The UCLA women’s basketball team is ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press women’s basketball poll for the first time in program history. The Bruins beat defending national champion South Carolina , the previous top team in the polls, on Sunday afternoon to rise from the No. 5 spot. The Gamecocks are now No. 4. UCLA is out to a 5-0 start this season and took down South Carolina 77-62 in a sold-out Pauley Pavilion. The accomplishment marked the first time in program history that the Bruins beat a No. 1 team. It’s the first time South Carolina lost a game in 602 days after a 43-game winning streak and it was the largest loss for South Carolina since March 2019 (15 points). “This means a lot because of the respect we have (for South Carolina),” UCLA head coach Cori Close said after the game. “That being said, we expected to win.” Bruins center Lauren Betts made the Big Ten Basketball Weekly Honor Roll after recording a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds in Sunday’s game. Londynn Jones led UCLA with 15 points and went a perfect 5-for-5 on 3-pointers. UCLA next heads to Honolulu for the Rainbow Wahine Showdown, which begins on Friday against UT Martin. Big Ten Conference play begins on Dec. 8 at Washington.
NASA discovers hidden military base within Greenland ice sheet dating back 65 years
By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CATHY BUSSEWITZ NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump’s incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches — the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President — are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI,” Glasgow said. “The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America’s top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart’s announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart’s need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer’s ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart.” Walmart’s announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.
The new, 12-team College Football Playoff brings with it a promise to be bigger, more exciting, more lucrative. Perfect or 100% fair? Well, nobody ever believed that. The first expanded playoff bracket unveiled Sunday left a presumably deserving Alabama team on the sideline in favor of an SMU squad that finished with a better record after playing a schedule that was not as difficult. It ranked undefeated Oregon first but set up a possible rematch against Ohio State, the team that came closest to beating the Ducks this year. It treated underdog Boise State like a favorite and banged-up Georgia like a world beater at No. 2. It gave Ohio State home-field advantage against Tennessee for reasons it would take a supercomputer to figure out. It gave the sport the multiweek tournament it has longed for, but also ensured there will be plenty to grouse about between now and when the trophy is handed out on Jan. 20 after what will easily be the longest college football season in history. All of it, thankfully, will be sorted out on the field starting with first-round games on campuses Dec. 20 and 21, then over three succeeding rounds that will wind their way through traditional bowl sites. Maybe Oregon coach Dan Lanning, whose undefeated Ducks are the favorite to win it all, put it best when he offered: "Winning a national championship is not supposed to be easy.” Neither, it turns out, is figuring out who should play for it. The Big Ten will lead the way with four teams in the tournament, followed by the SEC with three and the ACC with two. The lasting memory from the inaugural bracket will involve the decision that handed the ACC that second bid. Alabama of the SEC didn't play Saturday. SMU of the ACC did. The Mustangs fell behind by three touchdowns to Clemson before coming back to tie. But they ultimately lost 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal as time expired. “We were on pins and needles,” SMU coach Rhett Lashley said. “Until we saw the name ‘SMU’ up there, we were hanging on the edge. We're really, really happy and thankful to the committee for rewarding our guys for their total body of work." The Mustangs only had two losses, compared to three for the Crimson Tide. Even though SMU's schedule wasn't nearly as tough, the committee was impressed by the way the Mustangs came back against Clemson. “We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chairman of the selection committee. “But it’s no disrespect to Alabama’s strength of schedule. We looked at the entire body of work for both teams.” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne was gracious, up to a point. “Disappointed with the outcome and felt we were one of the 12 best teams in the country,” he said on social media. He acknowledged — despite all of Alabama’s losses coming against conference opponents this season — that the Tide’s push to schedule more games against teams from other major conferences in order to improve its strength of schedule did not pay off this time. “That is not good for college football," Byrne said. Georgia, the SEC champion, was seeded second; Boise State, the Mountain West champion, earned the third seed; and Big 12 titlist Arizona State got the fourth seed and the fourth and final first-round bye. All will play in quarterfinals at bowl games on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. Clemson stole a bid and the 12th seed with its crazy win over SMU, the result that ultimately cost Alabama a spot in the field. The Tigers moved to No. 16 in the rankings, but got in as the fifth-best conference winner. The conference commissioners' idea to give conference champions preferable treatment in this first iteration of the 12-team playoff could be up for reconsideration after this season. The committee actually ranked Boise State, the Mountain West Champion, at No. 9 and Big 12 champion Arizona State at No. 12, but both get to skip the first round. Another CFP guideline: There’s no reseeding of teams after each round, which means no break for Oregon. The top-seeded Ducks will face the winner of Tennessee-Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 earlier this year in one of the season’s best games. No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas, Dec. 21. Clemson is riding high after the SMU upset, while Texas is 0-2 against Georgia and 11-0 vs. everyone else this season. The winner faces ... Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Huh? No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, Dec. 21. The biggest knock against the Mustangs was that they didn't play any big boys with that 60th-ranked strength of schedule. Well, now they get to. The winner faces ... Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, SMU vs. Boise was the quarterfinal we all expected. No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, Dec. 20. Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti thought his team deserved a home game. Well, not quite but close. The winner faces ... Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs got the No. 2 seed despite a throwing-arm injury to QB Carson Beck. But what else was the committee supposed to do? No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State , Dec. 21. The Buckeyes (losses to Oregon, Michigan) got home field over the Volunteers (losses to Arkansas, Georgia) in a matchup of programs with two of the biggest stadiums in football. The winner faces ... Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Feels like that matchup should come in the semifinals or later. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballALEXANDRIA, Va. • Google, already facing a possible breakup of the company over its ubiquitous search engine , is fighting to beat back another attack by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging monopolistic conduct, this time over technology that puts online advertising in front of consumers. The Justice Department and Google made closing arguments Monday in a trial alleging Google's advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Va., will decide the case and is expected to issue a written ruling by the end of the year. If Brinkema finds Google has engaged in illegal, monopolistic conduct, she will then hold further hearings to explore what remedies should be imposed. The Justice Department, along with a coalition of states, has already said it believes Google should be forced to sell off parts of its ad tech business, which generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the Mountain View, Calif.-based company. After roughly a month of trial testimony earlier this year, the arguments in the case remain the same. During three hours of arguments Monday, Brinkema, who sometimes tips her hand during legal arguments, did little to indicate how she might rule. She did, though, question the applicability of a key antitrust case Google cites in its defense. The Justice Department contends Google built and maintained a monopoly in “open-web display advertising,” essentially the rectangular ads that appear on the top and right-hand side of the page when one browses websites. Google dominates all facets of the market. A technology called DoubleClick is used pervasively by news sites and other online publishers, while Google Ads maintains a cache of advertisers large and small looking to place their ads on the right webpage in front of the right consumer. In between is another Google product, AdExchange, that conducts nearly instantaneous auctions matching advertisers to publishers. In court papers, Justice Department lawyers say Google “is more concerned with acquiring and preserving its trifecta of monopolies than serving its own publisher and advertiser customers or winning on the merits.” As a result, content providers and news organizations have never been able to generate the online revenue they should due to Google’s excessive fees for brokering transactions between advertisers and publishers, the government says. Google argues the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow niche of online advertising. If one looks more broadly at online advertising to include social media, streaming TV services, and app-based advertising, Google says it controls as little as 10% of the market, a share that is dwindling as it faces increased and evolving competition. Google alleges in court papers that the government’s lawsuit “boil(s) down to the persistent complaints of a handful of Google’s rivals and several mammoth publishers.” Google also says it has invested billions in technology that facilitates the efficient match of advertisers to interested consumers and it should not be forced to share its technology and success with competitors. “Requiring a company to do further engineering work to make its technology and customers accessible by all of its competitors on their preferred terms has never been compelled by U.S. antitrust law,” the company wrote. Brinkema, during Monday's arguments, also sought clarity on Google’s market share, a number the two sides dispute, depending on how broadly the market is defined. Historically, courts have been unwilling to declare an illegal monopoly in markets in which a company holds less than a 70% market share. Google