose for a photo after a test flight over the Mojave Desert, Dec. 19, 1985. Rutan, a decorated Vietnam War pilot, who along with copilot Yeager completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling, died late Friday, May 3, 2024. He was 85. Music producer Steve Albini, seen in his Chicago studio in 2014, produced albums by Nirvana, the Pixies and PJ Harvey. Albini died at 61. Brian Fox, an engineer at Albini’s studio, Electrical Audio, says Albini died after a heart attack May 7. In addition to his work on canonized rock albums such as Nirvana‘s “In Utero,” the Pixies’ breakthrough “Surfer Rosa,” and PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me,” Albini was the frontman of the underground bands Big Black and Shellac. He dismissed the term “producer” and requested he be credited with “Recorded by Steve Albini." San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame football player Jimmy Johnson, left, is honored by owner Jed York before a 2011 game between against the St. Louis Rams in San Francisco. Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Jimmy Johnson, a three-time All-Pro and member of the All-Decade Team of the 1970s, has died. He was 86. Johnson's family told the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he died May 8. Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. He played his entire 16-year pro career with San Francisco. He played in 213 games, more than any other 49ers player at the time of his retirement. San Diego Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs fires a throw to first from his knees but is unable to get Los Angeles Dodgers' D. J. Houlton at first during the third inning of a baseball game June 22, 2005, in San Diego. Burroughs, a two-time Little League World Series champion who won an Olympic gold medal and went on to a major league career that was interrupted by substance abuse, has died. He was 43. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s online records said Burroughs died Thursday, May 9, 2024, with the cause of death deferred. Producer Roger Corman poses in his Los Angeles office, May 8, 2013. Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood's most famous actors and directors an early break, died Thursday, May 9, 2024. He was 98. A.J. Smith, a longtime NFL executive who was the winningest general manager in Chargers history, has died. He was 75. His son, Atlanta assistant general manager Kyle Smith, announced in a statement released by the Falcons that his father died May 12. Kyle Smith said his father had been battling prostate cancer for seven years. The Chargers won five division titles during Smith’s 10 seasons as GM. The franchise’s 98 wins, including the playoffs, were the sixth most in the league from 2003-12. Saxophone player David Sanborn performs during his concert at the Stravinski hall at the "Colours of Music night" during the 34th Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland on July 10, 2000. Sanborn, the Grammy-winning saxophonist who played lively solos on such hits as David Bowie's “Young Americans” and James Taylor's “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and enjoyed his own highly successful recording career as a leading performer of contemporary jazz, died Sunday, May 12, 2024, at age 78. Nobel laureate Alice Munro has died. The Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honored short story writers was 92. Munro achieved stature rare for an art form traditionally placed beneath the novel. She was the first lifelong Canadian to win the Nobel and the first recipient cited exclusively for short fiction. Munro was little known beyond Canada until her late 30s but became one of the few short story writers to enjoy ongoing commercial success. A spokesperson for publisher Penguin Random House Canada said Munro died May 13 at home in Port Hope, Ontario. Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie,” died May 16. He was 92. For two decades Coleman labored in movies and TV shows as a talented but largely unnoticed performer. That changed abruptly in 1976 when he was cast as the incorrigibly corrupt mayor of the hamlet of Fernwood in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” a satirical soap opera. He won a Golden Globe for “The Slap Maxwell Story” and an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in Peter Levin’s 1987 small screen legal drama “Sworn to Silence.” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi listens to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not in photo, during a joint news conference following their meeting at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 24, 2024. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others were found dead at the site of a helicopter crash site, state media reported Monday, May 20, 2024. Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center known as Mr. Raider for his durability through a litany of injuries, died May 19. He was 86. The cause of death was not immediately known. Otto joined the Raiders for their inaugural season in the American Football League in 1960 and was a fixture on the team for the next 15 years. He never missed a game because of injuries and competed in 210 consecutive regular-season games and 308 straight total contests despite undergoing nine operations on his knees during his playing career. His right leg was amputated in 2007. Ivan F. Boesky, the flamboyant stock trader whose cooperation with the government cracked open one of the largest insider trading scandals on Wall Street, has died at the age of 87. A representative at the Marianne Boesky Gallery, owned by his daughter, confirmed his death. The son of a Detroit delicatessen owner, Boesky was once considered one of the richest and most influential risk-takers on Wall Street. He had parlayed $700,000 from his late mother-in-law’s estate into a fortune estimated at more than $200 million. Once implicated in insider trading, Boesky cooperated with a brash young U.S. attorney named Rudolph Giuliani, uncovering a scandal that blemished some of the most respected U.S. investment brokerages. Boesky died May 20. Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek poses with the Oscar for best original score for his work on "Finding Neverland" during the 77th Academy Awards, Feb. 27, 2005, in Los Angeles. Polish composer Kaczmarek, who won a 2005 Oscar for the movie “Finding Neverland,” has died on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at age 71. Kaczmarek’s death was announced by Poland’s Music Foundation. Train bassist and founding member Charlie Colin has died at 58. Colin’s sister confirmed the musician's death Wednesday to The Associated Press. Variety reported Colin slipped and fell in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels. Train formed in San Francisco in the early ’90s. Colin played on Train's first three records, 1998’s self-titled album, 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter” and 2003’s “My Private Nation.” The track “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned two Grammys. Colin left the band in 2003. He also worked with the Newport Beach Film Festival. Colin died May 22. Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar nominee whose most famous works skewered America’s food industry and who notably ate only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died of cancer. He was 53. Spurlock made a splash in 2004 with his groundbreaking film “Super Size Me,” and returned in 2019 with “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” — a sober look at an industry that processes 9 billion animals a year in America. Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music. Spurlock died May 23. Richard M. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who helped form millions of childhoods by penning classic Disney tunes, has died. He was 95. Sherman, along with his late brother Robert, wrote hundreds of songs together, including songs for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, “It’s a Small World (After All).” The Walt Disney Co. announced that Sherman died Saturday due to age-related illness. The brothers won two Academy Awards for Walt Disney’s 1964 smash “Mary Poppins.” Robert Sherman died May 25 in London in 2012. Basketball Hall of Fame legend Bill Walton laughs during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022. Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday, May 27, 2024, the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71. “The Godfather” producer Albert S. Ruddy died May 25 at 94. The Canadian-born producer and writer won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” developed the raucous prison-sports comedy “The Longest Yard” and helped create the hit sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes." A spokesperson says Ruddy died Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center. Ruddy produced more than 30 movies and was on hand for the very top and the very bottom. “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby” were box office hits and winners of best picture Oscars. But Ruddy also helped give us “Cannonball Run II” and “Megaforce,” nominees for Golden Raspberry awards for worst movie of the year. Larry Allen, one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL during a 12-year career spent mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, died June 2. He was 52. The Cowboys say Allen died suddenly on Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico. Allen was named an All-Pro six consecutive years from 1996-2001 and was inducted into the Pro Football of Hall of Fame in 2013. He said few words but let his blocking do the talking. Allen once bench-pressed 700 pounds and had the speed to chase down opposing running backs. Bob Hope and Janis Paige hug during the annual Christmas show in Saigon, Vietnam, Dec. 25, 1964. Paige, a popular actor in Hollywood and in Broadway musicals and comedies who danced with Fred Astaire, toured with Bob Hope and continued to perform into her 80s, died Sunday, June 2, 2024, of natural causes at her Los Angeles home, longtime friend Stuart Lampert said Monday, June 3. Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, died June 4 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his son said. Jones was 90. At the time of his death, Jones was the oldest living winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Rufus Parnell Jones was born in Texarkana, Arkansas, in 1933 but moved to Torrance as a young child and never left. It was there that he became “Parnelli” because his given name of Rufus was too well known for him to compete without locals knowing that he wasn’t old enough to race. Boston Celtics' John Havlicek (17) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers' Chet Walker (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball playoff game April 14, 1968, in Boston. Walker, a seven-time All-Star forward who helped Wilt Chamberlain and the 76ers win the 1967 NBA title, died June 8. He was 84. The National Basketball Players Association confirmed Walker's death, according to NBA.com . The 76ers, Chicago Bulls and National Basketball Retired Players Association also extended their condolences on social media on Saturday, June 8, 2024. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. British actor Timothy West, who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain's waterways, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. 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, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Revolutionizing Home Control: The 2024 Tuya Smart Breaker - Smart Switch for Seamless Power Management and Energy EfficiencyTORONTO — Canada's main stock index edged higher in trading on Wednesday, helped by strength in the technology sector, while U.S. stock markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 5.45 points at 25,641.18. The index took a “breather” Wednesday ahead of key labour market indicators set to be released both in Canada and the U.S. this week, said Angelo Kourkafas, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones. Statistics Canada will report the latest data from the national labour force survey on Friday, the same day the November jobs report is due in the U.S. “That's the last important data point for the Bank of Canada before they meet next week,” said Kourkafas. November was a strong month for equities, he said, so it isn't surprising that investors are digesting the gains while they await new data. He said it’s expected that Statistics Canada will report an acceleration of job gains after last month brought a “relatively weak reading,” with job gains at about half of what analysts were expecting. While Canada’s central bank is expected to cut its key interest rate a fifth straight time on Dec. 11, the size of the cut could depend on that jobs data, he said. “We're now looking at a rebound, but as the Bank of Canada deliberates between a quarter point cut versus half a percentage point cut, I think what we are going to see in terms of unemployment rate and the base of job gains is going to have a say into that,” said Kourkafas, adding that wage growth is another important metric to watch. “If we see steady job growth and slowing wages, that can potentially tilt the Bank of Canada towards a larger cut.” In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 308.51 points at 45,014.04. The S&P 500 index was up 36.61 points at 6,086.49, while the Nasdaq composite was up 254.21 points at 19,735.12. U.S. markets were propelled by strength in the technology sector, said Kourkafas, highlighting strong results in quarterly earnings released this week by Salesforce Inc. and Marvell Technology Inc. “I think today's results highlight that there is still a long runway and still enthusiasm, excitement about artificial intelligence and kind of that multi-year adoption cycle,” he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.09 cents US compared with 71.14 cents US on Tuesday. The January crude oil contract was down US$1.40 at US$68.54 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$3.04 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was up US$8.30 at US$2,676.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.20 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press

Jonathan Loáisiga guaranteed $5 million in 1-year deal with Yankees as he returns from Tommy John surgery

