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Quarterback is undecided on whether he wants to continue his legendary career in 2025. If he does, he wants it to be with the . The four-time MVP, appearing Tuesday on "The Pat McAfee Show," addressed his future amid reports over the weekend that said he wants out of New York and that he could be benched or even released by the end of the season. "I don't even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option," Rodgers said during his weekly appearance, commenting on next season. Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, said he will base his decision on how his body feels and whether the Jets want him back. "You want to be in a spot where you feel like you can win and you're valued," said Rodgers, mired in one of the worst statistical seasons of his career. The choice might not be his. The Jets (3-8), who fired coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, will have a new regime in 2025. The new leaders may opt to cut ties with Rodgers, who is signed for 2025 but has no guaranteed money remaining in his contract. They could turn the position over to current backup and a highly drafted rookie. Rodgers used his spot on the show to deny various reports, including a report by The Athletic that he wants to play in 2025, just not for the Jets. "That's 100% false," he said, adding that he's "not jumping off the ship." But he created waves by expressing uncertainty about his desire to keep playing. When asked two weeks ago if he wants to play in 2025, Rodgers said, "Yeah, I think so" -- hardly a convincing yes. A few days later, the Jets' disappointing season unraveled even further with a crushing last-minute loss to the and the firing of Douglas. Rodgers mulled retirement after the 2022 season, ultimately deciding during his infamous darkness retreat that he wanted to continue. The traded him to the Jets in April 2023. His goal, he said, was to give "two good seasons" to the Jets. His 2023 season lasted only four snaps before he ruptured his left Achilles, and he joked that this season hasn't been that good, either. "When you're 40, going on 41, you're obviously at the end of your career," he said. "... Obviously, if it's New York, they have to want me to be here. And then the new GM, new staff all have to want me to be with the Jets. And then body-wise, I have to see how I'm feeling and if I want to sign up to go back to the grind and all that, but it feels good. I'm healthy now. "It's not as much fun when you're dealing with rehab all the time. So, if I can stay healthy the rest of the year and play the way I want to play, and everybody feels good about bringing me back, then there's a decision there. And if not, then there's all the other options. I think, at this point, I'm open to everything and attached to nothing. So, it's a good place to be." Rodgers battled hamstring, knee and ankle injuries earlier in the season, no doubt contributing to his pedestrian numbers -- 17 touchdown passes, seven interceptions. There were reports that he could be benched or placed on injured reserve or even released by the end of the season. On Monday, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said there has been no internal discussion about shutting down the future Hall of Famer. He said Rodgers will "absolutely" start Sunday against the and that "a healthy Aaron Rodgers is an Aaron Rodgers we all love." Rodgers made it clear that he wants to keep playing even though the Jets have virtually no shot at the playoffs. "I will not willingly go on IR without an injury," he said. He confirmed that he hasn't had any medical imaging tests for his injuries, insisting he didn't need them because he trusted his own gut feeling and the evaluations of the team's medical staff. The Rodgers experiment has been a major disappointment for the Jets, who are 10-18 since the trade (including the 16 games he missed). He acknowledged the two seasons have been "frustrating and difficult," but not a total loss. "These have been two of the most important years of my life and two of the best years of my life," he said. Rodgers said he felt bad that Douglas was fired last week. It happened after a bye-week practice. Rodgers said he noticed owner Woody Johnson arriving via helicopter during practice, as he often does. This time, he had a funny feeling. "I just knew something might be going down here, and I was like, 'Damn, I hope it's not Joe,'" said Rodgers, who learned during a flight to California that Douglas had been fired.Warning: This post discusses weight loss. In recent years, celebrities have turned to Ozempic and similar drugs for weight loss. While the FDA has approved Wegovy and Zepbound for weight management, Ozempic and Mounjaro officially remain medications for type 2 diabetics. According to NPR , shortages due in part to Hollywood's fondness for the drugs have left many diabetics unable to access the medications they need. NPR pointed out that the drugmakers themselves have advertised heavily, with some commercials including the number of pounds patients lost even when that particular