Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter spurs broader discussion on who else should be granted clemencyPublished 5:40 pm Friday, November 22, 2024 By Data Skrive The Portland Trail Blazers (6-9) are keeping their eye on five players on the injury report, including Jerami Grant, ahead of their Saturday, November 23 game against the Houston Rockets (11-5) at Toyota Center. The Rockets have listed zero injured players. The game begins at 8:00 PM ET. Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Get the latest news sent to your inbox In their last matchup on Wednesday, the Rockets secured a 130-113 victory over the Pacers. Alperen Sengun scored a team-high 31 points for the Rockets in the win. The Trail Blazers’ last game was a 109-99 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday. Shaedon Sharpe scored 21 points in the Trail Blazers’ loss, leading the team. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get live and on-demand access to NBA games. Get tickets for any NBA game this season at StubHub. Catch NBA action all season long on Fubo. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .
( MENAFN - Daily News Egypt) Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, and Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fuji Hisayuki, signed agreements for development financing worth $234m. The agreements, encompassing both grants and concessional loans, aim to support the Egyptian budget, promote private sector growth, improve small-scale farmers' livelihoods, and renovate the Egyptian Opera House. The signing took place during a celebration marking 70 years of development cooperation between Egypt and Japan. A key component of the agreements is a $230m (35bn Japanese yen) financing package designed to support Egypt's budget. This funding aligns with national efforts to ease economic pressures and advance structural reforms. It will also encourage private sector investment, enhance the business climate, promote competition, and support economic diversification, including the green transition. Al-Mashat explained that the Development Policy Program is designed to bolster Egypt's budget and structural reform efforts. It also seeks to stimulate private sector investments through improved competitiveness and business conditions, as well as the promotion of green initiatives. The policy development program with Japan is part of a larger framework of negotiations with international partners to increase fiscal capacity. Al-Mashat stated that this partnership with Japan is a critical element of the national structural reform program. Al-Mashat noted that, in the context of the agreement with Japan, the Egyptian government has implemented various structural reforms to improve the business climate and encourage private sector activity. Beyond the budget support, the agreements included grants worth $4.3m. One grant, valued at 180m Japanese yen (approximately $1.17m), is earmarked for the renovation of the Cairo Opera House. This aims to enhance the infrastructure of the National Cultural Center through the development of equipment and services in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Another grant, worth 500m Japanese yen (approximately $2.3m), will benefit the Ministry of Agriculture, under the Economic and Social Development Program. This grant will be used to expand affordable agricultural mechanisation technology, which will reduce operational costs, increase agricultural output, expand cultivated land, and improve living standards for farmers, particularly low-income and vulnerable groups. Al-Mashat noted that these developments marked a significant phase in the history of Egypt-Japan relations, strengthening mutual cooperation and highlighting the strong partnership established since 1954. MENAFN18122024000153011029ID1109009836 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.They say life comes at you fast, and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has experienced that in a major way in the last couple weeks. Just days after making his first career start in a win over the New York Giants , Penix announced on Instagram he had gotten engaged to long-time girlfriend Olivia Carter. Penix posed while holding a massive bouquet of roses, while Carter flashed her new ring to the camera. Both were smiling ear to ear, as you can see below. Michael Penix Jr. proposed to his now-fiancée Olivia on Christmas Eve. Been a life-changing couple of weeks for Penix. IG: o.carter & themp9 pic.twitter.com/Yq4d1Kqx6h The news of the engagement comes just days after Michael Penix was handed the reins to the Falcons’ offense , following some struggles from incumbent starter Kirk Cousins. “After review we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” head coach Raheem Morris said in a statement. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.” The former first-round draft pick made his first start count, too. Though he didn’t account for a touchdown, Penix threw for 202 yards and helped lead the Falcons to a 34-7 win over the Giants at a time when every win is vital toward securing a potential playoff berth. He did throw an interception in the win. Still, the future seems bright for the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Even Nick Saban seems high on the prospects for Michael Penix as he gets his first real shot at action in Atlanta. “Michael Penix’s opportunity to spend three quarters of the season as a backup, no pressure, just learn, learn how to be a professional. I think he has a much better chance to succeed,” Saban said. “The guy has great ability. He’s got the right mindset. He’s a good guy. He’s going to be a good leader in the league. “So I think he has a better chance to be successful. Now, is it going to be instant? Maybe not. But I think a much better chance than he would’ve had if he’d have had to come in and start right off.” This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.