As tensions flare between Elon Musk and Trump’s MAGA allies, President-elect Donald Trump posted what appeared to be a personal message to Musk on Truth Social , claiming that fellow billionaire Bill Gates asked to come to Mar-a-Lago . In an early morning post on Friday, Trump suggested the Microsoft co-founder had asked to come to Mar-a-Lago. The 78-year-old Republican encouraged him to visit. “Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!” Trump wrote. He signed it “DJT.” It’s not immediately clear whether Gates would visit Trump at his Florida estate. The Independent has reached out to a representative for Gates for comment. Gates, whose net worth Forbes estimated to be more than $104 billion, reportedly first met with Trump in December 2016 after he clinched his first presidential election. He congratulated Trump after he won again in November. Trump has met with a handful of billionaires in recent weeks at Mar-a-Lago, including Amazon founderJeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!” Trump boasted on Truth Social after dining with Bezos. The “X” mentioned in the post appears to be a reference to the Space X founder’s son, X Æ A-Xii , whom Musk calls X for short, CNN reported. The strange public note comes as Musk, Trump’s “best buddy”, has been clashing online with other close Trump allies over the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers. Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who together will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency office, have defended the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers while Laura Loomer and others have criticized it. On Thursday, the feud escalated to a new level when Loomer accused Musk of removing her blue checkmark on X, the social media platform he owns, “because I dared to question his support for H1B visas, the replacement of American tech workers by Indian immigrants, and I questioned his relationship with China,” she wrote in a post . She continued: “Donald Trump promised to remove the H1B visa program and I support his policy. Now, as one of Trump’s biggest supporters, I’m having my free speech silenced by a tech billionaire for simply questioning the tech oligarchy.”Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders moved past Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka on Sunday to set the NFL record for most receiving yards by a tight end in his rookie season and also set the record for most receptions by a rookie, regardless of position. Bowers has 108 receptions to top the mark set last season by Puka Nacua (105) of the Los Angeles Rams. Bowers' yardage stands at 1,144 after having seven receptions for 77 yards in a 25-10 road victory over the New Orleans Saints. Bowers also set a franchise receptions for catches in a season, surpassing Darren Waller (107 in 2020). "It's awesome," Bowers said of the records in a postgame interview on Fox. "You never know what to expect coming up to the next level. It's been everything and more." Bowers' third catch on Sunday -- a 13-yard grab late in the second quarter against the Saints -- pushed his season total to 1,087 yards. Ditka totaled 1,076 receiving yards in 14 games with the Chicago Bears in 1961. Bowers, 22, set the record for receptions by a rookie tight end earlier this season by eclipsing the total of 86 reeled in by Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions in 2023. Bowers was selected by the Raiders with the 13th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite all his catches, he has just four scoring receptions. While with Georgia, Bowers was the first back-to-back winner of the Mackey Award (2022, 2023), which is given to the top tight end in college football. --Field Level Media

The officiating crew was correct in not ruling that Denver's Christian Braun had signaled for a timeout when the Nuggets had none remaining at the end of their 119-115 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, the NBA's Last Two Minute Report said. Golden State coach Steve Kerr was furious at the end of the game when it appeared to him that Braun had signaled for a timeout after securing a loose ball with 1.9 seconds left while on the floor. If Braun had called a timeout with none left, it would have resulted in a technical foul, giving the Warriors a free throw and a possession. Instead, officials called a jump ball. Editor's Picks NBA Power Rankings: Bucks bounce back, Rockets rise in the West 6h NBA Insiders Three teams for NBA All-Star revamp: 24 picks and seven early snubs 1h Kevin Pelton According to Wednesday's Last Two Minute Report, Braun "never fully or clearly signals for a timeout and therefore a timeout is not recognized." Braun said after the win that he knew the Nuggets had no timeouts remaining because coach Michael Malone and his staff talked about it. "No," Braun said when asked whether he called timeout. "It might've looked like it, maybe. I was fumbling the ball on the ground a little bit. My hands moved but the refs didn't call it." Kerr said it was clear to him what happened. "Braun called a timeout," he said after the loss. "He dove on the floor, he rolled over. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hire to do the games, and that makes me angry. That's a technical foul. They don't have a time left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we got a chance to win the game." It was a frustrating ending for the Warriors, who lost their fifth consecutive game by blowing a six-point lead in the final 2:32. Denver trailed by 11 with 6:13 left but finished the game on a 21-6 run.You’re here if you want to learn about how the Australian national football team (the Socceroos) is getting ready for a competitive qualification campaign with the imminent 2026 FIFA World Cup. Keep in mind that so far, the team has won all six matches in the second round of World Cup qualification which is quite impressive. Now, the Socceroos are meticulously thinking about ways to ensure they qualify for the tournament for the 7th time - the event will be held by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, in fact. So, if you are a fan who likes to watch or even bet on matches, this article is for you. Besides, those who bet should choose instant withdrawal casinos in Australia that are reliable and licensed only. Anyway, we’re getting straight to the point. How Is Australia Performing in the World Cup Qualifiers? Australia’s journey to the World Cup 2026 started strong in the second round of the Asian qualifiers. The Socceroos dominated Group I, winning all six matches. They scored 22 goals and didn’t concede a single one. This perfect record showed how strong their attack and defence are, raising hopes for the next stage. However, the third round has been much tougher. Currently second in Group C, Australia has faced tough competition from Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, and Indonesia. In five matches, they’ve managed just one win (a 3-1 victory over China), three draws, and one narrow loss to Bahrain (0-1). With six points, The Socceroos are still in a good position to secure one of the top two spots for automatic qualification. Star Players and Strategic Moves The Socceroos, led by their new coach Tony Popovic, play an energetic and flexible game. They switch between 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 formations based on their opponents, which helps them adapt during matches. Some of Australia’s key players include: Craig Goodwin: A key part of Australia’s attack, Goodwin is known for his creativity and ability to score from long range. Harry Souttar: A reliable defender, Souttar has played a big role in keeping Australia’s defence strong during the qualifiers. Nishan Velupillay: This one is also an important player of the Australian National football team who made a strong impression by scoring a stoppage-time goal in his debut against China, showing his potential. The team has also called up young players like Max Balard and Hayden Matthews, who bring fresh energy. With the team eager for more success, these young talents will need to give their best to help Australia move forward. Breaking Down the Qualification Process The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup involves several rounds of matches in Asia. In the third round, the top two teams from each group qualify directly for the World Cup, while the third-place teams compete in a playoff for another chance to qualify. Australia is in a tricky position in Group C but let’s point out the fact that it’s far away from hopeless. Anyway, they’ll have to show a good result in the following games to guarantee that they have a seat among Asia's best teams heading into World Cup soccer. Can Australia Make It to the World Cup? Australia’s journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been promising, but challenges remain. Success will require smart strategies and steady performance. Below, you’ll find insights into The Socceroos’ strengths, weaknesses, and what lies ahead as they aim for a spot in North America: Strengths Defensive organisation : Australia’s defence, led by Harry Souttar, has been solid during the qualifiers. They didn’t concede any goals in the second round, showing how well they can shut down opponents. This will be crucial in tight matches, especially against stronger teams. Dynamic attackers : New talents like Kusini Yengi and Nestory Irankunda have brought speed and unpredictability to Australia’s attack. Combined with experienced players like Mathew Leckie and Craig Goodwin, the Socceroos now have a flexible offence that can handle various defensive strategies which puts them in a more or less winning position. Home advantage : We all know that Australia has always done well at home, benefiting from crowd support and familiarity with the conditions. Key home matches, like those against strong teams such as Saudi Arabia, will be crucial as the Socceroos look to secure as many points as possible. Weaknesses Finishing struggles : Although Australia creates plenty of chances, they’ve sometimes had trouble turning them into goals. While they scored 22 times in the second round, they relied on a few strong performances. Close wins, like the 1-0 victory over Palestine, show they need to be more clinical. Vulnerability to upsets : The Socceroos have occasionally dropped points against lower-ranked teams. Staying focused and avoiding complacency will be key for sure. Final Thoughts: What Lies Ahead for Australia Australia's 2026 FIFA World Cup dream is a mix of promise and challenges that could prove tough to overcome. Under Tony Popovic’s tactical leadership, with a blend of experienced players and rising stars, plus one of the best home-field advantages, the Socceroos have what it takes. While fans can be proud of the team’s resilience and adaptability, the road ahead requires sharp performances and tactical precision. If Australia soccer rises to the challenge, they are well-positioned to secure their place on the global stage and uphold their proud World Cup legacy. *The San Francisco Examiner newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content.

Hot Melt Glue Laminating Machine with Accumulator System 12-11-2024 09:52 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire Kuntai Group Introduces Hot Melt Glue Laminating Machine with Accumulator System: Image: https://ecdn6.globalso.com/upload/p/140/image_product/2024-11/hot-melt-glue-laminating-machine2.jpg Kuntai Group, [ https://www.kuntai-laminating.com/ ] a leading global supplier in the production and research and development of technical textile machinery, has recently introduced a new Hot Melt Glue Laminating Machine with Accumulator System. This innovative machine is designed to be suitable for fabric and fabric laminating, as well as fabric and film laminating, and offers the additional advantage of an accumulator system that allows for non-stop working when changing rollers, The Hot Melt Glue Laminating Machine with Accumulator System is a good solution in the textile industry, providing a higher laminating speed for lamination processes. With its advanced features and capabilities, this machine is set to create added value for customers around the world, Kuntai Group has a rich history in the textile machinery industry, with over 40 years of experience since its establishment in 1985. The company has consistently demonstrated its commitment to providing high-quality products and innovative solutions to its global customer base. With a focus on lamination machines, cutting machines, bronzing machines, and other machinery, Kuntai Group continues to drive the industry forward with its dedication to research and development, The introduction of the Hot Melt Glue Laminating Machine with Accumulator System is a testament to Kuntai Group's ongoing efforts to meet the evolving needs of customers. This machine, with its ability to maintain continuous operation during roller changes, offers enhanced productivity and efficiency for fabric and film lamination processes. As industries seek to optimize their production processes, Kuntai Group remains at the forefront of delivering solutions, The Hot Melt Glue Laminating Machine with Accumulator System is poised to make a significant impact in the textile industry, offering a more streamlined and cost-effective approach to lamination. With its advanced features and seamless operation, this machine exemplifies Kuntai Group's commitment to providing value-added solutions for its customers, In conclusion, Kuntai Group's introduction of the Hot Melt Glue Laminating Machine with Accumulator System to provide customers with more choices. This innovative machine reflects the company's dedication to driving progress and delivering superior products to its global customer base. As industries continue to seek efficient and reliable solutions for lamination processes, Kuntai Group stands ready to meet these needs with its latest technological advancement. If you have any special requirements during laminating process, welcome to contact us for a suitable solution. Media Contact Company Name: Jiangsu Kuntai Machinery Co., Ltd Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=hot-melt-glue-laminating-machine-with-accumulator-system ] Country: China Website: https://www.kuntai-laminating.com/ This release was published on openPR.

