Andy Murray to coach long-time rival Novak Djokovic at Australian OpenFor over 20 years ESPN's Around The Horn has entertained fans with its fast-paced sports takes from big names in sports media. So how did longtime host Tony Reali react to the latest report of its impending cancellation? Yesterday Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post reported that the 23-year run of Around The Horn will have its final episode in the summer of 2025. Hosted by Reali since 2004, the show's panel has included such personalities as Mina Kimes, Tim Cowlishaw, J.A. Adande and Woody Paige among many others. Yet on Thursday's edition of the show - the first since Glasspiegel's report went public - Reali treated the episode like it was any other day. There was no mention of the report, no thank you to the audience, no denial, just straight sports talk. Tony Reali opens "Around the Horn" business as usual after reports circulated yesterday about its impending cancellation. pic.twitter.com/1mbvvjI98Y Even on his own X account, Reali wouldn't mention the report directly, but simply invited fans to tune in: "Come for the sports takes stay for the good vibes, ESPN right now! You are cordially invited to today’s @AroundtheHorn!" he wrote earlier today. Come for the sports takes stay for the good vibes, ESPN right now! You are cordially invited to today’s @AroundtheHorn ! pic.twitter.com/WIhN7LSG8L Fans of the show all mourned the impending end of Around The Horn: "An awful decision. It is the best show on the network. It will be missed," one user wrote. "Afternoons with Around the Horn and PTI were a staple growing up, man. This stinks," wrote another. "This is such a mistake. Around The Horn has been a huge catalyst for so many of us growing up and it was integral in allowing viewpoints from around the country. We could use MORE of it, not less," wrote a third. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images But the show isn't without its haters. Many have applauded the death of Around The Horn and just about every other ESPN show that gets canceled due to their distaste for many of the personalities and points of view that get expressed on the network. Nevertheless, Around The Horn has been a staple of the afternoon sports show diet for decades and sports television may not be the same without it. Related: Awful Announcing Names Best 'Around The Horn' Panelist Of All-TimeThe unexpected place that could become an immigration flashpoint under Trump
Washington State University Vancouver students will soon transform a local art installation into an interactive educational experience, bridging the gap between art, technology and language at the Woodland Community Library . Suspended above the children’s room in the Woodland Community Library is “Phonic Bloom,” an art installation created by Portland-based studio Superfab. This piece repurposed recycled books into a vibrant hanging garden, visually symbolizing the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Each color-coded bloom represents syllables common to local languages: red for English, yellow for Spanish and blue for Salish — the language spoken by the Cowlitz Tribe for thousands of years. The installation was developed in collaboration with Portland State University linguist Janet Tom Cowell, who worked with Superfab to highlight the shared phonetic elements across these languages. Washington State University Vancouver student and experience team lead James Lesperance showcases a prototype for an app designed to bring an art installation to life through augmented reality during a presentation at WSU Vancouver on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The app allows visitors to interact with an art piece called “Phonic Bloom” at the Woodland library, providing a deeper understanding of phonics in multiple languages. This “data sculpture,” as WSU professor and Digital Technology and Culture lead Dene Grigar explained, presented a special opportunity for her students — developing an augmented reality mobile app to teach visitors about phonics using the installation. Augmented reality uses technology to blend digital content with the real world. The WSU students' app brings “Phonic Bloom” to life similar to the popular mobile app “Pokémon Go.” Visitors can point their phones at the sculpture to see a digital recreation of the garden appear on their screens. Guided by “Bea,” a friendly bee mascot voiced by design team member Bea Calces, users can interact with virtual blooms to learn about the corresponding phonetic sounds. The app features audio and visual representations, including animations of the human vocal system producing sounds like “la” and “shaw.” Mailei Brodniak, the student project manager, described their mission as developing and promoting a mobile app to educate young audiences about phonics. The task came with a steep learning curve, as the team first had to familiarize themselves with the intricacies of phonics before beginning. The students had 16 weeks — one semester — to complete their work. “We had the job of taking that sculpture and then bringing it down to our level and making it so that people from children to families could interact with it and actually understand what it’s saying,” Brodniak said Each year, Digital Technology and Culture students are tasked with a 16-week project using their skillsets to showcase their work on resumes or portfolios. The students learn a variety of skills ranging from videography to game design, choosing one category to be their “superpower.” Their main chosen skill is their focus for the senior project, giving students a chance to add to their portfolio before graduation. “The senior seminar is like a finishing school slash boot camp ... getting them to polish themselves, refine their skills and begin to feel confident so they can have a successful interview. It’s about turning out successful thinkers, makers and doers,” Grigar said. The senior seminar split its 18 students into four teams: • A design team, which conceptualized the app’s appearance and functionality • An experience team, which developed the app, implementing its interactive features • A web development team, which created a complementary website detailing the project’s history and features. • A social media team, which promoted the project across social media The design and experience teams crafted 15 unique 3D models, 26 animations and 20 audio components, supported by over 2,000 lines of code for the project. Student Evan Leyden took on the intricate task of animating a realistic depiction of human vocal anatomy for the app. “I spent over 12 hours just researching the kinematics of how we actually move everything inside our mouth to make sure that the animation was accurate, as well as looking for just the right [animation] plug-in [so] this [Magnetic Resonance Imaging] has fully articulated lips, tongue, velum, jaw and larynx,” Leyden said. The web development team supplemented the app with an interactive website, featuring an interactive phonetic chart and resources about the installation. Meanwhile, the social media team chronicled the project’s development across Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, garnering over 200,000 views and 2,000 engagements. In a Dec. 11 presentation at WSU Vancouver, students demonstrated the fully functional mobile app as attendees watched the interactive experience. Brodniak emphasized the teamwork that was key to the project’s success. “The thing I’m most proud of is how everyone just came together. Everyone communicated so well, and everyone was so friendly with each other. There’s a lot of unity, which you would hope for since we’re making a project about community, but we were able to foster one,” She said. As part of their coursework, each student incorporated their contributions into their resumés and portfolios, participating in mock interviews with local employers. Brodniak, who also worked on the social media team, plans to pursue roles in social media or project management. “This experience gave me a lot of confidence in being a project manager, so I wouldn’t be opposed to working in the management side of things either,” she added. “There is so much here that we created and that we can bring with us moving forward into the career space.” The Phonic Bloom app will launch by the end of 2024. Readers can download the app and learn more about the project at dtc-wsuv.org/projects/phonic-bloom/index.html . The Phonic Bloom art piece can be found at the Woodland Community Library, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 411 Lakeshore Dr. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.
Yet another stowaway managed to board a major airline’s plane – renewing serious questions and concerns about airport safety during the busiest travel season of the year. This time, a stowaway tried to hitch a ride on Delta Air Lines Flight 487 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Christmas Eve. The unticketed passenger was discovered while the plane was still taxiing out for takeoff to Honolulu, Delta Air Lines told CNN. The Transportation Security Administration and the Port of Seattle confirmed the incident to CNN. The incident came less than a month after another stowaway boarded a Delta airplane Thanksgiving week. That unticketed passenger made it all the way from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris before she was eventually arrested . Delta Air Lines planes are seen parked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on June 19, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. And on Christmas Eve, a body was found in a wheel well of a United Airlines plane shortly after it traveled from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and landed in Maui. Hiding in a plane’s wheel well is the most common method used by stowaways , the Federal Aviation Administration said. Stowaways often get crushed when the landing gear retracts, and oxygen levels plummet as a plane reaches higher altitudes. In the Seattle incident, the stowaway went through a TSA security checkpoint the evening before the flight but wasn’t holding a boarding pass, an airport spokesperson told CNN. The next day, the person “gained access to the loading bridge without a scanned ticket at the gate,” airport media relations manager Perry Cooper said. Once the person was discovered, the Airbus A321neo returned to the gate to remove the unticketed passenger, Delta said. Port of Seattle police officers were dispatched to gate B1 at the airport around 1:05 p.m. for “a report of a suspicious circumstance” on the Delta flight. The person “ran out” of the aircraft before officers arrived, Cooper told CNN Friday. “The aircraft returned to the terminal and the subject departed the aircraft,” the Port of Seattle said. “With the help of video surveillance, POSPD were able to locate the subject in a terminal restroom. The subject was arrested for criminal trespass.” The unticketed passenger didn’t have any prohibited items, the TSA told CNN. “The aircraft was swept by K9 as well as all areas in the terminal accessed by the subject,” the Port of Seattle said. “The aircraft was deplaned and all passengers were escorted by TSA to return to the security checkpoint for rescreening.” CNN has reached out to the Port of Seattle for additional comment. Delta said the flight was delayed by two hours and 15 minutes. After the rescreening, it continued to Honolulu at 3 p.m. “As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended,” the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.” TSA said it “takes any incidents that occur at any of our checkpoints nationwide seriously. TSA will independently review the circumstances of this incident at our travel document checker station at Seattle/Tacoma International.” How the person got through airport security is a question many want answered. There are a number of factors at play, according to former commercial airline pilot and aviation analyst, John Nance. “There are multiple causes that come into this, and they probably involve not only a bit of lackadaisical inattention,” Nance told CNN affiliate KING . “It may be training, it may be compliance, but it’s probably all of that.” It’s “embarrassing” for this situation to happen twice to the same airline and TSA, according to former Department of Homeland Security official Keith Jeffries, who was federal security director when he left the DHS in 2022. In his 20 years working with DHS and the TSA, Jeffries said he’s seen these situations multiple times. “It has happened before. It will happen again until they continue to strengthen that vulnerability,” Jeffries said. “The fact that it happened to the same airline, of course, couldn’t be more embarrassing, especially back-to-back, and during the holiday season, when there’s an extra alertness associated with the large holiday season,” Jeffries added. During the holidays, Jeffries explained, there’s typically more staffing at the airports being “extra vigilant.” TSA, airlines and airports have even more people present to ensure things like this don’t fall through the cracks, making these cases “even more concerning,” he said. If there is a “silver lining,” Jeffries said, it’s that Delta did catch the stowaway during the taxi, and they didn’t make it to Hawaii. The stowaway also didn’t have prohibited items when scanned through TSA, which is another plus, he said. “Everybody’s going to have to work together; TSA and the airlines on how they can strengthen both of those vulnerabilities, and in some cases, even work with the airport,” he said. Congress will likely scrutinize these incidents, Nance added. “But there will be no one paying more attention than the airlines themselves,” he said. ___ CNN’s Holly Yan, Pete Muntean, Amanda Musa and Nicole Chavez contributed to this report. Elise Mertens, of Belgium, serves against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, on March 11, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Fans interfere with a foul ball caught by Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, on Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) An adult periodical cicada sheds its nymphal skin on May 11, 2024, in Cincinnati. There are two large compound eyes, which are used to visually perceive the world around them, and three small, jewel-like, simple eyes called ocelli at center. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents after an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Cairo Consort prepares for a race in the paddock at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., before the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race on May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump prepares to walk on stage for a campaign rally at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich., on Nov. 1, 2024. 