says that when online display advertising is viewed as a whole, it holds only a 10% market share, and dwindling. The Justice Department contends, though, that when focusing on open-web display advertising, Google controls 91% of the market for publisher ad servers and 87% of the market for advertiser ad networks. Google says that the “open web display advertising” market is gerrymandered by the Justice Department to make Google look bad, and that nobody in the industry looks at that category of ads without considering the ability of advertisers to switch to other forms of advertising, like in mobile apps. The Justice Department also contends that the public is harmed by the excessive rates Google charges to facilitate ad purchases, saying the company takes 36 cents on the dollar when it facilitates the transaction end to end. Google says its “take rate” has dropped to 31% and continues to decrease, and it says that rate is lower than that of its competitors. “When you have an integrated system, one of the benefits is lower prices," Google lawyer Karen Dunn said Monday. The Virginia case is separate from an ongoing lawsuit brought against Google in the District of Columbia over its namesake search engine. In that case, the judge determined it constitutes an illegal monopoly but has not decided what remedy to impose. The Justice Department said last week it will seek to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser , among a host of other penalties. Google has said the department's request is overkill and unhinged from legitimate regulation. In Monday's arguments, Justice Department lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum cited the search engine case when he highlighted an email from a Google executive, David Rosenblatt, who said in a 2009 email that Google’s goal was to “do to display what Google did to search," which Teitelbaum said showed the company's intent to achieve market dominance. “Google did not achieve its trifecta of monopolies by accident,” Teitelbaum said.
Mumbai: When 45-year-old Kaustubh*, a Bandra (West) resident, was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, support poured in from family, friends and doctors. Even health insurance companies and their third-party administrators were quick with the paperwork. He found a similar response in 2021 when he met with an accident and needed a leg surgery. But the next year when he was diagnosed with HIV, all the well-wishers disappeared. "People are sympathetic with cancer as it's not considered to be the fault of the patient. But, for HIV, the patients are always blamed," he said. Kaustubh is one of the 40,658 people living with HIV-AIDS (PLHA) in the city who are on medication to ensure their viral load is too low to be recorded. He could be a poster boy for the Indian healthcare system's response to HIV, but instead he and other PLHAs are stuck in the same social crisis that emerged after the virus was detected in India 38 years back. For most PLHAs, stigmatisation and discrimination attached to HIV— which spreads due to unsafe sex, needles or blood transfusion— is a grim day-to-day reality. Kaustubh has now stopped visiting fancy hospitals; when he developed an infection on the leg that was operated on, he got admitted to BMC's Bhabha Hospital. Overcrowded public hospitals have their own problems, but Kaustubh doesn't have to fear being overcharged or denied insurance. His fear isn't unreasonable. "At private hospitals, the charges for HIV patients seeking unrelated treatments, procedures or consultations can be more than for other patients," said HIV/AIDS specialist Dr Ishwar Gilada. Hospitals justify this by saying they have to spend on special equipment and infection-control protocols to treat positive people. HIV care has evolved a great deal since Mumbai's Jaslok Hospital treated the first HIV case in 1986. A sizable number of the 25.4 lakh people living with HIV (PLHIV) in India now get free medicines. This year, Mumbai tested 7.3 lakh for HIV and found 3,383 to be positive while the rest of the state tested 24 lakh between April and Sept and found 7,234 positive cases. Doctors from the public health department say the numbers have been dropping every successive year. Dr J K Maniar, HIV specialist at Jaslok Hospital, said, "Things have certainly improved, at least in cities and towns if not in our villages. It is true that PLHIV are denied admission in hospitals and that needs attention, at the same time, the extent of help available to such patients has boomed with govt and civil society initiatives." For many like Kaustubh, though, the HIV status results in abandonment. A bioethics conference on stigma was held at KEM Hospital in Oct with Humsafar Trust's representatives. Its founder Suhail Abbasi told TOI: "While more and more people in the community are being open about their identities, there is still a lot of fear on opening up to their loved ones if they are HIV positive." Insurance companies were expected to be more accepting of PLHIV after Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, which reads: "No person shall discriminate against the protected person on any ground including "the denial of, or unfair treatment in, the provision of insurance unless supported by actuarial studies". Kavi, a 62-year-old resident of Bandra, found out otherwise. He has had health insurance since 2005 and was diagnosed with HIV in 2010. When he sought insurance for a medical procedure for sinus in 2021, his provider refused. So, while PLHAs live longer and normal lives due to medication, and develop age-related ailments needing knee replacements, angioplasties