The starts may not look like locks at first, but they should come through in Week 13. Conversely, I’ve included some players who might otherwise seem like safe plays to avoid as well. Quarterbacks Start: Sam Darnold, Vikings vs Cardinals Darnold had a rough patch a few weeks ago, but he’s back in good form, putting up five combined TDs in his past two games. Even against the Bears top-notch pass defense last week, Darnold threw for a season-high 330 yards to go along with his two scores. His opponent this week, the Cardinals, have a decent secondary, but they pale in comparison to Chicago’s. Other locks: —Jalen Hurts at Ravens —Baker Mayfield at Panthers —CJ Stroud at Jaguars —Justin Herbert at Falcons Avoid: Jared Goff, Lions vs Bears Goff doesn’t force the ball through the air if he doesn’t have to and he would be remiss to do so against a top rated Bears secondary that will be looking to vindicate themselves after giving up some big plays to Sam Darnold last week. He’s also got the best 1 and 2 punch in football in his backfield. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are a force and they’ll likely have a much easier time finding holes in Chicago’s run defense than Goff will in the passing game. Running backs Start: Chuba Hubbard, Panthers vs Buccaneers Hubbard fantasy owners were anxious last week, upon hearing the news that rookie running back Jonathon Brooks would be seeing his first game action this season. Fears were assuaged when Brooks only got two carries the entire game for 7 yards. Brooks’ carries could increase as he gets more comfortable in the offense, but Hubbard should have at least one more week as the starter in Carolina. It will come against a Buccaneers run defense that is a top-10 matchup for opposing runners in Week 13. Other locks: —Bucky Irving at Panthers —Jonathan Taylor at Patriots —Josh Jacobs vs Dolphins —Tyrone Tracy Jr., at Cowboys Avoid: James Conner, Cardinals at Vikings The Week 11 bye didn’t do Conner any favors as he only ran for 8 yards on seven carries in his Week 12 return. He was able to salvage his day through the air, catching five passes for 41 yards, but it was an underwhelming game from a fantasy perspective against the Seattle run defense. He’ll face a Vikings defense that ranks as a top-two run stopper going into Week 13 — Conner only gained 25 combined yards against Detroit’s top-three run defense in Week 2. Trey Benson is also gaining steam in the Arizona offense. It’s best to fade Conner this week, if you have that luxury. Wide receivers Start: DJ Moore, Bears at Lions Moore is finally starting to make waves again in fantasy, after slumping from Weeks 6 to 10. He’s had his best two-game stint of the season thus far in Weeks 11 and 12 though, going for a season-high 119 combined yards and a score in the latter game. New offensive coordinator Thomas Jones has sparked the offense and Moore has been a prime beneficiary. The Bears will have fits trying to run at the Lions’ stout run defense, so they could attack them through the air. Moore is a prime contender to keep up his recent run in Week 13. Other locks: —Ladd McConkey at Falcons —Puka Nacua at Saints —Jaxon Smith-Njigba at Jets —Jakobi Meyers at Chiefs Avoid: Quentin Johnston, Chargers vs Ravens Johnston is the definition of boom or bust, either scoring double-digit fantasy points or gaining fewer than 25 yards in nearly every game he’s appeared in this season. On “Monday Night Football,” he had zero catches on five targets. Johnston has a great matchup this week, but there’s no guarantee he’ll capitalize on it. Johnston is anything but a lock this week. Tight ends Start: Luke Schoonmaker, Cowboys vs Giants Schoonmaker had three catches for 55 yards and a score against Washington in a thrilling game. Schoonmaker provided another dependable option to QB Cooper Rush. Jake Ferguson is still in concussion protocol and it’s a short week as Dallas is playing on Thanksgiving, so Schoonmaker is likely to start once again. With CeeDee Lamb nursing nagging injuries as well, look for Rush to lean heavily on Schoonmaker this week. Other locks: —Jonnu Smith at Packers —Trey McBride at Vikings —Taysom Hill vs Rams —Dallas Goedert at Ravens Avoid: Sam LaPorta, Lions vs Bears LaPorta just can’t find any consistency in the Detroit offense, going weeks between decent fantasy outings at times. He had just three catches for 19 yards in Week 12 after missing Week 11 with a shoulder injury and things aren’t looking up for him this week as the Lions are playing a stalwart Chicago defense on short rest. Look for the Lions to go run heavy this week, taking the onus off LaPorta and the rest of the Lions receiving group. ___ This column was provided to The Associated Press by RosterWatch, .
