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milyon88 free 100 Hyderabad: The Drug Control Administration continued its crackdown on quacks who were running clinics although they did not have proper mandatory qualifications. On credible information, the DCA officials on Friday raided the premises of a quack Parala Anjaiah, at Kakaravai Village, Thirumalayapalem mandal, Khammam district and seized drugs including antibiotics, steroids, analgesics etc. Anjaiah was allegedly practising medicine without proper qualifications at his clinic. During the raid, DCA officials detected 55 varieties of medicines, including antibiotics, steroids, analgesics etc., found stocked at the premises without a drug licence. The stock, worth a total of Rs 84,760 during the raid, said V B Kamalasan Reddy, Director General, DCA. Officials detected several higher generation ‘antibiotics’ such as Cefixime, Cefuroxime etc. at the clinic during the raids. Indiscriminate sale of antibiotics by unqualified persons may have disastrous consequences on the health of the public, including the emergence of ‘Antimicrobial Resistance’, the official maintained. The DCA warned that misusing steroids can have serious health consequences, including immune system suppression, hormonal imbalances, muscle and bone weakness, cardiovascular problems, and psychological effects. The indiscriminate use of steroids poses significant risks to public health. K. Devender Reddy, Drugs Inspector, Khammam Rural carried out the raid. DCA officers lifted the samples for analysis. Further investigation will be carried out, and action will be taken as per the law against all the offenders.No. 1 ranked Moccamaster coffee maker now $100 off at Amazon

As Americans are beyond burned out, Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry preaches the right to restFour members of Congress unveiled a bipartisan bill Friday that would spark changes at the U.S. Center for SafeSport, placing a time limit on resolving cases that can sometimes take years and improving communication between the center and abuse survivors. The Safer Sports for Athletes Act looks to address some of the bigger concerns that have opened the center to criticism since it was established in 2017 to handle sex-abuse cases in Olympic sports and their grassroots cousins. The bill has potential for a fivefold increase of an existing grant to the center, bringing it to $10 million a year. But even if the full amount were approved, it wouldn't solve all of the problems. As before, that grant can only be used for training and education , not investigations and enforcement, which are the focus of complaints about the center , and also of the reforms the lawmakers are seeking. “We’re hoping the combination of appropriations for other activities will free up money for investigations, as well as the streamlining,” said one of the bill's sponsors, Rep. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina. The center estimates the reforms in the bill could cost more than $4.5 million. It currently operates on a budget of around $21 million a year, most of which comes from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and its sports affiliates, known as national governing bodies, or NGBs. “It's really unclear, and I don't think that some parts of the bill jibe with other parts of the bill," SafeSport CEO Ju'Riese Colon said. "We're going to need some more conversation to suss out some of this stuff. Right now, it just doesn't really add up for us.” The center's critics, meanwhile, have long been skeptical about giving more resources to an agency they feel is missing the mark. The bill would also mandate that investigations be concluded within 180 days after a report is made, with possibilities to extend them. Some of the most egregious complaints about the center have come from people who say it has taken years for their cases to be resolved. The center currently receives about 155 reports a week, which comes to more than 8,000 a year. When fully staffed, it has 77 people on its response and resolution team. “Too many other survivors have also been left waiting for years for SafeSport to investigate or have their cases closed without action,” said soccer player Mana Shim, who helped lawmakers draft the bill. Shim's own case, involving sexual harassment and coercion by her coach, took more than two years for the center to resolve and led to investigations and reforms across American soccer. Other reforms include a requirement for the center to provide victim advocates at no cost for those needing them — a move already underway as part of a menu of changes the center announced earlier this year — and to assign case managers who can give timely updates to victims and the accused. “I have questions around, if the center were to hire and staff the advocates, there might be some conflict of interest with us doing this internally," Colon said. The center was also concerned with one provision that would redefine how arbitration works and another that would change the dynamics of information sharing between the center and the USOPC and NGBs. The other bill sponsors were Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio; Don Bacon, R-Nebraska; and Kathy Castor, D-Florida. The lawmakers positioned the bill as one that will help the Denver-based center, while making clear they are not satisfied with the results so far. “We're going to make sure the center has the resources it needs to effectively respond to thousands of reports it handles annually,” Castor said. “It has unfortunately fallen short." Ross conceded this bill will probably get pushed to the next Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, “but we needed to set the stage as soon as possible.” AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-gamesDrivers' dream: the most reliable large SUVs are named

NoneThe New York Giants might not have the answers to the endless stream of questions facing the quarterback room, upper management, and rudderless operation in the home stretch. But they’ll be damned if they aren’t going to try and find some answers. On Tuesday, the Giants claimed former Denver Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich off of waivers. © Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Dulcich, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was largely knocked off course by a series of hamstring injuries. Dulcich hasn’t played since Denver’s Week 4 win over the New York Jets, but he hasn’t logged a catch since Week 2. He has generated 12 targets for five catches and 28 yards in 2024. Related: Chris Manhertz Shining Despite Giants' Struggles It isn’t immediately clear what role he’ll play in the tight end room and how soon he’ll get on the field. Rookie Theo Johnson has taken the starting job with meager returns, and Chris Manhertz’ role should be solidified due to his proclivities as a blocker. If someone is getting ousted from the room, it will likely be Daniel Bellinger, who entered camp as the presumed starter and has since played the 17th-most snaps on New York’s offense. Dulcich, who ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash as a prospect, has legitimate traits to live as a receiving threat over the middle of the field. As a rookie, it seemed like they would eventually come to fruition. Despite subpar quarterbacking, Dulcich posted 411 yards and two scores in just 10 games in 2022. Don’t expect to see Dulcich on Thanksgiving duty against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. But as things continue to unravel, he could very well play a sizable role down the stretch. Related: Dexter Lawrence Isn't Going Anywhere

We’ve got our Chelsea back – Enzo Maresca loving chants from fans after winNoneAlex Berenguer prodded the hosts ahead after 53 minutes before Mbappe – who failed to convert a Champions League penalty against Liverpool last week – sent his kick too close to Bilbao goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Jude Bellingham appeared to have rescued a point for Real after scoring for the fourth successive league game 12 minutes from time. 📸 PORTERAZO. JULEN, JULEN! JULEN JULEN! #AthleticRealMadrid #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/w260s6xo79 — Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) December 4, 2024 But Federico Valverde’s mistake two minutes later gifted Gorka Guruzeta the winner in front of a delirious San Mames crowd. On a busy night of second-round Copa del Rey action, Villarreal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Pontevedra while there were wins for Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia. Fiorentina went out of the Coppa Italia to Empoli on penalties on an emotional night at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Viola were back in action after Edoardo Bove’s health scare forced their weekend league fixture with Inter Milan to be abandoned during the first half. Midfielder Bove collapsed on the pitch and required emergency medical treatment. He was taken to hospital but regained consciousness in intensive care. Esposito's penalty books Empoli's place in the next round 💪 #FiorentinaEmpoli pic.twitter.com/UUxghH9l6b — Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) December 4, 2024 Empoli led at half-time through Emmanuel Ekong’s fourth-minute opener before Moise Kean and Riccardo Sottil put Fiorentina ahead. Sebastiano Esposito struck 15 minutes from time to make it 2-2 and take the last-16 tie into extra time, Empoli eventually winning 4-3 on penalties. Benjamin Sesko opened the scoring and Luis Openda struck twice as RB Leipzig brushed aside Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in the German DFB Pokal. Second-half goals from Denis Vavro, Jonas Wind and Yannick Gerhardt saw Wolfsburg beat Hoffenheim 3-0. Cologne knocked out Hertha Berlin 2-1 after extra time with Dejan Ljubicic converting a penalty in the final seconds, while Augsburg prevailed 5-4 on penalties against Karlsruhe after a 2-2 draw.