or transplants, insurance cover is a grey zone. Gaurav Dubey, CEO of Livlong insurance, a brokerage house, said, "Even for unrelated treatments, hospital costs for HIV patients are comparatively more. Insurance companies are not incentivised enough to design tailored plans for HIV patients and there is ambiguity in prevailing laws." Ganesh Acharaya, the city's TB-HIV co-infection survivor and activist, said a few insurers offer coverage to PLHAs but the process is difficult. "Agents do not know the procedure. When I have tried approaching insurance companies, officials shut their doors on us." Jaanvi (32) who has lived with HIV since birth, has found a way around the insurance hassle. "The one time I needed a health procedure unrelated to HIV, I found a hospital that protected my HIV status from my insurance company." Nonetheless, there is hope. In 2021, Jaanvi took a leap of faith and revealed her status to a potential partner, who is not HIV positive. They married, have a healthy sex life with minimum transmission risk, and have a healthy kid. (*Names changed)None
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), stated on Saturday that political stability in Pakistan is essential, whether it is achieved through dialogue between the government and opposition or, if necessary, through more assertive measures, Aaj News reported. There will be effective prosecution of those involved in violence during PTI protest: Info minister Speaking at a rally in Sukkur to mark the PPP’s 57th founding anniversary, Bhutto emphasized that attaining peace and economic stability in Pakistan requires national consensus, asserting that political differences should not impede the country’s progress. “Political stability is crucial for the country’s future, whether obtained through dialogue or, if needed, through firm actions,” Bhutto remarked. He also called for a new National Action Plan (NAP) to address terrorism, recognizing the urgent need to tackle the growing security threats facing the country. Tarar asks how advanced weaponry reached protesters Bilawal urged all political parties to work towards democracy and uphold the supremacy of the constitution, noting that other critical issues can only be addressed after achieving political stability. He stressed that the opposition plays a vital role in ensuring political stability, as it should present itself as a democratic and legitimate political force. Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its protests and creating disorder in Islamabad, he pointed out that some political parties in Pakistan are not engaging in politics within the established political framework. Bilawal added that it is crucial for politicians to resolve issues through dialogue. He expressed his hope that both the government and the opposition will collaborate to establish political stability in the country, with the government taking on a greater share of the responsibility in this endeavor.(BPT) - The holidays bring a whirlwind of excitement, sales, and unfortunately also scams. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Week mean increased online transactions, e-commerce traffic, and a heightened focus on fulfilling customer orders — all of which make small businesses, especially micro-businesses, prime targets for cybercriminals. According to Bank of America's Small Business Owner's Report , more than half of small business owners said cybersecurity threats have impacted their business. Unlike larger corporations with dedicated IT departments, many small and micro businesses lack proper security infrastructure, leaving them more vulnerable to and harmed by threats. A single scam or breach can be costly and can put a business behind during the busy holiday season. Scammers know how to exploit the season's hustle and bustle. But don't let the Grinch steal your seasonal success — arm yourself with these tips from the pros at Norton Small Business to stay protected and keep the holiday cheer intact. The Naughty List: Common Holiday Cyber Scams In today's digital-first world, cybersecurity is no longer optional — it's a necessity. With cyber threats evolving constantly, safeguarding your business requires vigilance, informed employees, and robust practices. Investing in cybersecurity tools is a simple way to address these concerns. The Nice List: 7 Cyber Safety Tips for the Holidays In a world where scams are harder to detect it is good to have extra help. Owners and employees can check in real time if something might be a scam with the free Norton Genie app . With a simple screen shot, this AI-powered scam detection tool can tell you if a text message, social media post, email or website message is likely to be a scam, what makes the content suspicious, and what to do next. Beyond just protecting your systems, it's essential to build trust with your customers by showing them that your business takes cybersecurity seriously. Displaying security badges on your website, being transparent about how customer data is protected, and offering secure payment options can go a long way in fostering customer confidence and retention. The holidays are a time of opportunity for both small businesses and scammers. By adopting these best practices, you can protect your business, your customers, and your peace of mind this season. Think of Norton Small Business as your holiday helper, protecting your devices and data while you focus on operating your business. With easy setup and robust features, it's your always-on IT department working 24/7 to protect your business and employees. Visit https://us.norton.com/products/small-business for more information.