medication was meant for type 2 diabetics. This, in combination with social media, has also increased demand for using those drugs for weight loss. Because these drugs are so popular, many social media users accuse famous people of using Ozempic whenever a celebrity loses weight. Here are 19 celebrities who have either admitted to or denied using Ozempic and similar drugs: 1. Admitted it: Kelly Osbourne This year, the reality TV star raved about Ozempic while chatting with E! News . "I think it's amazing. There are a million ways to lose weight. Why not do it through something [that] isn't as boring as working out?" "People hate on it because they want to do it," she continued. "And the people who hate on it the most are the people who are secretly doing it or pissed off that they can't afford it. Unfortunately, right now it's something that is very expensive, but it eventually won't be because it actually works." 2. Denied it: Khloé Kardashian In 2023, the reality TV star posted photos of herself on Instagram, which sparked Ozempic accusations in the comments. “Let’s not discredit my years of working out," Khloé replied . "I get up 5 days a week at 6am to train. Please stop with your assumptions. I guess new year still means mean people." This year, she shared more of her thoughts on an episode of The Kardashians . "When I was bigger, if they had Ozempic, I probably would have tried it, 'cause I tried any other thing. I tried any fad weight loss trend except for the real thing that actually works, and that’s a lifestyle change." She encouraged viewers to focus on "healthiness" and not just "the number on a scale." 3. Admitted it: Amy Schumer On a 2023 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen , the actor called out other celebs for lying about their weight loss. "Everyone has been lying saying, 'Oh, smaller portions.' Like, shut the fuck up," she said. "You are on Ozempic or one of those things, or you got work done. Just stop. Be real with the people. When I got lipo, I said I got lipo." The actor also said she used Ozempic in the past but experienced negative side effects. "Like a year ago, I tried it. I was one of those people that felt so sick and couldn't play with my son. I was so skinny and he's throwing a ball at me and [I couldn't]. And you're like, 'OK, this isn't livable for me.' But I immediately invested because I knew everyone was going to try it." 4. Denied it: Lizzo In September, the singer shared an Instagram video of herself at the gym. In the comments, someone accused her of either using Ozempic or cocaine to achieve weight loss. Lizzo responded a few days later with another video, this one captioned, "When you finally get ozempic allegations after 5 months of weight training and calorie deficit." She spoke along to the sound of the video, saying, "It's like a reward." 5. Admitted it: Elon Musk On X (formerly known as Twitter), a user complimented Elon's looks and asked for his secret. The X owner replied , "Fasting." In a second tweet, he said , "And Wegovy." According to WebMD , "Ozempic and Wegovy are different brand names for the same injectable drug, semaglutide." Wegovy is "approved to manage weight in adults and kids 12 and up who have obesity" while Ozempic is "approved to lower blood sugar when you have type 2 diabetes." 6. Denied it: Kylie Jenner Ozempic rumors have plagued the reality TV star since Travis Scott (Kylie's ex and the father of her two children) released a song with the lyrics: "She doin' Ozempic, tryna be different, tryna be a newer woman." In August, she spoke to British Vogue about her body's journey throughout motherhood, explaining that as soon as she felt "in shape" again after the birth of her first child, she became pregnant with her second. "I feel like people didn’t give me, or give women in general, enough empathy... I see pictures [online] and people are accusing me of being on drugs or something,” she added, referring to Ozempic and similar drugs. "I’m back at my weight I was before I had my daughter and son, and people are putting side-by-sides of me three months postpartum. I’m like: 'Does everyone forget that I had two children, and I gained 60 pounds both pregnancies?'" 7. Admitted it: Oprah Winfrey Last year, the media mogul told People that she uses a weight loss drug, though she didn't specify the name of it. "It was public sport to make fun of me for 25 years," she said. "I have been blamed and shamed, and I blamed and shamed myself." Oprah explained that she uses it "as a tool to manage not yo-yoing. The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself." 8. Denied it: Jessica Simpson Last year, the singer addressed Ozempic rumors during an interview with Bustle . "Oh, Lord. I mean, it is not. It’s willpower. I’m like, do people want me to be drinking again? Because that’s when I was heavier. Or they want me to be having another baby? My body can’t do it." 9. Admitted it: James Corden In September, the comedian discussed his Ozempic usage on his SiriusXM podcast This Life of Mine. "It won’t be surprising to you when you look at me now that it didn’t really work. All