Are 300,000 migrant children missing in the US?A mugshot of far-right streamer Nick Fuentes has gone viral on social media after the 26-year-old was booked on battery charges after he maced a woman named Marla Rose in November. According to reports, Fuentes was booked from his home in Berwyn, in the suburbs of Illinois, on November 27. He is expected to make a court appearance on December 19. Here's the viral mugshot: Why Was Nick Fuentes Charged? It all started with the election victory of President-elect Donald Trump on November 5. After Trump won the election, Fuentes made a comment on X taunting the abortion rights activists in the United States. The 26-year-old wrote on X: "Your body, my choice. Forever," taking a dig at the slogan, "my body, my choice." The remark sparked a massive backlash and Fuentes' address was also shared publicly on social media. It led to several women going to the address and confronting the controversial streamer and activist from Illinois. One such woman was Marla Rose, who went to Fuentes' house in Berwyn and tried to confront him. In a video captured by Rose, Fuentes can be seen spraying some liquid on the woman, before seizing her phone. It ends with Fuentes and throwing the phone on the ground and stomping it. Also read: Nick Fuentes Arrested: What Did The Controversial Streamer Do? What Are The Charges Against Nick Fuentes? Detective Phillip Quattrocchi of the Berwyn Police Department reported the November 27, 2024, arrest of Nick Fuentes for Class A misdemeanor battery. Fuentes was processed at 7:03 p.m., undergoing a search fingerprinting, and was later released at 7:30 p.m. He received a court notice for December 19, 2024 at the Maybrook Courthouse in Illinois. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US Buzz, World and around the world.None

The Nasdaq-100 Index is all about growth stocks -- it holds the top nonfinancial stocks listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. That growth focus has enabled the index to deliver superior investment returns: It has more than doubled the return of the S&P 500 over the last 15 years. If there's one drawback to the Nasdaq-100 , it's that it doesn't produce much income (the index's dividend yield is currently 0.8%). However, there is a way to have your proverbial cake and eat it too. The JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF ( JEPQ 0.18% ) offers lower-volatility exposure to the Nasdaq-100, and monthly income. Here's a look at how this unique exchange-traded fund (ETF) can turn a $10,000 investment into roughly $1,000 of income each year. A premium income stream The JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF has a twofold investment approach: Underlying equity portfolio: The fund's managers use data science and fundamental research to construct an equity portfolio. Disciplined options overlay strategy: The ETF writes out-of-the-money call options on the Nasdaq-100 Index to generate distributable income each month. (Out-of-the-money call options are above the current market price.) The fund's strategy of writing options generates a lot of income. It writes (sells) call options on the Nasdaq-100 Index, enabling it to collect income from options premiums. An option premium is the price paid by the option buyer to the seller. As an options seller, the ETF gets to keep 100% of this income if the option expires worthless. That income fluctuates because options premiums are higher during more volatile periods. The fund's strategy of writing calls on the Nasdaq-100 index is very lucrative: Its last monthly distribution had an annualized yield of 12.4%. Over the last 12 months, the yield is 9.9%. That's much higher than other high-yielding asset classes. For example, high-yield U.S. bonds have a yield of around 7% right now, while real estate investment trusts ( REITs ) and 10-year Treasury bonds are below 4%. To put this ETF's yield into perspective, a $10,000 investment would produce about $990 of annual income at the trailing-12-month rate. That compares to only $80 of dividend income on a similar investment in a Nasdaq-100 ETF like Invesco QQQ Trust . Equity market upside exposure Income is only part of the return generated by this ETF. It also offers equity market exposure by holding a portfolio of high-quality stocks. Its top holdings include notable Nasdaq-100 names Nvidia (7.7% allocation), Apple (7.2%), Amazon (4.6%), and other well-known technology and consumer companies. The fund doesn't have a matching allocation to the Nasdaq-100. The ETF's managers actively allocate the portfolio for optimal risk-adjusted returns. For example, it didn't hold shares of vaccine giant Moderna in the third quarter; that added to its results because the stock underperformed during the period due to concerns about some of Moderna's products and pipeline. The fund had a higher weighting on Oracle , which boosted its results in the third quarter after the cloud giant provided long-term targets well ahead of expectations. The ETF's dual strategy enables investors to both generate income and capture some value appreciation as the underlying portfolio's value increases. Here's a look at what would have happened to a $10,000 investment made at the fund's inception in May 2022: JEPQ data by YCharts . As that chart shows, our hypothetical investor has collected about $3,500 in income. Meanwhile, their initial investment has grown by about 10% to $11,000. Add it up, and the total return is 43% (15.3% annualized). That's a strong total return from a fund offering meaningful income and lower volatility. Income and more JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF can provide you with a very lucrative monthly income stream from options premiums. For additional return potential, the fund offers less volatile equity-market exposure to the top stocks in the Nasdaq-100. These features can make it a great ETF to generate passive income while continuing to grow your wealth.SINGAPORE: Ethan Lum works in sales, travels a lot and is one of just three Singapore-based employees of an American firm. It makes it hard to "justify" the company renting an office, so he instead uses WeWork about six to eight days every month. Apart from the flexibility offered by the co-working space, the amenities make it easier to network and meet new people, said the 27-year-old. "I'm quite an extroverted person; I do like mingling," Mr Lum added."WeWork creates a nice environment to do that." In November, however, the New York-headquartered firm gave up spaces in two prime locations at Manulife Tower and UE Square. This was after WeWork said in in April that it planned "to remain in its current buildings in Singapore for the foreseeable future”, albeit after completing lease negotiations and real estate "rationalisation" processes. In response to queries from CNA, WeWork's head of development for Singapore Richard Paine said it was a "difficult decision" to not renew the two leases and that Singapore remained a “priority market”. Despite the troubles faced by perhaps the most recognisable name in the co-working market, other operators in Singapore told CNA they have seen increased if not continued strong demand, with analysts also pointing to steady growth and particularly within the central business district. NUMBERS UP Singaporean company JustCo, which operates 20 locations locally, registered an almost 20 per cent rise in demand in the last 12 months, compared with the same period the year before, said co-founder and chief commercial officer Kong Wan Long. The company also saw "double-digit per cent" growth in revenue and occupancy since 2022, he said, adding that it intends to expand to Taipei and Osaka. At flexible workspace operator The Hive, demand for its 1,115 seats went up by 21 per cent between January and November, and its four locations across Singapore are 95 per cent occupied, said head of marketing and communications Samantha Wordsworth. “Our occupancy remains strong, underscoring the consistently strong demand for flexible work environments. Despite reports suggesting fluctuations in the co-working market, The Hive continues to thrive,” she added. Demand comes from a diverse range of companies from small and medium enterprises looking for flexible lease terms to large multinationals looking to offer employees a variety of locations, said Ms Wordsworth, pointing to increased interest from tech start-ups and creative industries. Another brand, The