'Best store I've ever been to': Why shopping has always been my favourite thing to do on holidayTwo weeks into the Ontario Provincial Police’s RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign, 45 drivers in eastern Ontario have been charged with impaired driving , according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The campaign is run by the OPP during the holiday season or on long weekends. It’s a sobriety testing initiative that allows officers to perform random roadside checks to see if drivers are under the influence of drugs or alcohol behind the wheel. The Festive RIDE program began on Nov. 21 and the OPP says officers have stopped nearly 1,000 vehicles. The MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) president and chair of the Ottawa area, Valerie Keyes, tells CTV News impaired driving numbers have been concerning this year. According to Keyes, the Ottawa Police Service has laid 752 impaired driving charges in 2024. One hundred and ninety-five collisions led to some of those charges, which also resulted in 12 fatalities. “If you look at the Ottawa Police Service stats, it's horrific,” Keyes says. “Those numbers, sadly, are not going down.” “Most impaired driving incidents are the result of bad judgment. Somebody has taken that decision to get behind the wheel,” she added. Keyes’ responsibilities with MADD also cover the eastern Ontario region, from Deep River to Brockville to Cornwall, and while alternatives to driving are harder to find in rural communities, the onus is still on the driver. “What we want to see is people make that smart decision. If you know you are going to have to drive at the end of an evening, don't drink, (and) don't have anything,” she said. More details to come Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks Our Guide To The Most Giftable Toys In 2024 17 Sweet Treats And Snacks That Make Great Stocking Stuffers The Best Gift Ideas From Canadian Brands For Everyone On Your List Home Our Guide To The Best Sectional Sofas You Can Get In Canada Our Guide To The Best Electric Snow Shovels In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) Our Guide To The Best Hydroponic Gardens In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) Gifts 20 Of The Best Gifts Worth Splurging On In 2024 Mary Berg's Favourite Kitchen Products To Gift This Holiday Season The Best Gifts to Give Your Dad in 2024 Beauty Our Guide To The Best Self Tanners You Can Get In Canada 20 Anti-Aging Skincare Products That Reviewers Can’t Stop Talking About 12 Budget-Friendly Makeup Brushes And Tools Worth Adding To Your Kit Deals Black Friday May Be Over, But You Can Still Take Advantage Of These Amazing Sales On Amazon Canada It's Officially Travel Tuesday: Here Are The Best Deals On Flights, Hotels, And Vacations The Waterpik Advanced Water Flosser Will Make Cleaning Your Teeth So Much Easier — And It's 40% Off For Cyber Monday Ottawa Top Stories WINTER TRAVEL ADVISORY | Winter travel advisory issued for Ottawa this Saturday ‘Numbers are not going down’: OPP charge 45 with impaired driving in first two weeks of RIDE campaign Here are some creative and cost-efficient ways to wrap gifts this holiday season What's happening in Ottawa this weekend: Dec. 6-8 OC Transpo to open Trillium Line in three stages starting Jan. 6 'The Gingerbread Man' in Manotick reopens 2 years after devastating fire Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released CHEO, Shriners Hospitals launch first-of-its-kind fellowship CTVNews.ca Top Stories Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." 'Shameful': Monument honouring fallen soldiers included names of living veterans Veterans are asking for answers after discovering that two sculptures in Ontario honouring fallen soldiers include the names of many people who are very much alive. WATCH LIVE | 61st annual Christmas Daddies Telethon airs Saturday on CTV A beloved yearly tradition, the Christmas Daddies Telethon airs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, on CTV. Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023. Invasive species could be hiding in your Christmas decor. Here's how to stop the spread Make sure to look through your holiday decorations, as Christmas trees, wreaths, and other natural decor can have invasive insects, eggs, and plants that pose a threat to local ecosystems and the economy. Long time coming: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives at final stop in Vancouver Pop superstar Taylor Swift greeted some 55,000 eager fans in downtown Vancouver Friday with what’s become a familiar opening line. Northern Ontario man sentenced for killing his dog WARNING: This article contains graphic details of animal abuse which may be upsetting to some readers. A 40-year-old northern Ontario man is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to killing his dog earlier this year. One out of 10 Canadians had packages stolen in the past year: survey One out of 10 Canadians say they have had at least one package stolen in the last year, according to a survey. Calgary