The NFL aired two games on Christmas Day in 2024, a move that may have angered the NBA while also bringing in impressive viewership figures. What Happened : While many sports leagues see strong viewership in the United States, the NFL has been king for years and that may have been even more evident with streaming records set Wednesday for its premiere on streaming giant Netflix Inc NFLX . Two NFL Christmas Day games featuring four teams who have made the NFL Playoffs broke records for the league with an average of 24.1 million viewers for the earlier Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers game and an average of 24.3 million viewers for the Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans game. The ratings beat a previous NFL streaming record of 23 million set by Comcast Corporation CMCSA with an exclusive game on Peacock during the previous NFL Playoffs. The figures also broke a regular-season record of 17.92 million set by the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers on Amazon.com Inc AMZN owned Prime Video in December, as reported by FrontOfficeSports . Netflix said Nielsen data showed 65 million U.S. viewers watched at least one minute of the NFL games, with average viewership peaking at 27 million during Beyoncé’s halftime performance in the Ravens and Texans game. NBA superstar LeBron James might not want to see the viewership figures and hear about the records. After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, James declared the holiday as belonging to the NBA. "I love the NFL. I love the NFL. But Christmas is our day," James said. Read Also: Netflix To Release ‘Beyoncé Bowl’ NFL Halftime Performance As Standalone Special Can NBA and NFL Both Win? : While Christmas produced records for the NFL, the NBA also enjoyed a strong day for viewership. The NBA aired five games on Christmas Day, which aired on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+, all units of The Walt Disney Company DIS . NBA Christmas Day games averaged 5.25 million viewers, up 84% year-over-year. Helping the viewership may have been the teams involved and the fact that all five games were available on ABC, while only two were last year. This figure is the highest for the NBA on the holiday in five years. The Lakers and Warriors game averaged 7.76 million viewers, ranking as the NBA's most-watched Christmas Day game since 2019. For the 2024 NBA season, viewership is now down 4% year-over-year after the Christmas day games, compared to being down 18% year-over-year ahead of Wednesday. NBA viewership on ESPN platforms is now up 4% year-over-year, as reported by Deadline . The NBA could also benefit from the Christmas Day games, with its owned NBA League Pass reporting its most-viewed Christmas Day ever. What's Next: For the NFL, encroaching on other sports isn't exactly new and likely won't be changing anytime soon. The NFL began Monday Night Football games in 1970 and later added Thursday Night Football games in 2006, which now stream on Prime Video. NFL games air on Saturdays during December and January, diverging from the league’s usual avoidance of the day for most of the season due to NCAA Football and the restrictions of the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act. This year, the NCAA expanded its College Football Playoffs from four to 12 teams, leading to a rare head-to-head clash with the NFL last weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 21, the NFL had two games, and there were three College Football Playoffs games, with two airing on TNT Sports, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery WBD , and one airing on ABC and ESPN. Netflix has a three-year deal with the NFL and will stream at least one game on Christmas for the next two seasons. The increase in Christmas Day games from the NFL might come as a bit of a surprise after the league said last year it was only scheduling games on Christmas 2023 because the day fell on Monday, a traditional NFL date, as reported by NBC Sports. The league said it wouldn't schedule games on Christmas if it fell on a Tuesday or Wednesday previously, according to the report, but strong viewership last year and the potential for more money may have changed the league's mind. Netflix has more sports content coming with its WWE deal through a partnership with TKO Group Holdings TKO , premiering on Jan. 6. The NBA is likely stuck with going head-to-head with the NFL on Christmas Day, regardless of what day the holiday falls on. One way for the NBA to get back at the NFL would be to start scheduling games on Thanksgiving , a date the league has avoided due to the NFL having three games that day. NFLX Price Action: Netflix stock was down 1.8% to $907.55 on Friday, versus a 52-week trading range of $461.86 to $941.75. Read Next: If You Invested $1,000 In Netflix Stock When ‘Squid Game’ Was Released, Here’s How Much You’d Have Today Photo: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Marvel Rivals director explains why new release works where Concord failedNew England Patriots Head Coach Jerod Mayo leaves the field following Saturday’s 40-7 loss to the Chargers. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press FOXBORO, Mass. — Eleven and a half months after he was introduced as the head coach of the Patriots, the chief reason to believe in Jerod Mayo remains unchanged. It’s nothing you can see, nor hear, nor point to as proof. It’s an idea, an extension of the imagination. Something abstract. Potential. Or, in the words of the pessimist: pure, unfounded faith. Because most of what we’ve seen and heard from Mayo since he was hired paints an increasingly disturbing reality for the NFL’s once premier franchise. The Patriots are a laughing stock. An embarrassment. A doormat the Chargers, of all franchises, just wiped their feet on before waltzing into the playoffs without having to play their starters through to the end. Meanwhile, these Patriots are penalty prone. Selfish. Unaccountable. And now, most damning of all, they’re quitters. “Just to speak for myself, I’ve seen a lot of stuff out there. It feels like a lot of guys start giving up when things get hard,” defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale told me after Saturday’s 40-7 loss. New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is sacked by Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. during the second half of Saturday’s game in Foxborough, Mass. Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press Shaking his head, Ekuale continued: “I feel like towards the end of the fourth quarter, some of the guys just give up, and some guys play to the end of the whistle. I don’t know, man. It’s been a tough year, ups and downs.” Saturday was all downs, an avalanche leading into next weekend’s season finale and an uncertain future beyond that who-cares affair with the Bills. All of the reporting surrounding Mayo’s future has indicated he will return for 2025, provided he avoids a “collapse” or “calamity” down the stretch. Did Saturday’s loss, by far the Patriots’ worst of the season, qualify as either? I don’t know. What I do know is I have seen enough to pass on potential, and pick up the phone for Mike Vrabel. If Vrabel is, indeed, interested in returning to New England, the Krafts ought to bring him home. Say what you will about Vrabel’s Titans — a hard-nosed, boring bunch often hamstrung by bad quarterbacks — they never quit. They didn’t break fundamentally. Instead, they knocked out the dynasty-era Pats in January 2020, Tom Brady’s last game as a Patriot, and made the AFC championship game that same year. Two seasons after that, they clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and Vrabel was named Coach of the Year. During his Tennessee tenure, Vrabel was widely regarded as a top-10 NFL coach and compiled a winning record. Mike Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots as a player and he now has eight years of coaching experience. Wade Payne/Associated Press Whatever Mayo might become, he’s light-years away from that, and eight seasons behind Vrabel in coaching experience. All of the years Vrabel has spent outside New England since being traded as a player in 2009 have served him in a way Mayo can never know until he leaves himself; building a network, learning other systems, coaching techniques and philosophies. Vrabel is not a Patriot anymore, and that fact, along with his track record of hiring strong offensive coordinators, makes him the perfect candidate for what Mayo was hired to do in the first place: reboot and modernize the franchise. Because under Mayo, the Patriots coaches are stuck on a hamster wheel of failure; unable to complete the four basic tasks of their profession: motivate, organize, teach and develop. This staff is not reaching its best players. “I’ve never been in this position; as disconnected or not on the same page as I am right now,” Pats defensive lineman Keion White told me. “Like, I know I can play good football. I have the ability to. I’m just not right now, and (I’m) trying to figure it out what it is.” This staff has not developed anyone outside of Drake Maye. Fellow rookie Javon Baker still has fewer career catches than Vederian Lowe, the team’s left tackle, and Ja’Lynn Polk’s caught two passes since Halloween. This staff can’t force opponents to “play left-handed.” The pick that should have been Polk, Ladd McConkey, the Chargers’ leading receiver by more than 400 receiving yards, scored two touchdowns Saturday. Two! And the staff is not inspiring players in a way that suggests the Patriots will be able to next season. “Just need to compete better, fight a little more,” Pats receiver Kendrick Bourne admitted. “Just embarrassing.” Never mind Mayo’s ongoing parade of media mistakes, which continued Saturday when Rhamondre Stevenson started the game after he told the national television and local radio broadcasts the butterfingered Stevenson would sit. Or that veteran players continue to reflect Mayo’s don’t-mind-the-defense attitude after a 33-point beatdown when they allowed 150 rushing yards. “I thought we were playing good run D — just particularly talking about defense — I thought we were playing good run defense,” Pats nose tackle Davon Godchaux said. “You know, I think (Jim) Harbaugh made a statement and said they were going to come in and play bully ball. Particularly when you say that, they typically want to run the ball, stop the run, play your special teams. I thought for the most part, we played good run defense.” Man. Seriously? What matters is the Patriots have one game left against the Bills, who are likely to rest their starters ahead of the playoffs. Several Pats players happily noted Buffalo’s expected lineup decision Saturday’s post-game locker room, perhaps the saddest possible commentary on the state of the franchise. That the Patriots, six-time Super Bowl champions, might win because of whom the Bills choose to sit, not because of who they are as a team. If ownership opts to fire Mayo’s coordinators the following week, the Krafts will face an impossible task of hiring quality coaches willing to work a second-year headman on the hot seat with minimal experience. If they run it back with Mayo, Alex Van Pelt and DeMarcus Covington, ownership will send a message that losing like this can be tolerated; that they again are betting on potential, while the on-field results and locker-room commentary scream otherwise. The thing is, I’m done with potential. The sure thing is out there. His name is Mike Vrabel, and if he’s willing and able to return, that’s all the Krafts need to know. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 12, 2024) – The Venetian Resort is sharing the success of the Resort’s performance in 2024 with all its Team Members through the Venetian Appreciation Award, a unique employee recognition program that continues to demonstrate the Resort’s commitment to its Team Members and overall organizational success. After a third record breaking year, The Venetian Resort will distribute $1,250 pre-taxed dollars, to all full-time flex Team Members. Part-time and on-call will also receive an award prorate based on hours worked in the past year. This distribution marks a milestone achievement, bringing the cumulative program payout to $3,500 per full-time flex Team Member since the program’s inception in 2022. “We are thrilled that we have been able to provide a distribution to our Team Members annually since 2022 based upon the resorts financial and service performance goals. We know it helps bring joy to the holiday season and is a reflection of the contributions of our Team Members throughout the year. The program is designed so that all Team Members understand and benefit from the impact of their contribution to this amazing resort. This helps contribute to the sense of pride and service we deliver every day,” said Patrick Nichols, president and chief executive offer of The Venetian Resort. The program, pioneered by The Venetian Resort with the support of Apollo Funds, aims to align Team Members with the Resort’s strategic objectives, creating a motivating culture of ownership and shared success. This initiative also is consistent with the Apollo Empower program mission to provide pathways to long-term financial security to workers across Apollo fund investments. The Venetian Resort is preparing for an exciting year ahead in 2025, with ambitious plans that include world-class restaurant openings, continuation of its suite renovations and a comprehensive convention center refresh. These initiatives are part of a broader $1.5 billion reinvestment, with a continued emphasis on valuing its most critical asset, its Team Members. The Venetian Resort continues to be a leading Las Vegas destination, committed to providing exceptional guest experiences and creating a supportive, innovative work environment. The Venetian Appreciation Award distribution represents more than just a financial reward, it is a testament to the Resort’s strong belief in recognizing and empowering its Team Members. ### Media Contact The Venetian Resort Las Vegas Kirvin Doak Communications TheVenetian@kirvindoak.com About The Venetian Resort Las Vegas The Venetian Resort Las Vegas features all-suite accommodations across The Venetian and The Palazzo. The iconic resort’s experience is marked by a commitment to sophisticated play and light-hearted luxury, with world-class restaurants from celebrated chefs including Cote by Simon Kim, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, and Southern California favorite Gjelina; the rejuvenating Canyon Ranch spa + fitness; a five-acre pool and garden deck inspired by the Italian Riviera including TAO Beach Dayclub, a Balinese-inspired tropical oasis; two landmark casinos and a poker room; Voltaire, a destination nightlife venue that blurs the lines between and intimate club and is home to the Queen of burlesque, Dita Von Teese; concert and non-stop entertainment including master illusionist Shin Lim; TAO Nightclub, and unparalleled retail experiences at Grand Canal Shoppes. A premier events and conference center, the resort is home to more than 2.25 million square feet of meeting, exposition, and convention space. The Venetian Resort’s brand-new loyalty program, Venetian Rewards, offers resort-wide earning and redemption for gaming play, including slots and tables, as well as experiential spend, such as dining, entertainment, hotel reservations, and more. The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is the only place fans can get the full experience of Sphere at The Venetian with concert and hotel packages including preferred seating. Sphere is a next-generation venue that will redefine the future of live entertainment. The Venetian® and other trademarks are used under license. The names and brands mentioned above are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Relatedmilyon88 games 。

The Latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City

Jamie Foxx is coming clean about his health. The actor and producer has avoided discussing his health ever since his hospitalization in April 2023, when his life was in danger and many thought he wouldn't survive. Cameron Diaz and Demi Moore have a stunning Charlie's Angels reunion Jamie Foxx walks daughter Corinne Foxx down the aisle months after his near-fatal health scare Foxx will be telling his story on a Netflix special, with the streamer sharing its first teaser earlier this week. The special is titled "Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was..." and is a stand-up comedy show directed by Hamish Hamilton that appears to be Foxx's way of sharing his story in his own words. "I'm back!" says Fox in the special. "If I can stay funny, I can stay alive." The special premieres this December 10th, on Netflix . The teaser was shared today and shows Foxx addressing a crowded room after showing some of the headlines and news clippings that came out following his health scare. Foxx discussed the trailer on his social media, revealing that it was shot in Atlanta. "A big shout out to Atlanta you showed up and showed out made me feel at home made me feel safe after 18 years of not being on stage you made it feel like it was just yesterday... can’t wait for everyone to experience the vibe that we had," he wrote in one of his post's captions. "We laughed... we had a few tears... but last, but not least we celebrated life." You can check out the teaser in full below. More details about the special Netflix shared a brief write-up of the show on their website Tudum. "The special comes after Foxx’s 2023 hospitalization, and the Oscar- and Grammy-winning comedy icon sets the record straight with humor and vulnerability, expressing deep gratitude to those who supported his recovery," it reads. Foxx has another project lined up on Netflix premiering next year. He's starring with Cameron Diaz in the awaited action-comedy " Back in Action ," premiering on January 17th.Significant milestones in life and career of Jimmy Carter

Critics question Laos dam project's impact on ThailandThe SNP’s soft approach to justice is fuelling Scotland’s shoplifting epidemic as teenagers see it as low risk, high reward, a senior police officer has said. Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said that high demand at home and abroad for stolen items and cheaper products had made shoplifting an “appealing venture” for those under the age of criminal responsibility (12) as well as the under-25s. He said evidence showed that in the past five years there had been an increase in the overall number of under-18s who had turned to shoplifting . “The increasing cost of living, driven by fluctuations in market prices, and supply-chain pressures caused by political instability are all likely drivers,” Mairs said, “with the resulting high demand, domestically and internationally, for stolen items and cheaper products making shoplifting an appealing venture.A quarter-century ago, Michael and Patricia Ferry diligently prepped for the potential crash of computer systems across the world as the year changed from 1999 to 2000. The "Y2K bug" whipped up concerns across the globe about a technological collapse that could affect computer-reliant businesses, governments and more. As programmers shored up computer infrastructures worldwide, countless survival guides — many with intense titles such as "The Y2K Tidal Wave: Year 2000 Economic Survival" and "The Millennium Meltdown" — were published. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Since November 27, a coalition of opposition forces in northwest Syria, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched an offensive against the Assad regime and its allied Iranian militias’ strongholds in the area. On November 29, opposition forces captured Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. On December 5, the opposition rebels entered Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city, after dictator Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian Arab Army (SAA) announced that it was withdrawing from the city to its outskirts. This is the first major opposition offensive since the 2020 Idlib ceasefire between Russia and Turkey, and it marks the most significant shift in the balance of power in Syria’s war since Russia’s military intervention in the conflict almost a decade ago. The capture of Hama is a significant strategic victory for the rebels, but Damascus remains the biggest prize. Here’s what to watch as the rebel offensive continues to unfold. Why Hama matters The rebels’ operation, named “Deterrence of Aggression,” was a response to increased shelling of civilian areas by government forces since the 2020 ceasefire agreement. With the control of strategic heights surrounding rebel-controlled northwest Syria, the regime and Iranian proxies utilized artillery, rockets, and first-person view drones to attack civilian infrastructure across Idlib province. Just a day before the operation launched, Assad regime forces attacked an elementary school in Ariha, killing three children and injuring fourteen. The rebels’ success so far has been attributed both to external factors, such as diminished Iranian and Hezbollah support for the regime, and to internal coordination among opposition forces in Idlib and neighboring Aleppo. As the rebels advance in Hama province, the power dynamics are dramatically shifting in their favor. The collapse of government defenses suggests a tactical failure and a broader strategic disarray within the Assad regime. Taking Aleppo is a major feat by the rebels, but securing Hama holds a special political and strategic importance. Hama is the city from which Syria’s early uprising in the 1960s and 1970s started. In 1982, it was subjected to a brutal military campaign, during which tens of thousands of its residents were killed and displaced. The event remains alive in the collective memory of Syrians as a demonstration of the willingness of the regime, then under Hafez al-Assad and now under his son Bashar, to exercise violence to remain in power. Hama also played a prominent role in the 2011 uprising as a site of large-scale popular protests. Hama is also strategically positioned in central Syria between major cities, making it a critical node for controlling supply lines and transportation routes across the country. The province hosts a significant military airbase used by the SAA and its allies, including Russian forces. The airbase has been critical for launching airstrikes, reconnaissance, and logistical operations throughout the conflict. The city and its surroundings, which the rebels are currently taking over, also house several military barracks and artillery positions, making it a vital operational center. In all, the rebels’ advance in and around Hama will seriously weaken the Assad regime’s ability to counter rebels’ attacks, reverse its losses from the past week, and defend its remaining strongholds in central Syria. What’s next for the rebels? Next, the opposition forces will likely advance southward and push toward the capital, Damascus. But after successfully capturing Aleppo and Hama, the rebel forces will face military, social, and governance challenges as they move south. The rebels will need to cement their gains in Hama province. The area will be important to maintain military and strategic leverage against Assad, and it is likely to be the first target for any attempt by Assad to the reverse the course of the rebel offensive. The rebels may also face logistical and operational challenges, including the need for supplies. Open-source intelligence indicates that as the SAA withdraws from different military bases, it is leaving enough military equipment and ammunition to power the rebel advances. However, the area captured in Hama province may stretch the rebel forces and expose them to counterattacks. As the rebels head south toward Homs, they will be faced with new challenges. Homs is Syria’s third-largest city and serves as a critical transit hub connecting Damascus to the northern and western provinces, including the coastal strongholds of Latakia and Tartus, where the Russian military has bases. Entering Homs province requires going through large Alawite communities, many of which strongly support Assad. This poses a challenge for rebels to establish local support. A decade of fighting between Assad-allied militias and rebels within the province has resulted in more fortifications being build there. Homs is also home to a significant concentration of Syrian government forces, bolstered by allied militias and a large Hezbollah presence. More importantly, the rebels advancing toward Homs will test Russia’s redlines in Syria. So far, Russia has been absent from providing serious military support to uphold Assad’s defenses across areas he’s losing to the rebels. While Russia has conducted some airstrikes in Idlib and Aleppo to counter rebel advances, it has not engaged directly in Hama. This restraint reflects Moscow’s strategic calculations to avoid overextension. However, Russia appears committed to preserving the Assad regime, its primary foothold in the Middle East, and it has reportedly promised additional military aid to Damascus. If the rebels now advance toward Homs, Russia will have to decide where it draws the line, whether that is in preventing an advance toward Assad in Damascus or the protection of its major naval and air hub in western Syria. The evolution of HTS Syria’s rebels also face challenges in Hama and other areas under their control. Rebel factions in Syria have long had differing ideologies, and over the past decade they have often struggled to present a unified governance structure. This lack of cohesion led to internal conflicts and weakened their overall ability to govern. So far in Hama, however, the rebels appear to be taking a different approach. Led by HTS, the rebels participating in Deterrence of Aggression have shown discipline in their military conduct, their control of civilian infrastructure, and their outreach to minority communities. Statements from rebel leadership emphasize the protection of civilians and Syria’s cultural heritage, reflecting efforts to gain local and possibly international legitimacy. This approach draws on HTS’s experience in Idlib province, where it has maintained control through a combination of military dominance, localized governance structures, and a focus on community relations, including outreach to minority groups. While previously associated with al-Qaeda, HTS has evolved into a locally focused group, abandoned al-Qaeda’s cross-national jihadism ideology, and become the main force to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and al-Qaeda in northwest Syria. Yet the group remains controversial due to its past militant and extremist activities. HTS also remains a designated terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations, which presents challenges for foreign governments to deal with it. HTS has announced its willingness to dissolve itself, again, and work with partners on the ground to develop a more representative governing structure, in what seems to be a signal of its pragmatism toward the European Union (EU) and the United States. Diplomats have also indicated that HTS has communicated with different EU capitals its willingness to work with them to facilitate a safe return for Syrian refugees in Europe. The control of Syria’s second- and fourth-largest cities and their advances toward Homs present Syria’s rebels with challenges and opportunities. Aleppo is one of only two metropolitan centers in Syria with a population of more than four million. Hama is home to more than a million Syrians. In contrast to long-held Idlib, the rebels will be dealing with diverse religious, cultural, and ethnic communities, and they will have to adapt relatively quickly to the challenges ahead. If the rebels are successful in providing good governance in Aleppo and Hama, then it bodes well for their ability to successfully govern Damascus, and ultimately the whole of Syria. The world is watching. Qutaiba Idlbi is a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs, where he leads the Council’s work on Syria.