The Third Eye: A New Strategy For The Business WorldStocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. The Dow rose 1% as it nudged past its most recent high set last week, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. It's now within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.63 points to 5,969.34. The Dow climbed 426.16 points to 44,296.51, and the Nasdaq picked up 42.65 points to close at 2,406.67. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December.
Iconic moments of 2024 in styleEARLY MORNING MELTDOWN. In this videograb, Vice President Sara Duterte again lets it all out against the first couple and their allies in the House of Representatives at an online press conference she called on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — A press organization urged the National Bureau of Investigation to “rethink” its decision to summon media workers who covered the Nov. 23 online press briefing of Vice President Sara Duterte, where she made threats against President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez. In a statement on Monday, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) expressed concern over what it considered an “unnecessary” action taken by the NBI in issuing the subpoenas as part of its investigation into Duterte’s statements. “While we respect the NBI’s duty and jurisdiction to investigate the matter, we note that government agencies have already asked Facebook parent Meta to preserve the video and metadata of the stream,” the group said. READ: DOJ studying legal action on VP rant The NUJP noted that NBI investigators “have already determined that the video was not created through artificial intelligence.” “Given that the video has already been authenticated, there is little need, in our view, to summon journalists to do that,” it said. NBI Director Jaime Santiago did not immediately respond to the Inquirer’s request for comment. The bureau earlier said it would issue subpoenas to 10 to 12 people who “asked questions or participated” during Duterte’s profanity-laden press conference, where she said she had hired a hit man to kill the President, his wife, and his cousin Romualdez, should she herself be assassinated. The NBI has twice sent subpoenas to the Office of the Vice President for Duterte to explain her remarks, giving her until Dec. 11 to comply. Duterte was initially summoned to appear before the agency on Nov. 29. Failing to show up, she explained that she learned too late that a House hearing on the same date had been rescheduled so she could attend the NBI inquiry instead. The NUJP said the summons could also mean lost income for some media practitioners who are not regular employees and would miss the day’s work. It also called on media outfits to “weigh the potential effects of their reporters’ involvement in this probe and others that may follow,” as it might be interpreted as “partisan participation.” “NUJP believes that the best way for media workers to help with government investigations is through fair and accurate reporting as witnesses to our political history, but not necessarily as witnesses in official proceedings,” it said, adding: Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . “At the very least, colleagues who are summoned should have the assistance and guidance of a company lawyer.”Break Barriers, Build Success: Expert Translation and Marketing Solutions by Chinese Copywriter
Jimmy Carter was a fan of NASCAR, but the possibility of peace in the Middle East got in the way when several drivers came to the White House for ham and cornbread in 1978. Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died Sunday in Plains, Georgia . He was 100. While governor of Georgia in the 1970s, Carter attended races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and hosted racers at the governor’s mansion. In the previous decade, he had worked speedway events as a ticket vendor. Upon running for president in 1976, he pledged to bring NASCAR to the White House for dinner if elected. But when the dinner bell eventually rang, in the summer of 1978, Carter was at the Camp David presidential retreat, where he was working on a breakthrough peace accord with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. In the president’s absence, First Lady Rosalynn Carter hosted the NASCAR contingent, which included many drivers, including Hall of Famers Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Benny Parsons, as well as NASCAR leaders Bill France Jr. and Sr. The night was capped off with a Willie Nelson concert. And no, this wasn’t Willie's high-rollin' White House visit – it wasn’t until two years later that Nelson famously joined Carter’s son Chip atop the White House roof and smoked weed . Carter and his son confirmed the widely shared rumor in " Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President ," a documentary released in 2020. After serving a single term in the White House, Carter, the onetime peanut farmer and Navy submariner, became among the most durable figures in modern American politics. Evicted from the White House at age 56, he would hold the status of former president longer than anyone in American history, and in 2019 he surpassed the late George H. W. Bush as the nation's oldest living ex-president. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, 22 years after he had left the White House. Contributing: Susan Page and Richard Benedetto, USA TODAYBetter Fintech Stock: PayPal vs. SoFi Technologies