company steps up to help grieving family with free furnace after fatal carbon monoxide poisoning A Calgary furnace company stepped up big time Friday to help a Calgary family grieving the loss of a loved one. Atlantic WATCH LIVE | 61st annual Christmas Daddies Telethon airs Saturday on CTV A beloved yearly tradition, the Christmas Daddies Telethon airs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, on CTV. RCMP in Shediac, N.B., charge man after break and enter, mischief RCMP charged a 42-year-old man from Shediac, N.B., following a break and enter, mischief and threats in Shediac said an RCMP news release Friday. Maritime weekend weather: Cold start and snowy finish Colder temperatures lie ahead for the weekend in the Maritimes with another swipe of snow and rain expected Sunday. Toronto Three people taken to hospital after triple shooting in downtown Toronto Toronto Police are on the scene of shooting that has sent three people to the hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning. Striking Canada Post workers continue annual Santa letter tradition, while also helping Toronto food bank Striking postal workers in Toronto’s west end are giving their time this holiday season to bring smiles to the faces of children in the community, while also helping their local food bank. ‘Hazardous’ driving conditions possible in GTA Saturday amid expected snow: Environment Canada Those getting around the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) today may want to use a bit of extra caution on the roads. Montreal Man arrested for DUI after car crashed into Mile-End restaurant A man was arrested for drunk driving after allegedly losing control of his vehicle and hitting three parked cars before skidding off and crashing into a restaurant in Montreal's Mile-End neighbourhood early Saturday morning. Bilingual municipalities take action as Quebec’s native English speaking population falls The 2021 Canadian census revealed the number of Quebecers whose mother tongue is English has continued to decline, and several municipalities where native English speakers were once the majority have now fallen below the 50 per cent threshold. Quebec premier wants to ban praying in public Premier François Legault took advantage of the last day of the parliamentary session on Friday to announce to 'Islamists' that he will 'fight' for Quebec values and possibly use the notwithstanding clause to ban prayer in public places such as parks. Northern Ontario How to watch this year's CTV Lions Children's Christmas Telethon Dec. 7 marks the first Saturday of December, which means it is time for the annual CTV Lions Children's Christmas Telethon. Here is what you need to know. Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." Seniors at Sudbury apartment building haven’t had a working elevator in almost half a year Residents at Place Nolin in Sudbury haven’t had a working elevator in nearly six months. The senior’s building is a 40-unit, five-level building, run independently by its own board of directors. Windsor 'I do think it is extraordinary': Law community expresses concern over notwithstanding clause threat Hundreds of professionals within the law community have expressed concern with the premier’s threat of using the notwithstanding clause to back new legislation promising a crackdown on encampments. Suspects sought after two hardware store break-ins Essex County OPP are investigating two overnight break-ins at hardware stores. Windsor’s weekend weather On Saturday, expect a mix of sun and cloud with a slight chance of flurries in the afternoon and a high of plus 4. London Homeless encampments buried in snow, city hall’s response falling short The absence of a Winter Response to Homelessness this year means more Londoners endured this week’s snowstorm in tents and make-shift shelters. SIU: driver that fled OPP traffic stop in Arva fatally injured The SIU says OPP tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic infraction in Arva on Saturday night. Investigators say the vehicle sped away, then crashed into another vehicle. Want to become the next LHSC Auxiliary volunteer? Here’s how The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) Auxiliary is recruiting new members. Kitchener 'Shameful': Monument honouring fallen soldiers included names of living veterans Veterans are asking for answers after discovering that two sculptures in Ontario honouring fallen soldiers include the names of many people who are very much alive. Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." Woman facing 96 animal welfare charges in connection with unlicensed kennel in Hamilton A woman is facing 96 animal welfare charges in connection with an unlicensed kennel in Hamilton, where two pet owners claimed their dogs died while in her care. Barrie Driver charged after passing snow plow in front of oncoming OPP vehicle A driver was pulled over and charged after passing a snow plow in front of an oncoming OPP vehicle. One dead in three-vehicle crash Police are investigating a three-vehicle overnight collision in Caledon, which resulted in the death of one driver. Multi-vehicle crash on Highway 400 snarled traffic A three-vehicle crash on Highway 400 snarled Friday afternoon traffic. Winnipeg Major Manitoba fossil milestones highlight the potential for future discoveries in the province A trio of fossil finds through the years helped put Manitoba on the mosasaur map, and the milestone of those finds have all been marked in 2024. No injuries in two-early-morning fires: WFPS Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews say no one was injured in two house fires early Saturday morning. Cops and taxes could be highlights of the next Winnipeg budget Higher property tax hikes and more cops could be coming in next week's city budget. Calgary Calgarians panicked as Canada Post strike enters fourth week The impacts of the Canada Post strike are ramping up as other shippers pause their pick-ups to clear growing backlogs. Storybook Theatre extends holiday run of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ into 2025 If you weren’t able to get a ticket to Storybook Theatre’s holiday production of Beauty and the Beast, the theatre offered renewed hope Saturday. Calgary company steps up to help grieving family with free furnace after fatal carbon monoxide poisoning A Calgary furnace company stepped up big time Friday to help a Calgary family grieving the loss of a loved one. Edmonton 'Something quite majestic': Migrating hawks get second chance at local animal rescue A pair of birds not often seen in Edmonton have been given a new lease on life, thanks to a local animal rescue. Security guard killed at Edmonton apartment building Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a security guard in central Edmonton on Friday morning. 'Focus on bad guys': Albertans react to expansion of federal gun ban A local gun store owner says the new federal gun ban has left the industry shell-shocked. Regina Bernadette McIntyre named Saskatchewan's 24th Lieutenant Governor Saskatchewan’s 24th Lieutenant Governor will be Bernadette McIntyre after being appointed to the position by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. Roses handed out in commemoration of polytechnic massacre Members of the YWCA handed out roses at the University of Regina to bring awareness to violence against women. Saskatoon doctor facing professional charges in circumcision case A Saskatoon doctor has been accused of unprofessional conduct following a high-cost adult circumcision that included a request for the patient to text unsecured post-op pictures of his genitals. Saskatoon Saskatoon under winter storm warning, freezing rain, heavy snow forecasted A winter storm warning has been issued for the city of Saskatoon and parts of west central Saskatchewan by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Saskatoon doctor facing professional charges in circumcision case A Saskatoon doctor has been accused of unprofessional conduct following a high-cost adult circumcision that included a request for the patient to text unsecured post-op pictures of his genitals. Legislative change looking to reduce number of dilapidated homes in Saskatchewan Amended legislation introduced this week aims to address abandoned and dilapidated properties across the province. Vancouver Long time coming: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives at final stop in Vancouver Pop superstar Taylor Swift greeted some 55,000 eager fans in downtown Vancouver Friday with what’s become a familiar opening line. The East Van Cross could be moving to a new location The iconic East Van Cross could be getting a new home, as Vancouver councillors are set to discuss moving the artwork to a more accessible location. Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." Vancouver Island B.C. ombudsman to investigate delay in sending social assistance cheques amid post strike Thousands of social assistance cheques have not been distributed in British Columbia because of the Canada Post strike, prompting an investigation by provincial ombudsperson Jay Chalke. Long time coming: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives at final stop in Vancouver Pop superstar Taylor Swift greeted some 55,000 eager fans in downtown Vancouver Friday with what’s become a familiar opening line. Four-year-old superhero inspires smiles at B.C. long-term care home While he’s not faster than a speeding bullet, nor more powerful than a locomotive, this four-year-old is proving to be a superhero. Kelowna Study of 2023 Okanagan wildfires recommends limiting development in high-risk areas A study into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia's Okanagan region in 2023 has recommended that government and industry limit development in high-fire-risk areas. Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026 The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets will host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026, the Canadian Hockey League said Wednesday. 545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down Mounties with the BC Highway Patrol in Kelowna say they've impounded more than 545 vehicles for excessive speed and aggressive driving so far this year. That works out to more than 1.6 per day. Stay ConnectedBEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad's status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated Press
Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgenderThe Texas Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that state Attorney General Ken Paxton testify in a whistleblower lawsuit at the heart of impeachment charges brought against him in 2023. The court on Friday said Paxton’s office does not dispute any issue in the lawsuit by four former Paxton employees and agreed to any judgment in the case. “In a major win for the State of Texas, the state Supreme Court has sided with Attorney General Paxton against former OAG employees whose effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the agency has wasted public resources for years," a statement from Paxton's office said. An attorney for one of the plaintiffs declined immediate comment, and a second attorney did not immediately return a phone call for comment. The former employees allege they were improperly fired or forced out for bringing to the FBI allegations that Paxton was misusing his office to protect a friend and campaign donor, who in turn, they said, was helping the attorney general to conceal an extramarital affair. The Supreme Court ruling noted that the Texas governor and Legislature have expressed a desire to hear testimony from the witnesses prior to agreeing to appropriate funds to settle the lawsuit. The court said forcing Paxton, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Chief of Staff Lesley French Henneke and senior advisor Michelle Smith to testify earlier could improperly be used for legislative purposes in deciding any appropriation. Under the preliminary deal , Paxton agreed to apologize to the former employees for calling them “rogue” employees, settle the case for $3.3 million and ask the state to pay for it, prompting the state House to reject the request and begin its own investigation, leading to the vote to impeach him. Paxton was ultimately acquitted after a Senate trial. The Supreme Court termed its ruling conditional upon the lower trial court complying with the decision, while saying it is “confident the trial court will comply” with the order.BREAKING: Matt Gaetz Quits, and Journalism Still Matters—a Lot
South Korea's governing party head supports suspending Yoon's powers, making impeachment more likely
Women's Top 25 roundup: No. 10 Maryland avoids upset by George MasonRevolutionising STEM Education with Innovative Digital Tools and GamificationPayments technology provider Dojo reportedly has signed a new agreement with American Express that will help Dojo’s small business customers in the United Kingdom accept American Express payments with one unified contract. With this agreement, the small businesses will see a consolidated statement for transaction reconciliation, a unified settlement process, streamlined onboarding and a single point of contact for servicing, Fintech Finance News reported Thursday (Dec. 5). “We want to make life easier for our customers while giving them time back to focus on what matters — running their business and delivering a fantastic customer experience,” Dojo Vice President of Payment Nuno Mateus said in the report. Daniel Edelman , general manager, merchant services at American Express, said in the report: “As we look to continue our coverage growth momentum, this new strategic agreement will enable yet more businesses across the U.K. to benefit from the spending power of Amex Cardholders.” American Express announced some other partnerships in the U.K. earlier this year. In October, the company teamed up with Revolut Business to enable that company’s merchants in the U.K. to accept American Express payments. The collaboration allows Revolut to enable its merchants to access a previously untapped pool of premium customers and helps American Express expand its merchant network in the U.K., Revolut said at the time in a press release. The addition of American Express brought to seven the number of payment methods that Revolut Business enables merchants to accept at their checkout. In March, American Express partnered with Ryft , a payment platform for marketplaces and digital platforms, to enable that company’s merchants in the U.K. to accept payments from American Express cards . The partnership increases payment flexibility for eCommerce merchants in the U.K., allows more digital platforms to accept American Express, and boosts the competitive position of Ryft. “Amex is a strong card brand, especially when it comes to business to business payments,” Ryft CEO Sadra Hosseini said at the time in a press release. “We are proud to be working together to mutually grow across this sector and bring some of the great Amex benefits to our merchants.” For all PYMNTS B2B coverage, subscribe to the daily B2B Newsletter .