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(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) With tears streaming down her face, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris applauds as Harris delivers a concession speech on Nov. 6, 2024, after losing the 2024 presidential election, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Paralympic athlete Santos Araujo, of Brazil, celebrates after winning the men's 200 m Freestyle - S2 final, during the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Supporters of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump hold signs as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris passes by on her bus en route to a campaign stop at the Primanti Bros. restaurant in Pittsburgh, on Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Emergency personnel carry a 4-year-old girl who was rescued from her collapsed house after heavy rains in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, on March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Midwife Diluwara Begum holds a newborn baby girl after helping deliver her on a boat on the River Brahmaputra, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, on July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) The faithful carry an 18th century wooden statue of Christ before the start of a procession the in Procida Island, Italy, on March 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A worker inspects the permanent foundations being constructed on the coral reef for a judging tower to be used during the Olympic Games surf competition in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, on Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Female Israeli soldiers pose for a photo in southern Israel, on the border of the Gaza Strip, on Feb. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce kisses Taylor Swift after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/John Locher) An American flag is mounted on a fence at a farm on U.S. Highway 20 during a blizzard near Galva, Iowa, on Jan. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris looks at a monitor backstage just before taking the stage for her final campaign rally on Nov. 4, 2024, the day before Election Day, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) French sailors on the bridge of the French navy frigate Normandie keep watch during a reconnaissance patrol during NATO exercises in a Norwegian fjord north of the Arctic circle on March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) A race fan holds a drink as he walks on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., before the 150th running of the Kentucky Oaks horse race on May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) People gather at the Republique plaza in Paris after the second round of the legislative election, on July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Students beat a policeman with sticks during a protest over a controversial quota system for government job applicants in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Anik Rahman) In this photo taken with a long exposure, Israeli shelling hits an area in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, on Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Orthodox nuns wait to take part in a procession marking 250 years since the remains of Saint Dimitrie Bassarabov, patron saint of the Romanian capital, were brought to Romania, in Bucharest, on July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Members of the Al-Rabaya family break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan outside their home, which was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) An animal runs through grass while fleeing flames as the Park Fire tears through the Cohasset community in Butte County, Calif., on July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A gaucho, or South American cowboy, bathes a horse during the Criolla Week rodeo festival, in Montevideo, Uruguay, on March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) A cat searches for food in a house burnt by rockets fired by Hezbollah in the town of Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, on Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) A man transports an electronic voting machine on a pony as election officials walk to a polling booth in a remote mountain area on the eve of the first round of voting in the six-week long national election at Dessa village in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Debris is visible through the window of a damaged home following severe storms in Lakeview, Ohio, on March 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Friends and family fuss over a quinceañera in preparation for her photo session at Colon square in the Zona Colonial neighborhood of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Druze clergymen attend the funeral of some of the 12 children and teens killed in a rocket strike by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a soccer field at the village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) People take cover next to a public bomb shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets fired from Lebanon, in Safed, northern Israel, on Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Sloane Stephens of the U.S. signs autographs after defeating Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Monuwara Begum and another woman return from a polling station across the Brahmaputra river on the eve of the second phase of India's national election in Sandahkhaiti, a floating island village in the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India, on April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) The container ship Dali rests against the wreckage of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on the Patapsco River, on March 27, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A girl waits in the family home of the late Ousmane Sylla, who died by suicide inside one of Italy's migrant detention centers, ahead of his body's arrival in Conakry, Guinea, on April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu) Members of the Abu Sinjar family mourn their relatives killed in an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, at their house in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) Yulia Navalnaya, center, widow of Alexey Navalny, stands in a queue with other voters at a polling station near the Russian embassy in Berlin on March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Alicia Keys performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) People walk through a part of the Amazon River that shows signs of drought in Santa Sofia, on the outskirts of Leticia, Colombia, on Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) A fisherman casts his fishing line into the Mediterranean Sea from a rocky area along the coastline in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) People mourn over the flagged-covered coffin of Israeli soldier Sgt. Amitai Alon, killed by a Hezbollah drone attack, during his funeral near Ramot Naftali, Israel, on Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Israeli students watch a virtual tour of the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau at the Testimony House, a Holocaust museum in Nir Galim, Israel, on the eve of Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) A young man watches the ball after diving while playing soccer on a dusty field in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) A resident wades through a flooded street following heavy rains from typhoon Toraji in Ilagan City, Isabela province, northern Philippines, on Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Noel Celis) Erin Young holds her adopted daughter Gianna Young, as she prays the "Patriotic Rosary" for the consecration of the nation and Donald Trump around a bonfire at their home in Sunbury, Ohio, the night before the U.S. election, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. The conservative Catholic family lives their anti-abortion beliefs through adoption, foster-parenting and raising their children to believe in the sanctity of life. They're also committed to teaching their children about political candidates they see as aligned with their beliefs. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) A mural of former Argentine first lady María Eva Duarte de Perón, better known as Eva Perón, or Evita, depicting her with a saint's halo, adorns a wall inside the Peron Peron restaurant in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) In this photo taken with a long exposure, people look at the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, in the night sky on May 10, 2024, in Estacada, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) A girl plays a jump rope game at a school housing residents displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) People fish next to drainage that flows into the Paraguay River in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz) A mother coaxes her daughter into trying a spoonful of rice at a school turned into a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) A man sits inside a concrete pipe meant for municipal use after his shelter was swept away by the flooding Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) People gather in front of destroyed buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) A cosplayer dressed as Deadpool attends a Comic-Con convention in Panama City on Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Athletes compete during the men's 10km marathon swimming competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, on Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A cleric holds up his son as he celebrates Iran's missile strike against Israel during an anti-Israeli protest at Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Kenya Wildlife Service rangers and capture team pull a sedated black rhino from the water in Nairobi National Park, Kenya, on Jan. 16, 2024, as part of a rhino relocation project to move 21 of the critically endangered beasts hundreds of miles to a new home. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) A pod of Beluga whales swim through the Churchill River near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, on Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) A person carrying a handgun and a sign depicting Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump stands outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Atmaram, who goes by one name and was found living on the street a day earlier, eats breakfast at Saint Hardyal Educational and Orphans Welfare Society, a home for the aged and unwanted, on April 12, 2024, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Buildings cover Gardi Sugdub Island, part of San Blas archipelago off Panama's Caribbean coast, on May 25, 2024. Due to rising sea levels, about 300 Guna Indigenous families are relocating to new homes, built by the government, on the mainland. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) People help Liudmila, 85, board a bus after their evacuation from Vovchansk, Ukraine, on May 12, 2024. Her husband was killed in their house during a Russian airstrike on the city. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Prisoners reach out from their cell for bread at lunchtime at the Juan de la Vega prison in Emboscada, Paraguay, on July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Members of the water safety team move into the impact zone on a jet ski to rescue a surfer under a rainbow during a training day ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, on July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Children play with the ropes of a ship docked on a beach in Parika, Guyana, on June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Lava flows from a volcanic eruption that started on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco) Actors make final adjustments to their costumes before the start of Ramleela, a dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama according to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, in New Delhi, India, on Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Christophe Chavilinga, 90, suffering from mpox, waits for treatment at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, on Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) Two men in Russian Cossack uniforms pose for a selfie with the Historical Museum in the background after visiting the mausoleum of the Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, marking the 154th anniversary of his birth, in Moscow's Red Square, on April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) A fisherman carries his catch of the day to market in Manta, Ecuador, on Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa) Ama Pipe, from Britain, center, receives the baton from teammate Lina Nielsen in a women's 4 X 400 meters relay heat during the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Ultra-Orthodox Jews look at part of an intercepted ballistic missile that fell in the desert near the city of Arad, Israel, on April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/ Ohad Zwigenberg) Margarita Salazar, 82, wipes sweat from her forehead in her home during an extreme heat wave in Veracruz, Mexico, on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) People drive along a road littered with fallen power lines after the passing of Hurricane Rafael in San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, on Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Palestinian activist Khairi Hanoon walks with the Palestinian flag on a damaged road following an Israeli army raid in Tulkarem, West Bank, on Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) A polar bear and a cub search for scraps in a large pile of bowhead whale bones left from the village's subsistence hunting at the end of an unused airstrip near the village of Kaktovik, Alaska, on Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Vero Almarche, right, hugs her neighbor Maria Munoz, who was born in the house where they are photographed and which was destroyed by flooding in Masanasa, Valencia, Spain, on Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) First-graders attend the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Pope Francis gestures during an annual gathering of pro-family organizations at the Auditorium della Conciliazione, in Rome, on May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Passengers in the back of a taxi film themselves as they leave the Eiffel Tower, decorated with the Olympic rings ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, on July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Sara Chen weeps over the grave of her longtime friend, Staff Sgt. Avraham Nerya Cohen, who was killed in action on Oct. 7, 2023, as Israel marks the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Revelers lie in a pool of squashed tomatoes during the annual "Tomatina" tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol near Valencia, Spain, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) A horse looks out the window from its stable ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on June 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jewish ultra-Orthodox men dressed in costumes celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim in Bnei Brak, Israel, on March 24, 2024. The holiday commemorates the Jews' salvation from genocide in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Children shake hands before they play a chess game at The Soga Chess Club of the internally displaced persons camp in Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) A voter fills out a ballot during general elections in Nkandla, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, on May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) A supporter of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump waits for the start of his campaign rally in Doral, Fla., on July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Wearing a device that measures his energy consumption, Israel Amputee Football Team player Ben Maman, left, fights for the ball with a young soccer player from a local team during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Israel, on April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
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PM Images Performance Review US equities collectively advanced during the third quarter of 2024. The S&P 500 ( SPY ) and Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJI ) both reached new highs multiple times in September, while the NASDAQ Composite Index struggled to return to its record high posted in early July. After bouncing back from a rocky market environment in July, when many investors rotated away from large-capitalization technology-related stocks, US equities declined again in early August as investors worried about a potential recession with the releases of weaker-than-expected July employment and manufacturing reports. However, generally solid economic data and corporate earnings reports, along with continued cooling in the annual inflation rate, eased investor concerns. In September, a rate cut from the US Federal Reserve (Fed) further bolstered US stocks. Against this backdrop, 10 out of the 11 S&P 500 sectors traded higher, with energy the only decliner. Small- and mid-cap stocks outperformed large-cap equities. As it implemented its first rate cut in more than four years and reduced the federal funds target rate by 50 basis points (bps), the Fed noted in a statement that it believes inflation is proceeding sustainably toward its 2% target. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the core personal consumption expenditures price index, ticked higher in August after reaching the lowest rate in more than three years in June and July, while staying above the Fed’s target. The US labor market continued to soften but remained resilient; the unemployment rate edged lower in August after rising in July to the highest level since October 2021, job gains weakened in July but improved somewhat in August, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary annual revision substantially reduced the job gains for the 12 months through March 2024. US gross domestic product expanded in 2024’s second quarter at a significantly faster annualized rate than in the prior quarter, driven largely by growth in consumer spending, inventory investment, and business investment. Quarterly Key Performance Drivers Equity Holdings Equity Sectors Fixed Income Holdings Fixed Income Sectors/Industries HELPED Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) Utilities US Treasuries (USTs) USTs NextEra Energy ( NEE ) Health Care CommScope Holding ( COMM ) Health Care Home Depot ( HD ) Industrials Community Health Systems ( CYH ) Information Technology (IT) HURT Chevron ( CVX ) Energy — — Intel ( INTC ) — — — Merck & Co. ( MRK ) — — — Click to enlarge The 10-year UST note’s yield decreased 62 bps during the quarter, reaching 3.78% by period-end. The strategy’s fixed income allocation decreased to roughly 56% of the portfolio by quarter-end and contributed to absolute returns. During the period, fixed income returns were driven by USTs, along with the health care and IT sectors. Within these respective sectors, returns were led by Community Health Systems and CommScope Holding. No fixed income sectors or individual issuers detracted meaningfully from the strategy’s absolute returns for the quarter. The strategy’s equity allocation increased to 41% of the portfolio by the end of the quarter. Stocks contributed to absolute returns, driven by the utilities, health care and industrials sectors. NextEra Energy added value within utilities, while Lockheed Martin contributed within industrials. Home Depot also assisted returns within the consumer discretionary sector. In contrast, the energy sector detracted from the strategy’s absolute returns. On an individual issuer basis, Chevron hindered returns within energy, while Intel detracted within IT. Merck & Co. also weakened returns within the health care sector. Outlook & Strategy Economy: The economic growth outlook has been a major area of focus for the fund, as central banks around the world have pivoted toward easing monetary policy after two years of aggressive tightening to combat elevated inflation. The US economy remains resilient, largely driven by strong consumer spending on both goods and services, and while the labor market has incrementally cooled, unemployment levels are still low on a historical basis. With inflation viewed as anchored and following signs of some labor market softening, the Fed announced a 50-bp rate cut at its September 2024 meeting, which has been a positive catalyst for markets and has improved investor sentiment. We continue to monitor financial conditions as a leading indicator of future economic performance and Fed policy. Equities: Following two years of narrow market breadth, we have started to see a broadening out of market leadership over the last quarter. While index level valuations are still elevated, opportunities are starting to present themselves below the index levels, which we feel favors active management. We have found select opportunities within the consumer discretionary, industrials and materials sectors. We remain selective in engaging with equities, given current valuations in some sectors, as markets digest the effects of monetary policy, the shape of the yield curve and geopolitical risks. As income-focused investors, our asset allocation mix is driven primarily by bottom-up security selection, with a focus on company fundamentals as opposed to the direction of the broader equity market. While the capital return story differs by sector, our holdings are focused on businesses that show an ability to support attractive dividend yields and grow them over time. Treasuries/Government-Backed Bonds: With the Fed starting an interest-rate cutting cycle, the front end of the yield curve has declined. The intermediate part of the yield curve has seen less volatility as the outlook for deficit spending, as well as longer-term economic growth and inflation expectations, has had an impact on the belly of the yield curve. Government securities continue to provide an attractive investment opportunity, in our view, as yields remain elevated based on recent history. We believe they continue to offer good diversification potential and can