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UP bypolls: Nobody safe under CM Yogi Adityanath govt: CongressNoneFrom the season’s outset, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Minnesota would leave itself the flexibility to close games with whatever lineup the coaching staff felt was needed to secure a victory. Sometimes, he noted, he’d get the choice right. Surely, there would be other times when he wouldn’t. “Hopefully, I do way more than I don’t,” Finch said this week. Sunday evening, however, was a checkmark in the “not right” column, at least based off the result. The Timberwolves didn’t score in the final 4:47 of their loss to Golden State. Finch said this week that Mike Conley’s inclusion in the closing lineup would’ve added organization to the equation. But he was quick to add that, with the ill-advised shots Anthony Edwards was taking, may not have mattered. Finch also reiterated what he said after the game, that Nickeil Alexander-Walker was playing “so well,” so he was hesitant to take him off the floor. “Maybe the other thing I could’ve done was go small,” Finch said, “but we’ve not really done that a ton.” That was the cry of many Wolves’ followers on social media on Sunday. Minnesota has proven rather inept at late-game offense when Conley isn’t on the floor. But all recognized Alexander-Walker had also earned the opportunity to close. You certainly won’t take Edwards off the floor in those situations, and the Wolves wanted Jaden McDaniels on the floor to guard Steph Curry. That left Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert as the only options to take off the court in favor of Conley, and that would’ve left Minnesota small. And, as Finch noted, the Wolves simply haven’t gone small this season. Like, at all. None of Naz Reid, Randle or Gobert have played more than 17 minutes this season without another big man next to him. It’s not something the Wolves practice, either. McDaniels said he’s only repped minutes at the four in practice when one of the bigs have been unavailable. Still, Finch said it wasn’t that he was “uncomfortable” rolling out a small-ball look Sunday. “But I worry a lot about rebounding. We struggle to rebound with our bigger lineups, at times. So, I know our smaller lineups have really struggled,” Finch said. “That’s some of the reason not to go small is really rebounding issues. But I think our guys are comfortable playing in all different combinations. But I haven’t really thought about going small, necessarily.” Indeed, Minnesota is just 12th in the NBA this season in defensive rebounding rate, grabbing 71.3% of opposing missed shots. The glass was especially an issue Sunday, as Golden State grabbed 14 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points. But it’s worth noting many of those came by guards in situations in which size was no factor on the play. McDaniels said he’s comfortable playing any position, including the power forward slot. And Minnesota certainly has the wing depth to roll out more small ball lineups if the situation ever called for it. There could be a playoff matchup that does just that, though Finch noted it could also go the other direction where the Wolves’ advantage would be to lean bigger. Versatility rules come April and May. But the Wolves don’t seem overly urgent to trot out any small-ball looks just to see how they perform at this juncture in the campaign. “Usually, it’s better with Naz at the four (than me),” McDaniels said. There is, however, at least one proponent of doing a little experimenting: Conley. “I think (small ball) kind of promotes a different level of spacing and speed to the game. You’re going to have to rely on guard-guard situations, guard pick and rolls,” Conley said. “Maybe me setting the screen and roll, Just creating different advantages for ourselves, as opposed to our typical offense or typical flow of things. I would love to see it, maybe — see how it works.”