Work Project, expanded two of its 10 locations in the past year, by adding a floor each to co-working spaces at Capital Tower and CapitaGreen. The former has already sold out while the other is 95 per cent occupied, said chief executive officer Junny Lee. She said that according to company estimates, The Work Project would be able to release 75,000 sq ft of space in the central business district every year and sell out the seats, though this falls below early-2023 levels when businesses were rapidly returning to offices after the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand at fringe locations and business parks, while not as strong, still comes in at a healthy 90 per cent occupancy, Ms Lee added. "DIDN'T ADD UP"? When 42-year-old Joscelin Kwek started a PR and marketing agency during the pandemic, the goal was to try and avoid office rental fees while having a space that could accommodate what were, at the time, ever-changing work arrangements. Rented seats at WeWork fit the bill then. But as the size of Ms Kwek's team grew, using a co-working space became less cost-effective and it “just didn’t add up” to keep buying more seats, she said. Late in 2023, she decided to secure an office space which she currently shares with two other companies. It has saved her up to S$5,000 (US$3,717) a month. Having a dedicated office space has created a sense of belonging and committing to it also meant committing to growing the company, which has assured her employees, said Ms Kwek. Real estate agency Huttons Singapore's senior director Lee Sze Teck said that as a company grows, it might want its own office space and address for branding if not privacy purposes as well. But the emergence of artificial intelligence, flexible work arrangements and cost-cutting measures are all factors affecting demand for office space, he noted. “Even with more workers returning to office, the demand for office space is growing at a slower pace, and some companies are reducing their need for co-working space,” he added. Despite headwinds, demand for office space is still projected to be stronger moving forward - and demand for co-working spaces may grow in tandem, said Mr Lee, though he suggested that consolidation may take place as operators seek operational efficiencies and profitability. Mr Piers Mallitte, who heads the Workthere office space rental arm of real estate services firm Savills, similarly said that the traditional office market isn't going anywhere, with landlords continuing to see the benefit of direct leases with tenants. Yet with a co-working operator there are also plus points such as shared costs, he added, describing Singapore's co-working market as “positively mature” and still growing. For Ms Priscilla Cheong, the founder of a social media agency, the freebies that come with her JustCo membership - coffee, water, snacks - amount to it being "cheaper than going to Starbucks" to work. Not having to compete for power plugs and seats, and having multiple locations to choose from, are other advantages that have made it worthwhile. She signed up with the co-working space after suffering a lack of productivity at home to begin with. But there are times when the comfort and convenience of being able to ply her trade out of her house prove too hard to resist. "For months where I don't really go as often, I feel like I just wasted my money," said Ms Cheong, who's on a six-month plan. "I haven’t decided yet, I might cancel it.”Keeping pace with Hollywood’s perpetual awards horserace. Sign up for the newsletter here . Whether you call it “Glicked” or “Wickiator” (or even Justin Chang ’s preferred “Wadiator,” which sounds to me like a lot of hot air), this weekend’s simultaneous arrival of Gladiator II and Wicked feels like the closest thing we’ve seen to a true heir of “ Barbenheimer .” The comparison is inevitable — two huge films releasing on the same day, one girl-coded and one boy-coded — and perfectly reasonable, as long as you abandon any assumption that they will match or surpass the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon . These films can be very, very successful without beating their predecessors’ combined $235 million opening weekend. (Or, it must be said, their level of quality.) The same goes at the Oscars, where Barbie and Oppenheimer were the defining event of the 2024 awards season. The duo combined for 21 nominations and eight wins, including a Best Picture prize for Oppie . No matter how well they perform, Wicked and Gladiator probably aren’t coming close to that tally. That’s okay! Now that expectations have been set, let’s focus on the optimistic case. Putting aside the comparison to last season’s two-headed colossus, how well can “Wickiator” do this awards season? Both are arriving at precisely the right time. In this strike-marred season, consensus had it that the fall-festival crop was slightly weaker this year. Now, alongside Dune: Part Two , Wicked and Gladiator seem set to give the Oscars field a fresh dose of blockbuster oomph . Of the pair, Wicked ’s the one with stronger reviews and stronger box-office tracking , so that’s the one that’s making my Best Picture ten at the moment. But I wouldn’t be gobsmacked if Gladiator snuck in, as well: It’s an old-school masculine epic that could appeal to the Academy’s “meat and potatoes” voters, a bloc powerful enough to get films like Top Gun: Maverick and Ford v Ferrari into the Best Picture category in the past. Prospects are more mixed elsewhere above the line. The directors branch is notoriously snobby, which will be a tough row to hoe for Wicked ’s Jon M. Chu, who got his start directing films in the Step Up and G.I. Joe franchises. Gladiator II ’s Ridley Scott has some “overdue” equity — he’s never won an Oscar, not even when the first Gladiator won Best Picture — but Scott hasn’t been nominated for directing since Black Hawk Down , and this branch’s recent preference for highbrow auteurs suggests their tastes have moved on. Screenplay is a slightly better bet, as there are spots up for grabs in the Adapted race, where both Wicked and Gladiator are slotted. But at a combined run time of over five hours, some might suggest these movies should have featured more adaptation. Fortunately, both campaigns can count on a powerful supporting performance to bolster their bids. Denzel Washington has been almost unanimously acclaimed as the best part of Gladiator II . “You start to root for his relentless climb to the top,” Vulture’s Alison Willmore says of his turn as a political schemer who sports more rings than the human hand should be able to handle. Washington feels due more accolades; depending on how the race shakes out, he could even contend for the trophy that would mark his entry into Oscar’s three-timers’ club. Wicked ’s Ariana Grande feels less assured, if only because she’s more of an awards-season interloper than Washington. The pop star is awfully winning her first major film role — she had cameos in Zoolander 2 and Don’t Look Up — turning in a performance that, as our own Bilge Ebiri writes, “gives real comic shape to Glinda’s popular-girl frivolity.” With Wicked ’s Oscar buzz growing by the day, more pundits expect Grande to get in than not. Things are also looking up for Grande’s onscreen frenemy, Cynthia Erivo. “Erivo can hit the notes no problem, but it’s the work she does in close-up” that seals the deal for Variety ’s Peter Debruge : Her “subtler approach invites audiences under the character’s (green-tinted) skin.” Erivo’s arrival means an already stacked Best Actress race just got even tougher. I can’t say the same for Gladiator II ’s Paul Mescal, whose middling notices indicate he may not factor into a relatively weak Best Actor field. While the two movies will steer clear of each other in the acting races, it’s in the craft categories where they’ll truly go head-to-head. Here, too, Wicked looks to have the advantage, as it should benefit from the below-the-line races’ own form of gender essentialism. The musical looks to be the early frontrunner in female-friendly categories like Costume Design and Production Design. (Depending how bullish you are on The Substance , maybe Makeup & Hairstyling, too.) Gladiator II could compete there, too, but its best chance at gold will come in male-coded races like Sound and Visual Effects, where it’s up against Dune: Part Two . As for whether either of these films can follow Oppenheimer ’s path to Oscar glory, a