By MEAD GRUVER and AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge’s order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.
SafeSport Center changes targeted in new bill aimed at sex abuse in sports
November 30 - Quarterback Quinn Ewers is expected to start for No. 3 Texas despite a high-ankle sprain when the Longhorns visit No. 20 Texas A&M on Saturday night in College Station, Texas. The junior was listed as probable on the Southeastern Conference injury report on Friday. He sustained the injury during the first half of the Longhorns' 31-14 victory over Kentucky last Saturday. "I was around the 50-yard-line and I stepped up and kind of took off running a little bit and then kind of got hip-drop tackled, and I think he kind of just rolled up on it a little bit," Ewers said after the game. "But it's football and stuff like that happens." Ewers was hobbled and finished 20-of-31 passing for 191 yards with two touchdowns. Only 14 of those yards came in the second half, when Texas gained 132 on the ground. He described the ankle as "just a little tender" after the game. By Monday, he told the Austin American-Statesman, "Nobody's 100 percent, especially this late in the season. But that's part of it. I feel good." Ewers has completed 189 of 278 passes for 2,089 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions in nine games. He has missed time because of a strained oblique injury, and redshirt freshman Arch Manning has filled in, as he might be called to do on Saturday. Manning is 61 of 90 for 939 yards, nine TDs and two interceptions in six games (two starts). He also has rushed 17 times for 81 yards and three touchdowns. Texas (10-1, 6-1 SEC) has ruled out defensive back Derek Williams Jr. and running backs CJ Baxter, Christian Clark and Velton Gardner. Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) will be without wide receiver Cyrus Allen, defensive back Tyreek Chappell, running back Le'Veon Moss and offensive lineman Mark Nabou Jr. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
8TB WD Black SN850P NVMe SSD for PS5 Stock PS5 Pros come with 2TB of internal storage, a welcome doubling of the vanilla PS5’s paltry 1TB. A single terabyte of console storage, Sony? What is this, an SSD for ants? 2TB is much roomier, for sure, but if you’ve been AAA gaming the last few years, you’ll know that even this doesn’t suffice for long. Metaphor: ReFantazio is around 38GB in file size. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is about 86 GB. Baldur’s Gate 3 is roughly 123GB, while Call of Duty is sitting on my PS5 Pro at 246.3GB. Fantasian Neo Dimension is only 12GB—how sweet! If you’re a digital hoarder like me, and you enjoy massive amounts of dusty games loitering about on your machine, ready to be played at a moment’s notice, then you’ll need to put on your big boy (or big girl) pants and pony up. Or Sony up? All I know is that if you publicly enjoy PlayStation games, there’s a cohort of angry people on X that will unironically call you a Sony Pony. Totally normal and healthy behavior. Isn’t the internet great? Bathing in the chaos, we are. The Upgrade Anyway, I recently reached out to Western Digital because I was curious about their officially licensed PlayStation WD Black SN850P NVMe SSD , specifically the 8TB version, because damn , that’s a lot of space! You could hypothetically use this drive on a PC should that desire arise, but its stylish branded heatsink is specially designed to work with the PS5 or PS5 Pro (the latter, in this article’s case), which essentially means it’s not so bulky that it won’t fit inside the machines’ compact M.2 compartments. I’ve seen some real clunky heatsinks, but let me tell you, and this ain’t one of them. 8TB WD Black SN850P NVMe SSD for PS5 FBI Warns iPhone And Android Users—Stop Sending Texts FBI Warns Smartphone Users—Hang Up And Create A Secret Word Now Gmail Takeover Hack Attack—Google Warns You Have Just 7 Days To Act PlayStation Operation Installing the SN850P is a cinch. Much like the original PS5, you unplug the machine and pop off one of the PS5 Pro’s back panels. Behind it, you’ll find an unassuming M.2 slot covered with a plain piece of metal, which in turn is held in place by a screw adored with all the classic PlayStation symbols. Loosen that screw, take off the metal covering, and inside you’ll find the hidden area where we—you guessed it!