buffalo slots game
Book industry renews call for exemption from VAT, citing serious concerns‘Check-in chicken’: The bold new method people are using to score the best plane seats
The college football transfer portal swung wide open Monday. With it, seven University of Massachusetts football players have put their names into the portal, looking for a new home next fall. The names that probably stick out are quarterback Ahmad Haston and running back Jalen John, both of whom went into the portal along with tight end Matt Smith, defensive linemen Tyson Walker, Zukudo Igwenagu and Aaron Beckwith, along with wide receiver Anthony Simpson. Simpson had left the team early in the season. "Portal open! Need them dogs. #Flagship" UMass quarterback A.J. Hairston wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Hairston seems to be staying put in Amherst, so it remains to be seen if his recruiting efforts will bear fruit. The now former Minutemen will leave while four incoming freshmen signed national letters of intent last week. Hitting the portal is all about recruiting, and new football head coach Joe Harasymiak broached that subject during his introductory press conference Friday morning in Amherst. "I think it starts where you are. Home is where your feet are. We'll have a detailed plan for that," he said. "I think what I realized at Maine is the first part about recruiting is you have to get people who believe in what you believe in. With everything that's going on in college football, I think that gets lost a little bit. "We're going to make sure, and we've already started in the last few days, we're going to make sure the people that are here believe in what we believe in." The biggest name that went into the portal on Monday belongs to Haston. The quarterback, recruited to UMass out of high school, became now former offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery's running quarterback in the two-quarterback plan. Haston and Hairston, a true freshman, stepped into the breach when Taisun Phommachanh was injured in the loss at Mississippi State. The two alternated in losses to Liberty and UConn at home and at Georgia. Montgomery's plan was predicated on an injury keeping Haston from really letting the ball fly. Haston finished the season by running 18 times for 174 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 9.7 yards per carry. Haston was also 8 for 9 for 39 yards. "I am truly grateful for all the memories, growth and battle-testing experiences I was able to share with my teammates," Haston posted on social media. "I am officially entering the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility and ready to work." Jalen John, who followed former coach Don Brown from Arizona to UMass, carried the ball 111 times for 583 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry. John also had 17 receptions for 119 yards. "I also want to thank the UMass coaching staff and administration for giving me the opportunity to play football," John wrote on social media. "These last two years have been transformative for me as an athlete and an individual. After thoughtful conversations with my family, I will be entering the transfer portal with 1 year of eligibility left." As of this writing, redshirt junior Brandon Campbell and sophomore C.J. Hester lead the running back room. Hester transferred from Western Michigan and was the No. 2 rusher for the Minutemen. He ran the ball 119 times for 529 yards and caught 14 passes for 58 yards. Campbell, was a late arrival this summer from the University of Houston. Campbell had 239 yards rushing on 64 carries. Beckwith, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound redshirt junior had been at UMass for four seasons and had 32 tackles from the nose position in the last two seasons. Igwenagu is the cousin of former UMass fullback Emil Igwenagu, who spent three years in NFL training camps. Zukedo Igwenagu and Tyson Watson both transferred to UMass from Big Ten schools, Igwenagu from Rutgers and Watson from Michigan State. Neither had any tackle statistics in 2024. Smith is a 6-5, 245-pounder who transferred from Duke. The tight end had three catches for 38 yards. Simpson was UMass' leading receiver in 2023, catching 57 passes for 792 yards. The transfer from the University of Arizona was "no longer on the team" in a late-September announcement. Teams in the Mid-American Conference, UMass' home next year, have also felt the sting of players entering the portal. Five teams, led by Ball State with 13 and Akron and Northern Illinois with 12 each, had the most players in the portal as of midday Monday. MAC champion Ohio had yet to have a player enter the portal. There are four incoming freshmen who signed on the Dec. 4 early signing day. Two are defensive backs, one is a running back and one is a quarterback. The signal caller is Zach Lawrence, a 6-foot-1, 3-star recruit out of Charlotte, N.C. He played at Butler High School and was the No. 35 recruit in the state according to Rivals.com He had career numbers of 213 for 340 for 3,377 yards and 37 touchdowns. Dajoure Hollingsworth was listed as 247Sports' No. 19 recruit in Pennsylvania. The 5-8, 175-pound back ran for 2,565 yards on 277 carries in 32 high school games, scoring 38 touchdowns. Eighteen of those came as a senior at Salisbury School in Connecticut. He