part two or a part one hasn’t won Best Picture since the Godfather films back in the ’70s. So were that to happen, it would certainly be defying pundits’ expectations as well as gravity. Every week between now and January 17, when the nominations for the Academy Awards are announced, Vulture will consult its crystal ball to determine the changing fortunes in this year’s Oscar race. In our “Oscar Futures” column, we’ll let you in on insider gossip, parse brand-new developments, and track industry buzz to figure out who’s up, who’s down, and who’s currently leading the race for a coveted Oscar nomination. Something is happening here, and I do know what it is. While official reviews of James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic are still embargoed, I can tell you that the movie is better than anxious Dylanites may have expected. (If they can get past the fact it’s a very normal film about an abnormal man.) The film’s title isn’t just obeying the rule that says biopics must be named after an album or a famous lyric: To its credit, A Complete Unknown doesn’t try to solve or explain this most elusive of artists. Of course, it helps that Mangold can simply cut to a musical number whenever he wants. The same way Wicked benefits greatly from ending with “Defying Gravity,” this is a film with the equivalent of a dozen “Defying Gravity”s. Before Wicked ’s review embargo lifted, I would often encounter online cynics convinced the movie’s positive buzz was an act of corporate gaslighting by Universal. Not so! Reviews went up this week, and they’re almost as positive as the first wave of influencer reactions. Wicked superfan Richard Lawson says the film “does justice to the spirit of the stage musical, balancing its silliness with its pathos, its magical flights of fancy with its more grounded entreaties about tolerance and decency.” With Wicked on track for a $130-million-plus opening , a Best Picture field that was skewing arthouse looks to have added one more blockbuster to the mix. Anora , The Brutalist , Conclave , Dune: Part Two , Emilia Pérez , Nickel Boys , A Real Pain , September 5 , Sing Sing , Wicked Though Mangold has never been nominated for his direction, he’s steered a number of actors to Oscars recognition, including two winners in Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon. His work on A Complete Unknown is in line with previous efforts: solid, proficient filmmaking that doesn’t draw attention to itself. If he couldn’t get nom’d for Ford v Ferrari , I can’t see Mangold getting in this year. However, I suspect that come March, one of his actors will have snuck inside the Dolby with the Mangold nom again. “Anybody expecting Chu to breathe life into Oz the way Peter Jackson did with Middle-earth in his Lord of the Rings epics will surely be disappointed,” writes our own Bilge Ebiri . But “when Chu does sink his teeth into the numbers, something wonderful can emerge.” If only the Globes had a separate category for Musical/Comedy directors, too. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez ; Sean Baker, Anora ; Edward Berger, Conclave ; Brady Corbet, The Brutalist ; Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two Slay, Timmy, slay. Chalamet had years to prepare to play Dylan — the project was originally announced in early 2020 — and he put the long delay to good use. At first it’s jarring to hear That Voice come out of That Face, but once you get accustomed to it, it’s hard not to be impressed by the way he immerses himself in the part, laying bare the petulance that lurks underneath Dylan’s genius. I’ve been looking for someone to take the fifth spot in Best Actor. Knowing the Academy’s affinity for music biopics, it may be him, babe. The consensus from those who attended last weekend’s Governors Awards was that Grant brought down the house with a zingy speech introducing honorary Oscar winner Richard Curtis. (“ Would we call it an Oscar?”) He’d probably need to have given Lincoln’s Second Inaugural to have a sniff at getting the Academy to consider his A24 horror film, but maybe there were some Independent Spirit Awards voters in attendance? Adrien Brody, The Brutalist ; Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown ; Daniel Craig, Queer ; Colman Domingo, Sing Sing ; Ralph Fiennes, Conclave No one fared better from the end of the Wicked embargo than Cynthia Erivo. While pundits and influencers gravitated toward the glitter of Grande, actual film critics are drawn to Erivo’s emotional depth. “She is the film’s Rushmore: charismatic, haughty, and vulnerable,” says Peter Bradshaw . “Her face exerts a planetary pull on everything else onscreen and an impossible thing to look away from.” It’s almost as if, without words we communicate with our eyes . A box-office tidbit courtesy of my colleague Joe Reid : Sony Pictures Classics put The Outrun back in nearly 150 screens, hoping to take advantage of the pre-”Wickiator” lull. Even that couldn’t get the Orkney addiction drama to crack the $1 million mark. Can Ronan’s candidacy, er, outpace her film’s underperformance? Cynthia Erivo, Wicked ; Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez ; Angelina Jolie, Maria ; Nicole Kidman, Babygirl ; Mikey Madison, Anora Jackson starred in the original 1987 production of The Piano Lesson , then returned to the play for its 2022 Broadway revival. (Most of whose cast reprises their roles for the film.) Before the season began, everything appeared to be lining up for the veteran to receive his first nomination since Pulp Fiction . But the process of adapting stage to screen robs Jackson’s character of his big moment, our Bilge Ebiri writes: “Presented with intercutting flashbacks, the gist of his story doesn’t lose its power, but the words somehow do. It becomes less about the man telling the story and more about the story itself.” As the movie hits Netflix this weekend, buzz has been dwindling. Norton has a reputation for being somewhat prickly, but the part of Pete Seeger unlocks the actor’s inner dork, which he lets fly for the first time since Moonrise Kingdom . Folkies may quibble with the film’s depiction of Seeger — he symbolizes the hidebound scene disrupted by Dylan — and I don’t know if there’s enough heft here for a nom. But as a human Kermit the Frog, he’s a gee-golly delight. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain ; Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing ; Guy Pearce, The Brutalist ; Stanley Tucci, Conclave ; Denzel Washington, Gladiator II A newcomer to the cast (she takes over from Broadway’s Danielle Brooks), Deadwyler gives the standout performance in a film that’s been rejiggered to privilege her character’s perspective. “Deadwyler’s electricity powers both her sensual sighs and the defiant speeches she makes,” says Robert Daniels , who proclaims her the film’s “heart and soul.” As with Zoe Saldaña in Emilia Pérez , she’s arguably a co-lead. Still, I think this placement makes sense, since the film is an ensemble piece in which each character takes a turn in the spotlight. After her snub for Till we should never take a Deadwyler nom for granted, but this emphatic work deserves to make the Oscar five. The Dylan biopic has a love triangle in which both women are the Betty. As a fictionalized stand-in for an early Dylan girlfriend, Elle Fanning plays a continuation of her Ginger & Rosa role, a socially conscious, easily wounded activist. But I was most struck by Barbaro, who nails not just Joan Baez’s moral backbone but also her bright, clear soprano. (Full disclosure: She, Chalamet, and I took lessons with the same vocal coach.) A Complete Unknown may share the Anora problem of having two supporting performances that crowd each other out, awards-wise. Nevertheless, for an actress I only know from Top Gun: Maverick , this is a real breakout moment. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson ; Ariana Grande, Wicked ; Felicity Jones, The Brutalist ; Saoirse Ronan, Blitz ; Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Russian Strike Kills 10, Injures 20 In Southern Ukraine