Mikaela Shiffrin suffers abrasion on hip during crash on final run of World Cup giant slalom

NoneFrance's government has fallen. Germany can't expect a new one until June. Just as Donald Trump prepares to take office in the US, the EU powerhouses face political disarray and economic contraction. Wednesday was a long day for France's shortest-ever serving prime minister. In the evening, 73-year-old Michel Barnier's minority government was toppled in a no-confidence vote in the French lower house, the National Assembly, that saw sworn enemies from the left and the far-right team up against him. "This no-confidence motion will make everything more serious and more difficult. That's what I'm sure of," Barnier said ahead of the vote. On Thursday morning, he officially tendered his resignation. He will continue as acting prime minister until a new government is formed. French President Emmanuel Macron wasted no time seeking a replacement; within hours he was seeing candidates. Not for the first time Macron, whose second and final presidential term expires in 2027, is batting away calls to resign himself. What's next for France? Macron appointed Barnier out of the blue in September to end months of political uncertainty. The president had called snap legislative elections that in July left the National Assembly divided into three camps, none strong enough to govern alone. A broad left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, won the polls, but the far-right National Rally party of Marine Le Pen won the most votes as a single party. French PM Barnier toppled in no-confidence vote To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Macron's pro-business centrist Ensemble group did not want to work with either. So instead, they formed a minority government with Barnier's right-wing Republican party despite its historically poor performance in the parliamentary polls. In office, old-hand conservative Barnier made France's finances one of his top priorities. At 6.1% this year, the French gross domestic product-to-debt ratio is twice as high as EU rules allow; the country is among several EU states to be officially reprimanded by the European Commission. Barnier proposed a 2025 budget and social security reform that would have brought down public debt but necessitated tax hikes and spending cuts which the left and far-right slammed as austerity measures neglectful of citizens' needs. He presented parliament with a choice: vote for this budget or the government falls. They chose the latter, triggering the no-confidence motion that toppled him. Headcount is unchanged in National Assembly It is unclear what lies ahead for France, which is in an era of political volatility unprecedented since the end of the World War II. The balance of power in the National Assembly remains the same. It is divided into three blocs that are reluctant to enter coalition with each other. Government formation looks just as difficult as it did in July. Macron has made clear he will stay, and fresh legislative polls can't be called until mid-2025. Whoever follows Barnier as prime minister will be in a similarly weak position, struggling to get their political vision approved by the French parliament. Under the country's presidential system, most power is concentrated in Macron's hands, though he appears to have an ever-loosening grip. Tough times ahead for Paris and Berlin For Europe, all this likely means a more preoccupied France, and a potential slowdown of important collective decisions. "We need a French government that works for European legislation to also pass through, so the quicker we get a government the better," Sophie Pornschlegel of the Jacques Delors Centre, a think tank in Berlin, told DW. France's three-month stint without a government before Barnier's appointment didn't cause too many issues, she pointed out, but that period was less crucial because the new European Commission had not yet taken office. But Pornschlegel also warned against being too alarmist: "There's also possibility that it's not that much of a huge political crisis because they relatively quickly form a new government." At the same time, Germany is also somewhat out of action . Chancellor Olaf Scholz called time on his uncomfortable coalition government last month, with elections set for February. A new government should take office in Berlin by June. Until then, the government is likely to refrain from bold policy decisions. "It's bad news. What we need in times of crisis and times of geopolitical turmoil is to have strong and stable leadership," Pornschlegel said. Germany and France also face a bleak economic outlook . In November, investment bank Goldman Sachs predicted that both countries ― the two largest economies in the Eurozone ― would contract economically in 2025, though the closely interlinked single market as a whole would swerve recession. "Despite those challenges, economic activity data for the euro area indicates modest but positive growth," economist Sven Jari Stehn wrote. Trump 2.0 on the horizon Paris and Berlin are normally deemed the key axis of power in the European Union, driving policy and setting the main contours of the 27-member bloc's agenda. Their preoccupations at home come at a critical moment. In January, Donald Trump will return to the White House a for a second term as US president. For the EU, that likely means a return of escalating tit-for-tat tariffs, which spell bad news for the German auto industry in particular. Within NATO, European states can expect regular blasting from Washington for lower defense spending that amounts to perceived free-riding on US military might. Trump has previously threatened to leave NATO members under attack to fend for themselves if they hadn't spent enough on their militaries. The "America First" Republican president-elect has also said he will quickly wrap up the Ukraine war by pushing Kyiv to negotiate with Moscow. If Trump withdraws US military support for Ukraine, the EU will be under pressure to dig very deep to fill the gap. For Pawel Zerka of the European Council on Foreign Relations, regardless of what's going on in Paris and Berlin, Trump's return means others must step up. "Europeans simply need to take a greater share of the burden when it comes to defending Europe and supporting Ukraine," he told DW. "Surely, a weakened French participation in these discussions will be felt. But this simply means other countries will need to take a greater role, leave the shade and their comfort zones." Edited by: Carla BleikerIndia’s mobile payments dilemma

Government was lobbied in 1998 to do more for ex-prisoners, records showThe Latest: Police search for man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO, new photos of suspect released

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.For many women, words from an emboldened fringe of “manosphere” influencers who have seized on Republican Donald Trump ’s presidential win to amplify misogynistic derision and threats online represent a worrying harbinger of what might lie ahead as some men perceive the election results as a rebuke of reproductive and women’s rights. Many of those right-wing influencers have appropriated a 1960s abortion rights rallying cry, declaring “Your body, my choice” at women online and on college campuses. Isabelle Frances-Wright, director of technology and society at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue , a think tank focusing on polarization and extremism, said she had seen a “very large uptick in a number of types of misogynistic rhetoric immediately after the election,” including some “extremely violent misogyny.” The phrase “Your body, my choice” has been largely attributed to an Election Day post on the social platform X from Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and far-right internet personality who dined at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida two years ago (In statements responding to criticism of that event, Trump said he had “never met and knew nothing about” Fuentes before he arrived). Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the UC Davis School of Law, said the phrase transforms the iconic abortion rights slogan into an attack on women. “The implication is that men should have control over or access to sex with women,” said Ziegler, a reproductive rights expert. Fuentes’ post had 35 million views on X within 24 hours, according to a report by Frances-Wright’s think tank. The phrase spread rapidly to other social media platforms. Women on TikTok have reported seeing it inundate their comments. The slogan also has made its way offline with boys chanting it in middle schools or men directing it at women on college campuses, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue report and social media posts. School districts have sent notices about the language to parents. T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase were pulled off Amazon. Sadie Perez, a 19-year-old political science student in Wisconsin, said she has seen men respond to shared Snapchat stories for their college class with “Your body, my choice.” “It makes me feel disgusted and infringed upon,” she said. “... It feels like going backwards.” Misogynistic attacks have been part of the social media landscape for years. But Frances-Wright and others who track online extremism and disinformation said language glorifying violence against women or celebrating the possibility of their rights being stripped away has spiked since the election. Online declarations for women to “Get back in the kitchen” or to “Repeal the 19th,” a reference to the constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote, have spread rapidly. In the days surrounding the election, the extremism think tank, which has an office in Washington D.C., found that the top 10 posts on X calling for repeal of the 19th Amendment received more than 4 million views collectively. A man holding a sign with the words “Women Are Property” sparked an outcry at Texas State University . The man was not a student, faculty or staff, and was escorted off campus, according to the university’s president . Anonymous rape threats have been left on the TikTok videos of women denouncing the election results. And on the far-flung reaches of the web, 4chan forums have called for “rape squads” and the adoption of policies in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a dystopian book and TV series depicting the dehumanization and brutalization of women. “What was scary here was how quickly this also manifested in offline threats,” Frances-Wright said, emphasizing that online discourse can have real-world impacts. Previous violent rhetoric on 4chan has been connected to racially motivated and antisemitic attacks, including a 2022 shooting by a white supremacist in Buffalo that killed 10 people . We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism reported similar rhetoric, with “numerous violent misogynistic trends” gaining traction on right-wing platforms such 4chan and spreading to more mainstream ones such as X since the election. Throughout the presidential race, Trump’s campaign leaned on conservative podcasts and tailored messaging toward disaffected young men . As Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention over the summer, the song “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown blared from the speakers. One of several factors to his success this election was modestly boosting his support among men , a shift concentrated among younger voters, according to AP VoteCast, survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. But Trump also won support from 44% of women age 18 to 44, according to AP VoteCast. To some men, Trump’s return to the White House is seen as a vindication, gender and politics experts said. For many young women, the election felt like a referendum on women’s rights and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris ’ loss felt like a rejection of their own rights and autonomy. “For some of these men, Trump’s victory represents a chance to reclaim a place in society that they think they are losing around these traditional gender roles,” Frances-Wright said. None of the current online rhetoric is being amplified by Trump or anyone in his immediate orbit. But Trump has a long history of insulting women , and the spike in such language comes after he ran a campaign centered on masculinity with repeated attacks on Harris over race and gender . “With Trump’s victory, many of these men felt like they were heard, they were victorious,” said Dana Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics. Brown said some young men feel they’re victims of discrimination and have expressed mounting resentment for successes of the women’s rights movement, including #MeToo . The tension also has been influenced by socioeconomic struggles. As women become the majority on college campuses and many professional industries see increasing gender diversity, it has “led to young men scapegoating women and girls, falsely claiming it’s their fault they’re not getting into college anymore as opposed to looking inward,” Brown said. Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments. Sign Up (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Wisner has career day as No. 3 Texas advances to SEC title game with 17-7 win over No. 20 Texas A&M