Samsung Electronics' chip production line in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Broadcom's rise may provide new opportunity for chipmakers The outlook for fourth-quarter earnings at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix is clouded by a negative market environment, driven by sluggish demand for information technology (IT) devices, and falling prices for legacy DRAM chips. According to market tracker FnGuide, brokerages estimate Samsung Electronics' operating profit for the fourth quarter at 9.22 trillion won ($6.3 billion) as of Wednesday, a decrease of nearly 5 percent from 9.7 trillion won a month earlier. Throughout this month, local brokerages have been revising their estimates for Samsung’s operating profit, citing an oversupply of legacy memory chips due to sluggish demand for IT devices and undercutting by Chinese firms. “In (the) fourth quarter, the memory market faces challenges stemming from excessive inventory in the chips for PC and mobile devices, necessitating further price cuts to boost shipping volumes,” iM Securities analyst Song Myung-sub said, lowering his estimation for the company’s fourth-quarter operating profit to 8.3 trillion won from 9.9 trillion won. “Consequently, chances are high for Samsung's memory shipment volumes or average selling prices falling short of current market expectations.” According to DRAMeXchange, the average price of a DDR4 8GB 1Gx8 memory module, which is mostly used in PCs, dropped by 35.7 percent from $2.10 in July to $1.35 in November. Market observers attribute the price drop to undercutting by Chinese memory manufacturers, with companies like CXMT and JHICC supplying DDR4 8GB chips at prices between $0.75 and $1. The slowdown in the legacy DRAM business is impacting Samsung more significantly, as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are in increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) processors, still account for only a small share of the company's earnings. “Samsung’s DRAM business is expected to underperform the market estimation because of delays in supplying HBM3e chips for Nvidia, CXMT’s undercutting and deteriorating supply and demand conditions for legacy DRAM chips,” Kiwoom Securities analyst Park Yoo-ak said. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, listens to an official at SK hynix's high-bandwidth memory chip production line in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 5. Courtesy of SK Group Although the situation is slightly better for SK hynix, which now stands as the world’s top supplier of HBM, the market is also lowering its estimation for the company’s fourth-quarter earnings due to the sluggish legacy chip market. The market consensus for SK hynix’s fourth-quarter earnings was 8.05 trillion won as of Wednesday, down 1.2 percent from 8.15 trillion won a month earlier. “Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will be able to rebound after showcasing sluggish performances in the fourth quarter of this year,” DAOL Investment & Securities analyst Ko Young-min said. The market expects that the two chipmakers will accelerate their transition efforts toward HBM to cope with the growing demand for AI processors. Speculation is also rising that U.S.-based Broadcom is turning to the two Korean firms to secure HBM4, which will be produced starting next year, for its AI application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). The Korea Economic Daily reported earlier this week that SK hynix received Broadcom’s request for HBM4 and has begun developing the prototype. Samsung Electronics also initiated discussions with Broadcom over HBM4 supplies. Given that Nvidia has already secured most of the HBM chips that SK hynix will produce next year, industry officials expect that Samsung may cover orders from Broadcom. While graphics processing units, or GPUs, like those used in Nvidia’s AI processors, offer more versatility for general computing, ASICs are more efficient for specialized tasks and are typically priced lower than GPUs. To remove this article -Can Adaptive Headlights Make Driving Safer? Robotics & Automation News
US Army plans new missile for autonomous launchers to targets beyond 620 miles
Morgan Stanley boosts consumer finance outlook for 2025(TNS) — Between state and federal programs aiming to get all New Mexicans reliable, high-speed Internet access, there are still about 95,000 households left out of the mix. State broadband officials are looking for legislatively allocated dollars to fill the gap. And how would they use the money to fill the gap? Satellite technology. Nearly 100,000 households aren't eligible for federal broadband programs, a gap that state-provided vouchers and subsidies for satellite high-speed Internet services could help address, said Drew Lovelace, acting director of the state's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. His office on Tuesday asked for $70 million before the Legislative Finance Committee to accelerate the Connect New Mexico Fund, which aims to enhance connectivity for all New Mexicans. Satellite Internet technology would particularly boost access in rural and hard-to-reach areas of New Mexico while the state waits for more reliable broadband technology deployment, according to the broadband office. The office would prioritize unserved areas — locations with 25 