Weather Forecast Today, December 1: Check Weather Updates, Rain Predictions for Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and KolkataColorado’s unemployment reports are so unreliable the Bureau of Labor Statistics has stopped using themArizona (7-8) at Los Angeles Rams (9-6) Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL odds : Rams by 6 1/2. Against the spread: Cardinals 9-6; Rams 8-7. Series record: Rams lead 50-41-2. Last meeting: Cardinals beat Rams 41-10 in Glendale, Ariz. on Sept. 15. Last week: Cardinals lost to Carolina 36-30, OT; Rams beat New York Jets 19-9. Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (5), pass (20), scoring (14). Cardinals defense: overall (20), rush (22), pass (13), scoring (T-13). Rams offense: overall (15), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (17). Rams defense: overall (24), rush (25), pass (19), scoring (21). Turnover differential: Cardinals minus-4; Rams plus-5. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has had a relatively productive rookie season with 51 catches for 726 yards and seven touchdowns. But it’s also true that he hasn’t always looked like the true franchise changing force the Cardinals expected when they took him with the No. 4 overall pick. Arizona might be out of the playoff race, but Harrison’s development continues to be a major focus for the team down the stretch. RB Kyren Williams is coming off his best game of the season after rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to help Los Angeles grind out a win at the Meadowlands. He hardly factored into the first meeting against Arizona, a game the Rams trailed 14-0 halfway into the first quarter and 24-3 at halftime, getting 12 carries and running for 25 yards and a touchdown behind a battered offensive line. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray vs. Rams defensive line. Los Angeles had no answers for Murray in September as he threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and added 59 yards rushing. But their defensive front is much more cohesive than it was in the second week of the season, with rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske proving to be menaces in the backfield. If Murray feels that pressure and can’t keep his eyes downfield, the Rams will be in much better shape to limit Arizona’s passing game. The Cardinals have been beat up over the past two games. Both of the starting tackles — Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) and Jonah Williams (knee) — are out for the season after they were put on injured reserve this week. Others such as RB James Conner (knee), LB Baron Browning (neck), LB Mack Wilson Sr. (concussion) and DL Darius Robinson (calf) have been limited during practice. ... The Rams are in good shape, a far cry from where they were to start the season. RT Rob Havenstein was the only name on their injury report through Wednesday, when he was limited because of a shoulder injury. Arizona has not swept the season series since 2014 when the Rams were playing in St. Louis. ... The Rams and Cardinals have split the past four meetings. Arizona had dropped 11 of the previous 12 in the series. ... Los Angeles is 3-2 against Arizona since moving into SoFi Stadium in 2020, kickstarting its run to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season with a 34-11 win in an NFC wild-card game. The Cardinals have lost four of their past five games and were eliminated from the playoff race after last week’s 36-30 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals have made the playoffs just once over the past nine seasons. That was in 2021 ... Harrison had four catches for 130 yards and two TDs vs. the Rams in Week 2. All of that production came in the span of seven plays in the first quarter. ... The Cardinals are No. 5 in the NFL with 145.8 yards rushing per game. They also rank No. 2 with 5.28 yards per carry. ... Chad Ryland has made 25 field goals since his debut in Week 5, which ranks fourth in the NFL over that span. ... Safety Budda Baker has a career-high 148 tackles this season, which broke his previous high of 147 set in 2019. ... James Conner has 1,500 yards from scrimmage this season, including 1,090 rushing and 410 receiving. ... Trey McBride has caught 91 passes this season, which is a franchise record at tight end for the Cardinals. ... The Rams can clinch a playoff spot with a win and either a Seahawks loss or tie or a series of results elsewhere to secure the strength of victory tiebreaker. ... Rams QB Matthew Stafford threw for 110 yards against the Jets. Los Angeles has won all four games this season where Stafford has finished with fewer than 200 yards through the air. ... WR Puka Nacua had a record-setting rookie season, but Arizona was the one team that kept him in check. Nacua made four catches in each of the two meetings in 2023, finishing with 26 and 27 yards. ... The Rams didn’t have LT Alaric Jackson (suspension), LG Steve Avila (knee) or Nacua (knee) in the Week 2 game against the Cardinals. ... Los Angeles has run for at least 132 yards in four straight games, with Williams accounting for at least 87 yards in each outing that span. Cooper Kupp likely sank many a fantasy title push with his limited production over the past month, and the Rams WR should remain on benches this week for any owners still in the mix. Kupp has topped 44 yards receiving once in his past five games against Arizona. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Osisko Development Announces Change to the Board of DirectorsUpbound Group strikes $460 million deal for financial inclusion app BrigitDEION Sanders sent a direct message to Travis Hunter alongside his Colorado Buffaloes teammates. The message from the NFL icon and Colorado head coach comes as the 21-year-old two-way star Hunter has dealt with fiancee drama. Sanders called Travis Hunter up in front of the team during a team practice ahead of their Alamo Bowl game in San Antonio on Saturday against the BYU Cougars. "I want you to know this in front of everybody," Sanders said to Hunter in a video posted on the NFL Hall of Famer's Instagram . "You know we love you, We got you. "We appreciate you. You are him." Read More on Deion Sanders Sanders' comments come after H unter removed his Instagram account amid the online criticism involving his fiancee, Leanna Lenee. Lenee has also removed her Instagram page. Hunter's social media disappearance came a day after an old clip of Lenee went viral on X. Social media users found a video that appeared to show Lenee in her alleged ex-boyfriend's music video from three years ago. Most read in American Football And users on the same social media platform found another video of a woman, who appeared to be Lenee, appearing to dance with an unidentified man at a party years ago. It's not known when the video was recorded but TMZ reported it's believed to have been "taken from several years ago." Lenee hasn't been confirmed to be in either video. Sanders was part of an awkward sequence between Sanders and Lenee. During the Heisman Trophy award ceremony, Sanders tapped Lenee on the shoulder to stand up after she didn't move fast to do so after Hunter was announced the Heisman Trophy winner this month. Lenee finally stood up and hugged Hunter before sitting back down. Hunter is expected to be a top NFL draft pick alongside quarterback Shedeur Sanders . While Hunter hasn't directly commented on the social media storm against his fiancee, Shedeur gave his thoughts on the chatter between the couple. Read More on The US Sun "All y'all athletes, entertainers, artist etc if y'all genuine trying to holla at trav y'all know how to get in touch with him or someone around," Sanders wrote on X. Hunter and Lenee announced their engagement back in February.
Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of material from 11 contributing columnists , along with other commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Although America’s divisive presidential election is now behind us, casting votes did not do much to heal our country’s deep philosophical and political divides. We remain a polarized people, with about half the nation pleased about the electoral outcome and the other half perplexed by it. In a healthy democracy, there will always be vigorous debate and disagreement about what policy prescriptions are best for our cities, states and nation — and who is best equipped to lead them. A consensus is always hard to find in a country as geographically, racially and socioeconomically diverse as ours. But self-rule requires societal self-assessment. And an honest reflection on the worrying level of political enmity that exists today reveals we must do better for American democracy to thrive. The hostility on both sides of the aisle is not conducive to a free society functioning well, as it makes substantive discourse between disagreeing parties impossible and instills fear in many that exercising First Amendment rights will get them in trouble at home or at work. Democracy requires reflection, rigor and reason. It calls us to be calm, attentive and courteous. All things sorely lacking in recent ballot box contests. So how can this caustic political climate be reset? One potential simple solution: friendship. When we hold true friends who vote differently from the way we do, we can empathize with what motivates those on the other side of causes we care about. And that understanding allows for a more thoughtful approach to and investigation of our own views. By humanizing our public policy adversaries, politically diverse relationships help hold us back from using the cheapest and most destructive partisan tool: demonizing the opposition. My own anecdotal observations along with recent studies confirm that Americans are more and more segregating their relationships based on politics. An Axios poll of young adults revealed 33% of respondents would “definitely not” or “probably not” befriend someone who voted for a different presidential nominee. And according to a study by the Survey Center on American Life, 15% of people torpedoed acquaintances over political disagreements alone. It’s not hard to understand this troubling trend. Life can be a lot easier if one silos among people who see the world the same way. Let’s be honest: It’s gratifying to have our views affirmed and much harder to have them challenged. It’s effortless just to reject the political opposition as morally reprehensible and much more difficult to impersonally advocate one’s ideas with good argument and data instead. But failing to interact on a personal level with people we disagree with coarsens our politics, eliminates the philosophical and factual accountability that comes from respectful disagreement and makes us too strident with each other. Conservatives are a rare breed in my hometown of St. Paul, and if I chose my friendships based on partisan leanings I’d be a very lonely guy. But most of my best friends and neighbors here are dyed-in-the-wool Democrats. They are smart and well informed, and they deepen and enrich my own views by arguing their side of things with me. We listen to and learn from one another — and even though our minds are rarely changed, our opinions are refined for the better. But, more importantly, my left-of-center friends in the Saintly City are interesting, kind and of good character. How foolish it would be to cut such people out of my life simply because they vote differently. And I am grateful they keep me in theirs. While maintaining friendships across party lines sounds like a good idea in theory, it can be tough work. It requires of us a decision to love each other even in the face of disagreement and to honor our friends’ right to freedom of speech and thought. And while we can confront our friends’ views and preferred political candidates, we also must be willing to be the one who is challenged and to welcome such confrontation. A bipartisan friendship commands intellectual humility and leaves open the idea that we might be wrong. If one cannot do this and lacks friendships with significant political differences, it’s strong evidence one is an ideologue, which is not a good thing to be. Philosophically intolerant dogmatists have trouble getting along with those they conflict with on matters of political profundity. That type of intolerant attitude does not work well in a system of self-government that requires a free flow of ideas and discourse. And it’s an unhealthy and unhelpful characteristic to have if one wants to be productive and happy in a pluralistic society. “Everyone notionally understands his or her own fallibility,” the conservative Princeton Prof. Robert P. George, who enjoys a well-known and close friendship with Democratic Socialist Cornel West, wrote in a recent social media post. “But notionally isn’t enough. The test comes when someone disagrees with you about something you regard as profoundly important — when someone dissents from your deepest, most cherished, even identity-forming beliefs ... It takes genuine strength of character and courage — truly, and not merely notionally, to recognize our fallibility. Fellow truth-seekers can be friends because they recognize their own fallibility and are willing to be challenged, as well as to challenge. They’re eager to learn from each other. Unlike ideologues, they don’t allow infatuation with their own opinions to impede pursuit of truth.” Don’t we all want to be truth-seekers? Dogmatism seems like a downer. Sunny Hostin, the liberal-leaning co-host of the television program “The View,” encouraged her Democratic viewers to cut off contact with family and friends that voted the other way during the upcoming holidays. What daft advice. Our relationships with loved ones should always surmount politics, no matter what. And we can all help unite our fractured nation after this bruising election by committing to respectfully engage with those we disagree with and listen more earnestly to ideas we do not like. Loving those who think differently from us can also truly be one of life’s great treasures. Don’t rob yourself of it.
