Tuesday’s contest features the Tulane Green Wave (4-2) and the Wyoming Cowboys (4-1) squaring off at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (on November 26) at 6:00 PM ET. This matchup, according to our computer prediction, will result in a 74-70 win for Tulane. According to our computer prediction, Tulane is projected to cover the point spread (2.5) versus Wyoming. The two sides are expected to go over the 143.5 over/under. Watch men’s college basketball, 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. Place your bets on any men’s college basketball matchup at BetMGM. Sign up today using our link. Tulane has put together a 3-2-0 record against the spread this season, while Wyoming is 2-2-0. One of the Green Wave’s games this season have gone over the point total, and three of the Cowboys’ games have gone over. The teams average 155.3 points per game, 11.8 more points than this matchup’s total. Bet on this or any men’s college basketball matchup at BetMGM. Rep your favorite players with officially licensed gear. Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, hats, and much more. 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 .Tafara Gapare scored a season-high 19 points off the bench and Derik Queen added 15 points and eight rebounds, lifting Maryland to a 91-67 victory over Bucknell on Wednesday in College Park, Md. Gapare made 7 of 9 shots from the floor -- including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. He highlighted his performance by unleashing a personal 10-point run in the second half to help send the Terrapins (6-1) to their third straight win. Gapare, who made one 3-pointer prior to Wednesday's game, was limited to just three minutes and was held without a point in Maryland's 76-75 victory versus Villanova on Sunday. Julian Reese scored 14 points for the Terrapins, who shot a robust 50.0 percent from the floor and scored 22 points off 20 turnovers. Selton Miguel drained three 3-pointers to score all 13 of his points in the first half. That effort came three days after being held without a point versus Villanova. Bucknell's Ruot Bijiek sank four 3-pointers to highlight his 20-point performance. Josh Bascoe scored 10 points and Brandon McCreesh added nine off the bench for the Bison (4-4), who lost two in a row for the second time this season. Maryland answered Bijiek's layup by scoring 12 straight points to take a 15-2 lead. Miguel keyed the spurt by draining two 3-pointers and a jumper. Bucknell tried to keep pace and trailed 25-12 after McCreesh's layup, but the Terrapins kept their foot on the gas to steadily build a 25-point lead late in the first half. The Bison made a modest charge to begin the second half, trimming the deficit to 16 at 58-42 on Bijiek's fourth 3-pointer of the game. Gapare singlehandedly halted the momentum by sandwiching 3-pointers around a layup and an emphatic dunk over the next five possessions. Reese sank a pair of free throws to cap the 12-0 run, extending Maryland's lead to 70-42 with 11:39 to play. The Terrapins were not threatened the rest of the way. --Field Level Media
Most shootings in Hartford are followed by rallies by Mothers United Against Violence at the scenes of the crimes. The shootings two weeks ago were especially atrocious, the victims being a 20-year-old woman and her infant son, killed in what police said was a dispute over a car, with the young perpetrator fleeing to Puerto Rico but quickly apprehended there. The rallies always feature appeals to the “community” to stop the violence, as well as a hand-wringing harangue by a street preacher. They often get a couple of minutes on local television newscasts. But what exactly do the rally participants want everyone else to do? They don’t say, and the perpetrators aren’t listening. The rallies serve only to make their participants feel relevant and the TV stations feel as if they have covered the story when they haven’t even touched it. At least the rally-goers notice the violence. These days even the atrocities in the cities pass without comment from the governor, state legislators, and other leaders, who behave, along with journalism, as if the social disintegration sweeping Connecticut but worst in the cities is the natural order of things. It wasn’t always this way. Indeed, historians say that a century ago Hartford was the richest and finest city in the country. Today atrocities like the murder of the young woman and her baby seldom occur outside the cities, an indication that society somehow can be arranged to prevent them in other places. People in authority in Connecticut may claim to be trying to reduce the atrocities, but their frequency indicates that whatever they are doing isn’t working any better than those hapless rallies of lamentation and hand-wringing. Government’s failure to stop social disintegration wasn’t even an issue in last month’s state election and isn’t on the agenda for the session of the state legislature that will convene in a few weeks, though if people listen closely enough the gunshots sometimes can be heard from the grounds of the state Capitol. Many Democrats, including some in Connecticut, are inadvertently signifying that people tend to see and hear only what they want to. These Democrats claim that Donald Trump has just been elected president for a second time because so many voters are racist and bigoted against women and as a result voted against the Democratic nominee for president, Vice President Kamala Harris, a mixed-race woman in an interracial marriage. Of course some voters always will be racist and bigoted. But last week the nonprofit survey organization DataHaven reported that it recently polled more than 7,400 people throughout Connecticut and 40% said they are struggling financially. More people said they are worse off than they were a year ago than said they are better off. A few weeks ago similar surveys