Repeat banned driver who failed to do court-ordered work is fined insteadNORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma appears to have borrowed from the past to cure its recent offensive ills. The Sooners , best known this century for a passing prowess that has produced four Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, took it back to the 20th century against then-No. 7 Alabama. Oklahoma ran 50 times for 257 yards while only throwing 12 times in a 24-3 win over the Crimson Tide that took coach Brent Venables off the hot seat. The Sooners more resembled Barry Switzer’s squads that dominated the old Big 8 with the wishbone offense in the 1970s and ’80s than the more recent Air Raid teams. Venables said the change was a matter of necessity for a unit that has been besieged by injuries at receiver and offensive line. “I think this staff has done a really good job with trying to figure that out, get better every week, put together a great gameplan but also figure out, ‘OK, what does this group of guys, what does this team — what do we need to do?'” Venables said. To make it work, Oklahoma needed to trust that such a change would work in the modern Southeastern Conference. They had to implement it with an interim play-caller in Joe Jon Finley, who stepped in after the Sooners fired Seth Littrell last month. Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) pulled it off, and LSU coach Brian Kelly has taken notice ahead of their game on Saturday. “This is now much more about controlling the football, running the football, playing with physicality," Kelly said. "They've got perimeter skill, but I think it's centered around much more of a run-centric, quarterback run and take care of the football." The Sooners started to see success on the ground against Maine. They ran 52 times for 381 yards in a 59-14 win that got the wheels turning. Jovantae Barnes ran for career highs of 203 yards and three touchdowns that day. Venables said the timing of the opportunity to play that non-conference game against Maine in early November and figure some things out was perfect. “Everybody has some degree of vulnerability and maybe some self-doubt,” he said. “And just developing some confidence and putting something on tape other than practice, like, ‘Man, look, see what you’re capable of?’ And executing against, again, a well-coached team — certainly, we played off of that in all the right ways like you would expect us to. And so there’s a real place for that.” After a bye week, the Sooners tried the same approach against Missouri. It wasn't as successful — they ran 36 times for 122 yards — but they hung tough before losing 30-23 . The Sooners went all in against Alabama. Jackson Arnold — the same guy who threw 45 times in the Alamo Bowl last year, ran 25 times for 131 yards and threw just 11 passes. The Sooners found something in running back Xavier Robinson. With Barnes out with an injury, Robinson carried 18 times for career highs of 107 yards and two touchdowns. Suddenly, a team that had been forcing the pass and getting sacked at an alarming rate was moving the line of scrimmage and controlling the tempo. Oklahoma had the ball for more than 34 minutes against the Crimson Tide, lending support to a talented defense that had been spending way too much time on the field. The new approach could be helpful on Saturday — LSU (7-4, 4-3) ranks 14th out of 16 conference teams against the run. Venables said the Sooners still need to throw the ball well to win, but he's glad to know his squad can run with force when necessary. “I think that’s the art of having a system that’s adjustable, flexible, adaptable, week in and week out, but also has an identity — toughness, physicality," he said. "You’ve got to be able to run the ball at every level of football, but you do have to throw it. You can’t just do one thing. But we need to be efficient.” 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

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was banned Monday from travelling abroad, the justice ministry said, less than a week after he plunged the country into chaos by briefly imposing martial law. Yoon sent special forces and helicopters to parliament on the night of December 3 before lawmakers forced him to rescind the order by rejecting his decree. The unpopular leader narrowly survived an impeachment motion in parliament Saturday even as huge crowds braved freezing temperatures to call for his ouster. Despite remaining in office, a clutch of investigations has been closing in on Yoon and his close allies, including a probe for alleged insurrection. The ministry of justice confirmed on Monday that Yoon had become the first sitting South Korean president to be banned from leaving the country. A lawmaker was asked at a Monday parliamentary hearing whether Yoon had been banned from international travel. "Yes, that's right," replied Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the ministry. Also under travel bans for their roles in last week's events are former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun -- currently in detention -- and ex-interior minister Lee Sang-min. General Park An-su, the officer in charge of the martial law operation, and defence counterintelligence commander Yeo In-hyung are also barred from leaving South Korea. Investigators hauled Park in for further questioning Monday, and Yonhap news agency reported that prosecutors had asked for a warrant for Kim's formal arrest. The impeachment push failed to pass after members of Yoon's own People Power Party (PPP) walked out of parliament, depriving it of the necessary two-thirds majority. The PPP says that in exchange, the 63-year-old Yoon has agreed to hand power to the prime minister and party chief, prompting howls of protest from the opposition. "This is an unlawful, unconstitutional act of a second insurrection and a second coup," Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae said. Under South Korea's constitution, the president remains head of government and commander in chief of the army unless he or she is incapacitated, resigns or steps down. In such a case, power would then be handed to the prime minister on an interim basis until elections could be held. Claiming Yoon can remain in office but has delegated his powers to the prime minister and leader of his ruling PPP -- who is not an elected official -- is "a blatant constitutional violation with no legal basis", Park said. "Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol," he said. South Korea's ally the United States indicated it would still deal with Yoon but said it "will keep lines of communication open with all relevant parties". "President Yoon is the president of Korea, and the political process in Korea will play out, as it should, under Korea's laws and Korea's constitution," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. The defence ministry confirmed Monday that the embattled Yoon still oversees the country's security apparatus, despite the apparent power vacuum in a country that remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea. "Legally, (control of military forces) currently lies with the commander in chief," defence ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou said. Yoon has apologised for "anxiety and inconvenience" caused by his declaration of martial law but has not stepped down, saying instead he would entrust decisions about his fate to his party. He also said he would accept all political and legal responsibility for the martial law fiasco. There is no constitutional basis supporting the ruling party's claim that Yoon can stay in office but hand over his power to unelected party officials, said Kim Hae-won, a constitutional law professor at Pusan National University Law School. "It seems to resemble an unconstitutional soft coup," he told AFP. "If there are issues with the president, there are ways laid out in the constitution such as suspending the president from his duties, and then move on to proceedings set out in the constitution, such as impeachment," he said. The opposition has already said they would try again to impeach Yoon, with leader Lee Jae-myung saying another vote would be held Saturday. burs-stu/ceb/bgs-sct/mlmIt’s December 4, and that means it’s the officially unofficial “Dragon Age Day.” Get it? D4. DA. Dragon Age . Anyway, this year, BioWare released some statistics about players’ choices in Dragon Age: The Veilguard . The RPG has been out for a little over a month now, so that means more players have gotten further into the game than the last time BioWare released detailed info about players’ various choices. So let’s jump into it and break down the choices people made from the start to the end of their journey. It’s not terribly surprising to me that Neve, the Tevinter mage detective, ended up at the top. But I am devastated to see my man Davrin so low. Y’all don’t know what you’re missing. More for me, fuck y’all. Anyway, Emmrich, the older gentleman of the group is on the very bottom, which isn’t surprising given some cowards would likely view him as “too old” for protagonist Rook. But worry not, he is no doubt getting love from his loyal fans. The romance rankings are as follows: Neve Lucanis Taash Harding Bellara Davrin Emmrich BioWare is pretty thorough in this breakdown, documenting every major choice in the game. This includes the companion’s personal quests. First up is Bellara, who, at the end of her missions, must choose whether or not to preserve an archive spirit that includes some pretty dark moments in elven history. Most players chose to keep it, with 56 percent of players telling her to make that call. 44 chose to free the spirit in the end. Jail. Jail for all of you. Okay, just 54 percent of you. Emmrich, the necromancer of the team, must choose at the end of his questline to either become a Lich, an immortal necromancer that Emmrich has been studying his whole life to become, or revive Manfred, his skeleton assistant who is killed in a scrap. 