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has a bone bruise on his left knee and will miss two games, the team said Thursday. The 76ers said George did not suffer any structural damage when he injured the same knee that he hyperextended during the preseason in Wednesday night's loss at Memphis. The game marked the first time this season the All-Star trio of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey started a game together. George will miss home games Friday against Brooklyn and Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, his former team. A nine-time All-Star, the 34-year-old George will be evaluated again on Monday. Wednesday's 117-111 loss to the Grizzlies dropped the Sixers to 2-12, the worst record in the NBA headed into Thursday night's games. George signed a four-year, $212 million contract with Philadelphia after five seasons with the Clippers. He has averaged 14.9 points in eight games this season. Embiid has been out with injuries, load management rest and a suspension, while Maxey was sidelined with a hamstring injury. An expected contender in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers haven't won since an overtime victory against Charlotte on Nov. 10. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba The Associated PressPacheco's 18 lead Mount St. Mary's past Howard 79-75milyon88 free 100 。

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WEBER STATE 68, PEPPERDINE 53Many social media users — including journalists and academics — are celebrating the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday, implying that he got what he deserved. Anthony Zenkus, a Columbia University School of Social Work professor who works in “anti-violence” activism, took to X to sarcastically “mourn” the late healthcare executive: “Today, we mourn the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, gunned down.... wait, I’m sorry — today we mourn the deaths of the 68,000 Americans who needlessly die each year so that insurance company execs like Brian Thompson can become multimillionaires,” Zenkus wrote in a post that received over 100,000 likes. Rob DenBleyker, the co-creator of the Cyanide & Happiness comic series, wrote, “If all health insurance CEOs live in fear of being murdered maybe premiums will come down”: Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz has been continuously justifying Thompson’s slaying and even went so far as to post other health insurance CEOs’ names and photos on the left-leaning social media platform Bluesky. In a Substack blog post , Lorenz explained “why ‘we’ want insurance executives dead”: While clarifying that running an insurance company “does not mean people should murder them,” Lorenz argued that “if you’ve watched a loved one suffer and die from insurance denial, it’s normal to wish the people responsible would suffer the same fate.” Other social media users mocked Thompson’s surviving wife and children, garnering thousands of likes and similar comments: UnitedHealthcare, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, CareSource, Medica, and Elevance Health are all among healthcare companies that have taken down their web pages listing their executives since Thompson was gunned down outside a midtown Manhattan hotel, Breitbart News reported. Thompson, 50, was shot multiple times by a masked gunman as he arrived for a conference around 6:45 a.m. before the attacker “fled eastbound off of 6th Avenue,” according to the New York Post . The CEO was later pronounced dead at a hospital. New York Police Department (NYPD) officials released security photos of the suspect and said the killing “does not appear to be a random act of violence,” and that evidence points to it being a “premeditated, targeted attack”:Meo, Battle net 13 to help Coastal Carolina down South Carolina Upstate 73-51

King and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League was cut to seven points after a thrilling 3-3 draw with Newcastle on Wednesday. Chelsea moved up to second by thrashing last-place Southampton 5-1, while Arsenal is third after a 2-0 win over Manchester United. Fourth-place Manchester City ended its seven-game winless run with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Liverpool’s result will give hope to its title rivals after Fabian Schar’s 90th-minute equalizer at St James’ Park. Arne Slot’s team had twice come back from a goal down to take the lead in the 83rd through Mohamed Salah’s second goal of the match. But the Merseyside club was denied an eighth-straight win in all competitions when Newcastle produced a fightback of its own. “I have mixed feelings, we were outstanding in the second half, but we were not good enough in the first half," Slot said. “Maybe 3-3 is what the game deserved.” Chelsea and Arsenal took advantage. Chelsea's third league win in a row puts it ahead of Arsenal on goal difference. City also reduced the gap and is nine points behind Liverpool after finally ending the worst run of results of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career. “We needed it. The club, the players, everyone needed to win,” Guardiola said. After wins over Real Madrid and City last week, Liverpool’s title credentials were given a stern test by Newcastle, which led at halftime through Alexander Isak and again in the second half through Anthony Gordon. Goals from Curtis Jones and Salah twice leveled the game before Salah looked to have sealed the win late on. Schar equalized after Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher misjudged a late free kick. It meant Liverpool dropped points for only the third time this season after drawing against Arsenal and losing to Forest. Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said this week that his team was not in the title race, but the standings tell a different story. The London club is Liverpool’s closest challenger after its latest win against 10-man Southampton. Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho were all on target in the rout at St Mary’s Stadium. Southampton had briefly leveled the game through Joe Aribo, but Chelsea was already 3-1 up and in control when Jack Stephens was sent off before the break. Arsenal inflicted a first loss on new United head coach Ruben Amorim with a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium. Two goals from second-half corners made the difference, with Jurrien Timber and William Saliba finding the back of the net, but Arsenal still slipped to third, despite edging closer to Liverpool. Mikel Arteta's team finished runner-up in each of the last two seasons and looks primed to challenge again after making an unconvincing start to the campaign. “You get written off but we stuck together as a group," Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said. “You stick together and we’re starting to reap the rewards of that.” Making his first start since September, Kevin De Bruyne showed City exactly what it has been missing by scoring a goal and creating another as the four-time defending champion got back to winning ways. The Belgium playmaker provided the cross for Bernardo Silva to give City an eighth-minute lead against Forest at the Etihad Stadium. He produced a trademark finish to sweep the ball past goalkeeper Matz Sels in the 31st to put City on course for a first win in eight games. Jeremy Doku made it 3-0 in the 57th, but it was De Bruyne’s performance that stood out after seeing much of his season disrupted by a groin injury. He left the field in the 74th to an ovation from the home crowd. “It’s been a tough time but you have to accept the challenge and I think we did well today," De Bruyne said. "The Premier League is getting harder and harder. We have to improve as a team first and we’ll see in a couple of months where we are. Hopefully, we would have improved a bit and are a lot closer.” But victory could have come at a cost with concerns over the fitness of Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, who both went off. “Nathan doesn’t look good. We (will) see tomorrow,” Guardiola said. “Manu is making the last two months struggle a lot.” A first win in six games for Everton moved Sean Dyche’s team further away from the relegation zone, while back-to-back losses for Wolverhampton left the club second from bottom of the standings. Ashley Young and Orel Mangala put Everton in control before two second-half own goals from Craig Dawson sealed a 4-0 win for the Merseyside club, which is five points clear of the bottom three. Aston Villa ended an even longer winless run by beating Brentford 3-1 to secure a first victory in nine games in all competitions. Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins from the penalty spot and Matty Cash were on target. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