7 Steps to Help Keep Your Small Business Cyber Safe This Holiday SeasonThe billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”
Seeking to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Eredivisie standings, high-flying PSV Eindhoven play host to Groningen at the Philips Stadion on Saturday. Having failed to win any of their last nine visits to the Philips Stadion, the Trots van het Noorden will head into the weekend looking to get one over the hosts and secure consecutive league victories for the first time since August. © Imago PSV Eindhoven returned to winning ways in style just before the international break as they edged out NAC Breda 3-0 when the two teams squared off at the Rat Verlegh Stadion on November 9. Having thrashed Spanish outfit Girona 4-0 in the Champions League just four days earlier, Ricardo Pepi , Ismael Saibari and Johan Bakayoko all found the back of the net to fire PSV to another resounding victory. Prior to that, Peter Bosz's men saw their run of 11 back-to-back victories in the Eredivisie come to an end on November 2, when they suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat against Ajax at the Johan Cruijff Arena. With a third of the season played, PSV are well on course to defend the Eredivisie title as they have picked up 33 points from a possible 36 to sit top of the standings with a five-point cushion over second-placed Utrecht. After two consecutive league matches on the road, the Rood-witten now return home, where they have won each of their last 10 league games, scoring 37 goals and keeping five clean sheets since a 2-2 draw against Feyenoord on Match 3. © Imago Groningen, on the other hand, were one of the few Eredivisie sides in action during the break as they played out a 1-1 draw with German outfit Koln last Thursday, when Mark Uth and Thijs Oosting scored for either side to force a share of the spoils. The Trots van het Noorden now return to action in the Eredivisie, where they will be looking to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since August after picking up a 1-0 victory over Sparta Rotterdam on November 9 Twenty-two-year-old Romano Postema grabbed the headlines for Groningen as he netted the only goal of the game one minute after the half-hour mark at the Euroborg Stadion to snap their six-game losing streak in the league. Dick Lukkien 's men have won just three of their 12 league matches so far while losing six and claiming three draws to collect 12 points and sit 13th in the standings, level on points with PEC Zwolle and Heracles. Next up for Groningen is the daunting challenge of taking on an opposing side who are unbeaten in 18 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams, claiming 13 wins and five draws since December 2008. PSV Eindhoven remain without several players down the spine of the team as Hirving Lozano (muscle) and Fode Fofana (knee) and Adamo Nagalo all continue their spells on the sidelines. Jerdy Schouten has missed the last five matches since coming off with a thigh problem against AZ Alkmaar in October while former Barcelona man Sergino Dest continues his long road to full fitness after picking up a knee injury back in April. Pepi netted two goals across two matches for the United States during the international break and the 21-year-old, who has three goals and six assists in 11 Eredivisie appearances will be one to keep an eye on this weekend. Groningen, meanwhile, will have to cope without experienced defender Marvin Peersman , who is currently suspended after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Sparta Rotterdam on November 9. In his absence, AZ Alkmaar loanee Finn Stam should come into the fold, forming the back four with Leandro Bacuna , Marco Rente and 20-year-old Wouter Prins , while Postema and Thom van Bergen should team up in attack. On the injury front, Lukkien will be unable to name 21-year-old midfielder Tika de Jonge , who has missed each of the last two matches since picking up an injury against NEC Nijmegen on November 3. Team News text here PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup: Benitez; Karsdorp, Boscagli, Flamingo, Dams; Tillman, Junior, Saibari; Bakayoko, Pepi, Lang Groningen possible starting lineup: Vaessen; Bacuna, Rente, Stam, Prins; Schreuders, Resink, Hove, Valente; Van Bergen, Postema While Groningen will look to continue right from where they dropped off against Sparta Rotterdam before the international break, they are in for a tough 90 minutes against PSV Eindhoven side who have flown out of the blacks in their title defense. Bosz's men head into the weekend on a blistering run of results at the Philips Stadion and we are backing them to extend their dominance over the visitors with another comfortable victory. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .
“I am hopeful that with the majorities now that we will be able to get across the finish line,” Scanlan told The Center Square on Thursday, speaking of more legislation on the way to protect women's spaces. “Obviously, this goes beyond sports ... So ideally, I think that the biggest thing would be to federally pass something that says this is what a woman is.” Scanlan a day earlier was part of a panel where U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., announced that Republicans plan to soon introduce legislation to “protect children from transgender medical procedures.” A report from the advocacy group Do No Harm released four weeks before Election Day included documented evidence of such activity being performed on a 7-year-old . “We’ll be introducing the STOP Act soon,” said Marshall . “We are going to use the Commerce Act to punish people who perform any type of surgery, or who use any type of medications on minors.” STOP is an acronym for Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors. The panel said that the legislation is an important and necessary step to protect children. Scanlan and Marshall, a host with the American Principles Project, were on the panel alongside U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.; U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill.; Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project; and Sarah Parshall Perry, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation. “We all know by now that so-called gender affirming care is anything but caring,” Tuberville said. “It is pure insanity and has caused irreversible damage to countless children. This isn’t about politics, this is about good and evil.” Scanlan is an ambassador for Independent Women's Voice and a former collegiate swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania. Swimming for the Quakers, she and teammates endured being not only on the same team but in the same locker room as a swimmer who for the first three years swam on the men's team. “I was a swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania and the administration, the university and the NCAA said , ‘Here's a man who wants to swim on your team, please accept him,’” she explained during the panel. “This entire situation really made all female athletes feel isolated and alone, and like they know where to go.” Scanlan said that it wasn’t just competing that isolated the female athletes. “Eighteen times per week, my teammates and I were forced to undress next to a 6-foot-4, fully-intact male,” Scanlan said. “As a female athlete, this was just something I couldn't even imagine. It was something I never imagined would happen to me when I went off to college.” The STOP Act is one of a few beginnings. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has proposed legislation seeking to protect women’s spaces on all federal property nationwide. This would include bathrooms, locker rooms and prisons. Scanlan said this shows that public opinion is on the side of her and the panel. “This is really the first time we're seeing more of these people in power stepping up and actually doing the right thing and saying enough is enough” she said. “Now, we are looking at entire teams that are feeling empowered to be able to boycott ... or object to competing against males. It's widespread.” A notable case of that is San Jose State, where Blaire Fleming's participation has led to seven opponents forfeiting rather than playing a women's team that includes a man saying he is a woman. Tuberville and Marshall emphasized they believe the majority of Americans would agree with the proposed legislation. "The American people are sick of this nonsense," Tuberville said . "It’s time we restore some sanity and get common sense back in this country." Scanlan said that while she supports the national legislation Republicans are considering, it is important for states to also continue to pass legislation. “I always remind people who are really excited about having a presidency that we don't know what might happen in four years," she said. "So, of course, it's also important to codify this in states. We are going to continue our efforts. There's still a lot of work to be done, and I don't really see it as a win until we've finished this on the state level.”
Jacksen Moni scores 18 to lead North Dakota State past Northern Colorado 82-70TradingView Empowers Investors to Discover Their Financial Fit!