serve as a ballast to help hedge portfolios during market volatility. Investment-Grade Corporate Bonds: We retain a balanced view of the corporate investment-grade sector as the attractiveness of higher-quality assets has increased over the past 18 months. While absolute yield levels are still attractive for an income-generating strategy, credit spreads have contracted materially over the past year, which has marginally decreased the attractiveness of investment-grade corporate bonds, in our assessment. High-Yield Corporate Bonds: While the high-yield market offers attractive yields, we remain balanced and selective due to the potential for higher refinancing costs impacting companies’ fundamentals. The potential for growth deceleration necessitates a vigilant approach to security selection within our high-yield portfolio, so our preference continues to be companies that have a greater degree of flexibility to deal with upcoming maturities. Product Details 1 Inception Date 06/30/2019 Benchmark Blended 50% MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index + 25% Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index + 25% Bloomberg US Aggregate Index S&P 500 Index Click to enlarge Performance Data 2,3 Average Annual Total Returns (USD %) 3 Mths YTD 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years Since Inception (06/30/2019) Franklin Income SMA - Pure GROSS 6.71 9.81 18.08 6.73 9.08 9.10 Franklin Income SMA - NET 5.94 7.42 14.68 3.63 5.91 5.94 Blended 50% MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index + 25% Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index + 25% Bloomberg US Aggregate Index 7.39 11.22 19.84 5.22 5.95 6.18 S&P 500 Index 5.89 22.08 36.35 11.91 15.97 15.52 Click to enlarge Calendar Year Returns (USD %) 2023 2022 2021 2020 Franklin Income SMA - Pure GROSS 8.73 -4.33 18.62 9.01 Franklin Income SMA - NET 5.58 -7.14 15.21 5.85 Blended 50% MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index + 25% Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index + 25% Bloomberg US Aggregate Index 8.28 -8.00 11.44 4.62 S&P 500 Index 26.29 -18.11 28.71 18.40 The strategy returns shown are preliminary composite returns, subject to future revision (downward or upward). Please visit Mutual Funds | ETFs | Insights for the latest performance figures. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. An investment in this strategy can lose value. Periods less than one year are not annualized. Performance results are for the Franklin Income SMA which includes all actual, fully discretionary accounts with substantially similar investment policies and objectives managed to the composite’s investment strategy. Composite returns are stated in U.S. dollars and assume reinvestment of any dividends, interest income, capital gains, or other earnings. The composite may include account(s) that are gross of fees and pure gross of fees. “Pure” gross-of-fee returns do not reflect the deduction of any expenses, including transaction costs. A traditional (or “true”) gross-of-fee return reflects performance after the reduction of transaction costs but before the reduction of the investment advisory fee. The gross-of-fee return may include a blend of “true” gross-of-fee returns for non-wrap accounts and “pure” gross-of-fee returns for wrap accounts. Net-of-fee returns is reduced by a model “wrap fee” which includes trading expenses as well as investment management, administrative and custodial fees. The model wrap fee used represents the highest anticipated wrap fee applicable to the strategy. Actual fees and account minimums may vary. Click to enlarge Footnotes : 1. A composite is an aggregation of one or more portfolios into a single group that represents a particular investment objective or strategy. The composite return is the asset-weighted average of the performance results of all the fully discretionary portfolios in the composite. The composite return information provided herein includes the returns of Franklin Separately Managed Accounts, high-net- worth individual and institutional client portfolios and with respect to any periods prior to the inception of Franklin Separately Managed Accounts, reflects the performance of any such other portfolios. 2. Blended 50% MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index + 25% Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index +25% Bloomberg US Aggregate Index is equivalent to Custom Franklin Income Strategy Benchmark. 3. Source for Index: FactSet. Indexes are unmanaged, and one cannot invest directly in an index. They do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. Important Information The information contained in this piece is not a complete analysis of every material fact regarding the market and any industry, sector, security or portfolio. Statements of fact cited by the manager have been obtained from sources considered reliable but no representation is made as to their completeness or accuracy. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, opinions provided are valid only as of the date of the material, and are subject to change without notice. The manager’s opinions are intended solely to provide insight into how the manager analyzes securities, may differ from that of other affiliated managers, and are not a recommendation or individual investment advice for any particular security, strategy or investment product. Any securities discussed may not represent an account’s entire portfolio and in the aggregate may represent a small percentage of an account’s portfolio holdings. There is no assurance that any such securities will remain in an account’s portfolio, or that securities sold have not been repurchased. It should not be assumed that any securities transactions discussed were or will prove to be profitable. The information provided should not be considered a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any particular security. All indexes are unmanaged and cannot accommodate direct investment. Investors should review their investment objectives, risk tolerance and liquidity needs before choosing a manager. There is no guarantee that investment strategies will work under all market conditions, and investors should evaluate their ability to invest for the long term, especially during periods of market downturns. Past performance is not an indicator or guarantee of future performance. Franklin Separately Managed Accounts claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®). GIPS® is a registered trademark of CFA Institute. CFA Institute does not endorse or promote this organisation, nor does it warrant the accuracy or quality of the content contained herein. Franklin (the “Firm”) is a global investment management group that manages equity, fixed income, balanced accounts, REIT funds, private funds, multi- asset strategies, fund-of-fund portfolios, risk premia strategies, ETFs, GCC fixed income and Sukuk strategies for institutional, retail, and sub-advised clients. For multi-asset strategies and fund-of-fund portfolios, the Firm may invest in various investment strategies advised by registered investment advisory entities within Franklin Resources, Inc. or unaffiliated investment managers. The Firm includes Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions which integrates Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions and QS Investors, Franklin Mutual Advisers, Franklin ETF and Franklin Venture Partners in addition to Franklin Equity Group, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Group, and