it does is make you feel not hungry. But I am very rarely eating [because of hunger]. You are looking at someone who’s eaten a king size — and when I say king size Dairy Milk, one you give someone for Christmas — in a carwash. None of that was like: 'Oh, I’m so hungry.' It is not that, it’s something else." 10. Denied it: Ice Spice In August, the rapper hosted an X Spaces (formerly known as Twitter Spaces) where she denied the Ozempic rumors that abounded after her recent weight loss. "I wish y'all never learned the word Ozempic," she said. "That's one thing I wish. Oh my God, like, what even is Ozempic? What the fuck is that? Genuinely, what is that?" "Like, you lazy ass bitches never heard of a gym?" she continued. "It's called the gym. It's called eating healthy. It's called being on tour. Like, what the hell? Maybe if I was sitting home all day, it would be easier to stay big." 11. Admitted it: Rebel Wilson In March, the actor told The Sunday Times that she embarked on a journey to lose weight when a doctor told her it would be beneficial for IVF. While she no longer takes Ozempic, she previously combined it with exercise, a high-protein, low-sugar diet, and examining her relationship with food with a doctor. "Basically no one apart from my mom wanted me to lose weight," she said. "People thought I'd lose my pigeonhole in my career, playing the fat funny character, and they wanted me to continue in that." Rebel added, "I feel strongly that young women shouldn't try to obsess over looking like Victoria's Secret models — they should just look like themselves. I know that my relationship with food is complicated." 12. Denied it: Ashley Benson Four months after giving birth to her daughter, the actor posted a mirror selfie on social media, where commenters accused her of using Ozempic. She responded in an Instagram story, writing, "I know a lot of people take ozempic and that's totally fine. To each their own. But don't discredit people who also work very hard to get their body back like I've done with mine." "Getting back to work forced me to focus on my health and working out and I wanted to feel confident and good about myself. And again couldn't do this without my @melissawoodtepperberg app." 13. Admitted it: Whoopi Goldberg In March, the actor discussed her weight loss on an episode of The View . "I will tell you, I weighed almost 300 lbs. when I made Till ," she said. "I had taken all those steroids, I was on all this stuff. And one of the things that’s helped me dropped the weight was the Mounjaro. That’s what I used." According to WebMD , Mounjaro and Zepbound are brand names for the same drug (tirzepatide), but "Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes" while "Zepbound is approved for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or more" or overweight adults with health conditions. 14. Denied it: Julia Fox During a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight , the actor addressed the swirling rumors that she was using Ozempic. "All these people are coming for me saying that I take the weight loss things... people are saying that I'm taking Ozempic or whatever it's called. I'm not, and I've never have... I would never do that. There are diabetics that need it." 15. Admitted it: Chelsea Handler On a 2023 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, the comedian said she took it without realizing it. "So, my anti-aging doctor just hands it out to anybody. I didn't even know I was on it. She said, 'If you ever want to drop five pounds, this is good.'" After a vacation, Chelsea injected herself with it, and she met a friend for lunch a few days later who complained of nausea from Ozempic. When Chelsea said she was also nauseous and "on semaglutide," her friend replied, "That's Ozempic." Chelsea said she's no longer taking it. "That's too irresponsible. I'm an irresponsible drug user, but I'm not gonna take a diabetic drug. I tried it, and I'm not gonna do that. That's not for me. That's not right for me." 16. Denied it: Jesse Plemons When questions swirled around his weight loss this year, the actor told the Los Angeles Times , "It’s really unfortunate that I decided to get healthy when everyone decided to take Ozempic. It doesn’t matter, everyone’s going to think I took Ozempic anyways." He credited intermittent fasting for his weight loss. "Several people talked to me about intermittent fasting, and I just gave it a shot and [was] surprised at how quickly it was effective. So I lost a little bit before I did that part and then felt like I was in the rhythm, I was feeling better, and something shifted in my head. I just sort of got a handle on it." 17. Admitted it: Sunny Hostin In March, the talk show host shared her experience on an episode of The View . "During COVID, I gained 40. lbs. All I did was eat ... I love to cook, and I found out, I love to eat. And I was horrified about the fact that I would have to come out on air. So I also took Mounjaro." She added, "I found that my cholesterol went up to 200 when I gained the extra weight. And I use Mounjaro, and my cholesterol is 140 now. I feel better, I think I look better, and that’s what this is about for people." 