megabits per second, or mbps, download and 3 mbps upload speeds or less — and underserved areas — locations with between 25 mbps/3mbps and 100 mbps download and 20 mbps upload speeds. Lovelace proposed household vouchers for necessary hardware for satellite Internet services and $30 monthly subsidies for low-income households to ease their $120 monthly Internet bills. The broadband office's one-time expenditure ask of $70 million would make sure "New Mexicans don't get left behind in the digital divide today" while also still looking toward the future, Lovelace said. The satellite vouchers and subsidies, if the appropriation request is approved in the 2025 Legislature and by the governor, would likely start at the earliest next year. The overall budget request for the broadband office for fiscal year 2026 is just over $3 million, which is a $650,0000 increase from the previous fiscal year, according to the broadband office. Overall, Lovelace said, broadband is infrastructure and needs to be funded longer term. "My big ask coming out of this is that we no longer get one- and two-year appropriations, that we look at three- to five-year appropriations and make sure that we can do the entire grant cycle," he said. ©
University of Michigan Seeks $190M from State for Projects
In a startling incident on Saturday, Delhi Police detained a bus marshal accused of throwing a liquid, purportedly water, on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The incident occurred during Kejriwal's padyatra in the Greater Kailash area of Delhi. Authorities reported that the alleged perpetrator, Ashok Jha, attempted to douse Kejriwal while he interacted with the crowd. His attempt, however, was thwarted by the police stationed nearby. Jha, identified as a bus marshal at Khanpur Depot, is currently under investigation to determine the motives behind the act. The event has intensified political tensions, with Delhi Chief Minister Atishi alleging that the attacker is affiliated with the BJP, insinuating political intimidation ahead of elections. Punjab's CM Bhagwant Mann condemned the attack, describing it as a result of BJP's frustration over electoral prospects. Meanwhile, Congress leader Udit Raj expressed skepticism about the nature of the incident, while accentuating the dissatisfaction among the public towards political leaders. Kejriwal, having recently visited the grieving family of a murder victim, further criticized the city's deteriorating safety conditions, directing questions towards Home Minister Amit Shah. (With inputs from agencies.)
Northwestern hopes hot streak continues vs. NortheasternIs Canada running out of time to make its buildings net zero?The Ukrainian president said the use of a ballistic missile to hit Dnipro was a “clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war” and he warned that Russian president Mr Putin would attack or destabilise other countries unless stopped. Mr Putin said the use of the new weapon was in response to the UK and US allowing missiles they have supplied to Ukraine to be used to strike targets in Russia. “In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons on November 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the Ukrainian defence industry,” Mr Putin said in a televised address. “One of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested in combat conditions, in this case, with a ballistic missile in a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead.” He added: “We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.” But Mr Zelensky urged world leaders – his “dear partners” – not to be cowed by Mr Putin’s actions otherwise there will be “endless Russian strikes” and “not just against Ukraine”. “A lack of tough reactions to Russia’s actions sends a message that such behavior is acceptable,” the Ukrainian president said on X, formerly Twitter. “This is what Putin is doing. Putin must feel the cost of his deranged ambitions. “Response is needed. Pressure is needed. Russia must be forced into real peace, which can only be achieved through strength. “Otherwise, there will be endless Russian strikes, threats, and destabilisation-not just against Ukraine.” The UK is believed to have allowed its Storm Shadow missiles to be used by Ukrainian forces within the Kursk region of Russia, while the US has given permission for its ATACMS weapons to be fired at targets in Mr Putin’s country. Mr Putin confirmed Russia has tested the new intermediate-range weapon in an attack on Dnipro in response. The US said the weapon was a new, experimental intermediate-range missile based on Russia’s existing RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. In Westminster, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “My understanding is that it is the first time that Russia has used a ballistic missile in Ukraine with a range of several thousand kilometres.” Defence Secretary John Healey said it was “yet another example of Putin’s recklessness”. He said: “Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine began, Russia has consistently and irresponsibly escalated the conflict while Ukraine continues to fight in self-defence for a democratic future.” The missile’s range far outstrips that of newly authorised US and British-supplied weapons, which can hit targets around 250-300km away. The distance from Moscow to London is around 2,500km, suggesting the range of the new missile could threaten the UK. Mr Healey said the UK knew Russia had been “preparing for months” to fire a new ballistic missile. Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence have repeatedly declined to comment publicly on Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow. “It risks both operational security and in the end the only one that benefits from such a public debate is President Putin,” Mr Healey told MPs. The head of the UK’s armed forces, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, met Mr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss the war on Thursday. Mr Zelensky said: “We discussed defence co-operation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, focusing on developing and enhancing the technological capabilities of the armed forces of Ukraine. “Particular attention was given to Ukraine’s current military needs and the continued support from our partners.”When the 30-day transfer portal window opens on Sunday, Dec. 9, UCF can expect plenty of activity. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 campaign, their second consecutive losing season that saw them miss the postseason for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Vitals: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds Resume: Colson, a 4-star quarterback from Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove High School was reclassified after his junior season, allowing him to sign as part of the 2024 recruiting class rather than the 2025 class. He led Cedar Grove to three straight state title appearances, winning the Georgia 3A state crown in 2023. Role: Colson was an early enrollee who started the season as one of the backups to KJ Jefferson and Jacurri Brown. He became the first true freshman to start for the Knights since Mikey Keene in 2021 when he took the field against Cincinnati on Oct. 12. That staff decided to redshirt Colson, limiting him to three appearances, including in the final minutes of the season finale against Utah. Outlook: Colson’s shocking transfer announcement came less than an hour after the Knights’ 28-14 loss to the Utes on Black Friday. It was a game in which he was 8 of 12 for 70 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His departure leaves UCF with three quarterbacks: redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk, true freshman Riley Trujillo and Brown. Vitals: 5-10, 195 pounds Resume: Threats was a 3-star product out of Dublin (Oh.) Coffman High School before signing with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Role: The safety played four games with the Knights after arriving in December following three seasons at Cincinnati, where he helped the team reach the College Football Playoff in 2021. Outlook: Threats’ role was seen primarily as a backup in the secondary. He had 7 tackles with 1 tackle for loss. Vitals: 5-11, 185 pounds Resume: The former 4-star receiver at Tampa’s Berkley Prep was a midseason enrollee with the Knights. Role: Townsend has been the Knights’ starting slot receiver since arriving in the 2022 recruiting class. He’s appeared in 29 games (14 starts) during the last three seasons, including every game this season and finished with 66 catches with 521 yards and 4 touchdowns in his career, including 10 catches for 69 yards and a score in 2024. Outlook: Townsend’s departure had a double impact on the Knights, who missed his abilities as a receiver and as the team’s primary kick returner on special teams. Vitals: 5-10, 175 pounds Resume: Boomer joined the program as a walk-on after starting at Lake Mary High School. Role: He appeared in 29 games at UCF, connecting on 30 of 42 field goals (71.4%) and 109 of 113 extra points (96.5%). This season, Boomer was 3 for 6 on field goals but missed his final three kicks — two were blocked during the Knights’ 35-34 win at TCU on Sept. 14. Outlook: Boomer’s departure opened the door for redshirt freshman Grant Reddick, who connected on 67% (6 of 9) field goal attempts and was 25 of 25 on extra points. Vitals: 6-1, 205 pounds Resume: Moore attended Sanford High as a 3-star linebacker for the Seminoles before signing with UCF as part of its 2022 recruiting class. He helped lead the team to the 8A state title in 2020. Role: The junior appeared in 23 games (1 start) during his three seasons with the Knights, registering 23 tackles with 2 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pass defended. Moore appeared in three games this season, totaling 2 tackles. Outlook: Moore’s departure leaves the Knights thin at the linebacker position, particularly with the departures of seniors Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Jesiah Pierre. Vitals: 6-3, 240 pounds Resume: Call was a 3-star prospect out of Apopka High School who signed with the Knights as part of their 2023 recruiting class. He helped the Blue Darters win three state titles in four appearances during his high school career. Role: Call registered 2 tackles in three games this season, primarily as a backup to Nyjalik Kelly and Malachi Lawrence. He appeared in 16 games at UCF, mostly on special teams. Outlook: His departure from the program was controversial. He posted a letter on social media claiming he was kicked off the team after requesting a redshirt during the season. Coach Gus Malzahn denied that accusation, stating he’s only removed one player from the team due to off-the-field issues. Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com