By Shafa’atu Suleiman, Sokoto The Sokoto State government has taken a significant step toward economic development by approving the 2025 World Bank Business Enabling Action Plan. This move positions the state to participate in the World Bank’s $750 million program aimed at enhancing land administration, investment processes, and access to finance. This announcement was made to the press following a meeting by the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Alhaji Bello Sambo Danchadi. He was accompanied by his colleagues: Prof. Jabir Sani Maihulla of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Prof. Attahiru Ahmed Sifawa of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Alhaji Haruna Bashir of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Industry. The program seeks to improve land administration, streamline investment processes, enhance access to finance, and foster large-scale, sustainable investments. Additionally, it aims to resolve commercial disputes more efficiently. With the approval from the state executive council, Sokoto is now eligible to join the World Bank’s 2025 program. Beyond the World Bank partnership, the Sokoto State Executive Council has also approved several other projects, which include the renovation and upgrading of nine Juma’at Mosques across the three senatorial districts of the state, with contracts awarded to various companies at a total cost exceeding N1.2 billion. And the construction of pedestrian bridges along Airport Road and near Shehu Shagari College of Education, at a cost of N331.135 million, aimed at improving safety and reducing accidents in the area.
JERUSALEM US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla discussed the situation in Lebanon with Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military said on Saturday. "The Commander of CENTCOM General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, arrived in Israel yesterday as the official guest of the Chief of the General Staff LTG Herzi Halevi," the military said on X. The two conducted a "situational assessment" along with the head of the operations directorate and the commanding officer of the Northern Command that "focused on security and strategic issues with an emphasis on Lebanon." In recent months, Kurilla has visited Israel multiple times, reflecting the strong support provided by Washington on military, intelligence, and political levels. Israel was engaged in cross-border warfare with Hezbollah since the beginning of Gaza war, but it launched an extensive air campaign on Lebanon in late September, followed by a ground invasion the next month. Over 3,600 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and over 1 million have been displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities. *Writing by Rania Abu ShamalaThe NBA has announced ( Twitter link ) that it has dinged All-NBA Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards to the tune of $100K after he swore during a postgame live television conversation on Dec. 27. Minnesota trailed Houston by 16 points with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, but stormed all the way back to eke out a one-point win, 113-112. Edwards hit the game-winning three-pointer after the club’s intended play, designed for All-Star forward Julius Randle , fell apart. “We made it happen,” Edwards said of his team’s comeback, per Timberwolves Rally ( Twitter video link ). “We got some stops. We made some big shots, and we made a big shot at the end right there. All I knew was, the play was for [Randle] to go... big-small pick-and-roll, once he picked it up, I mean, who else? I got to go get it, s—.” “And [ Nickeil Alexander-Walker ] found me,” Edwards said. “I’m like, ‘S—, I’m going for the win.’ Like Gilbert Arenas said, ‘I don’t do overtime,’ so f— it.” Edwards finished the game with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor and 2-of-3 shooting from the foul line, along with five rebounds, three assists and a block. The 6-foot-4 wing was fined $75K for the same kind of infraction, cursing in a postgame interview, less than a week ago. Two weeks prior to that, the league penalized him with a $25K fine for swearing during a postgame media session after another contest. In November, the NBA saw fit to ding Edwards for a cool $35K for flipping off a Sacramento fan. It appears the league is hoping to send a message to Edwards about speaking so casually in these interviews with these escalating fines. Across 30 contests so far, the two-time All-Star is submitting typically solid numbers for a middling 16-14 Timberwolves squad. Edwards is averaging 25.3 points on .447/.420/.803 shooting splits, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists a night. This article first appeared on Hoops Rumors and was syndicated with permission.
Ingo Rademacher is trying to take ABC back to court over his 2021 firing from General Hospital , and he’s bringing former co-star Steve Burton into it. Rademacher, who played Jasper “Jax” Jacks on the daytime drama for 25 years on and off, was fired in 2021 when he refused to follow the show’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He sued the soap later that year claiming that he was fired because of his political views and not just the mandate. “I am entitled to a religious exemption against mandatory vaccination for COVID-19 on the basis of my deeply and sincerely held moral belief that my body is endowed by my creator with natural processes to protect me and that its natural integrity cannot ethically be violated by the administration of artificially created copies of genetic material, foreign to nature and experimental,” the actor wrote in an e-mail to Disney HR before his firing, according to Variety . Rademacher lost the initial suit in 2023 when a judge found that because General Hospital also fired Burton, who plays Jason Morgan in the series, this proved the decision was about the health mandate. Rademacher is resurrecting the suit now because Burton was rehired on the series in January 2024. Jason made his official reappearance in March of that year. In Radaemacher’s motion for a new trial, obtained by InTouch , his lawyer argues, “ABC’s re-hiring of Mr. Burton undermines its argument that Ingo’s political beliefs did not play any role in its decision to fire him—to ‘recast’ his role—in 2021...Judge Goorvitch credited ABC’s evidence that the political animus that the General Hospital producers showed toward Ingo