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The San Francisco 49ers were without a host of key players Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, but their problems ran much deeper than simple injuries. The 49ers were already down 10-0 and facing another scoring threat against the Packers in the second quarter of Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca. Facing 2nd and 7 from the 49er 10-yard line, the Packers noticed that the Niners had 12 men on the field, and rushed to the line to snap the ball before the situation could be rectified. The Packers were ultimately unable to take advantage of the free play and took an offsetting penalty of their own, so there was no harm done. On the very next play, however, the 49ers were caught with 12 men on the field again. Unlike the first time, nobody on the field even seemed to notice, as nobody was attempting to leave the field before the ball was snapped. 49ers had 12 players on the field for back to back plays, how does that even happen? pic.twitter.com/aHT9PV6NWV — SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 24, 2024 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was aghast at the unbelievable back-to-back mistakes. Kyle Shanahan was not happy after the 49ers had 12 men on the field in back-to-back plays. : FOX pic.twitter.com/x0aqS0UO0b — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 24, 2024 The Packers did cap off the drive with a touchdown to go up 17-0, and the score did not flatter them. In addition to the multiple defensive mistakes, the offense was largely inept with backup quarterback Brandon Allen at the helm. The 49ers came into the week with major injury issues , and that undoubtedly impacted them in Week 12. There are no injuries the team can blame for that kind of mistake, though. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

PACS Investors Have Opportunity to Lead PACS Group Inc. Securities Fraud LawsuitBy MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.

China probes Nvidia for 'violating' anti-monopoly lawMurdoch loses 'Succession' battle for son's control of media empire: reportLuke Williams feels Swansea ‘lost grip’ on game despite sealing victory at Derby

The Swans stunned Pride Park into silence with less than two minutes on the clock when Zan Vipotnik sent a bullet past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom before Ronald slotted home his first of the season in the 14th minute. Cyrus Christie brought Tom Barkhuizen down inside the box and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing dispatched the resulting penalty to cut the deficit in half and, despite piling on the pressure, Derby succumbed to a second home defeat of the season. Williams told a press conference: “We started the game very well, we were good up until we scored the second goal then we lost the grip on the game and I thought Derby were the better team. “The next thing for us we have to be able to maintain that level throughout the game and we weren’t able to do that to be quite honest today. “They made it difficult, reacted very well after the second goal and didn’t go under, far from it.” Swansea leapfrogged their opponents into the top half of the table with their sixth win of the season and took three points back to south Wales following two last-minute defeats by Burnley and Leeds heading into the match. Williams added: “We’ve recently conceded late goals but they’re a very resilient group and we saw it out in the end. “We’ve dominated games a lot but probably failed to score when we’ve been that dominant and tonight we managed to score the goals when we were dominant. “We scored the goals at the right time today.” Derby had been unbeaten in their last three matches coming into this one but Paul Warne put defeat down to a poor start. He said: “We conceded two and didn’t get close enough, weren’t aggressive enough, not enough body contact and looked soft, that’s my fault. “Maybe I didn’t message it properly. Sometimes it doesn’t come down to shape and tactics but I thought that was what the difference was. “Credit Swansea for the win but after the 25 mins it looked like we would score. I really enjoyed it, that’s the truth. I had 70 minutes of a team giving everything, I don’t think we’ve had that many attempts in the Championship this season. “It’s a rude awakening, last year we would’ve won that 4-2.”For many across the Middle East, the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire came as a relief: the first major sign of progress in the region since war began more than a year ago. But for Palestinians in Gaza and families of hostages held in the territory, the news appeared only to inaugurate a newer, grimmer period of the conflict there. For them, it marked yet another missed opportunity to end fighting that has stretched on for nearly 14 months. Palestinians had hoped that any ceasefire deal with Hezbollah would include a truce in Gaza as well. The families of people kidnapped when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel in October 2023, meanwhile, wanted part of the agreement to include returning their loved ones. Instead, the ceasefire was confined only to the fighting in Lebanon . “We feel this is a missed opportunity to tie in the hostages in this agreement that was signed today,” said Ruby Chen, whose son, Itay Chen, was taken hostage from an Israeli military base and has been declared dead. As much as they were intertwined, the two wars have been very different. In Lebanon, Israel said its aim was to drive Hezbollah back from the countries’ shared border and end the militant group’s barrages into northern Israel. The ceasefire that took effect Wednesday is intended to do that. In Gaza, Israel’s goals are more sweeping . Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been resolute in insisting that Hamas must be completely destroyed and Israel must retain lasting control over parts of the territory. Months of talks have failed to get Netanyahu to back down from those demands — or to convince Hamas to release hostages under those terms. For Palestinians in Gaza, that means continuing misery under an Israeli campaign that has demolished much of the territory and driven almost the entire population from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are going hungry while living in squalid tent cities as the second winter of the war brings cold rains and flooding. ”They agree to a ceasefire in one place and not in the other? Have mercy on the children, the elderly and the women,” said Ahlam Abu Shalabi, living in tent in central Gaza. “Now it is winter, and all the people are drowning.” Palestinians feel resigned to continued war The war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants attacked Israel from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has rained devastation on the Palestinian territory, killing over 44,000 people, according to local health officials. The officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters in their count, say over half of the dead are women and children. Hezbollah began firing into Israel a day after Hamas’ attack in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group. The two sides have exchanged near-daily barrages since. Moving thousands of troops to its northern border, Israel ramped up bombardment of southern Lebanon and launched a ground invasion there two months ago, killing many of Hezbollah’s leaders . Palestinians now fear Israel’s military can return its full focus to Gaza — a point that Netanyahu made as he announced the ceasefire in Lebanon on Tuesday. “The pressure will be more on Gaza,” said Mamdouh Younis, a displaced man in a central Gaza tent camp. Netanyahu, he said, can now exploit the fact that “Gaza has become alone, far from all the arenas that were supporting it, especially the Lebanon front.” Israeli troops are already engaged in fierce fighting in Gaza’s north , where a two-month offensive has cut off most aid and caused experts to warn a famine may be underway . Strikes all over the territory regularly kill dozens. In signing onto the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah reversed its long-held position that it wouldn’t stop its barrages across the border unless Israel ends the war in Gaza. “This could have a psychological impact, as it will further entrench the understanding that Palestinians in Gaza are alone in resisting against their occupiers,” said Tariq Kenney Shawa, a U.S. policy fellow at Al-Shabaka, a Palestinian think tank. Hamas may dig its heels in It also leaves Hamas — its capabilities already severely damaged by Israel’s offensive — to fight alone. Hamas official Osama Hamdan appeared to accept Hezbollah’s new position in an interview Monday. “Any announcement of a ceasefire is welcome. Hezbollah has stood by our people and made significant sacrifices,” Hamdan told the Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, which is seen as politically allied with Hezbollah. Khalil Sayegh, a Palestinian analyst, said the ceasefire could make Hamas even less popular in Gaza, by proving the failure of its gambit that its attack on Israel would rally other militant groups to the fight. “It’s a moment where we can see the Hamas messaging become weaker and weaker, as they struggle to justify their strategy to the public,” said Sayegh. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire could help force Hamas to the negotiating table because it would show the group that the “cavalry is not on the way.” But Hamas experts predicted that it would only dig in both on the battlefield and in talks. Hamas has insisted it will only release all the hostages in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. “I expect Hamas will continue using guerrilla warfare to confront Israeli forces in Gaza as long as they remain,” said Shawa. Hostage families lose hope Dozens of Israelis thronged a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday night, protesting for the return of the hostages as the country waited to hear if a ceasefire in Lebanon had been agreed. Around 100 people taken hostage are still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the other hostages seized by Hamas were released during a ceasefire last year. Ricardo Grichener, the uncle of 23-year-old hostage Omer Wenkert, said the ceasefire with Hezbollah showed how the Israeli government was openly disregarding the hostages. Even though Israel has inflicted greater damage on Hamas in Gaza than on Hezbollah in Lebanon, he said “the decision to postpone a deal in Gaza and release the hostages is not based on the same military success criteria.” The most recent effort to wind down the war stalled in October. U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday he would begin a renewed push, but his administration is now in its waning days after the reelection of former President Donald Trump. “This ceasefire doesn’t concern our hostages. I believe that Netanyahu forgot about them, and he just wants to keep fighting in Gaza,” said Ifat Kalderon, clutching a photo of her cousin, Ofer Kalderon, who is a hostage and a father to four. “Ofer yesterday had his 54th birthday. His second birthday in Gaza,” she said. “It’s unbelievable that he’s still there.”