by the United Way and Connecticut Voices for Children reported alarming increases in poverty in the state. Connecticut is solidly Democratic but in the election last month Trump substantially increased his share of the vote in the state, even in the overwhelmingly Democratic cities. Are even many Democrats racist and misogynist? Or might the sharp economic decline found by those surveys and others around the country have had more to with the results of the election? While some Democratic leaders acknowledge that their party has lost touch with the working class, few admit the possibility that their party’s last four years in charge of the federal government worsened living standards. Trump may end the U.S. proxy war with Russia in Ukraine even as he makes America nuts again in other respects, as with tariffs and more deficits and inflation. But he is going back to the White House because most voters thought he would be better than the current administration, and no one seems more out of touch on this point than Connecticut’s just re-elected U.S. senator, Chris Murphy. Last week Murphy told an interviewer, “I’m spending most of my time preparing for dystopia,” as if most voters hadn’t already seen enough dystopia under the senator’s own party. Chris Powell (cpowell @ cox.net) has written about Connecticut government and politics for many years.
KEARNEY — There are no tests or quizzes in Daniel Chaffin’s MGT 400 class. He doesn’t require students to buy a textbook either. The University of Nebraska at Kearney faculty member believes there’s a better way to teach them about entrepreneurship. “Honestly, the whole class is starting and running a business,” said Chaffin, an associate professor of management in the College of Business and Technology. “A lot of students think they might want to be an entrepreneur, but it’s hard for them to know for sure without actually experiencing it,” he added. “This class gives them a chance to decide whether they like it or not, without having to quit their job to find out.” A former business development analyst and strategic marketing manager for a large home construction company, Chaffin is known for connecting his classes to real-world experiences. He calls entrepreneurship an “embodied discipline,” something you need to see and do to truly understand. “I want students to feel the ups and downs of it — the risk of failure, the joy of success and the need to press forward even in the midst of obstacles,” he said. “Successful entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily the ones who understand business the most. They’re the ones who can embody what entrepreneurship is the most.” In the MGT 400 class, students get to experience every step of the entrepreneurial process. They work together in teams to develop business ideas, create pitches, coordinate suppliers, identify marketing strategies and execute their plans. Using startup capital provided by the College of Business and Technology, each business operates for about six weeks before the inventory is liquidated and the initial investment is repaid. Profits are donated to a campus organization or service selected by the student groups. That’s another important aspect of the project. “It helps them create a sense of mission,” Chaffin said. “Yeah, it’s a business, but there’s also a cause tied to it and that’s where they get a lot of meaning as far as what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.” Elizabeth Vandenberg’s group sold a golf punch card offering discounted rates for college students as part of a UNK entrepreneurship class. UNK senior Maddie Rose is one of 19 students who took the class this semester. She graduated Friday with a bachelor’s degree in general studies and is considering entrepreneurship as a potential career path. “I’ve been exploring a lot of different fields,” the Sutton native said. “I’ve thought about possibly starting my own business someday, so it’s good to have that knowledge and experience.” Rose and her class partners created Timeless Treasures, a permanent jewelry business. “It’s kind of a trendy thing right now,” she said of the soldered bracelets, necklaces and anklets that are intended to be worn all the time. The group started with a list of interested customers — UNK sorority members were a key demographic — then expanded their reach by hosting pop-up events on campus. They finished with more than $1,500 in sales, including about $1,000 in profits donated to UNK Student Health and Counseling. “I definitely learned a lot this semester — a lot more than I would have learned from a textbook, that’s for sure,” Rose said. “It was overwhelming at first — a lot of planning and coordinating went into it – but I gained a lot of valuable information and experience from it.” Along with the added knowledge, students in the entrepreneurship class have an opportunity to expand their professional networks. They learn from local business owners who share their experiences and provide mentorship throughout the semester while also receiving feedback and advice from Chaffin and other professionals at UNK. “Making those connections with people in the class, in the business program and in the community has been really helpful for me,” Rose said. “Everyone in my group was complete strangers when we started out, so it’s been a pretty fun experience getting to know them.” In addition to Timeless Treasures, other student-run businesses sold custom flags for dorm rooms and fraternities and Nebraska- and Kearney-themed trucker hats, with profits supporting the Interfraternity Council and UNK Career Closet. Elizabeth Vandenberg’s group originally planned to sell international candy, but they couldn’t find a wholesaler with low enough prices. So, they decided to pivot and create the Swing and Save Card, a punch card that offers discounted rates at six area golf courses for college