18. Denied it: Julianne Hough In October, the actor posted an Instagram video of herself wearing a bikini and having fun as she enjoyed her friend's routine: sauna, cold plunge, and jumping on a trampoline. The comments were particularly negative, with many social media users discussing her body and some accusing her of using Ozempic. Julianne addressed the backlash and seemingly denied Ozempic use. "My body has never been healthier - I was full of inflammation in my 20’s and had a marker for an auto immune that I addressed and committed to over a year and a half ago. I’ve frozen my eggs over the last few years which also shifts the body fluctuation. I’ve never been healthier or happier from the inside out. Grief, loss. Sadness and fear also get stored in the body and we hold on to that in different ways. I made it a huge priority to accept, express, process and release a lot of emotions over the years." 19. And finally, admitted it: Sharon Osbourne On a 2023 episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored , the reality TV star warned viewers about the Ozempic side effects she experienced. “I didn’t want to go this thin. It just happened... You can’t stay on it forever. I lost 42 pounds now and it’s just enough." She added, "You don’t throw up physically, but you have got that feeling. I was about two, three weeks where I felt nauseous the whole time. You get very thirsty, and you don’t eat. That’s why I say you have to keep this stuff away from younger people. They will go berserk on it, and it’s not right." What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below.
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A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence “dictatorship” is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world’s richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk’s filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI’s CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI,” said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don’t want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you’ve shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman’s desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk’s early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI’s board in early 2018. Musk didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. __________ The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.
HUMBOLDT, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man was convicted Thursday of killing two men and wounding a third in a shooting at a high school basketball game three years ago. Jadon Hardiman, 21, was found guilty in Gibson County of charges including second-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, district attorney Frederick Agee said in a statement. He faces up to 76 years in prison at sentencing in April. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.NoneFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Mr Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly. Mr Macron’s office said in a statement that Mr Bayrou “has been charged with forming a new government”. During the handover ceremony, Mr Bayrou said that “no one knows the difficulty of the situation better” than he does. “I’ve taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections,” he said. France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. “I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success,” Mr Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a “needed reconciliation”. “I think this is the only possible path to success,” he said. The new prime minister is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers. Former prime minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Mr Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Mr Macron’s centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Mr Bayrou’s Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from the left and the right to be able to stay in power. Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government. Mr Macron’s strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding “make or break” power over the government. Ms Le Pen helped oust Mr Barnier by joining her National Rally party’s forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week. Mr Bayrou’s appointment is also in line with Mr Macron’s efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they commit not to vote against the government in any future confidence motion. Mr Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007. In 2017, he supported Mr Macron’s first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French president’s centrist alliance. At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDem’s alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds. Mr Bayrou this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine. Mr Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government. He was three times a candidate for president: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.