—install extra SSD storage. Move the standoff to the correct indentation that aligns with the SN850P’s length, carefully insert the drive into the PS5 Pro’s circuitry slot, then tighten into place with the included screw. Reverse the whole process, close up shop and you’re done. Super easy, like the Sackboy: A Big Adventure Platinum trophy. Turning on the PS5 Pro again, you’re greeted with a message asking to format the new drive, and once it’s formatted, the console will conduct a speed test. Western Digital claims this particular SSD can reach speeds of up to 7,300MB/s read and 6,600MB/s write, and my PS5 Pro benchmark came back as 6,928MB/s, which is close enough to the 7,300MB/s max for my peasant tastes. No write speed was given, so I’d have to attach this device to my PC and run a test on the motherboard to get a specific number. I rarely worry about these specific metrics, personally, as they tend to have little bearing on actual real-life gaming experiences. Plus, the numbers on a drive’s box are usually ballpark figures and rarely miss the mark in any significant way, at least in my estimation. 8TB WD Black SN850P NVMe SSD for PS5 And that’s it. You start using the drive as per usual. I encountered zero issues during this process, and the SN850P’s performance has been stellar. I’ve even occasionally opened up my PS5 Pro to gain some thermal insight, and after extensive use, the SSD felt barely warm to the touch. Apparently that custom heatsink is doing its job, and you’d never know it, because it’s safely nestled into the back of the PS5 Pro. Also of note is how, on this SSD, you get the full usable 8TB. You don’t have any of that pesky system data to contend with; only glorious, wide open storage. Worth It? So, fantastic, right? Yes and no. 8TB of extra high-speed PlayStation storage is a dream come true, installation is simple, and there hasn’t been a single performance hiccup to speak of. But we need to talk about the expensive elephant in the room: As of this writing, the SN850P boasts a retail price of $999.99. A PS5 Pro is $699.99 , so you’re talking about paying $300 more than the new console itself for an additional 8TB of storage. $1,700 total is...a lot. The 4TB version of the SN850P is $389.99, by the way, so if you can stomach less game space, then that might be the way to go. We’ve arrived at an unsurprising conclusion: Adding a sleek 8TB NVMe SSD to your PS5 Pro might be the ultimate in console luxury, but you’ll pay dearly for it. Then again, if you’re new to PlayStation altogether, you could always invest in an original PS5 and go all in on expensive storage to uh, even things out? Both Slim versions, the digital and the disc-drive variant , can be purchased for under $400 and $500 respectively. I’m not sure how long that’s going to last, though, as it’s the holidays, and sales are currently happening. 8TB WD Black SN850P NVMe SSD for PS5 It’s wild that large capacity M.2 storage is still so astronomically priced, but it’s also (admittedly) not a serious necessity, so I get it. It sure is nice having the additional 8TB, though, and not having to play the Game Download Shuffle. Also, it’s awesome having the option on PS5 to go with a ridiculous amount of fast storage, which is beyond, say, the options on Xbox. 2TB is the max individual capacity of Velocity Architecture card storage you can purchase on Microsoft’s console. Swapping cards is totally possible, but not nearly as convenient as utilizing 8TB of immediately accessible space. Speaking of the aforementioned serious necessity, do you know what isn’t something you need to have? The PS5 Pro. Still, I’m liking mine so far, but it seems somewhat superfluous, especially given that I have several very capable gaming PCs laying around. How is everyone else enjoying their PS5 Pros? I’d love to know. Message me on X if you feel like it. If you don’t feel like it, well, go feel better. Disclosure: Western Digital provided review product for coverage purposes.
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