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When the Aggies take the court at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Saturday afternoon, the goal will be the same as it has been in the previous nine games to start the 2024-25 season — win. However, should Utah State prevail this time out, it will make program history. Never before has USU begun a season with 10 straight victories. Focusing on a record is not what the Aggies plan to do. They want to approach this contest the same they have the previous nine. “I have been part of a couple of 30-win teams, and it’s something that you certainly don’t want to take for granted,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said Friday before a practice began. “I told the guys we don’t take winning for granted. If we sit around and just thing about that (being unbeaten), we are not going to have good future success. We worry about the process around here. I haven’t heard one guy talk about it (being unbeaten). We’ve been locked in on the Bulls. ... Certainly for our fans, for recruiting, four our conference, for our university, it’s a really big deal. It’s hard to do. We need to continue to try and play really good basketball.” The Aggies (9-0) welcome South Florida (5-4) to Stew Morrill Court Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip off. The game will be televised on KMYU. “We are playing a very talented team, I think a top three team in the American Conference,” Calhoun said. Both teams have had a week between games. USU beat Utah Tech at home last Saturday, 92-62. South Florida lost at Loyola Chicago — one of the seven undefeated teams in Division I — last Saturday, 74-72. Following the win, the Aggies took a day off, practiced on Monday and then took Tuesday off before using the last three days to focus in on the Bulls. “I wanted to make sure they got two days off, this week is really important to finish up finals,” Calhoun said. “I think we have a had a really good week. We’ve got to be ready to play.” The coach is also excited about the early start time. He likes how things are mixed up a bit during the season in preparation for the conference tournament and beyond. The Bulls come to Logan having had to deal with losing their head coach just before the season began. Amir Abdur-Rahim died in late October, suffering complication during a medical procedure. He was 43. “Their team has had to deal with so much adversity, losing their coach,” Calhoun said. “Their interim coach has done a masterful job keeping this team together. They almost beat Loyola Chicago. They have played Florida, Charleston, a really tough schedule for sure. They are battle tested.” Ben Fletcher stepped in after the passing of Abdur-Rahim and is the interim head coach of the Bulls. Abdur-Rahim was hired by USF ahead of the 2023–24 season and led the Bulls to a 25-8 record, an American Athletic Conference regular season title and a berth in the NIT. Prior to coaching for USF, he spent four seasons as the head coach at Kennesaw State, turning a team that went 1-28 in his first season to a 26-9 team in his final year, which included a berth in the NCAA tournament. Before his arrival, South Florida had just one winning season (2018-19) in the previous 11 years. Calhoun didn’t know Abdur-Rahim, but “admired” him for “winning in tough places” and the relationships he built with his athletes. “He was such a good, young coach,” Calhoun said. “My heart goes out to his family. My wife donated online when it happened. This team is playing for their coach and you have to admire that.” The Bulls have five seniors, with three of them starting and being key reserves. Only four players have seen action in all nine contests to this point. “They have a lot of returning guys that have won a ton of games,” Calhoun said. “Last year they had an incredible season.” Guard Jayden Reid, who is 5-foot-10, leads four South Florida players that are averaging double figures in the scoring department. The sophomore is netting 13.8 points a game, while dishing out 4.3 assists. “Reid is a really good point guard,” Calhoun said. “... This guy can shoot off the bounce, he can shoot floaters. He is going to put pressure on you the entire game. We have to have a since of urgency when he has the ball. ... We have got to know where he is at all times. He is a really, really good player.” Reid is joined in double-digit scoring by 6-11 forward Jamille Reynolds (11.3), guard Kasen Jennings (10.6) and guard Kobe Knox (10.4). Reynolds leads the team in rebounding with 8.6 boards an outing. “The big kid (Reynolds) is going to give us some challenges,” Calhoun said. “He is the biggest kid we will face all year, not only height but weight wise (275 pounds). They have great wings and play a lot of people, so you’ve got to know their personnel.” Fans could see a lot of points scored Saturday afternoon. USU comes in averaging 87.6 points a game, while South Florida averages 77.1. The Bulls are similar to the Aggies in wanting to push the ball and score fast. “They want to play really, really fast, one of the fastest pace teams in the country,” Calhoun said. “We need to have a good hand on our ball security. The last three games we have been sloppy early in games, so we need to pass the ball and get inside the key. “... Hopefully the home team scores high and the visiting team scores low. Certainly both teams want to dictate tempo and play fast. They do a really good job of getting into early ball screens. It’s going to start and end with our rebounding and our ability to guard the basketball.” USU is averaging 36.8 rebounds a game and have outrebounded every opponent but one. South Florida averages 33.4 rebounds a game. “I’ve been really pleased with how we have gone and rebounded it,” Calhoun said. When asked to evaluate the first month of the season, the first-year Aggie head coach said rebounding has stuck out to him, as well as the attitudes of the athletes on a daily basis. “I don’t have to motivate with this group,” Calhoun said. “They are self motivators. They really put the team over themselves. ... This biggest surprise is that we have been able to win ugly. That speaks volumes on our toughness level.” The Aggies have three athletes averaging double digits in scoring. Guard Ian Martinez, who leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring, is averaging 18.4 points a game. Guard Mason Falslev is right behind at 16.2 ppg. Guard Dexter Akanno is coming off the bench to average 10.1 ppg. Falslev edges forward Karson Templin, who comes off the bench, in rebounding, 6.1 to 6.0, respectively. Guard Drake Allen is tops in assists with 3.8 an outing. Martinez also leads the league in free throw percentage (90.6) and free throws made (58), while ranking third in 3-pointers made (2.44) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.50). Falslev ranks second in the MW in field goal percentage (.558) and ninth in scoring. “We need to keep it going, but we also need to keep getting better,” USU reserve guard Jordy Barnes said. “... We all have good chemistry. We all get along and enjoy playing together. Since day one, we have all been on the same page. We really have a special group.” Starting on Saturday, the next five opponents the Aggies play are teams with winning records. “I told our guys, let’s run toward it, let’s not away from it, let’s not hide from it,” Calhoun said. “... Let’s try and elevate our connectivity and execution.”Matt Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general
The Dodgers and pitcher Dustin May avoided arbitration Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.135-million contract for next season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. The deal came ahead of Friday’s deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players. May, 27, has a 3.10 earned-run average in 46 appearances but has yet to fulfill his promise as a top prospect because of struggles with injuries, making just 20 starts since the beginning of 2021. May had Tommy John surgery five starts into his 2021 season, scuttling his impressive start. After returning near the end of 2022, May had his 2023 season cut short by another elbow surgery, this time to repair his flexor tendon. Then, after initially hoping to return this past season, May required surgery for a torn esophagus in July after feeling a pain in his throat and stomach at dinner, sidelining him for the remainder of the year. Despite all that, the Dodgers still envision May as a potential impact player in his final season under team control before free agency. The right-hander is expected to be ready for opening day. The Dodgers are hopeful that, even after two significant elbow surgeries, he still will possess much of his old, wicked stuff. And for a team that remains in need of starting pitching, May should be an option to provide depth and innings. With May’s contract settled, the Dodgers have seven other players eligible for arbitration: Evan Phillips (who is estimated to receive $6.2 million, per MLB Trade Rumors ), Tony Gonsolin ($5.4 million), Michael Kopech ($5.2 million), Brusdar Graterol ($2.7 million), Gavin Lux ($2.7 million), Alex Vesia ($1.9 million) and Anthony Banda ($1.1 million). Another arbitration-eligible player, reliever Connor Brogdon, was outrighted to triple-A Oklahoma City last week.SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Packers with a sore throwing shoulder.