S itting in a white armchair on the Sunday morning after Thanksgiving, the soft bayou light streaming into her family home, something is bugging Gypsy-Rose Blanchard. “It feels like a circus,” she tells Rolling Stone in her distinctive, high-pitched voice. All around her, there are family photos and reminders of people who love her. There’s a sign across from her that reaffirms this. Family: A little bit of crazy. A little bit of loud. And a whole lot of love. But she keeps no pictures of her mother around. Blanchard, 33, spent more than eight years incarcerated for her involvement in the 2015 murder of Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. Since she was released last year, the attention has been constant. “I’m not an animal in a cage,” she says. Blanchard’s private life is better now in the small bayou town where she lives, about an hour outside of New Orleans. She is staying at the home of her father, Rod, and stepmother, Kristy, and is experiencing a lot of new things — grocery shopping, paying bills, doing laundry. She just returned from Florida, where she spent the holiday with her boyfriend, Ken Urker, and swam in the ocean for the first time. “I got water in my mouth and was like, ‘Oh, it’s salty!’ I didn’t expect that,” she says in an almost childlike tone. The couple, who first met through a pen-pal program in 2017 and reconnected after her release, is expecting their first child — a daughter — in January. Blanchard hopes she can go to cosmetology school later on to become a hairdresser. But her life is anything but normal. In the near-decade since her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, fatally stabbed Dee Dee at her Springfield, Missouri, home, Blanchard’s saga has become fodder for everything from long-form podcasts to prestige documentaries to a scripted Hulu series starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, which she says she still hasn’t watched. “To be quite honest, I didn’t know how big this story was until I got out of prison,” she admits. Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time While Godejohn was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, Blanchard was given 10 years in prison for second-degree murder, and was released last year after serving about seven. (She spent a year in a half incarcerated waiting for trial.) Since then, she’s been torn between reclaiming her life story and coming to grips with the fact that some of her legions of followers might be paying attention for the wrong reasons. “I don’t want people to follow me because of the crime that I committed,” Blanchard says. “I don’t want to have fans because they feel like what I did was right.” Dressed in a slouchy yellow sweater, she hands me her phone. (The left sleeve is pulled up to reveal a tattoo of a husky on her forearm, with Urker having a matching one.) The screen shows a photo, taken without Blanchard’s consent, of her in the waiting room of her OB-GYN’s office with Urker, which was subsequently posted to a Reddit forum dedicated to dragging her. On Facebook, she shows me, there’s a photo someone snapped of Blanchard talking to a teller at the bank, along with comments trolling her appearance, her relationship and the crime itself. When she was released in December 2023, Blanchard believed that she could — and would — live a normal life. “And then,” she says, “I started to understand that is not reality.” Instead, her reality is much more complicated. It’s why, she says, she felt compelled to tell her story in full. On Dec. 10, Blanchard will release her memoir, My Time to Stand , which details her mother’s suspected case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy — a mental illness in which a caretaker makes up fake symptoms or causes real ones to appear that a healthy child is sick — and the abuse Gypsy suffered as a result. (Her mother, for instance, subjected her to endless medical procedures for diseases she didn’t have.) Related Content Unraveling the 50-Year Mystery of the Body in the Basement Menendez Brothers' Aunts Beg Judge to Let Them Out as Hearing Pushed to Late January L.A. Elected a New District Attorney. What Does This Mean for the Menendez Brothers? A Jury Wouldn't Convict Karen Read. Now She Wants Her Charges Dismissed It also covers the family dysfunction and trauma she experienced as a child, from her grandfather’s sexual abuse of both her and her mother, to the lies her mother told to government agencies and charities to scam benefits, including a house from Habitat for Humanity. She talks about the men, including Godejohn, with whom she began relationships online, and the multiple attempts she made to escape from her mother’s home. All the while, Dee Dee was godlike to her, her sole caretaker who was always hovering. “Gypsy-Rose will never find true love,” Blanchard claims her mother would tell her. “Gypsy-Rose will never find happiness.” The memoir’s release comes at a time of radical change for Blanchard. In the past year, she divorced her ex-husband, whom she married in 2022; became pregnant; and had to learn life skills, like balancing a budget, that she was never taught growing up. While Blanchard’s story has been across numerous platforms, she says the memoir is the first time she has full control of her narrative and the events leading up to and after the murder. After years of trying to move away from the crime, she is returning to the scene in her memory and in her own words. An author’s note in the beginning of the book says that while some of Blanchard’s memories have faded, the memoir is “true to my memory, and these memories have shaped my perceptions, many of which are also shared here.” The book itself outlines the story of a young, poor girl growing up in Louisiana and Missouri, bound to a single mother who made Blanchard think that it was them against the world. To win, Dee Dee had to lie, cheat, and steal, with Blanchard as an accomplice to her mother’s fraud and a victim of her abuse. She worked with two co-writers for it, Melissa Moore and Michele Matrisciani, who began working with her when she was still in prison and uncertain of any early release. “She’s lived a lot of life, a life of ups and downs — but more ups than downs,” says her stepmother, Kristy, who’s been married to her father, Rod, for 25 years. “She’s doing all the things that her mom said she couldn’t do — falling in love, getting married, getting divorced, reuniting with the love of her life, having their child. And even cutting the grass or taking out the garbage, those are the things she couldn’t do.” Since her conviction, she’s appeared on The View , Dr. Phil , and The Kardashians , with both the Cut and Slate dubbing her “America’s sweetheart.” In the process, she’s become a polarizing figure. Her supporters maintain she is a survivor who has done her time and should be able to live a private life. On TikTok and Reddit, her detractors loudly flood the platforms with a mix of legitimate criticism, conspiracy theories, and unflattering memes, calling Blanchard a liar and grifter who is profiting from her crime. The memoir is also getting review-bombed on sites like Goodreads with one-star ratings before anyone has read a page. This reality can be depressing for Blanchard, who is preparing for possible protesters at a book-signing event in New Orleans later this month. She has publicly disavowed what she did to her mother, as well as supporters who feel killing her mom was somehow the cool thing to do. But each time someone secretly takes a photo of her in public or posts a video slamming her, she wonders if there is any path toward a normal life, or if she’s even capable of living such a life by the time she becomes a mother of her own. “When people come up to me and are like, ‘I don’t blame you, I would have done the same thing,’ I’m disgusted,” she says. “It’s not like I look back on my past and am proud of what I did. I’m very ashamed of it, so I honestly get offended whenever someone says things [to me] like that because they are missing the whole point.” DEE DEE’S SCREMS STAY with Blanchard. So does the total silence that followed the murder. “To this day, I have never seen [the] crime-scene pictures,” she tells Rolling Stone . “I heard her scream, but the aftermath of what happened is unknown to me.” When she was recording the audiobook for her memoir, Blanchard broke down recalling her breaking point leading to the death: When Dee Dee lied to doctors and pushed for an exploratory surgery on her larynx, which could have potentially silenced her voice — literally — forever. To Blanchard, it felt like her mother was lying to doctors as her way to cut her daughter’s throat. “I started to think if nothing happens, how old will I be until this stops? Will I be in my forties? Will I be in my fifties? Will I die?” she says. “That was the moment when I was like, ‘OK, something needs to happen right now.’” She then struggled recounting how she lay in a fetal position with her hands pressed over her ears, as Godejohn repeatedly stabbed Dee Dee as she called out for her daughter. In that moment, Gypsy couldn’t think about the years of abuse she suffered; she could only focus on her breathing. For a while, Blanchard had a recurring nightmare that had her reliving her mother’s murder each night, as an observer witnessing the crime. “I didn’t want to make [Dee Dee’s death] the sole point of the book, but I did want readers to understand that there is a level of trauma,” she says. “It’s not something that happens and then you just go back to your daily life and you’re fine. It’s something that doesn’t go away.” In the book, Blanchard examines her mother’s motivations, particularly how Dee Dee was keenly aware that she was creating a world of lies and lore from an early age. “I heard from her brothers, her sisters, that she was kind of the black sheep. She didn’t just quite fit in,” Blanchard says. “There were certain aspects of her personality that were manipulative [and] controlling. But there wasn’t enough awareness at the time [in] the Eighties [and] Nineties about mental health issues. So it just very much went undetected.” I ask Blanchard, who admits in the book that she was taught to live a life of deception, the greatest lie that Dee Dee told her. “This is gonna sound a little harsh,” Blanchard says. “But I think the greatest lie she ever told was that she loved me.” Matrisciani, one of the memoir’s co-writers, understood early on that Blanchard did not want to make the book a justification for murder as a response to lifelong physical, mental, and emotional abuse. “This is a young woman who is really trying to make sense of why things happened the way they did, and how things are not black and white,” Matrisciani tells Rolling Stone . “It’s very hopeful. It’s dark, but it’s hopeful.” Blanchard knows she’s not alone in the morbid club of people who murdered family members who they claim abused them. She hopes the Menendez brothers, who are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murder of their parents, are granted their freedom. (A resentencing hearing for the brothers is scheduled for January .) “I feel like they have paid their dues to society. Thirty years is a long time,” Blanchard says. “I’m one of those people that feels that they did their time for the crime. Let them have their freedom. I am in support of anyone that has been a victim of abuse like that because it’s not something anyone should ever go through.” “When people come up to me and are like, ‘I don’t blame you, I would have done the same thing,’ I’m disgusted.” IT’S A LITTLE AFTER 9 a.m., and for now, the house — which is covered in portraits of the family, including the pregnancy photos of a smiling Blanchard and Urker basking in joy and golden-hour lighting — is relatively quiet. Later, the family will watch the Saints play the Rams, and put up Christmas decorations; white stockings already hang above the fireplace. In the coming days, a TV crew will arrive to shoot the second season of her Lifetime reality show, Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up . She’s planning to pre-sign hundreds of books ahead of the event in New Orleans, where online critics who don’t want her to profit off her past say they’re threatening to protest. “Nobody’s ever come up to me with anything negative to say,” Blanchard says. Leaning back in her green recliner, Kristy succinctly guesses why none of the online hate shows itself in-person: “They don’t have the balls.” Blanchard maintains that she doesn’t see herself as famous and never sought out attention. She can talk endlessly about how much the guilt, shame, and responsibility for her mother’s murder weigh on her, but that still doesn’t deter some young people from approaching the person they see as TikTok famous and saying they support her because she helped kill her mom. It leaves her in no-man’s land: appreciative of the support, but decrying the catalyst for why some of her fans are there in the first place. “There’s Gypsy-Rose Blanchard from the media and documentaries, and then there’s the Gypsy that my family knows, that my partner knows, that I know,” she says. “The two are in the same body, but I just kind of feel like nobody really knows the real me.” Blanchard knows that some people will never let her live down her sins or the sins of her mother. She says that she recently tried to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, which built and gifted the home to Dee Dee after the mother and daughter lost their Louisiana home to Hurricane Katrina. But Blanchard says the organization declined her offer, in part because Lifetime wanted to film the experience for the reality show. “I did express that I would like to make amends for what my mom did, and I got rejected,” she tells me. “I’ve found that not everybody forgives.” (A spokesperson for Habitat for Humanity did not respond to a request for comment.) She also understands that there appears to be a disconnect between saying she wants a private and quiet life with her burgeoning career as a social-media influencer and reality-TV star. Blanchard has recently stayed in the headlines on gossip sites thanks to her posting the results of a paternity test to prove that Urker is the father and quell rumors that the child was her ex’s. “It’s how it is right now,” she says. “I don’t think the public will ever let me fade into obscurity altogether. I think there will always be curiosity about what I’m doing in my life. And I have come to accept it.” But after the show is finished filming what she says will be the last season, Blanchard wants to disconnect and plan her exit from the public eye. That off-ramp includes backing away from her public social media accounts, which she says she only uses for promotion these days, as well as raising her daughter, whom she and Urker plan to name Aurora. She eventually wants to get her own place and be closer to Urker, who lives in Dallas. Blanchard is also taking driver’s education, which terrifies her. “I’m very scared to drive because I’m like, what if I hit [someone], and it turns into a whole big thing, and I go back to prison?” she says. “I need to be responsible enough as a mom to do that.” As part of her consideration of motherhood, Blanchard must confront what she plans to tell her daughter about Dee Dee. Whether it’s on TikTok, the book, or her nightmares, her mother’s murder remains. When the time comes to talk to her daughter about who her grandmother was and what happened to her, Blanchard wants there to be no more lies. “I feel like [the book] is a nice segue into when Aurora is older, and a lot of people might give her shit or bully her over it,” she says. “In essence, this [book] is for her. This is so she can have a place of comfort that is safe for her.” Blanchard’s relationship with her mother was based on lies; now the adult, she plans to tell Aurora the truth about how every choice she made in her life, whether it was right or very wrong, has been with the hope of having her own daughter. “’Where do I go from here?’ is constantly what I’m asking myself, because I’m trying not to look back,” she says. “I’m always like, ‘This is what happened. Now, what do I have to live for?’”