started at Cathedral Prep in Erie, Pa., the high school alma mater of former UMass linebacker Jerry Roberts Jr., and Roberts' younger brother Jyree, a redshirt freshman. "It starts off with being real, showing them who I am and how I'm going to run the program," Harasymiak said the day he was introduced. "Anybody that believes in that and wants to be a part of that will be here. That's okay. The transfer portal, you don't like it and you want to go somewhere else, that's awesome. If you want to be here and change something that's hard and be something that's going to be special. Stick around. That's my message to the team in the first two team meetings. A lot of things are going to change, a lot. That's evident that it needs to happen. "We're going to keep pushing forward and whoever is here, whoever believes in it, that's when we'll become as strong as we can be."The opportunity to return to his home state and take over a football program that has committed the resources for future success is one that Bronco Mendenhall ultimately couldn’t pass up. Mendenhall, the former BYU, Virginia and New Mexico head coach, has been tasked to lead Utah State University’s program. He was officially introduced in front of a large Monday morning crowd during a press conference on the third floor of Maverik Stadium’s West Stadium Center. “The first guiding principle of our program is family first, last and always,” Mendenhall said in his opening remarks to the gathering. “This decision, in addition to this amazing institution, aligns with our first principle family first, last, always. Who in the world gets to lead an amazing football program into a brand new era with such a rich tradition and do it with the support of your family in the same state? I think we have the best job on the planet.” Mendenhall, who spent this past season as the head coach of New Mexico, spoke following some opening remarks from USU President Elizabeth R. Cantwell and Athletics Director Diana Sabau. Mendenhall, a former Snow College and Oregon State defensive back, is the 31st head coach in program history. “It’s incredibly important to me that we elevate students’ success every single step of the way,” Cantwell said. “The impact of a champion-level football program is unbelievable and I know many of you are investors steeped on the athletics side, but I can tell you as a university president of a public service university that is elevates us everywhere. And there are a lot of reasons why, but I believe. I believe in this football program, I believe in Bronco Mendenhall, I believe in Diana Sabau and I believe in USU, and they all go together. So, we’re very, very, very, very fortunate to have Bronco Mendenhall on board. He is the right person for this time. He’s who we need at USU to propel us into an incredible future.” Sabau presented Mendenhall with a framed composition of USU’s Old Main building and told the gathering the A atop the building would be lit blue tonight in honor of the long-time collegiate coach. “This was a national process,” Sabau said. “I received a lot of calls of interest from very well-qualified candidates, from members in the NFL, from former Aggies, from Division I position coaches and coordinators ... and sitting head coaches. There was an intense interest. You all should recognize that and hold that dear. To that end, I made the decision early that we needed the experience of a sitting head coach to develop our young men and daily address the complexities of this changing game of football at the Division I level. ... We needed someone at Utah State for our football program who would elevate our competitive excellence, who would prioritize our academic success and who would engage as good stewards of our community. Bronco Mendenhall emerged as that leader.” Mendenhall, whose mother still lives in his native city of Alpine, signed a six-year contract late last week — one that made him the highest-paid coach in the Mountain West Conference. His base salary for Year 1 is $2 million, with increases every year in the $60,000 range. Mendenhall has also been allocated a significant number of resources for his coaching pool, starting at $3.5 million in Year 1, with a $500,000 increase in each successive season. This commitment to building a program that will join the Pac-12 Conference starting in the 2025-26 academic year is something that did not go unnoticed by Mendenhall, who had a base salary of $1.2 million in his lone season at New Mexico. “We’re thrilled — my wife and I, my staff — and honored (to be USU’s head coach),” said Mendenhall, who was accompanied at the press conference with his wife, Holly, by his side. “We’re very clear that there’s interest in football here. This turnout shows that. Amazing football transforms communities and who would think that could happen, (that), hey, the Aggies winning in football and doing it consistently and well and doing it the right way, it can become the identity not only of the community, but of the entire state. I love the idea of the majority of this team coming from our state. I love the idea of us being dominant in our footprint. I love the idea of diversity. I love the idea of difference. I always love the ability to unite and I intend to have a team that represents us, this community, this institution in a way that you can be proud