The Kansas City Chiefs will have a short break after Week 12 before they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday for an AFC West clash. Although they are 10-1, the Chiefs have dealt with injuries to multiple impactful starters on both sides of the ball. However, it seems they may get one of those impactful starters back on Friday. © Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports Defensive end Charles Omenihu has been out since the AFC Championship in January with a torn ACL. The team took him off injured reserve prior to Week 11, but he still has yet to see any game action as he continues to ramp up his workload in practice. Now, it seems that Chiefs fans may see him make his season debut against Las Vegas. On Tuesday, Omenihu responded to an old post he made back in April with highlights from a past matchup against the Raiders. In his response, Omenihu posted two cryptic emojis, the letter "P" and a snake. Although this doesn't confirm that Omenihu will return, as that will likely come down to a decision between coaches and trainers, it does seem to be a sign that the defensive end plans to take the field on Friday. Related: Mahomes Reflects On Clutch Video Going Viral In his seventh season, Omenihu posted career-best numbers with Kansas City in 2023, which was also his first year with the team. In just 11 appearances, he finished the season with 28 combined tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles. After struggling the past two weeks, the Chiefs' defense could use a spark that Omenihu could certainly provide. Related: Mahomes Details The One Benefit Of Close Wins
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Black Friday is fast approaching, and shoppers are gearing up. The National Retail Federation expects more than 183 million people to shop over the weekend spanning Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday this year. But fraudsters are preparing for Black Friday too, looking for opportunities to steal your money or personal information. Before you dive into holiday shopping, learn how to spot common scams and protect yourself. Fraudsters commonly send phishing emails and text messages impersonating delivery services or popular retailers like Amazon. These messages, which typically claim there’s an issue with processing or delivering the order, may request payment information or include malicious links. A message might say something like, “Part of your address is missing. Please click on this link to complete the address,” says Raj Dasgupta, senior director of global advisory at BioCatch, a fraud prevention firm. If you get a similar message when you’re not expecting a package, that should raise doubts, Dasgupta says. But even if you have ordered something, don’t overlook warning signs. It's unusual for delivery services to hold up packages or seek payment, because shipping costs are almost always charged to the shipper, not the receiver, says Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the nonprofit National Cybersecurity Alliance. Avoid clicking on links in texts or emails, and don’t share personal or payment details. To verify whether an order update is genuine, “go back to your original order on the site,” Steinhauer says. You can log in and check the order status and reach out to customer service directly if there's a problem, he says. When shopping online, carefully scrutinize sellers and products to avoid winding up with counterfeit items — or nothing at all. Sponsored ads on social media sites and search engines aren’t always vetted enough, Steinhauer says, which means you may come across scams. Fraudsters buy Google ads for popular search terms like “Black Friday deals” or desirable products, such as exercise equipment, Dasgupta says. When people click on these ads, they might land on a “sophisticated-looking fake website” that mimics a well-known site, such as Macy’s, or on a made-up company’s page, he says. Shoppers never receive the product they’re attempting to purchase, or they get an inferior product. Ignore “sponsored” links, and read URLs closely. There will usually be “something off,” Steinhauer says, such as a slight misspelling or dashes in the website name that aren’t normally there. “The best thing is to go to the legitimate website or app that you know is the right one, and just shop there,” he says. Watch for third-party seller scams on legitimate websites, too. Some companies, such as Walmart and Target, allow outside vendors to sell merchandise through their platforms — and the reliability can vary. Reading seller reviews before you buy can help you avoid bad actors. Be wary of sellers who ask for gift cards or peer-to-peer payments . If a service like Venmo or Cash App is the only payment method accepted, that’s an immediate red flag, Dasgupta says. And if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. A QR code, or quick response code, is a barcode that usually leads to a website when scanned with a smartphone camera. “Quishing” is when scammers create QR codes that link to fraudulent websites or install malware on devices. These codes may show up on parking meters, in mysterious packages delivered to your physical address or in your email inbox. For example, a scammer posing as your bank might email you a code and instruct you to update your login credentials. Email services often filter out known malicious links or domains and send them to your spam folder, Steinhauer says, but a QR code can get past these filters because it’s an image. Don't scan codes you receive unexpectedly, and closely inspect QR codes in public places for signs of tampering. Heed the advice above, and follow these additional steps to guard against fraudsters. More Black Friday content from NerdWallet Lauren Schwahn writes for NerdWallet. Email: lschwahn@nerdwallet.com . Twitter: @lauren_schwahn. The article Holiday Shoppers Beware: 3 Traps to Avoid as Scammers Prepare originally appeared on NerdWallet. Get local news delivered to your inbox!In today’s world of digital distractions, sensory bombardment and high-tech gadgets, there is something comforting about the simplicity of old-fashioned toys. Among the many classics that come to mind, the yo-yo, cup-and-ball and Jacob’s Ladder stand out for their enduring appeal. Free from screens and electronic components, these toys offer a tangible connection to the past. Yo-yo. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Ball-and-cup game. Jacobs Ladder.