SANTIAGO, Chile -- Chile’s prosecutor’s office confirmed Tuesday that President Gabriel Boric is being investigated for sexual harassment, in connection with a case in which the president says he was systematically harassed via email by a woman over a decade ago. The country’s attorney general, Cristián Crisosto, said in a statement that prosecutors have opened “a criminal case related to" allegations filed by an unidentified woman in September. The complaint alleges sexual harassment as well as the leaking of private images. Crisosto did not provide details of the alleged events, or say when or where they took place. Boric, 38, has denied the accusations through his attorney, Jonatan Valenzuela, who in a statement described the president as “the victim of systematic harassment via email.” The alleged harassment occurred between July 2013 and July 2014, when Boric was an intern in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas, near Patagonia, and was already a well-known figure in national politics thanks to his role in student-led protests a couple of years earlier. Valenzuela said Boric “never had an emotional or friendly relationship” with the woman and both have not been in communication since July 2014 when she is alleged to have sent the last of dozens of emails, some with explicit images, to the now president. Valenzuela said his team handed authorities all communications between Boric and the woman after learning of her complaint, to “clarify the status of the president as a victim.” ____ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-americaNEW YORK (AP) — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. “We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that’s possibly why he targeted that company,” said Kenny. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald's in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, has said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he has yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangione's arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early on the morning of Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him back to New York so that he can face a murder charge in Thompson's killing. A hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 30. The 26-year-old, who police say was found with a “ ghost gun ” matching shell casings found at the site of the shooting, is charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Mangione is an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family. In posts on social media, Mangione wrote about experiencing severe chronic back pain before undergoing a spinal fusion surgery in 2023. Afterward, he posted that the operation had been a success and that his pain had improved and mobility returned. He urged others to consider the same type of surgery. On Wednesday, police said investigators are looking at his writings about his health problems and his criticism of corporate America and the U.S. health care system . Kenny said in the NBC interview that Mangione's family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November.Article content NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honour on Thursday. Recommended Videos Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. He didn’t pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. Ohtani joined Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He was the first player to twice become an unanimous MVP. He had combined with Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2023 for the first year both MVPs were unanimous. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. “The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we are able to accomplish,” he said through a translator. “The next goal is for me to do it again and so right now I’m in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger.” When Ohtani returns to the mound, could he win MVP and the Cy Young Award in the same year? “That would obviously be great, but right now my focus is just to get to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and show everybody what I can do,” Ohtani said. Ohtani became the first primary DH to win an MVP in a season that started with the revelation his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, had stolen nearly $17 million from the star to fund gambling. Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each). Balloting was conducted before the postseason. Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and ’21. “I was telling him, ‘Man, I’m going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,”’ Judge recalled. “He’d say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he’ll do.” When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees’ 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team. Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games. “March and April were not my friend this year.” Judge said. “Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can’t mope. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?”