BOULDER, Colo. — A 72-year-old lifelong Colorado fan with end-stage kidney failure waited to the side of the field in his wheelchair for Travis Hunter and the rest of the Buffaloes. One by one, players strolled over and signed a football for Riley Rhoades, his face lighting up with each signature. Standing close by and taking in the scene was Jeremy Bloom. He's become a wish facilitator for older adults. Bloom, the former Colorado wide receiver and Olympic freestyle skier, started the Wish of a Lifetime foundation in 2008, which has made thousands of aspirations turn into reality for older adults. The list of granted wishes range from taking veterans back to the beaches of Normandy to helping late-in-life authors publish a book. He's staged concerts for musicians, assisted some in daredevil feats such as jumping out of an airplane and even lined up a meeting between an Olympic medalist and former President Barack Obama. For Rhoades, his wish was simply to return to Folsom Field again, the place where he used to have season tickets but hasn't attended a game since 2004. "Everybody has somebody in their life —a grandparent, friend, neighbor — at that age where you wish you had more resources to help," said Bloom, whose college career was cut short two decades ago when the NCAA denied his reinstatement to play football and still ski professionally after receiving endorsement money to fuel his Olympic dreams. "Nothing can compare to seeing someone else's eyes light up because you helped make their dream come true." The foundation is a tribute to his grandparents. But the concept began to take root when he was a teenager. He was in Japan for a World Cup freestyle skiing competition when a woman tried to hop on a crowded bus. There was no room, but everyone in front rose from their seats to make space. That stuck with him, along with seeing these acts of kindness for older adults all over Europe and Asia as he traveled. An idea formed — bring that same level of appreciation to the United States, with a wish-granting element. Bloom's organization has been a charitable affiliate of AARP since 2020. It was the yearning of Rhoades that brought the two of them to Folsom Field last weekend. Rhoades, who had season tickets at Colorado for 27 years, wanted to see the Buffaloes in person after watching the team's resurgence on television. A few years ago, Rhoades, who was born with spina bifida, was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure. Being among the 54,646 fans Saturday stirred up plenty of emotions for Rhoades, as he watched the 16th-ranked Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 16 CFP) beat Utah. Colorado remains in the race for not only a conference title but a spot in the College Football Playoff. "It's just great to be back here again," Rhoades said as he pointed out the section where he used to watch games. "It's just ... so cool." For Bloom, the success that coach Deion Sanders has brought to the program means more reunions with teammates as they pass through town. "I've been through many years where nobody comes to visit," Bloom said. "It's fun that Boulder has become the epicenter of college football." Leading the way for Colorado this season have been quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Hunter, who's the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. But what particularly pleases Bloom is that Sanders, Hunter and the rest of college football players are able to finally profit through name, image and likeness. In his day, Bloom got caught in the NCAA crosshairs for wanting to play both sports and to have sponsors in one (skiing) so he could fund his Olympic aspirations. How time have changed. "I'm just really grateful that this generation of athletes gets to monetize their skills and ability," said Bloom, who finished sixth in moguls at the 2006 Winter Games in Italy. "It's the right thing." He's thrown his passion into fulfilling wishes such as learning ballet, riding in a Formula 1 pace car or taking a flight in a fighter jet. He's also helped reconnect families and friends, including a reunion for a trio of centenarian sisters who hadn't seen each other in more than a decade. This granted wish has stuck with Bloom: A person in Alabama wasn't able to travel after being diagnosed with end-of-life emphysema. So he asked for postcards to be sent, just to learn what made someone's town so special. He received 2,000 postcards from 26 different countries. "There's no end to the things that they've done for us in the world," Bloom said of older adults. "We're one of the organizations that reminds them that their dreams still do matter and that we still appreciate them and we cherish them." Get local news delivered to your inbox!No. 24 UCLA, Arizona have first reunion since Pac-12 days
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Dividend stocks can be your best friend in retirement -- especially when their payouts allow you to cover your living expenses without selling shares. But investors shouldn't mindlessly chase high yields. Stocks that offer sky-high yields of 10% to 15% can be tempting, but they're often risky investments. With that in mind, retirees and soon-to-be retirees should try to find above-average yields, but they shouldn't go looking in the dumpster for them. A better strategy is to seek quality companies that look like they'll be able to keep paying (and raising) their dividends over the long term. These three blue-chip dividend stocks with yields between 4.8% and 7.8% today fit that description. Their dividends are well covered, and they should produce enough growth to manage payout hikes that at least keep up with inflation in 2025 and beyond. 