Gus Malzahn is resigning as Central Florida's head coach to become Florida State 's offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press on Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Seminoles have not confirmed Malzahn's move, which is pending a state background check. ESPN first reported the decision. The Knights made official that Malzahn is leaving in a statement released a day after UCF (4-8) concluded its season with a 28-14 loss to Utah. “We would like to thank Coach Malzahn for his contributions to our football program over the past four seasons, including our transition into the Big 12 Conference," the school said. "We appreciate his professionalism and dedication to our student-athletes throughout his tenure at UCF and wish he and his wife, Kristi, the very best in their future endeavors.” Malzahn finished with a 28-24 mark in four years at UCF, the last two ending with losing records after joining the Big 12. He coached at Auburn for eight seasons before being fired in 2020. Malzahn replaces offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, who was fired Nov. 10 following a 52-3 loss at Notre Dame. The Seminoles rank 131st out of 134 in total offense and scoring offense, averaging 15.8 points a game heading into Saturday night's rivalry game against Florida. The Seminoles (2-9) have dropped significantly since going 13-1 last season and winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. The Knights, meanwhile, struggled mightily in Malzahn's fourth season — most of it because of quarterback issues. Four players took snaps from center as the Knights finished 2-7 in conference play. It was the program's worst record since going 0-12 in former coach George O’Leary’s final season in 2015. Florida State coach Mike Norvell fired Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and receivers coach Ron Dugans amid the Seminoles' season-long skid. 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-footballUCF and Tulsa will test their mettle against each other on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Knights will make their first appearance in the event since recording a two-point loss to Missouri in 2022, while Tulsa's last trip to the Orange Bowl Classic was a loss to Florida State in 2012. UCF (7-2) may have something to prove being away from Addition Financial Arena. The Knights are 7-0 at home, whereas a November trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia produced an 86-70 loss to Wisconsin and a triple-overtime setback against LSU. The Knights relied heavily on their defense in Sunday's 66-51 win over Tarleton State. After a sluggish start offensively, UCF found its rhythm during a 37-point second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with a game-high 16 points and freshman center Moustapha Thiam collected 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. UCF's Big 12 opener draws closer (at Texas Tech, Dec. 31), but head coach Johnny Dawkins remains focused on daily improvement. "I feel a sense of urgency to get better, not with regards to Big 12 play to be quite frank, but every game," Dawkins said. "I don't look too far in the future. Pretty much I've always been in the moment as a player and as a person, and so for me it's about just getting better because it's our standards." Tulsa (4-6) looks to stop a three-game slide following a 70-66 home loss to Southern University last Saturday. Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, netting a season-high 23 points off the bench. But Isaiah Barnes, one of three Golden Hurricane players to start all 10 games, was injured in the first half and played only eight minutes. To complicate matters, head coach Eric Konkol's team is 0-6 when trailing at halftime. "We got to get some guys healthy that can be healthy for next Saturday (against UCF)," Konkol said. "We got a couple other guys dealing with some different things, but then (also) having some planning to figure out what's the best way going forward for this group." --Field Level Media