Luke Williams feels Swansea ‘lost grip’ on game despite sealing victory at Derby

It took nearly 20 months, but the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team has lost again. South Carolina suffered its first defeat on Sunday since March 31, 2023, falling 77-62 in an early-season road test against No. 5 UCLA. The loss ends a school-best 43-game win streak for the Gamecocks, who ran the table with a 38-0 record in the 2023-24 season. The defending national champs opened the new season with five consecutive wins before coming up short in Westwood, Calif.. The Bruins earned their first-ever win over an AP No. 1 ranked team. Dawn Staley's group entered the season as favorites to repeat as national champions, and while Sunday's loss served as a reminder that no team is unbeatable, the Gamecocks will still be considered among the class of the SEC and thought to be one of the last teams standing in college basketball. Here's more to know about South Carolina's impressive streak and how UCLA ended it. MORE: Where Geno Auriemma ranks among winningest NCAA coaches South Carolina vs. UCLA women's basketball score 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q Final South Carolina 10 12 19 21 62 UCLA 20 23 18 16 77 South Carolina women's basketball win streak snapped: How UCLA ended Gemecocks' run Talented as South Carolina is, Sunday marked its second true road game of the 2024-25 regular season. Wednesday, the Gamecocks set a school record with their 43rd consecutive win over rival Clemson. A cross-country trip to take on a top-five team is no small task for South Carolina, which is still learning and growing after losing All-American Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA. That void on the interior was certainly felt in Sunday's game. UCLA's 6-7 star center Lauren Betts made her presence felt with 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks. The Bruins won the rebounding battle, 41-34. South Carolina's offense sputtered as it had a rough shooting night from the field. While the Gamecocks shot 24-of-66 (36.4 percent) from the field, the Bruins were 28-of-59 (47.5 percent) including 10-of-21 from 3-point range. MORE: Where Paige Bueckers, other stars land in the first 2025 WNBA Mock Draft South Carolina women's basketball win streak After losing to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, South Carolina won all of its games during the 2023-24 season and its first five games of the 2024-25 season. Here is a look back at the Gamecocks' impressive streak. Date Opponent Result Streak March 31, 2023 Iowa (Final Four) L, 77-73 — Nov. 6, 2023 No. 10 Notre Dame W, 100-71 W1 Nov. 12, 2023 No. 14 Maryland W, 114-76 W2 Nov. 16, 2023 Clemson W, 109-40 W3 Nov. 20, 2023 South Dakota State W, 78-38 W4 Nov. 24, 2023 Mississippi Valley State W, 101-19 W5 Nov. 30, 2023 No. 24, North Carolina W, 65-58 W6 Dec. 3, 2023 Duke W, 77-61 W7 Dec. 6, 2023 Morgan State W, 104-38 W8 Dec. 10, 2023 No. 11 Utah W, 78-69 W9 Dec. 16, 2023 Presbyterian W, 99-29 W10 Dec. 19, 2023 Bowling Green W, 93-62 W11 Dec. 30, 2023 East Carolina W, 73-36 W12 Jan. 4, 2024 Florida W, 89-66 W13 Jan. 7, 2024 Mississippi State W, 85-66 W14 Jan. 11, 2024 Missouri W, 81-57 W15 Jan. 15, 2024 Kentucky W, 98-36 W16 Jan. 21, 2024 Texas A&M W, 99-64 W17 Jan. 25, 2024 No. 9 LSU W, 76-70 W18 Jan. 28, 2024 Vanderbilt W, 91-74 W19 Feb. 1, 2024 Auburn W, 76-54 W20 Feb. 4, 2024 Ole Miss W, 86-56 W21 Feb. 8, 2024 Missouri W, 83-45 W22 Feb. 11, 2024 No. 11 UConn W, 83-65 W23 Feb. 15, 2024 Tennessee W, 66-55 W24 Feb. 18, 2024 Georgia W, 70-56 W25 Feb. 22, 2024 Alabama W, 72-44 W26 Feb. 25, 2024 Kentucky W, 103-55 W27 Feb. 29, 2024 Arkansas W, 98-61 W28 March 3, 2024 Tennessee W, 76-68 W29 March 8, 2024 Texas A&M (SEC Quarterfinals) W, 79-68 W30 March 9, 2024 Tennessee (SEC Semifinals) W, 74-73 W31 March 10, 2024 No. 8 LSU (SEC Championship) W, 79-72 W32 March 22, 2024 Presbyterian (NCAA First round) W, 