Templeton Global Macro. The Firm is comprised of individuals representing various registered investment advisories of Franklin Resources, Inc., a global investment organization operating as Franklin Templeton. Separately Managed Accounts (SMAS) are investment services provided by Franklin Templeton Private Portfolio Group, LLC (FTPPG), a federally registered investment advisor. Client portfolios are managed based on investment instructions or advice provided by affiliated subadvisors of Franklin Templeton. Management is implemented by FTPPG, the designated subadvisor or, in the case of certain programs, the program sponsor or its designee. Franklin Income SMA Composite consists of all fully discretionary portfolios with an investment objective that seeks to maximize income while maintaining prospects for capital appreciation. The composite may include wrap fee accounts that pay a fully bundled fee (which includes trading expenses, administrative, custodial and investment management fees charged together as a percentage of the portfolio’s assets) and non-wrap accounts that only pay an investment management fee to Franklin. The portfolio will invest in equity and fixed income securities and Completion Portfolios (no-fee mutual funds) sub-advised by Franklin Advisers, Inc. The Equity Completion Portfolio may include common and preferred stock, equity linked notes, non- USD equities, equity derivatives. Through the Equity Completion Portfolio, the funds may purchase or write option contracts in order to manage equity price risk and may also invest in equity-linked securities. Equity-linked securities are hybrid financial instruments that generally combine both debt and equity characteristics into a single note form. The Fixed Income Completion Portfolio may include high yield bonds, bank loans, mortgage and asset backed securities, non-USD bonds, fixed income derivatives. Through the Fixed Income Completion Portfolio, the fund may invest in high yield corporate bonds that are below investment grade (rated lower than BBB). The Custom Franklin Income Strategy Benchmark is equivalent to the Blended 50% MSCI USD High Dividend Yield Index + 25% Bloomberg US High Yield Very Liquid Index + 25% Bloomberg US Aggregate Index. The primary benchmark for the composite is a custom benchmark of 50% MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index (USA High Div Yield) + 25% Bloomberg U.S. High Yield Very Liquid Index (High Yield Very Liquid) + 25% Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Index (US Agg Index). The MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index is designed to reflect the performance of mid- and large-cap equities (excluding REITs) with higher dividend income, which is sustainable and persistent, than average dividend yields of securities in the MSCI USA Index, its parent index. The Bloomberg U.S. High Yield Very Liquid Index is a component of the U.S. Corporate High Yield Index designed to track a more liquid component of the USD-denominated, high yield, fixed-rate corporate bond market. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Index is a market value weighted fixed income index comprised of investment grade government, corporate, mortgage pass-through and asset-backed securities that are SEC registered, taxable, dollar denominated and fixed rate. The benchmark is rebalanced monthly. The secondary benchmark for the composite is the S&P 500 Index, which is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted equity index comprised of securities of large cap U.S. companies. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. The allocation of assets among different strategies, asset classes and investments may not prove beneficial or produce the desired results. Fixed income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation and reinvestment risks, and possible loss of principal. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities falls. Dividends may fluctuate and are not guaranteed, and a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend at any time. Equity securities are subject to price fluctuation and possible loss of principal. Investments in equity-linked notes often have risks similar to their underlying securities, which could include management risk, market risk and, as applicable, foreign securities and currency risks. Low-rated, high-yield bonds are subject to greater price volatility, illiquidity and possibility of default. Active management does not ensure gains or protect against market declines. International investments are subject to special risks, including currency fluctuations and social, economic and political uncertainties, which could increase volatility. These risks are magnified in emerging markets . The investment style may become out of favor, which may have a negative impact on performance. The manager may consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in the research or investment process; however, ESG considerations may not be a determinative factor in security selection. In addition, the manager may not assess every investment for ESG criteria, and not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. For fee schedules, contact your financial professional, or if you enter into an agreement directly with Franklin Templeton Private Portfolio Group, LLC (“FTPPG”), refer to FTPPG’s Form ADV Part 2A disclosure document. Management and performance of individual accounts may vary for reasons that include the existence of different implementation practices and model requirements in different investment programs. To obtain specific information on available products and services or a GIPS Report, contact your Franklin Templeton separately managed account sales team at (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236. Source: FactSet. MSCI makes no warranties and shall have no liability with respect to any MSCI data reproduced herein. No further redistribution or use is permitted. This report is not prepared or endorsed by MSCI. Indexes are unmanaged, and one cannot invest directly in an index. They do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute. Source: FactSet. Important data provider notices and terms available at www.franklintempletondatasources.com. These materials are being provided for illustrative and informational purposes only. The information contained herein is obtained from multiple sources that are believed to be reliable. However, such information has not been verified, and may be different from the information included in documents and materials created by the sponsor firm in whose investment program a client participates. Some sponsor firms may require that these materials be preceded or accompanied by investment profiles or other documents or materials prepared by such sponsor firms, which will be provided upon a client’s request. For additional information, documents and/or materials, please speak to your Financial Professional or contact your sponsor firm. Franklin Templeton (FT) is not undertaking to provide impartial advice. Nothing herein is intended to provide fiduciary advice. FT has a financial interest. Click to enlarge Original Post Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Snoop Dogg has nearly as many ties to football as he does to rap music. The entertainer coached youth football for years and created the Snoop League, an after-school program for inner city Los Angeles youths. Snoop has been a guest analyst on football broadcasts