students. They ended up with about $1,600 in sales, mostly from local businesses that purchased the cards and donated them to UNK Counseling to distribute to students. Their profits also supported counseling services on campus. A senior from Gretna, Vandenberg is studying business administration with a management emphasis and a minor in entrepreneurship. She enjoyed Chaffin’s class because it’s “tangible and real.” “Entrepreneurship can seem so ominous and scary, but this class shows us that we have the skills to be successful,” she said. Those skills — communication, critical-thinking, problem-solving, budgeting and planning — can be applied to almost any career. “I hope students leave this class with greater confidence and a sense of accomplishment,” Chaffin said. “I think it’s kind of cool that they can go to a job interview and say, ‘Yeah, I was part of a startup and we developed this product.’ That’s a real deliverable that shows future employers what they’re capable of.” Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.None
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US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Jared Isaacman, a billionaire online payments entrepreneur and the first private astronaut to conduct a spacewalk, as the next head of NASA. The nod raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Isaacman's financial ties to SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead a government efficiency commission and is one of Trump's closest advisors. Isaacman, the 41-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, has emerged as a leading figure in commercial spaceflight through his high-profile collaborations with SpaceX. He made history in September by stepping out of a Crew Dragon to gaze at Earth from the void of space while gripping the spacecraft's exterior, during the first-ever spacewalk carried out by non-professional astronauts. "I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration." The groundbreaking spacewalk was part of the Polaris program, a collaboration between Isaacman and SpaceX that is set to include three missions in total, culminating in the first crewed test of the next-generation Starship. Financial terms of the initiative remain under wraps, though the matter is likely to come up during Isaacman's Senate hearings. Isaacman reportedly poured $200 million of his own money into leading the 2021 all-civilian SpaceX Inspiration4 orbital mission, his first foray into space. A staunch supporter of SpaceX and Musk, Isaacman frequently praises the company and its vision on social media platform X. "There will inevitably be a thriving space economy -- one that will create opportunities for countless people to live and work in space," Isaacman said in an X post after Trump's announcement. "At NASA, we will passionately pursue these possibilities." Isaacman, a Pennsylvania native, founded the business that became Shift4 Payments from his family's basement at just 16. A skilled aviator, he is qualified to fly military aircraft, has performed at airshows, and set a world record for an around-the-world flight. The nomination comes at a delicate juncture for the storied US space agency, with experts anticipating significant shifts in direction during Trump's second term. The Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon, may face scrutiny as Trump has repeatedly voiced a preference for prioritizing a direct mission to Mars. Also possibly on the chopping block is the massive, NASA-owned Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket, which has been criticized for being exorbitantly expensive due to its lack of reusability, in contrast with SpaceX's Starship, which is designed to be reusable but remains a prototype. If Isaacman is confirmed by the Senate, his ties to SpaceX could invite heightened scrutiny of future contracting decisions. NASA currently has agreements with both SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin to develop lunar lander systems -- an approach Isaacman has criticized, citing budgetary constraints and SpaceX's capabilities. "Congress is going to have to do its job here and exercise oversight," Peter Juul of the Progressive Policy Institute told AFP, urging lawmakers to mandate dual-source contracting so NASA "doesn't become a glorified contracting agency for SpaceX." Still, as a swashbuckling entrepreneur in an era of expanding public-private partnerships in space, Isaacman's appointment has drawn praise in some quarters. "The Planetary Society shares his vision of bold exploration in space, and, should he be confirmed, we look forward to working with him," Casey Dreier, the nonprofit's chief of space policy, told AFP. ia/ahaNone
Four senators have introduced a bill that would authorize $2.7 billion in federal funding through fiscal year 2029 to advance efforts at federal science agencies, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation and NASA. “The strengthens America’s competitive edge through critical R&D investments,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in a statement published Tuesday. “By fostering public-private collaboration, we will accelerate quantum innovation, create high-skilled jobs, and pioneer discoveries that benefit generations to come,” added Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Cantwell introduced the measure with Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Steve Daines, R-Mont. What Would the Bill Do? The proposed measure would shift the National Quantum Initiative’s focus from basic research to the development of practical quantum applications and establish up to three NIST quantum centers to pursue research in quantum sensing, engineering and measurement. The legislation would authorize NASA quantum R&D activities, including quantum satellite communications and quantum sensing research efforts, and establish prize challenges to speed up the development of quantum algorithms and applications through public-private collaboration. Under the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy would be required to create an international quantum cooperation strategy to coordinate R&D activities with U.S. allies. The bill would add the State Department, Small Business Administration and the National Institutes of Health to the National Quantum Initiative to broaden interagency collaboration and expertise, direct the secretary of Commerce to submit a plan to strengthen quantum supply chain resilience and require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on reducing red tape and paperwork burden related to academic and industry participation in National Quantum Initiative activities and centers.Robert Wickens moving up to IMSA GTD series in 2025 thanks to new Bosch hand controls