of, not only in how we play, but who we are.” The 58-year-old is looking forward to building a program that not only competes for conference championships, but takes a lot of pride in success in the classroom and being active in the community. “In my opinion, in the world of college athletics, (this is) the ideal platform to develop amazing young people from, (but), at the same time, championships matter,” Mendenhall said. “And so what you’ll be dealing with in a head coach (like) myself is that, yeah, results absolutely matter, but how we accomplish that, it matters even more. I care about these young people, who they become, what they do with their lives, how they play. But ultimately if they’re influencing this community in a positive way, if they’re becoming amazing young men for their families, if they’re able to contribute in society with all kinds of memories of championship experiences here, that looks like success to me. There isn’t anyone on the planet that will have higher expectations for our players than I. The greatest gift I can give is that of extreme expectations.” This kind of balance is something Mendenhall is confident can come to fruition at USU. “In most institutions where I’ve been, it was the highest grade point average in the school’s history, followed by the most service hours in the school’s history, followed by the most success on the field in school history,” the father of three said. “Those things happen at the same time. Many in college athletics today think those are mutually exclusive, (that) there’s not enough time and all we care about is football. It will take everything our players have to keep up with the football demands.” The lion’s share of Mendenhall’s staff at New Mexico will be joining him at USU, he said in a Monday radio interview with Scott Garrard and Hans Olsen. One of the exceptions is offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven, who Mendenhall specifically mentioned in Monday’s press conference. McGiven spent this past season as the receivers coach/passing game coordinator at San Jose State. This will be McGiven’s third stint in Logan, inasmuch as he was the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach in 2009 and the QB coach/offensive coordinator from 2013-14. Mendenhall and his staff are currently in the process of “evaluating our current roster.” Evaluating the class of 2025 recruits that signed with the Aggies last week will be the next priority, Mendenhall, who has an all-time record of 140-88 as a head coach, said Monday. “This current team, they didn’t choose me,” said Mendenhall, who has guided 16 of his 18 teams as head coach to bowl eligibility. “They’ll have a chance to choose me over the upcoming months. But, let’s face it, they weren’t the ones that choose and so that relationship will grow and develop as they come, and hopefully the relationships formed will be outstanding. I believe in the power of choice and enabling young people the power of choice. The expectations of the program will be so clear and so transparent and so consistent with fierce accountability (that) really it doesn’t allow anyone to remain neutral.”None
Pep Guardiola admits he is questioning himself after Man City lose to Juventus
Ahead of expected council vote, Austin Planning Commission weighs hospital safetyVerifying images shared in the wake of Assad’s ouster from Syria
Millwall's game against Sunderland is suspended due to TWO medical emergencies in crowd as concerned medics rush to help supporters in the stands The game was in the 41st minute when the game was brought to a halt on field Medicals rushed to help two separate individuals as tie stopped for 25 minutes Will Ruben Amorim be Man United's saviour? LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday By LEWIS BROWNING Published: 16:18, 23 November 2024 | Updated: 16:45, 23 November 2024 e-mail View comments Millwall's Championship game against Sunderland was suspended on Saturday due to two medical emergencies in the crowd. Neil Harris' side were looking to build on their impressive start to the campaign, hosting the Black Cats, who started the day top of the Championship table under Regis Le Bris. The game was just 41 minutes old when the referee brought a halt to proceedings, with players sent to the changing rooms while medics attended to the two incidents in the stands. Sunderland had taken the lead through a goal from Aaron Connolly in the 10th minute of the game as they looked to leapfrog Sheffield United once again at the top of the table. Millwall posted on X, formerly Twitter : 'The players have left the pitch following a medical emergency in the crowd. 'We send our best wishes to those receiving attention.' Millwall's game against Sunderland was suspended for 25 minutes in the Championship Two separate medical emergencies in the crowd caused the players to be sent back to the changing rooms Millwall shared information of the half on social media before the players returned to the field Sky Sports reporter Anton Toloui said on Soccer Saturday: 'Good news from a footballing perspective is the players are back out doing their warm-ups. 'There were two incidents in the stands, the one we told you and also in the stand we're in, personnel scrambled to another emergency. I am pleased to say that has now been dealt with.' Play eventually got back underway after a 25-minute delay. The score was 1-0 to Sunderland at the time of the interval. Football League Championship Sunderland Share or comment on this article: Millwall's game against Sunderland is suspended due to TWO medical emergencies in crowd as concerned medics rush to help supporters in the stands e-mail Add comment
Trudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for SyriaTrump Assassination Attempt Task Force Finds 'Failures' with Secret Service Leadership, Planning
Article content WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but it was “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Mideast. Recommended Videos Biden spoke at the White House hours after after rebel groups completed a takeover of the country after more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Assad and his family. Biden said the United States was unsure of Assad’s whereabouts, but was monitoring reports he was seeking refuge in Moscow. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the Middle East. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said “for the first time” that they could no longer defend Assad’s grip on power. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” Biden said, after a meeting with his national security team at the White House. Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades, because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump’s social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden’s national security adviser. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Biden said he intended those for troops to remain, adding that U.S. forces on Sunday conducted “dozens” of what he called “precision air strikes” on Islamic State camps and operations in Syria. The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. “We will remain vigilant,” Biden said. “Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.” He added that the groups are “saying the right things now.” “But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions,” Biden said. Assad’s fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts, including Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, 2025, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia’s war in Ukraine, noting that Assad’s allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” Vice President-elect JD Vance, a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on own social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. “Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell,” he said, using another acronym for the group. Trump has suggested that Assad’s ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Trump wrote that Putin’s government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine” and the Republican called for an immediate cease-fire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders. Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS,” he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. “If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said at the White House. “We believe he’s alive, we think we can get him back but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable.” The president added: “We have to identify where he is.” — Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, and AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.Mutual of America Capital Management LLC Sells 1,701 Shares of Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R)
Linda Annis offered a holiday message for shoppers: don’t let Christmastime Grinches steal your Christmas or your Christmas cheer. Annis, executive director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, gave her annual tips for a crime-free Christmas at a home in Cloverdale Dec. 9. “Every year, we ask the Grinch himself to help us remind people to follow some very common-sense precautions,” she said. “Nonetheless, every year we hear stories of people who still take chances with their valuables and their personal safety. That’s why we like to come out as the shopping season heats up with some helpful reminders, and a few things people might not have thought about.” Annis, who is also a Surrey city councillor, said the message is “especially important” as the year draws to a close and concerns with crime and public safety are riding. “Now is not the time to let down our guard when it comes to porch pirates, purse snatchers, home break-ins, parking lot B&Es and online fraudsters,” she said. “If you see a crime in action, call 9-1-1 or the local police right away. And if you have information about what nefarious deeds somebody’s up to, or see a suspicious person in the neighbourhood, but want to remain anonymous, call us at Crime Stoppers.” She added if anyone has information, they can telephone Crime Stoppers, use the P3 smartphone app to report crime anonymously, or visit solvecrime.ca. “Your anonymity is guaranteed by the Supreme Court of Canada. You’ll never be questioned or called to testify.” Annis, the Grinch, and little Cindy Lou Who teamed up to stage safety scenarios. Their efforts helped illustrate the dos and dont’s for the holidays as it pertained to shopping, both at stores and online. Annis ended her remarks with a few red hot, Grinch-thwarting tips to help prevent the onset of some Christmas blues. Ask neighbours