91-39 W33 March 24, 2024 North Carolina (NCAA Second round) W, 88-41 W34 March 29, 2024 No. 14 Indiana (Sweet Sixteen) W, 79-75 W35 March 31, 2024 No. 12 Oregon State (Elite Eight) W, 70-58 W36 April 5, 2024 No. 11 NC State (Final Four) W, 78-59 W37 April 7, 2024 No. 2 Iowa W, 87-75 W38 Nov. 4, 2024 Michigan W, 68-62 W39 Nov. 10, 2024 No. 9 NC State W, 71-57 W40 Nov. 14, 2024 Coppin State W, 92-60 W41 Nov. 17, 2024 East Carolina W, 95-44 W42 Nov. 20, 2024 Clemson W, 77-45 W43 Nov. 24, 2024 No. 5 UCLA L, 77-62 —Monday, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN BetMGM NFL Odds: Falcons by 4 Series record: Falcons lead 8-7 Against the spread: Falcons 5-8, Raiders 5-8 Last meeting: Falcons beat Raiders 43-6 in Atlanta on Nov. 29, 2020. Last week: Falcons lost to Vikings 42-21; Raiders lost to Buccaneers 28-13 Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (12), pass (2), scoring (19) Falcons defense: overall (23), rush (17), pass (25), scoring (25) Raiders offense: overall (25), rush (32), pass (16), scoring (31) Raiders defense: overall (15), rush (14), pass (15), scoring (30) Turnover differential: Falcons minus-9; Raiders minus-17 OLB Arnold Ebiketie has been a key to Atlanta's suddenly improved pass rush. Ebiketie has three sacks in the past two games, giving him four for the season. Overall, the Falcons have had nine sacks in the past two games. They almost doubled their NFL-low total of 10 through their first 11 games. Whoever plays quarterback. Aidan O'Connell injured his left knee Sunday at Tampa Bay, so his availability is unknown. O'Connell is not a mobile quarterback, so if he plays, he likely wouldn't be as limited as a more athletic player at that position. If Desmond Ridder gets the call, he'll face the team where he started 13 games last season. Falcons QB Kirk Cousins vs. Raiders defense. Cousins has been intercepted the past four games, and he has been picked off six times combined the past two weeks. Las Vegas' best hope in forcing Cousins into even more mistakes is pressuring, and the Raiders have nine sacks over the past two weeks. They also had two interceptions against the Bucs. Falcons: Rookie RB Jase McClellan was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. The sixth-round pick earlier had missed time with a foot problem and had only 13 carries for 32 yards. RB Carlos Washington Jr. was signed to the active roster from the practice squad as depth behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. ... ILB Troy Andersen (knee) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) did not practice on Thursday. Raiders: RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) is expected to be activated after missing the past three games. CB Nate Hobbs (ankle) hasn't played since Nov. 3 at Cincinnati. The Falcons have won the past five meetings. ... Their 37-point victory in the most recent matchup in 2020 was the most lopsided game in the series' history. ... That game also was the second highest-scoring game by the winning team, behind the then-Oakland Raiders' 50-19 victory in 1979. Falcons WR Drake London needs only two catches to pass Calvin Ridley (217) for the most receptions in the first three seasons with Atlanta. ... London has 75 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns this season. ... Cousins has an unhealthy ratio of 17 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions. ... The Raiders' Brock Bowers has caught 87 passes to set an NFL rookie record tight ends record. Sam LaPorta had 86 last season for the Detroit Lions. Bowers also is 67 yards from becoming the third rookie tight end with 1,000 yards, joining Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts in 2021 and the Chicago Bears' Mike Ditka in 1961. ... DE Maxx Crosby is half a sack from becoming the third Raiders player since 1982 with 60 for his career. The other two are Greg Townsend (107 1/2) and Howie Long (84). ... LB Robert Spillane is