Robert Wickens moving up to IMSA GTD series in 2025 thanks to new Bosch hand controls It's been a long road back to the highest levels of motorsport for Canadian driver Robert Wickens. Six years after he was paralyzed in a violent wreck, Wickens will again be behind the wheel against some of the best drivers in North America. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press Nov 27, 2024 2:03 PM Nov 27, 2024 2:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Injured driver Robert Wickens, of Canada, is photographed before leading the parade lap in a car fitted with hand controls before the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto race, in Toronto, Sunday July 14, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin It's been a long road back to the highest levels of motorsport for Canadian driver Robert Wickens. Six years after he was paralyzed in a violent wreck, Wickens will again be behind the wheel against some of the best drivers in North America. Wickens, from Guelph, Ont., was named the newest driver for DXDT Racing earlier this week, moving the 35-year-old up to IMSA GTD competition for 2025, the highest class on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. His promotion was made possible by a new hand control braking system created by Bosch Electronics, with help from GM Motorsports and Corvette Racing/Pratt Miller. "It's not going to be easy but I wanted to get to the highest levels of motorsport again because, frankly, that's where I was when I was injured," said Wickens, who crashed at Pocono Raceway in 2018 during IndyCar's ABC Supply 500. "But not only that, I want to prove to myself and other generations of people with disabilities that you can really do anything. "Maybe you're having a hard time getting back to your place of work after a life-altering accident and — whatever your discipline, it doesn't even have to be athletics — but I know it's possible as long as you align yourself with a strong support system." For Wickens, that's been his wife Karli Wickens, his family and, in his professional life, organizations like Bosch and GM. Wickens's crash left him with a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured ribs, a pulmonary contusion, and an indeterminate spinal injury that combined to make him a paraplegic. As he has slowly recovered some movement in his legs, Wickens has eased back into motor racing. He drove the parade lap of the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto, competed in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then in January 2022 it was announced he would drive in the Michelin Pilot Challenge for Bryan Herta Autosport. He and co-driver Mark Wilkins won twice in the Michelin Pilot Challenge's TCR category with three podiums in 2022. In 2023 the pairing didn't win, but they reached the podium seven times to earn the TCR championship. All of Wickens's post-accident cars have been fitted with hand controls. Those conventional systems rely on paddles around the steering wheel that activate pneumatics that then press the foot pedals. Hand controls like that are acceptable for regular road vehicles and even lower levels of motorsports but in the highest classes, like IMSA GTD where cars top out at more than 280 kilometres, the lag between the driver toggling the paddle and the car responding is unacceptably slow. That's where the Bosch electronic system comes in, with the controls linked directly to the car's braking system, removing the pneumatics as an intermediary. "When you hit the brakes to slow the car down for each corner that was always a big challenge for me where (with) the Bosch electronic system, the latency is milliseconds not tenths of a second," said Wickens. "It's basically as accurate as I would be if I was an able-bodied driver wanting to apply the brake. "Honestly, it's just better in every facet imaginable. It's just been a true blessing." Advances in physical rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries as well as the ongoing development of vehicle technology has made Wickens's return to competitive motorsport possible. "I'm very fortunate in the timing of my paralysis and my career," Wickens said Wednesday from Tampa, Fla. "If this was even a decade ago we'd be having a very different conversation today." The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has four classes of vehicles: two sports prototype categories and two grand tourer classes. GTD is considered the highest of the four classes because each team must have at least a silver or bronze driver and more than one platinum-rated driver on a team is prohibited. "I want to win," said Wickens. "I think the big thing for me on this journey back was I wanted to race again because I truly felt like I could still win. "I want to raise awareness for spinal cord injury and disability, not by just being a participant, but by being the guy. I want to win races, fight for podiums, win championships, every time I'm sitting in the car." Wickens said he won't just be a role model for people living with paralysis or other mobility disabilities, but the technology his car will employ in 2025 will likely become commercially available for use in road vehicles. "Motorsports and the automotive racing industry were founded to be a proving ground for everyday automotive vehicles," he said. "From there you make road cars and road safety better. "Hopefully we can provide the technology and have regularly available components that can make any race car accessible for anyone that needs hand controls or any other form of disability." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. Follow jchidleyhill.bsky.social on Bluesky. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National Business B.C. Premier Eby says U.S. tariffs would be 'devastating' for forest industry Nov 27, 2024 2:04 PM Industry not consulted on Alberta's plan to challenge federal emissions cap Nov 27, 2024 2:02 PM Inuit Nunangat University closer to realization with $50M from Mastercard Foundation Nov 27, 2024 1:47 PM Featured Flyer
MKS Instruments Named One of America's Most Responsible CompaniesBy KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate won’t hold votes on four of President Joe Biden’s appellate court nominees as part of a deal with Republicans to allow for speedier consideration of other judicial nominations and bring Biden within striking distance of the 234 total judicial confirmations that occurred during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term. Currently, the number of judges confirmed under Biden totals 221. Republicans forced numerous procedural votes this week and late-night sessions as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attempted to move ahead in getting more of Biden’s nominees confirmed before Congress adjourns and Republicans take control of the chamber in January. A Senate Democratic leadership aide said Thursday a time agreement had been reached to allow for consideration of seven district court judges the week following Thanksgiving. Plus, another six district judges would be placed on the Senate executive calendar, making it possible for them to be considered on the Senate floor in December. Excluded from that list were four circuit judge nominations awaiting a floor vote: Adeel Abdullah Mangi of New Jersey, nominated for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals; Karla M. Campbell of Tennessee, nominated for the Sixth Circuit; Julia M. Lipez of Maine, First Circuit; and Ryan Young Park of North Carolina, Fourth Circuit. Mangi would have been the first Muslim American to serve as a federal appellate court judge if he had been confirmed. Mangi received law degrees from Oxford and Harvard. He works in a prestigious law firm and has secured significant legal victories. But his limited volunteer work with two outside groups has imperiled his nomination. He faced opposition from some Democrats as well. The confirmation battles over circuit court judges are generally much harder fights given their role in hearing appeals from district courts and often having the last word on legal matters. Schumer’s office said the four circuit nominees lacked the support to be confirmed, and that they received more than triple the amount of other judges moving forward as part of the agreement. Related Articles National Politics | Republicans rally around Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, as Gaetz withdraws for attorney general National Politics | Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations National Politics | Several of Trump’s Cabinet picks — and Trump himself — have been accused of sexual misconduct National Politics | Airline CEOs and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg fight over regulations even after election National Politics | Biden has become notably quiet after the 2024 election and Democrats’ loss Liberal groups in recent weeks have been pressuring Senate Democrats to do what it takes to get all of Biden’s judicial nominees confirmed before Trump takes office again. And some expressed disappointment with the deal. “Reports that there is a deal that would leave behind critical circuit court nominees are unacceptable. All of these nominees must be confirmed expeditiously before the end of the 118th Congress,” said Lena Zwarensteyn, an advisor at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “When senators return from the holiday break, Leader Schumer and senators must do whatever it takes — for as long as it takes — to confirm every single pending judicial nominee, including all circuit court nominees, to provide an important guardrail for our democracy. No matter what, this must get done,” Zwarensteyn said. Schumer has dedicated much of the Senate schedule to getting Biden’s judicial nominees confirmed. He called it a basic responsibility of the Senate. “We’ll take that responsibility very seriously between now and the end of the year,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
This summer, the New Orleans Pelicans traded for Dejounte Murray , hoping he would be the final piece for contention. Yet, a month into the season, they find themselves at the last spot of the Western Conference. They are in a familiar spot as the Memphis Grizzlies were in last year. Should they continue to fight, or just throw in the towel on the season? New Orleans Pelicans Have a Grizzlies-Type Decision to Make After 17 games, the New Pelicans are 4-13, last in the Western Conference. They are the Philadelphia 76ers of the West, a team hoping to contend late in May/June before the season, but now stuck at the bottom of the standings. Last season, the Grizzlies had a similar decision to make. Before the 2023-24 season, the Memphis Grizzlies traded for Marcus Smart , a player they hoped will improve their chances for contention. Yet, similar as the Pelicans this year, the injury-bug