to help keep an eye on your front door for deliveries. Some thieves actually follow delivery trucks to people’s homes so they can steal parcels as soon as the truck is gone. Use your video camera feeds to watch for both deliveries and crooks. Maybe you’ll spot someone stealing your Christmas lawn display, or packages from your porch. Where programs exist, register your doorbell and home security cameras to help police quickly find recordings of neighbourhood crimes. Voluntary programs in some cities, like Project Iris in Surrey, could help police solve a break-in or other crime at your house or your neighbour’s. Does the website you’re buying from, and the merch you buying, look legit? Maybe it’s cheaper that it really should be? Organized retail crime costs Canadians almost $5 billion a year, so buy from established businesses, not unknown sources. Shoplifted or stolen goods may be sold online or through flea markets, with the money often going to gangs dealing in drugs or illegal weapons. Think about who might be watching your sunny vacation pics on social media. Remember, your post from the beach tells the whole world you’re not at home – and that includes thieves. Large empty boxes outside your home tell everyone what valuable goodies are inside your house to steal. Boxes from that gaming computer, 65-inch TV, or other expensive gifts should be stored out of sight until the cardboard can be recycled. You can also close blinds to keep people from seeing inside your house. Etch your valuables in case they’re stolen. Ask local police to help etch your property with your driver’s license number. Also photograph valuables showing make, model and serial number. Theft is getting worse, so don’t leave valuables visible in your car. Before you lock up your car to go shopping, leave nothing visible inside. Not even pocket change or empty bottles or cans. And don’t fill your car with gifts and then go back into more stores. Someone may be watching what you’ve bought. Find a busy, well-lit section of the parking lot and lock your gifts out of sight in the trunk. Leave your garage door opener at home or in your pocket. A thief who takes your remote sitting from your console, and finds your address somewhere in the car, considers that an open invitation to come open your garage for a look. Watch your pockets in busy stores. Keep purses and wallets where you can keep track of them and thwart pickpockets who look to take advantage while jostling with holiday crowds. Visit for more info.
NoneCONCORD — Two Las Vegas companies have shown interest in buying Concord Casino, but the sale has hit a snag after a judge ruled that owner Anthony Sanborn has run out of time to close the deal. Last month, Judge Gregory Albert decided the state can proceed with revoking Sanborn’s gambling license — a process it’s been pushing for months. This is after the state found issues with the sale’s terms, but those details remain under wraps. Sanborn’s legal team isn’t backing down. They’ve signaled plans to challenge both the judge’s order and the state review of the purchase and sale deal. Documents from the N.H. Lottery Commission reveal that Bettor Investments Group, a firm focused on investments in the gaming industry, including historical horse racing, local casinos and distressed casino assets, has made an offer. At a hearing in July, Adam Katz, an attorney representing Sanborn, explained Bettor Investments Group’s offer as being “structured based on peanuts over time.” The deal hinges on lower up-front payments, with future installments tied to the casino’s profitability, measured by its EBITDA — Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. Bettor Investments Group has been involved in the financing, design and development of several major casino, resort and sports betting projects, including the Palazzo Las Vegas, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas and Hard Rock Casino Lake Tahoe. Another potential buyer is Full House Resorts Inc., another Las Vegas-based, publicly traded gambling company that owns seven casinos across Illinois, Mississippi, Indiana, Nevada and Colorado. According to Lottery Commission documents, Full House Resorts had met with commission members in the first week of June. The company’s casinos are significantly larger than Concord Casino. Full House Resorts Inc. owns Stockman’s Casino, which is 8,400 square feet and the largest casino in Fallon, Nev. During one hearing, Mark Dell’Orfano, representing the N.H. Lottery’s Investigation and Compliance Division through the Attorney General’s office, said that the commission had informed him that “there was potentially a $30 million deal on the table” from one of the prospective buyers. Most of the interest in purchasing Concord Casino on South Main Street has come from out-of-state buyers. Both the state and Sanborn’s attorney have kept the details confidential. Sanborn’s choice of buyer for the casino remains unknown, and whether the sale will go through is uncertain. With his gaming license revoked for two years, he is prohibited from selling the casino during that period. If the situation doesn’t change, one of New Hampshire’s 14 active casinos could remain closed for another two years.
Daniel Penny says he had no choice but to defend straphangers from Jordan Neely: ‘Never be able to live with myself’