The toritetsu subset of Japanese train otaku which specializes in photography has long been notorious for a string of anti-social behavior unbecoming of their seemingly relaxing hobby. Reports of violence, vandalism, and general poor manners are widespread as these shutterbugs vie for the best shot of the rarest trains around. Railways have also made efforts to channel this passion for trains into something more positive, but problems still persist. Now, Sagami Railway in Kanagawa Prefecture has teamed up with software maker Adobe to find ways to get that perfect shot without punching other photographers, cursing out staff, or cutting down trees. On November 24, at Hoshikawa Station in Yokohama City, a workshop was held to teach toritetsu how to use Adobe Express’s generative AI to remove unwanted people or objects from photos. As a case study, who could forget that time dozens of toritetsu waited in the middle of the night to get the first photos of a new rolling stock on the Enoden line in Kanagawa, only to have a large man on a bicycle riding between them and it with his arm outstretched? Due to the contentious nature of the incident, video of it is often quickly removed from social media and YouTube, so I just got Adobe Photoshop to generate a similar image. ▼ Shortage of logic aside, it’s fairly close to the real incident. After that, I popped it into the Adobe Express app on my phone. Rubbed blue stuff on the guy with my finger and made him go away. ▼ Problem solved. ▼ Actually, those wires are ugly so let’s ditch those too. ▼ And you know what? I’m not all that crazy about trains anyway. How about a sailboat? Bear in mind, I just did super-fast, one-shot edits and it’s possible to get better results with more time and effort, especially if I had gone to that workshop. This may not satisfy the purists among toritetsu, of whom most are, but there was some positive feedback at the workshop, with one attendee liking how it cleanly removed overhead wires and hands with a natural-looking result. Even if it means just a few less people trespassing and destroying property then it’s a job well done. Readers of the news, however, seem to feel the problem is much too large to be cured with some AI editing tools. “Now, we need a way for AI to erase the toritetsu.” “Or just ban photography on station platforms.” “These guys are pretty anti-processing, I think.” “I think the toritetsu’s issues run much deeper than this.” “I don’t get why they’re against editing. The photo itself is already inherently altered from what’s seen by the human eye.” As the last comment pointed out, the news also sparked some debate over how much processing crosses that line of no longer being photography and becoming CGI. If AI editing was considered acceptable among these people, then why not just stay home and generate images of trains all day? Besides that, the ability to remove obstructions from images on Photoshop has been around for a long time and toritetsu never even seemed to embrace that. It required a lot more skill and effort back then, but probably not as much as breaking into a train yard and dismantling signs while evading security. I’m willing to give Adobe credit for putting the idea out there, even if it is in a bit of a self-promotional way. Unfortunately, this probably won’t be the end of the mayhem caused by people who like to take pictures of trains. Source: Asahi Shimbun, Itai News Images: Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Express Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- JR East attempts to unite train-photographing otaku with new social media group -- Japanese mayor suddenly speaks fluent English with AI video that surprises even him -- Tokyo Police apprehend the “Lego Kid” and accomplicesA reprieve for under pressure Julen Lopetegui after a near perfect away performance. But a big setback for Eddie Howe and Newcastle’s quest to put pressure on the top six. Goals from Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka earned the Hammers, and 3,700 travelling fans a Monday night away victory - the first on their travels since August. After three consecutive wins Newcastle wanted to close in on the elite but lost out and the international break has killed their momentum. Pressure was growing on Lopetegui before this game with reports he had only two games to turn around a run of two wins in ten. He’s earned a few more in charge with this excellent result. St James’ Park under the lights is no simple place to visit but the Hammers stunned Newcastle with an early goal in each half, weathering a Newcastle attacking storm and exploiting defensive weakness. The opener came direct from a corner. Emerson Palmieri swung in the set piece which was attacked by Tomas Soucek, and his firm header powered beyond Nick Pope. Defender Lloyd Kelly was caught flat footed, after being called in to replace the suspended Dan Burn. There was a Newcastle fightback hampered by slack finishing, which West Ham exploited early in the second half. After Anthony Gordon poked inches wide, Bruno Guimaraes was robbed by his best mate Lucas Paqueta who powered on to release Jarrod Bowen on the right wing. The England winger slid a clever ball