hit them hard, and they were never able to recover. On the last episode of the Hoop Collective, Brian Windhorst was among the last people to suggest the Pelicans should consider this a lost season and hope for better health next season. He said, “They are free falling in the West, I think they’re four and 13. That is the problem in the Western Conference, you know if you are 4-13. Even if get these guys back, you can play .600 basketball and maybe not be able to get to 10th at this point. So that’s the reality that they have. They’re still playing very hard you know.” Is it Worth Sacrificing the Season? For the Memphis Grizzlies last year, the big reward was the ninth pick of the draft, Zach Edey . The Grizzlies were able to find a player they desperately needed in what was considered a weak draft. The good news for the Grizzlies is they have their core of three star-level players in Ja Morant , Desmond Bane , and Jaren Jackson Jr . They needed a role player that will fit with them, and Edey has worked like a charm so far. The problem with the Pelicans is they do not have a set core. Is that Zion Williamson ? Brandon Ingram ? Who is part of their core going forward? The Grizzlies sacrificed the season, but they allowed Jackson to develop his offensive skills. If the Pelicans do decide to not push for the playoffs, that player should be Trey Murphy III , their young and talented wing. Can They Get a Lottery Pick? The Pelicans have their own pick in 2025, and they also hold the rights to the Milwaukee Bucks’ pick if it falls between 1-4. Two weeks ago, it seemed like the Bucks were destined for the lottery and might be looking into some Giannis Antetokounmpo trades . Yet, with their recent play, the Bucks have shut down those rumors. The Pelicans, on the other hand, are in a difficult position. Even if they are on a 48 win pace for the rest of the season, they will end up with 42 wins. Last year, the Houston Rockets finished with a .500 record, 41 wins and 41 loses, and ended up in the 11th spot. The Warriors were in 10th in the West with 46 wins. The fun part is the Pelicans are the last team to make a miraculous comeback in 2021-22. They started the season 1-12, and then made it into the playoffs without Zion. The prize pool of young talent next year is huge. But even with a high lottery pick, things are not guaranteed. Just look at the Golden State Warriors of the 2019-20 season. Due to injuries, they shut it down, and won only 15 games. Their prize was the 2nd pick in the 2020 draft. They drafted James Wiseman , a player they hoped would take over the reins after Steph Curry . But that didn’t happen. What to do with Brandon Ingram? The Pelicans tried to trade Ingram during the summer and failed to do so. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, making him less attractive for a trade during the season. The Pelicans are not certain they want to give him the max contract he desires, even more now that they have signed Murphy III to a long-term contract . Ingram is set to hit free agency in 2025. There might not be that many teams with cap space in the summer of 2025, but that doesn’t mean the Pelicans will have an easier time re-signing him. The biggest problem with the Pelicans right now might be they do not have a clear and defined core going forward. And Ingram is the victim of that. What Can They do With Zion? On the same episode of the Hoop Collective, Windhorst mentioned that the Pelicans might consider getting out of the Zion business. There are two options for that, one is to trade him, and the other is to cut him loose. When the Pelicans signed Zion to a new contract a few years ago, they added clauses that would made it easier for them to cut him loose. For example, he has to meet a weight criteria for the season. Here is what Brian mentioned, “The preferable scenario is to trade him and get value. I think that’s going to be extremely difficult to do given his injury history and the fact that he looked far less explosive than he had been in the past and the little bit that he played this year.” As for them cutting loose, the protections are 20% if he satisfies the weigh-in criteria during the 2024-25 season. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Got nine bucks? You could be going to a Blue Jays gameAlex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. The Capitals updated Ovechkin’s status Thursday after he was evaluated by team doctors upon returning from a three-game trip. The 39-year-old broke the leg in a shin-on-shin collision Monday night with Utah's Jack McBain, and some of his closest teammates knew it was not good news even before Ovechkin was listed as week to week and placed on injured reserve. Recommended Videos “Everyone’s bummed out,” said winger Tom Wilson, who has played with Ovechkin since 2013. “We were sitting there saying: ‘This is weird. Like, it’s unbelievable that he’s actually hurt.’ It’s one of those things where like, he’s going to miss games? I’ve been around a long time, and it’s new to me.” Ovechkin in his first 19 seasons missed 59 games — and just 35 because of injury. Durability even while throwing his body around with his physical style is a big reason he is on track to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals that once looked unapproachable. “He doesn’t go out there and just coast around,” Wilson said. “He’s played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He’s a power forward, the best goal-scorer ever maybe, and he’s a power forward that plays the game really hard.” Ovechkin surged to the top of the league with 15 goals in his first 18 games this season. He was on pace to break the record and score No. 895 sometime in February. “You know when goal-scorers start scoring, it’s dangerous,” said defenseman John Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin since 2009-10. “There was a bit of that in the downs that everyone was feeling about it too, of course. We see him coming to the rink every day, we know what’s at stake. You never want anyone to get injured, but there’s a lot to it and certainly he was playing his best hockey in years.” ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes rose to more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much of a boost they’re getting from the artificial-intelligence boom. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to add to what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium. It’s the 56th time the index has hit an all-time high this year after climbing in 11 of the last 12 days . The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 308 points, or 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3% to its own record. Salesforce helped pull the market higher after delivering stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell just short. CEO Mark Benioff highlighted the company’s artificial-intelligence offering for customers, saying “the rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale.” The stock price of the company, which helps businesses manage their customers, jumped 11%. Marvell Technology leaped even more after delivering better results than expected, up 23.2%. CEO Matt Murphy said the semiconductor supplier is seeing strong demand from AI and gave a forecast for profit in the upcoming quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. All the optimistic talk helped Nvidia , the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, rally 3.5%. It was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500 by far. They helped offset an 8.9% drop for Foot Locker, which reported profit and revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Mary Dillon said the company is taking a more cautious view, and it cut its forecasts for sales and profit this year. Dillon pointed to how keen customers are for discounts and how soft demand has been outside of Thanksgiving week and other key selling periods. Retailers overall have offered mixed signals about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Their spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A narrower report released Wednesday morning suggested employers in the private sector increased their payrolls by less last month than economists expected. Hiring in manufacturing was the weakest since the spring, according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The report strengthened traders’ expectations that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. The central bank had appeared set to continue cutting rates into next year, but the election of Donald Trump has scrambled Wall Street’s expectations somewhat. Trump’s preference for higher tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , which could alter the Fed’s plans . Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank can afford to cut rates cautiously because inflation has slowed from its peak two years ago and the economy remains sturdy. A separate report on Wednesday said health care, finance and other businesses in the U.S. services sector are continuing to grow, but not by as much as before and not by as much as economists expected. One respondent from the construction industry told the survey from the Institute for Supply Management that the Fed’s rate cuts haven't pulled down mortgage rates as much as hoped. Plus, “the unknown effect of tariffs clouds the future.” In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18% from 4.23% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Campbell’s sank 6.2% for one of the S&P 500’s sharper losses despite increasing its dividend and reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and the National Football League’s Washington Commanders hired Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse as its team president. Gains for airline stocks helped offset that drop after JetBlue Airways said it saw stronger bookings for travel in November and December following the presidential election. It also said it’s benefiting from lower fuel prices, as well as lower costs due to improved on-time performance. JetBlue jumped 8.3%, while Southwest Airlines climbed 3.5%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 36.61 points to 6,086.49. The Dow climbed 308.51 to 45,014.04, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 254.21 to 19,735.12. In stock markets abroad, South Korea’s Kospi sank 1.4% following a night full of drama in Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night, prompting troops to surround the parliament. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. In the crypto market , bitcoin climbed near $99,000 after Trump said he would nominate Paul Atkins , a cryptocurrency advocate, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.NetApp's NTAP short percent of float has risen 19.62% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 8.89 million shares sold short , which is 5.67% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 7.18 days to cover their short positions on average. Why Short Interest Matters Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. Short selling is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises. Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish. See Also: List of the most shorted stocks NetApp Short Interest Graph (3 Months) As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for NetApp has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted. Comparing NetApp's Short Interest Against Its Peers Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis. According to Benzinga Pro , NetApp's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 6.85%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers. Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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