and his son, Cordell Broadus, played Division I football. When Snoop took his latest step, becoming the sponsor of a bowl game, he had a demand: Find a way for all players in the game to receive name, image and likeness (NIL) money. “This was Snoop’s idea,” said Kym Adair, executive director of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice. “He was having conversations with people he knows in the college football world and I got a call that said he wants us to be the first bowl to make this commitment and that’s what we did.” The beneficiaries are Colorado State and Miami (Ohio), who will conclude their seasons Saturday at Arizona Stadium in the Arizona Bowl. The bowl is classified as a 501(c)(3), so all revenue goes to charity. And, being one of the few bowls not tied to ESPN, it opens the door for unique sponsorship opportunities. The bowl was previously sponsored by Barstool Sports and the digital media company used its own cast of characters on the broadcast, which was streamed on its digital platforms. Snoop Dogg takes over this year. The rapper/entertainer is the latest celebrity to sponsor a bowl, following the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski at the LA Bowl. And, Snoop being Snoop, he wanted to put his own spin on his own bowl. “College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences,” Snoop said in a video posted on social media. “So it’s time that we get back to the roots of college football — when it was focused on the colleges, the players and the competition, the community, the fan experience and the pageantry.” With that will be an NIL component. The bowl can’t pay players just for playing in the bowl, but both teams participated in football clinics on Friday and will get paid for their services. Other bowls have given single players NIL opportunities, but this is believed to be the first to offer it to every player on both teams. “I love the fact that the Arizona Bowl is unique and tries new things, and obviously having Snoop here is unique,” Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. “The NIL component, it’s the future. It’s what football has become now. We think it’s fantastic for our kids and then the interaction with the kids is the hidden gem of the whole thing.” The NIL component of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl comes a month after a similar effort in The Players Era Festival basketball tournament in Las Vegas. The eight-team tournament said it paid out $9 million in NIL money to participating players for activities outside the competition. It also offered $50 million in NIL opportunities over the next three years for services and activities compliant with NCAA regulations. Are the Players Era Festival and Arizona Bowl the start of a new future? It is not out of the question in big-time college athletics, where schools are already preparing for the era of revenue sharing with players next year. “Revenue sharing between the players and the athletic departments is already on the horizon, so whether that takes the place of these types of arrangements or they’re completely separate has yet to be determined,” Adair said. “We’re just trying to be flexible, ahead of the curve and make an impact any way we can.” Just the way Snoop wants it. ___ 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 Read more NCAA football coverage at thestar.comTUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Snoop Dogg has nearly as many ties to football as he does to rap music. The entertainer coached youth football for years and created the Snoop League, an after-school program for inner city Los Angeles youths. Snoop has been a guest analyst on football broadcasts and his son, Cordell Broadus, played Division I football. When Snoop took his latest step, becoming the sponsor of a bowl game, he had a demand: Find a way for all players in the game to receive name, image and likeness (NIL) money. “This was Snoop's idea,” said Kym Adair, executive director of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice. “He was having conversations with people he knows in the college football world and I got a call that said he wants us to be the first bowl to make this commitment and that's what we did.” The beneficiaries are Colorado State and Miami (Ohio), who will conclude their seasons Saturday at Arizona Stadium in the Arizona Bowl. The bowl is classified as a 501(c)(3), so all revenue goes to charity. And, being one of the few bowls not tied to ESPN, it opens the door for unique sponsorship opportunities. The bowl was previously sponsored by Barstool Sports and the digital media company used its own cast of characters on the broadcast, which was streamed on its digital platforms. Snoop Dogg takes over this year. The rapper/entertainer is the latest celebrity to sponsor a bowl, following the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski at the LA Bowl. And, Snoop being Snoop, he wanted to put his own spin on his own bowl. “College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences,” Snoop said in a video posted on social media. “So it’s time that we get back to the roots of college football — when it was focused on the colleges, the players and the competition, the community, the fan experience and the pageantry.” With that will be an NIL component. The bowl can't pay players just for playing in the bowl, but both teams participated in football clinics on Friday and will get paid for their services. Other bowls have given single players NIL opportunities, but this is believed to be the first to offer it to every player on both teams. “I love the fact that the Arizona Bowl is unique and tries new things, and obviously having Snoop here is unique,” Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. “The NIL component, it’s the future. It’s what football has become now. We think it’s fantastic for our kids and then the interaction with the kids is the hidden gem of the whole thing.” The NIL component of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl comes a month after a similar effort in The Players Era Festival basketball tournament in Las Vegas. The eight-team tournament said it paid out $9 million in NIL money to participating players for activities outside the competition. It also offered $50 million in NIL opportunities over the next three years for services and activities compliant with NCAA regulations. Are the Players Era Festival and Arizona Bowl the start of a new future? It is not out of the question in big-time college athletics, where schools are already preparing for the era of revenue sharing with players next year. “Revenue sharing between the players and the athletic departments is already on the horizon, so whether that takes the place of these types of arrangements or they're completely separate has yet to be determined," Adair said. "We're just trying to be flexible, ahead of the curve and make an impact any way we can.” Just the way Snoop wants it. 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
Amherst VFW Post 1662 hosts annual Children’s Christmas Party
By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. Is it a plan in motion or more rhetoric? On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Death row inmates are mostly sentenced by states Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Could rape now be punishable by death? Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. What were the cases highlighted by Trump? One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.