inside to full back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He wasn’t closed down by left sided centre back Kelly who failed to get a block on the shot which crept inside the far post. It was a powerful and combative away from home performance from the Hammers. And it was a disjointed one from Newcastle, messy in front of goal and suffering from too many in game changes of position. Toon striker Alexander Isak got the Wor Flags, tifo treatment pre-match with the Leazes End spelling out his name in Swedish colours and the Gallowgate banner proclaiming him Alexander the Great. Only a tight VAR offside ruling denied him a goal inside five minutes before the home side were rocked by Soucek’s opener. The visitors grew in confidence and only a loose shot from Carlos Soler after Jarrod Bowen’s lay off denied a second goal. Michail Antonio led from the front with some punchy tracking back and tackles as well as breaking well. He earned a huge rip in his shorts which he had to swap. Boss Eddie Howe had plenty of options off his £100m-plus bench with Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier fit again after injuries, and Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes both desperate for a role when they came on in the second half. Earlier Willock slashed just wide and Sean Longstaff’s header was the Geordies' first effort on target after 29 minutes. New England senior cap Lewis Hall flashed wide after surging into the box. Gordon had the best first half chance when Jean-Clair Todibo failed to clear eight yards out but the shot was saved. Isak’s half volley after a precision ball from Bruno Guimaraes also skidded wide, as chances came but were not converted in a decent forceful spell for Howe’s men. Newcastle had a Wilson penalty claim turned down by VAR, as they threw everything at getting a goal back. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Percentages: FG .529, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 11-27, .407 (LeGree 3-5, Alocen 2-3, Wagner 2-5, Teel 2-6, Harding 1-2, Doughty 1-4, Summers 0-2). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 2 (Daughtry, Summers). Turnovers: 17 (Teel 5, Daughtry 4, Doughty 3, LeGree 3, Alocen, Harding). Steals: 6 (Daughtry 3, Alocen, LeGree, Teel). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .469, FT .579. 3-Point Goals: 9-23, .391 (Reaves 6-9, Bundy 1-2, Menard 1-4, Njie 1-6, Jungers 0-1, Wallace 0-1). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 3. Blocked Shots: 3 (Barr 2, Bundy). Turnovers: 11 (Moundi 3, Barr, Bundy, Emuobor, Hogarth, Jungers, Menard, Njie, Reaves). Steals: 10 (Reaves 3, Hogarth 2, Njie 2, Bundy, Jungers, Moundi). Technical Fouls: None. A_325 (4,000).
The star has described reaching the milestone as "cuckoo loco" Chappell Roan has celebrated the fact that her song ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ has reached one billion streams on Spotify . The single was first released in April this year, written by Roan alongside Justin Tranter and Dan Nigro. It became Roan’s breakout hit, hitting Number Two in the UK and Number Four in the US, and has been nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammys . Roan has reacted the news that it has crossed the milestone, writing on Instagram: “Good Luck Babe hitting a billion streams on Spotify is cuckoo loco. All I have to say is thank you.” A post shared by ・゚: *✧ Chappell Roan ✧*:・゚ (@chappellroan) Other recent songs to reach the one billion streams mark on Spotify include Sabrina Carpenter ’s ‘Espresso’ and Billie Eilish ’s ‘Birds Of A Feather’. The news comes just days after Franz Ferdinand covered the song on Jo Whiley’s BBC Radio 2 show . “It’s just an amazing song by an incredible artist,” said frontman Alex Kapranos . “It’s funny, you get some artists that have a moment, often it’s kind of divisive.” “Some people absolutely love them and some people hate them. But I’ve not come across anybody I know, none of my friends, nobody I know, who doesn’t like this artist. They’re just so good. This song’s incredible so we’re going to play it.” ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ was not included on Roan’s debut album ‘The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess’, which is up for Album of the Year at the Grammys. In a four-star review of the record , NME wrote that it is “a display of Roan’s bold and brazen pen, where she places searing revelations alongside some deliciously cheeky choruses.” Roan has been outspoken about how experience of sudden fame this year, comparing it to “an abusive ex-husband” . In an interview with The Face , the former NME Cover star vented about the normalisation of extreme fan behaviour including “stalking, talking shit online, [people who] won’t leave you alone, yelling at you in public.” She added: “I didn’t know it would feel this bad.” Prior to that, she had taken to TikTok to share her thoughts on “weird” and “creepy” followers , calling out the “predatory behaviour” of so-called “superfans” that includes “nonconsensual physical and social interactions”. Related Topics Chappell Roan Pop SpotifyIsraeli official to Arutz Sheva: 'War is not over, ceasefire will be tested on the ground'