54 percent of Veilguard players chose to let Manfred stay dead so Emmrich could keep pursuing his dream of becoming an immortal mage, and that means Manfred didn’t come back to be Emmrich’s protege mage son. Shame on y’all. Shame! Okay, I’m calming down now. Davrin, the Grey Warden teammate, spends his quests saving the last known griffons from a fate worse than death. In the end, he asks Rook if they should be returned to the Wardens to help fight darkspawn as they did in the past, or if they should be taken to Arlathan Forest to protect nature. 67 percent of players sent them to Arlathan. Good job, team. Lucanis, the Antivan Crow assassin of the team, spends much of his time in The Veilguard dealing with family politics. This includes a betrayal at the hands of his cousin Illario. Lucanis is able to either forgive him for his transgressions or lock him up. An overwhelming 78 percent chose the latter, with 22 percent opting for a more peaceful approach. Taash spends most of The Veilguard pulled between two worlds. Their whole deal through their personal quest is finding out who they are, whether that be in their identity as a non-binary person, or as someone who is split between their Qunari heritage and Rivani present. Rook can nudge them in one direction or the other, but 79 percent of players chose to encourage them to lean into Rivani culture. Neve is basically Dragon Age Batman by the end of her quests. Tevinter’s greatest detective can either become a “protector” of the people, opting for more of a shadowy approach, or an “inspiration” to the people by operating as a private investigator. Most people went the protector route, with 61 percent of players going this route. Harding’s quest dives into some deep dwarven lore and answers big questions about the history of her people. By the end, she must choose whether or not to take on the lingering anger of her people or soothe it. Given how kindhearted Harding is, I’m not surprised that 84 percent of players saw her embrace her nature. One of the earliest choices you get in the game’s opening hours is whether or not you save a Mayor who sold out his village to the elven gods. 42 percent of players chose to leave him to the elements (which can result in a boss fight against him later), 36 saved him, then 22 percent of players banished him to the Grey Wardens. The last of those is only available if your Rook is from the Grey Wardens. The choice between saving either Minrathous or Treviso is one of the earliest decisions that has ramifications throughout all of The Veilguard . Choosing one or the other means the city you don’t protect will be blighted and altogether fucked up for the rest of the game. It was a slim difference, with Treviso coming out ahead with 51 percent. To that, I say “as a Shadow Dragon, fuck y’all.” The First Warden is a colossal pain in the butt during The Veilguard ’s first act. When it finally comes to handling him during the assault on the Warden base in Weisshaupt, Rook can either knock him out and take control of the stronghold or reason with him. 64 percent of players rightfully punched his lights out. There are two choices at the beginning of The Veilguard ’s final missions that require you to sacrifice two of your party members. One choice has you assign Harding or Davrin to lead a second team during an assault on the elven god’s base, the other makes you assign either Bellara or Neve to handle a magical barrier. Whoever you choose will be sacrificed (one presumed dead, the other abducted by the enemy), and the split was surprisingly bigger than I expected. Most players chose Harding, with 54 percent of players putting the dwarven rogue in charge, leaving Davrin presumed dead in only 46 percent of playthroughs. Bellara, meanwhile, was kidnapped in most playthroughs, with 58 percent of players choosing her over the 42 percent who chose Neve. After all that heartbreak and loss, The Veilguard asks players to once again put their companions in the line of fire with a final assault on Minrathous. This includes multiple assignments that have a good or bad outcome depending on who you choose, if they have achieved “Hero of the Veilguard” status, and if your faction strength has reached a certain threshold. From the looks of it, most people are making the right choices for these, but here’s the breakdown: Top three choices to accompany the Veil Jumpers and unravel the Venatori Wards: Emmrich Neve Bellara Top three companions chosen to join the Antivan Crows in hunting the Venatori commander: Lucanis Taash Emmrich Top three chosen to join forces with the Wardens and Mourn Watch to fight the Juggernaut: Taash Davrin Emmrich Top three companions chosen to stay behind for the counter-attack: Taash Davrin Harding After all that carnage, Solas, the ex-party member turned antagonist, still wants to tear down The Veil and unleash a horde of demons on Thedas. If you sought out Solas’ memories in the Crossroads and obtained the essence of Mythal, you’re able to talk him down, which most people did. Over 72 percent of players made this choice. However, if you either didn’t do those quests or just feel like fucking him up, you can either fight him or trick him with a decoy lyrium dagger into binding himself to The Veil. 17 percent of players chose to trick him, while only eight percent chose to take him on in a fight. The remaining three percent got the “sacrifice” ending, which ends in Rook sacrificing themself to ensure Solas is bound to The Veil. This is only possible if you lose too many people in the assault on Minrathous. Within those 72 percent of players who redeemed Solas, 43 percent of players had an Inquisitor who romanced Solas and joined him in The Fade. 57 percent of players had an Inquisitor who either romanced someone else (or no one) or didn’t convince the Inquisitor to forgive him. The last statistics BioWare included in its roundup were the interactions players had with Assan, Davrin’s griffon son, and Manfred. Only 50 percent of players pet Assan and a criminal 31 percent of people played Rock Paper Scissors with Manfred. Y’all need to go hang out with the Lighthouse pets. Jail to all of you. While pouring over the results of all of these decisions is exciting, it remains to be seen how any of these outcomes might factor into a future game. Personally, I’m holding out hope that Rook will return as a protagonist in the next Dragon Age , which could allow for more of these characters and choices to show up in meaningful ways. But whatever’s coming is still years away as BioWare is now shifting focus to the next Mass Effect game and isn’t making any DLC for The Veilguard .ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Maverick McNealy steadied himself after a rugged start Saturday with a 4-under 66 and caught up with Vince Whaley in a wild third round at the RSM Classic in which a half-dozen players had at least a share of the lead. McNealy looked as though he might have the lead when he hit wedge on the final hole that rolled just by the cup and settled 8 feet away. He missed the putt, still in great position to go after his first PGA Tour victory. Whaley, also winless on tour, birdied the 18th for a 63 and will be playing in the final group for the first time on the PGA Tour. McNealy, who joined him at 14-under 198, also shared the 54-hole lead in 2021 at the season opener in Napa, California. Whaley was playing with a sense of freedom not everyone has at the final PGA Tour event this year. He was playing on a medical extension and fulfilled the necessary points in July. The next step was finishing in the top 125 in the FedEx Cup. He secured that last week with a tie for fifth in the Bermuda Championship. Everything else feels like a bonus, and there could be no greater perk than a victory to get into the Masters and PGA Championship, along with a two-year exemption. “I've really got nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I'm just excited for the opportunity,” Whaley said. Opportunity abounds going into the final round. Daniel Berger shot a 63 and played his way into the final group, just two shots behind. He was tied with former Sea Island winner Mackenzie Hughes (65), Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Patrick Fishburn (69). Berger and Thorbjornsen were among those who arrived at Sea Island outside the top 125, the number required to keep full status on tour on next year. Thorbjornsen already has that locked up as the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking. Berger needed a big week and he's delivering, even though he says he doesn't feel stress. Berger missed 19 months with a back injury that he feared might end his career. Now he's healthy enough to have played 27 times this year. “Regardless when I play well, I'm going to be fine,” said Berger, who played in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. "When you miss that much amount of time it takes a little bit of a while to get back. It's just a matter of being patient and eventually good things come around.” Henrik Norlander and Hayden Springer, also on the the wrong side of No. 125, each shot 63 and were among those tied for 12th, a position that currently would let them move into the top 125. Joel Dahmen, who had to make a 5-foot par putt on Friday to make the cut, shot 70 and was tied for 61st. He is at No. 124 and his future depends on a big round Sunday, along with how Thorbjornsen, Berger, Norlander and Springer fare. Closer to the top, eight players were separated by three shots. That includes Luke Clanton, the Florida State sophomore and No. 1 amateur in the world who already has three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and was going after another one. Tournament is played on two courses with different pars. Maverick McNealy 62a-70b-66a—198 Vince Whaley 67a-68b-63a—198 Daniel Berger 71a-66b-63a—200 Patrick Fishburn 67a-64b-69a—200 Mackenzie Hughes 68b-67a-65a—200 Michael Thorbjornsen 64b-69a-67a—200 Luke Clanton 68a-65b-68a—201 Lee Hodges 69a-63b-69a—201 Nicolas Echavarria 67a-67b-68a—202 Michael Kim 65a-69b-68a—202 Stewart Cink 68b-68a-67a—203 Joseph Bramlett 69a-71b-64a—204 Steven Fisk 72a-65b-67a—204 Will Gordon 66a-71b-67a—204 Martin Laird 69a-66b-69a—204 Henrik Norlander 71a-70b-63a—204 Paul Peterson 70a-66b-68a—204 Hayden Springer 70a-71b-63a—204 Kevin Yu 67b-68a-69a—204 Adrien Dumont De Chassart 64a-70b-71a—205 Joe Highsmith 71a-66b-68a—205 J.T. Poston 70a-71b-64a—205 Patrick Rodgers 65a-70b-70a—205 Robby Shelton 72a-66b-67a—205 Bud Cauley 68a-70b-68a—206 Kevin Chappell 68b-71a-67a—206 Austin Eckroat 67b-70a-69a—206 Ben Griffin 69b-72a-65a—206 Ryo Hisatsune 71a-67b-68a—206 Mark Hubbard 70a-69b-67a—206 Chandler Phillips 66b-71a-69a—206 Callum Tarren 67a-68b-71a—206 Brandon Wu 71a-68b-67a—206 Kelly Kraft 65a-73b-69a—207 Denny McCarthy 69a-70b-68a—207 Taylor Montgomery 69a-72b-66a—207 Seung-Yul Noh 69a-72b-66a—207 Andrew Novak 65b-75a-67a—207 Austin Smotherman 68a-70b-69a—207 Sam Stevens 70a-70b-67a—207 Kevin Tway 74a-67b-66a—207 Ludvig Aberg 73a-64b-71a—208 Eric Cole 68b-72a-68a—208 Harris English 67b-72a-69a—208 Adam Schenk 71b-67a-70a—208 Davis Thompson 70b-71a-67a—208 Jonathan Byrd 69b-72a-68a—209 Lucas Glover 71b-70a-68a—209 Adam Hadwin 69a-69b-71a—209 Brian Harman 70a-70b-69a—209 Christo Lamprecht 72b-68a-69a—209 William McGirt 72a-69b-68a—209 Taylor Moore 68a-73b-68a—209 Martin Trainer 69b-72a-68a—209 Matt Wallace 70a-68b-71a—209 Marcus Byrd 70b-70a-70a—210 Doug Ghim 72a-69b-69a—210 Seonghyeon Kim 71a-70b-69a—210 Russell Knox 70a-71b-69a—210 Blake McShea 72a-68b-70a—210 Joel Dahmen 73b-68a-70a—211 Garrick Higgo 70b-71a-70a—211 Adam Svensson 70a-71b-70a—211 Carson Young 70a-71b-70a—211 Tyson Alexander 70a-71b-71a—212 Lanto Griffin 68a-72b-72a—212 Philip Knowles 72a-68b-72a—212 Patton Kizzire 71b-69a-73a—213 Jake Knapp 69a-71b-73a—213PEMBROKE — Through one early-game stretch Saturday against Erskine, and another in the second half, UNC Pembroke head basketball coach Drew Richards was clearly not pleased with his team’s effort, particularly on the defensive end. But for a 15-minute span in between those two points, the Braves were quite strong on both ends. It was that stretch that helped UNCP to build a lead as it opened Conference Carolinas play with a 94-64 home win over Erskine. “You can’t choose when you talk on a basketball court. As soon as you stop talking the offense is going to take advantage of it,” Richards said. “So I thought the last 15 (minutes) of the first (half), and the first five or six (minutes) of the second, we were locked in and we were talking and jumping and we were in a stance off the ball, we were doing all those things that we practice every single day. And then we just decided not to do it. Erskine (2-5, 0-1 CC) led 15-13 with 11:41 left in the first half, with the Flying Fleet going 6-for-9 from the field and Grant Lovette scoring 11 points in the stretch. UNCP (3-4, 1-0 CC) then went on a 37-4 run that stretched into the early minutes of the second half. It began with a 13-0 stretch as UNCP held Erskine without a point for 4 1/2 minutes to go up 26-15; the Braves got 3-pointers in the run from Ant Abraham, Josh Berenbaum and Quay Watson, who also hit a layup. It was part of a breakout day for the Charlotte freshman Watson, who finished with 11 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals, all career highs. “I was just being comfortable doing whatever it takes to help my team win the basketball game,” Watson said. “It’s been quite an adjustment, but I feel like I’m adjusting well and I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.” “(Watson) has had to grow up quicker than a lot of freshmen that we’ve had, just because of the way our team is right now,” Richards said. “So kind of throwing him into the fire when we really didn’t expect that three or four months ago. So he’s done a good job embracing that role and being productive in that role. Erskine hit two baskets to pull to a 26-19 gap, then was held scoreless again for nearly 10 minutes. UNCP finished the half on a 17-0 run to take a 43-19 lead at the break, with Bradlee Haskell scoring five points to lead the six Braves who scored in the span. Haskell finished with 17 points to lead the Braves and dished three assists. “We knew they were going to play a pack line defense, so we just got the ball from one side to the next side and get the ball in the paint, and we just got good shots, and I just happened to knock them in,” Haskell said. UNCP scored the first seven points of the second half as well, including two baskets from Joe’l Pettiford, to go up 50-19 before Erskine ended its drought with a Zion Brown triple. UNCP would take its largest lead at 61-28 with 14:01 to go, adding to the lead with four points in the stretch from Jonathan Kurtas and a Steven Lassiter basket. Erskine, though, would close back to within 18 by going on a 19-4 run, making it 65-47 with 8:10 to go. Erskine was 6-for-8 from the floor including a pair of triples in the span, with Jayden Byrd leading the way with five points. The struggles were made all the more baffling for Richards considering the Braves were just three days removed from a win over No. 9 Lincoln Memorial, which he referenced postgame. “It’s one of those things that going into games, whether you’re playing against Lincoln Memorial or Erskine, you’ve got to have a championship level to you, a level of effort and focus, and we didn’t have it,” Richards said. “There were times where defensively we were comically bad. It’s extremely frustrating because I know what we’re capable of because we just did it.” A Watson 3 and an Elijah Cobb layup stopped the Flying Fleet’s run and put UNCP up 70-47. The Braves’ lead hovered around 20 