1. Altria Group: 7.8% yield Although smoking rates have been declining for decades in the United States, Altria Group ( MO -0.42% ) , which sells Marlboro cigarettes (among other brands) domestically, has raised its dividend for over 50 consecutive years. This has earned it the rare Dividend King designation. Altria still makes most of its money from cigarettes, but has grown its bottom line by steadily raising its prices enough to more than offset the fact that it sells fewer cigarettes with each passing year. Analysts estimate the company's 2024 earnings will be $5.12 per share, giving it a manageable dividend payout ratio of 80%. Management generally uses the cash after paying the dividend to repurchase shares , which has grown its per-share dividends and profits. Altria has milked its cigarette business for years, and its strategies are still working. The company has grown its earnings at a 4.4% annualized pace over the past five years, and analysts estimate it will grow them by 3.5% annually over the next three to five years. Altria will eventually need to move beyond cigarettes, and it's working on that. The company is pushing next-generation products such as oral nicotine pouches, heat-not-burn tobacco cartridges, and electronic cigarettes (vapes). How Altria develops these products over the next decade will determine its long-term prospects. Still, retirees who buy and hold the stock will be able to rely on the company's near- and medium-term ability to pay and raise its dividend. 2. AT&T: 4.8% yield Telecom giant AT&T ( T -0.44% ) now operates the third-largest wireless network in the U.S. by market share. The company has existed in various forms since the late 1880s, and today is focused on its core communications business after a tumultuous decade that it spent trying to become a successful media streaming company. Over the years of attempting to evolve its business model, AT&T loaded itself with debt. That period culminated with a dividend cut in 2022 intended to free up cash flow that it could use to pay down what it owes. While in some cases, a company having a dividend cut in its recent past can be a sign for investors to avoid the stock, AT&T's payout reduction made it an excellent dividend stock again. Management expects to end 2024 with $17 billion to $18 billion in free cash flow versus a dividend commitment that amounts to about $8 billion annually. In other words, AT&T is spending less than half its cash flow on its dividend, giving it plenty of financial breathing room. Its debt is declining, which is positioning the business for a new era of dividend growth thanks to AT&T's healthiest financials in years. Don't expect too much growth from AT&T. Analysts estimate that it will grow earnings by an average of 3% annually over the next three to five years. Still, that would be enough for management to raise the dividend slowly, with room to expand the payout ratio if AT&T chooses. Either way, investors can look forward to dependable dividends thanks to management's wise decision to rightsize the payout. 3. Enbridge: 6.3% yield Energy still makes the world go round, so business should stay strong for Enbridge ( ENB 0.05% ) , one of the largest energy companies in North America. The Canadian company owns a network of pipelines that transport oil and natural gas throughout the continent, North America's largest natural gas utility by volume, and a portfolio of renewable energy projects, among other businesses. The company makes money primarily from transport and distribution fees, so it enjoys more durable revenue streams than upstream oil companies, which are more sensitive to commodity prices. Enbridge has proven this by increasing its annual dividend payouts for 29 consecutive years, and it has already announced its 30th to take effect in early 2025. Enbridge pays its dividends in Canadian dollars (CA$), but U.S. investors will see their payments automatically translated to U.S. dollars. For 2025, management plans to pay total dividends of CA$3.77 per share, and is guiding for between CA$5.50 and CA$5.90 in distributable cash flow, which would give it a healthy payout ratio in the range of about 64% to 69%. That's right in the 60% to 70% range where management wants it. North America's steadily growing energy demand should ensure Enbridge stays busy. Management expects the company's cash flow to grow at a low single-digit percentage rate through 2026 and then accelerate to approximately 5% annualized growth. Therefore, investors can count on the dividend and expect Enbridge to continue building on its growth streak.
How about a gift that pays you back?TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has dismissed the Arab League's accusations against Iran, naming several reasons why Tehran seeks "stability" in Syria, Press TV reported. Araghchi made the remarks in a post in Arabic on his X account on Friday in response to the latest statement issued by the Arab League which accuses Iran of meddling in Syria's affairs. "Like you, we also desire stability, calm, and the prevention of chaos and disturbances in Syria for very clear reasons," he wrote, addressing the Arab League members, before listing nine reasons. He cited preserving Syria’s territorial integrity, security of all ethnic and religious groups, and sanctity of shrines and holy sites as well as limiting the possession of illegal weapons as among Iran’s reasons. Rejecting "any form of foreign intervention under any pretext," preventing Syria from becoming a "haven for terrorism", and ensuring Syria does not pose a threat to neighbors and region were the three other reasons named by the Iranian minister. He noted that stability is needed in Syria to "prevent further adventurism and dangerous expansionist policies by Israel" and "finally to form an inclusive government" in the country. Meanwhile, he warned against attempts to incite strife and divert public attention toward "unrealistic threats". The objectives of those inciting strife are "to legitimize the continued occupation of parts of Syrian territory, especially by Israel and the United States, justify foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, deprive certain segments of the Syrian population of participating in determining their own destiny, and to achieve their desires by blaming external factors for the country's problems." "Going through the current turbulent period in the region requires rationality, participation, cooperation, and avoiding the stirring of conflicts and temporary interests," Araghchi stressed. “The Islamic Republic of Iran agrees with other countries in the region on a peaceful and secure transition towards the formation of an inclusive government with the participation of all currents, ethnics and religions in Syria and is ready to help achieve the aforementioned goals,” he said.Haryana hikes EDC by 20% for 2025, and 10% every year after