one of seven players this season with at least 100 tackles, an interception and a sack. ... Las Vegas has committed 4.86 penalties per game since coach Antonio Pierce took over at midseason last season, best in the league. ... The Raiders have had at least one sack in 31 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak behind the Baltimore Ravens with 51 and Philadelphia Eagles with 41. Las Vegas has nine combined in the past two games, tied for best in the league with the Falcons. Raiders RB Sincere McCormick has secured the starting job, and he has averaged at least 5.2 yards per carry in each of his past three games. His rushing total keeps increasing, with McCormick gaining 78 yards against the Bucs. Especially given the uncertainty at quarterback, expect the Raiders to rely on McCormick. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Kemi Badenoch threatens to tear up human rights laws and stop migrants claiming benefits

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos signed left tackle Garett Bolles to a four-year extension on Thursday, locking up a big piece to protect rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Bolles has spent his entire career with the organization after being drafted out of Utah with the 20th overall pick in 2017. He has a chance this season to help the Broncos into the postseason for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season. The Broncos (8-5) are currently in the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. They can put some distance between them and Indianapolis on Sunday (6-7) with a win over the Colts. After an up-and-down start in Denver, Bolles has developed into a dependable pass protector. He's allowed one sack and 24 quarterback pressures over 13 starts this season. What's more, his 4.9 percent quarterback pressure rate is the second-lowest mark among tackles with at least 200 pass blocking snaps this season, according to NextGen Stats. With time to scan the field, Nix leads all rookies in completions (277), yards passing (2,842), offensive touchdowns (22) and passing touchdowns (17). Bolles earned second-team Associated Press All-Pro honors after the 2020 season. On social media , Bolles posted: “Broncos Country, It’s been a great 8 years! Thanks for everything! And ... I’m not leaving. The show goes on!” Since 2017, Bolles has allowed the sixth-fewest sacks (36) among tackles with at least 3,100 snaps. The extension of Bolles means the Broncos have all five starting offensive linemen on board through next season. Guard Quinn Meinerz agreed to four-year contract extension in July. The Broncos also signed cornerback Patrick Surtain II to a four-year contract extension in September worth $96 million, including $77.5 million in guarantees. Linebacker Jonathon Cooper agreed to a four-year, $60 million extension in November. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Losses for big technology stocks pulled major indexes lower on Wall Street. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.3% from its record high a day earlier, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.6%. Losses for Nvidia, Microsoft and Broadcom were the biggest weights on the market. Dell sank 12.2% after reporting revenue that fell shy of forecasts, and HP dropped 11.4% after giving a weaker-than-expected outlook. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. U.S. financial markets will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving, and will reopen for a half day on Friday. On Wednesday: The S&P 500 fell 22.89 points, or 0.4%, to 5,998.74. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 138.25 points, or 0.3%, to 44,722.06. The Nasdaq composite fell 115.10 points, or 0.6%, to 19,060.48. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 1.88 points, or 0.1%, to 2,426.19. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 29.40 points, or 0.5%. The Dow is up 425.55 points, or 1%. The Nasdaq is up 56.83 points, or 0.3%. The Russell 2000 is up 19.52 points, or 0.8%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,228.91 points, or 25.8%. The Dow is up 7,032.52 points, or 18.7%. The Nasdaq is up 4,449.12 points, or 27%. The Russell 2000 is up 399.12 points, or 19.7%.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR’s “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don’t have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. “Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.”The 1% Club has returned with bang - and wiped out a staggering 20 contestants within the first minute. Fans were left gobsmacked when the players were quickly eliminated as the popular quiz show returned to ITV for a new run. 6 Lee Mack returned with The 1% Club on Monday night Credit: ITV 6 Fans were stunned by how many people came unstuck on the first question 6 A whopping 20 people were eliminated immediately Host Lee Mack was also stunned as one fifth of the contestants lost their place in the game over a very "simple" first question. Lee had shown a graphic of a person holding the strings of a puppet. He asked: "In order to move the puppet's left arm, does the puppeteer need to move their own left hand or right hand?" As the '90 per cent question', 90 out of the 100 players in the audience were expected to get it right. READ MORE ON THE 1% CLUB Comeback ITV confirms return of The 1% Club after six months off air - but there's a twist mack for more? Future of Lee Mack’s The 1% Club revealed by ITV after three series on air But a whopping 20 got it wrong. The correct answer was 'right hand'. Gasping, Lee exclaimed: "Holy flips! We've lost 20 people!" He added: "I don't think we've ever had such a loud, 'Oh my God' on the show before!" One player who answered incorrectly was a micro pig trainer called Scarlett. Most read in TV BEEB BOOST BBC Scotland to launch two new shows after ditching flagship news programmes LEGEND LOST Carry On & The Avengers star who became kids' TV favourite dies aged 87 breaking cover Tulisa is spotted for first time since fleeing Australia and I'm A Celeb broken heart Charlotte Dawson and fiancé in tears as he confesses sexting scandal She told Lee: "I don't actually know my left and right so it was just close my eyes and guess." Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, fans of The 1% Club were quick to share their amazement. The 1% Club fans rip into 'worst question in show's history' - can you solve it? One wrote: "20 already?!" Another added: "Unreal that 20 got that wrong!" A third said: "Wtf 20 out on the 1st simple question." And another chimed in: "They lost 20 people on THAT? What literal Muppets!" The 1% Club returned to ITV1 on Monday evening. The episode finished with three contestants correctly answering the 1% question, which won them each a share of the £98,000 prize pot. This week, four new episodes are running on the channel from Monday to Thursday evening (December 12). Two 1% Club Christmas specials will also air this month, while Lee will front another episode in support of Soccer Aid. The 1% Club first hit screens in 2022 and has fast become one of TV's most popular game shows. Read more on the Scottish Sun WHITE XMAS Scots to wake up to 60cm of snow on Christmas as blizzard to blanket country 'vicious circle' I live in Scotland's benefits hotspot -I've only worked 4 years of my life In September, it won Best Quiz Game Show at the National Television Awards for the third year in a row. It faced stiff competition but still beat The Wheel, Beat The Chasers, Richard Osman’s House of Games, and Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win. 6 The correct answer to the 90% question was the 'right hand' Credit: ITV 6 Lee gasped as 20 players were instantly shut out Credit: ITV 6 Contestant Scarlett was one of those who answered incorrectly Credit: ITV

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