points over the next few minutes until UNCP finished the game on a 14-4 run over the final 3:35, highlighted by the first collegiate basket for Pembroke native Connor Harris. The Braves had 10 players score five points or more in the win. Richards was particularly pleased with Jonathan Kurtas, who scored seven points with seven rebounds in just 10 minutes, and Steven Lassiter, who had eight points with five rebounds and eight minutes. “(Kurtas) just brings a lot of positive energy, he’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever been around and he makes these guys a lot more confident, he’s talking, he’s communicating, and he just played with a lot of effort tonight,” Richards said. “(Lassiter) has been playing really hard, and crashing the boards, making shots, he’s been much better defensively. ... You continue to do these things, play with that chip and play as hard as you can, there’s going to be minutes that become available.” Dallas Gardner scored 11 points with four rebounds for the Braves, Berenbaum scored nine points with five rebounds, Joe’l Pettiford flirted with a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, JaJuan Carr scored eight points with four assists, Cobb scored six points with five rebounds and three assists and Abraham scored five points with four assists. UNCP held a 51-27 rebounding advantage. Lovette scored 17 points with five rebounds to lead Erskine, Christian Monroe scored 13 points and Byrd had 10 points. UNCP will play its next three games on the road starting Tuesday at Belmont Abbey; they will also play Nov. 30 against Lees-McRae, who is using King’s facilities in Bristol, Tennessee in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, and Dec. 7 at Mount Olive. “We can’t be on the road at Belmont (Abbey) or at Mount Olive or wherever, Lees-McRae, and lose our focus,” Richards said. “It happens a lot faster on the road. ... We use this as a way to learn that we’ve got to maintain a focus for 40 minutes, maintain an identity for 40 minutes, not 30 minutes, and if we can take that step forward, road or home, we should be able to have a good chance to compete and win.” Sports editor Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at cstiles@robesonian.com. You can follow him on X at @StilesOnSports.

JDA installs topiaries in Jaipur for first time to welcome RR delegates

A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok’s petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company’s challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court’s opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though its unclear whether the court will take up the case. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting ans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” Hughes said. Unless stopped, he argued the statute “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” Though the case is squarely in the court system, it’s also possible the two companies might be thrown some sort of a lifeline by President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the presidential campaign that he is now against such action. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a yearslong saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect. The European Union on Friday expressed similar concerns as it investigates intelligence that suggests Russia possibly abused the platform to influence the elections in Romania. TikTok, which sued the government over the law in May, has long denied it could be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit in the U.S. They have also argued the law is predicated on future risks, which the Department of Justice has emphasized pointing in part to unspecified action it claims the two companies have taken in the past due to demands from the Chinese government. Friday’s ruling came after the appeals court panel, composed of two Republicans and one Democrat appointed judges, heard oral arguments in September. In the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, the panel appeared to grapple with how TikTok’s foreign ownership affects its rights under the Constitution and how far the government could go to curtail potential influence from abroad on a foreign-owned platform. On Friday, all three denied TikTok’s petition. In the court’s ruling, Ginsburg, a Republican appointee, rejected TikTok’s main legal arguments against the law, including that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder, or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He also said the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to “suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. “Content on the platform could in principle remain unchanged after divestiture, and people in the United States would remain free to read and share as much PRC propaganda (or any other content) as they desire on TikTok or any other platform of their choosing,” Ginsburg wrote, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. Judge Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge on the court, issued a concurring opinion. TikTok’s lawsuit was consolidated with a second legal challenge brought by several content creators — for which the company is covering legal costs — as well as a third one filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Other organizations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, had also filed amicus briefs supporting TikTok. “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans’ access to information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization. “We hope that the appeals court’s ruling won’t be the last word.” Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers who had pushed for the legislation celebrated the court’s ruling. “I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law, said “it’s time for ByteDance to accept” the law. To assuage concerns about the company’s owners, TikTok says it has invested more than $2 billion to bolster protections around U.S. user data. The company has also argued the government’s broader concerns could have been resolved in a draft agreement it provided the Biden administration more than two years ago during talks between the two sides. It has blamed the government for walking away from further negotiations on the agreement, which the Justice Department argues is insufficient. Attorneys for the two companies have claimed it’s impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm — the platform’s secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divesture plan — would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in purchasing the platform. Both men said earlier this year that they were launching a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said unnamed participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital. A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a A Boston city councilor was arrested Friday on federal fraud U.S. stocks rose to records Friday after data suggested the The Nov. 29 print edition of The Business Journal includedThe Washington Commanders are facing some uncertainty at the running back position due to injuries in Week 12 to Brian Robinson, Jr. (ankle) and Austin Ekeler (concussion protocol). In the meantime, they've signed Chris Rodriguez, Jr., who was just waived by the team days ago. Rodriguez was a sixth-round pick by the Commanders in 2023, and had spent most of the 2024 season on Washington's practice squad prior to this past week. Now he'll have a chance to join the active roster, and may be asked to play a featured role depending on the health of Robinson and Ekeler. Rodriguez has only appeared in four games for the Commanders this season, and only taken non-special teams snaps in two of them. In one of those games, against the New York Giants in Week 9, Rodriguez rushed 11 times for 52 yards. Jeremy McNichols would presumably get most of Washington's carries if both Robinson and Ekeler are unable to go on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, but Rodriguez would likely be asked to chip in with a sizable workload. It could be the best opportunity of his young career. What Rodriguez's signing means for Robinson and Ekeler is unclear. There's a chance that either of them could still play and Rodriguez's presence is merely precautionary. If not, though, it's next man up.

The Falcons are sticking with Kirk Cousins and may get a break thanks to a soft schedule