Who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson? What we know about the suspect on the runNoneVeterans can use their battle-tested lessons to restore unity and hope to prevent extreme voices from tearing the country apart, More Perfect Union's Jake Harriman writes in an opinion column. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Cause of underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets still unknown — and may stay that way, fire chief says Cause of underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets still unknown — and may stay that way, fire chief says Hampton’s superintendent just got a massive raise. Here’s how it compares. Hampton’s superintendent just got a massive raise. Here’s how it compares. Man taken into custody after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Man taken into custody after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination has echoes across the US Colonial Williamsburg's Grand Illumination has echoes across the US John Hinckley Jr. nixes plans to open Williamsburg music store John Hinckley Jr. nixes plans to open Williamsburg music store Disney influencer Dominique Brown dies at 34 after allergic reaction at food event, report says Disney influencer Dominique Brown dies at 34 after allergic reaction at food event, report says VHSL state semifinal scoreboard: Oscar Smith, Maury, Phoebus advance to championship games VHSL state semifinal scoreboard: Oscar Smith, Maury, Phoebus advance to championship games Williamsburg-area Democrats announce candidacy for House seats Williamsburg-area Democrats announce candidacy for House seats Hampton Roads native’s acting career grows with role on NBC’s ‘Brilliant Minds,’ airing Monday Hampton Roads native’s acting career grows with role on NBC’s ‘Brilliant Minds,’ airing Monday Hokies will play in Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota in Charlotte Hokies will play in Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota in Charlotte Trending Nationally Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass MAGA influencer Nick Fuentes charged with battery of woman he maced: report ‘America’s Got Talent’ comedian Kabir ‘Kabeezy’ Singh dead at 39 Police may search a vehicle based on the smell of raw cannabis, Illinois Supreme Court rules ‘Oppenheimer’ actor Emma Dumont comes out as transmasculine, changes name

Martin scores 17, Southeast Missouri State beats Westminster (MO) 88-39Poor-quality housing is putting the over-50s in England who have health conditions “in harm’s way”, a charity has said, as it said living in a home that damages their health was “the norm for far too many people”. The Centre for Ageing Better said data analysed on its behalf suggested more than a fifth of people in this age group are living in a poor-quality home that could be making their existing health condition worse. It said people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, those living in London and those who have a serious health condition or disability are more likely to be affected. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing covering 2022/23 was analysed by the National Centre for Social Research on behalf of the charity. It found an estimated 4.5 million people aged 50 or older in England with a health condition aggravated by the cold are living in a home with one or more serious problems. Some 2.8 million were aged between 50 and 70, while 1.7 million were aged 70 and older. Health conditions included respiratory diseases, congestive heart failure, heart disease and lung conditions, including asthma. Housing problems identified in the research included damp, water leaks, bad condensation, electrical or plumbing problems, rot and decay. While some 2.2 million people over 50 with health and housing problems owned their home outright, the biggest proportion of people (51%) with such issues lived in rented accommodation. The charity said older renters with a health condition were up to three times more likely to have five or more issues with their home than someone in the same age group who owns their home. Those with a health condition that can be affected by poor housing who had a significant issue in their homes were most likely to live in London (52%) followed by the North East (35%) and the North West (35%), the West Midlands and the East of England (both on 28%), and the South West (27%). Almost half (46%) of people aged 50 and above from black and minority ethnic backgrounds with one of the health conditions had at least one problem with their home, which the charity said amounted to almost 500,000 people. Among white people in this age group it was just under one in three (32%). The research also suggested people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds living with a health condition were also more than twice as likely to have five or more issues with their housing compared with their white counterparts – 15% compared with 6%. Dr Carole Easton, the charity’s chief executive, said not only does the research show the difficulties faced by those living in poor housing, but it is also “very bad news” for both the economy and the NHS. She said: “Our latest research shows that our poor-quality housing crisis is putting people with health conditions in their 50s, 60s and beyond, in harm’s way. “This is obviously terrible for those individuals who live in homes that carry a very real risk of making them sick, particularly when winter comes around. “But it is also very bad news for the country. Older workers living in homes that are making their health conditions worse are going to be less likely to be able to work and help grow the economy. “Older people whose serious health conditions are made worse by their homes will require treatment, putting additional winter pressures on our health system. “All could be averted if we tackled poor-quality housing with the urgency and priority it demands.” Holly Holder, deputy director for homes at the charity, said the Government must “fix this hidden housing crisis by delivering a national strategy to tackle poor quality housing across all tenures and committing to halving the number of non-decent homes over the next decade”. She added: “No-one should have to live in a home that damages their health, yet it is the norm for far too many people in England today. “By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people. “Our new analysis shows that the combination of health and house problems are most likely to impact groups of people who are already disadvantaged by multiple health and wealth inequalities.” A Government spokesperson said: “Despite the challenging inheritance faced by this Government, through our Plan for Change we’re taking action to improve housing conditions across all tenures and ensure homes are decent, safe and warm – especially for the most vulnerable. “We’re consulting on reforms to the Decent Homes Standard next year to improve the quality of social and privately rented housing, and introducing Awaab’s Law to both sectors to tackle damp, dangerous and cold conditions for all renters in England. “Our warm homes plan will also help people find ways to save money on energy bills and deliver cleaner heating, with up to 300,000 households to benefit from upgrades next year.”

Iowa turns to former walk-on QB to start against MarylandMeo, Battle net 13 to help Coastal Carolina down South Carolina Upstate 73-51

Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs reportJet crash disaster in South Korea marks another setback for BoeingThe new, 12-team College Football Playoff brings with it a promise to be bigger, more exciting, more lucrative. Perfect or 100% fair? Well, nobody ever believed that. The first expanded playoff bracket unveiled Sunday left a presumably deserving Alabama team on the sideline in favor of an SMU squad that finished with a better record after playing a schedule that was not as difficult. It ranked undefeated Oregon first but set up a possible rematch against Ohio State, the team that came closest to beating the Ducks this year. It treated underdog Boise State like a favorite and banged-up Georgia like a world beater at No. 2. It gave Ohio State home-field advantage against Tennessee for reasons it would take a supercomputer to figure out. It gave the sport the multiweek tournament it has longed for, but also ensured there will be plenty to grouse about between now and when the trophy is handed out on Jan. 20 after what will easily be the longest college football season in history. All of it, thankfully, will be sorted out on the field starting with first-round games on campuses Dec. 20 and 21, then over three succeeding rounds that will wind their way through traditional bowl sites. Maybe Oregon coach Dan Lanning, whose undefeated Ducks are the favorite to win it all, put it best when he offered: "Winning a national championship is not supposed to be easy.” Neither, it turns out, is figuring out who should play for it. The Big Ten will lead the way with four teams in the tournament, followed by the SEC with three and the ACC with two. The lasting memory from the inaugural bracket will involve the decision that handed the ACC that second bid. Alabama of the SEC didn't play Saturday. SMU of the ACC did. The Mustangs fell behind by three touchdowns to Clemson before coming back to tie. But they ultimately lost 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal as time expired. “We were on pins and needles,” SMU coach Rhett Lashley said. “Until we saw the name ‘SMU’ up there, we were hanging on the edge. We're really, really happy and thankful to the committee for rewarding our guys for their total body of work." The Mustangs only had two losses, compared to three for the Crimson Tide. Even though SMU's schedule wasn't nearly as tough, the committee was impressed by the way the Mustangs came back against Clemson. “We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chairman of the selection committee. “But it’s no disrespect to Alabama’s strength of schedule. We looked at the entire body of work for both teams.” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne was gracious, up to a point. “Disappointed with the outcome and felt we were one of the 12 best teams in the country,” he said on social media. He acknowledged — despite all of Alabama’s losses coming against conference opponents this season — that the Tide’s push to schedule more games against teams from other major conferences in order to improve its strength of schedule did not pay off this time. “That is not good for college football," Byrne said. Georgia, the SEC champion, was seeded second; Boise State, the Mountain West champion, earned the third seed; and Big 12 titlist Arizona State got the fourth seed and the fourth and final first-round bye. All will play in quarterfinals at bowl games on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. Clemson stole a bid and the 12th seed with its crazy win over SMU, the result that ultimately cost Alabama a spot in the field. The Tigers moved to No. 16 in the rankings, but got in as the fifth-best conference winner. The conference commissioners' idea to give conference champions preferable treatment in this first iteration of the 12-team playoff could be up for reconsideration after this season. The committee actually ranked Boise State, the Mountain West Champion, at No. 9 and Big 12 champion Arizona State at No. 12, but both get to skip the first round. Another CFP guideline: There’s no reseeding of teams after each round, which means no break for Oregon. The top-seeded Ducks will face the winner of Tennessee-Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 earlier this year in one of the season’s best games. No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas, Dec. 21. Clemson is riding high after the SMU upset, while Texas is 0-2 against Georgia and 11-0 vs. everyone else this season. The winner faces ... Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Huh? No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, Dec. 21. The biggest knock against the Mustangs was that they didn't play any big boys with that 60th-ranked strength of schedule. Well, now they get to. The winner faces ... Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, SMU vs. Boise was the quarterfinal we all expected. No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, Dec. 20. Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti thought his team deserved a home game. Well, not quite but close. The winner faces ... Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs got the No. 2 seed despite a throwing-arm injury to QB Carson Beck. But what else was the committee supposed to do? No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State , Dec. 21. The Buckeyes (losses to Oregon, Michigan) got home field over the Volunteers (losses to Arkansas, Georgia) in a matchup of programs with two of the biggest stadiums in football. The winner faces ... Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Feels like that matchup should come in the semifinals or later. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Watch the best shots from the final round of the Hero World Challenge on the PGA Tour from Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas. Hear from Scottie Scheffler after capping off his season in fitting fashion: with a win in the Hero World Challenge. Justin Thomas had a brutal day around the greens to end the Hero World Challenge, but Golf Central thinks he's trending in the right direction after a solid tournament as a whole. Todd Lewis and Brandel Chamblee analyze Scottie Scheffler's game at the Hero World Challenge and how he flexed his incredible overall game to cap a successful 2024 with a win. Watch the best shots from the final round of the Hero World Challenge on the PGA Tour from Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas. Tiger Woods joins the NBC booth during the Hero World Challenge to talk about Scottie Scheffler's game, including his first reaction to seeing the world No. 1's new putting grip and more. Tom Kim took a big leap on moving day at the Hero World Challenge, knocking in a dozen birdies and putting himself in contention for a win in the Bahamas. Todd Lewis and Brandel Chamblee look at the birdie-filled scorecard of Tom Kim's third round at the Hero World Challenge and how he was able to put himself in position to win on the final day. Watch the best shots and moments from the third round of the Hero World Challenge on the PGA Tour from Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas. Scottie Scheffler is firmly in the mix at the Hero World Challenge, just one shot off the lead, but Golf Central says he'll have to capitalize more on scoring opportunities in the final round. Golf Central breaks down what went right for Justin Thomas in Round 3 of the PGA Tour's Hero World Challenge, in which putting -- typically a weakness for him -- carried him atop the leaderboard. Brandel Chamblee and Todd Lewis discuss Scottie Scheffler's impressive showing during Round 2 of the Hero World Challenge, breaking down what has worked for the world No. 1 in The Bahamas. Watch the best shots and moments from the second round of the Hero World Challenge on the PGA Tour from Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas.Frank Nazar (drafted with Kirby Dach trade pick) dominates