was irrelevant because, like other people, including GH actor Steve Burton, it simply could not accommodate Ingo’s objection to COVID-19 vaccination and fired him only for that reason. “That argument was always specious. But it carries even less weight now, given the newly discovered evidence that ABC re-hired [Steve] for General Hospital but did not re-hire Ingo,” his lawyer continued. The documents also claim that GH will never rehire Rademacher because of his outspoken support for Donald Trump during the 2020 election. He hopes to get a new trial and a jury to evaluate his wrongful termination claim. A judgment on the motion is expected in the new year. Steve Burton Addresses Kelly Monaco’s ‘General Hospital’ Exit Rademacher has opened up about how being let go from the show has affected him, sharing on Instagram in November 2023 that he’s been struggling with mental health issues since leaving the series. “To be completely honest, for the first time in my life, I’ve been faced with some mental health struggles. That’s not something I’ve ever had to face before. I’m a lot better now, but the first year was rough,” he said at the time . “On top of that, I really identified as my character on General Hospital for decades, and I could’ve been there and would’ve been there for many more decades to come,” he continued. “This isn’t a boo-hoo me post, it’s just honest. It’s where I’m at.” More Headlines: The 6 Saddest Scenes in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 ‘Sister Wives’ Star Meri Brown Debuts ‘Mystery Man’ 2 Years After Kody Brown Split ‘General Hospital’ Alum Ingo Rademacher Reignites Legal Battle With ABC After Steve Burton’s Return When Does ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ Return? Everything We Know About What’s Next ‘Price Is Right’: TikTok Star Reveals Shocks Fans With Major Win — See Her Fiancé’s Hilarious ReactionNEW YORK (AP) — Kaapo Kaako scored a power-play goal with 24 seconds left, and the New York Rangers stopped a five-game slide by topping the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Saturday. Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, who got their first win since a 4-3 victory at Vancouver on Nov. 19. Adam Fox had two assists, and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves. With Montreal’s Kirby Dach serving a four-minute, high-sticking penalty, Kaako got his fourth goal of the season. The Canadiens trailed 3-1 after two periods. But Cole Caufield scored his 14th goal 4:16 into the third and Nick Suzuki tied it at 14:07. Trocheck tipped the puck past Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault at 19:56 to put New York ahead after Panarin and Montreal’s Mike Matheson scored earlier in the first. Panarin put the Rangers ahead at 9:02, scoring on a 5-on-3 for New York’s first power-play goal since Nov. 12 at home against Winnipeg. Matheson tied it at 11:47. Montembault made 24 saves for Montreal. Canadiens: dropped to 3-7-1 on the road. Rangers: Forwards Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil returned to the lineup. Kreider missed three games with an upper-body injury while Chytil was out for seven after colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller on Nov. 14. Reilly Smith and Jonny Brodzinski were scratched. Seeking an early spark, New York captain Jacob Trouba fought Montreal’s Josh Anderson 1:58 into the contest. It appeared to give the Rangers a collective jolt that was missing in recent games. The Rangers are 11-1-0 when scoring first. It was the 1,700th home win in franchise history. The Canadiens visit the Boston Bruins on Sunday. The Rangers host the New Jersey Devils on Monday. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 26, 2024-- OneRail today announced its No. 66 ranking on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 TM — a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech and energy tech companies in North America, now in its 30th year. Deloitte Fast 500 measures the growth of companies in the last three years, and OneRail grew 2,082% during that time frame. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126001147/en/ OneRail Ranked 66th Fastest-Growing Company in North America on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500TM. With a real-time connected network of 12 million drivers, OneRail matches the right vehicle for the right delivery so brands lower expenses and increase capacity to rapidly scale their businesses. This people-plus-platform approach features a 24/7 USA-based exceptions team who maintain a 98% on-time delivery rate. (Graphic: Business Wire) “OneRail's revenue growth is a direct reflection of our commitment to solving the most pressing challenges retailers and wholesalers face today,” OneRail Founder and CEO Bill Catania said. “By expanding our OmniPoint ® platform capabilities, we've empowered businesses to meet the rising demand for same-day delivery, while maintaining their delivery promise. Our ability to streamline the last mile, optimize performance and deliver reliability has positioned us as a trusted partner in a rapidly evolving logistics landscape.” “For 30 years, we’ve been celebrating companies that are actively driving innovation. The software industry continues to be a beacon of growth, and the fintech industry made a strong showing on this year’s list, surpassing life sciences for the first time,” said Steve Fineberg , vice chair, U.S. technology sector leader, Deloitte. “Significantly, we also saw a breakthrough in performance of private companies, with the highest number of private companies named to the list in our program’s history. This year’s winners have shown they have the vision and expertise to continue to perform at a high level, and that deserves to be celebrated.” “Innovation, transformation and disruption of the status quo are at the forefront for this year’s Technology Fast 500 list, and there’s no better way to celebrate 30 years of program history,” said Christie Simons , partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and industry leader for technology, media and telecommunications within Deloitte’s Audit & Assurance practice. “This year’s winning companies have demonstrated a continuous commitment to growth and remarkable consistency in driving forward progress. We extend our congratulations to all of this year’s winners — it’s an incredible time for innovation.” OneRail previously ranked 24th as a 2023 Technology Fast 500 award winner. OneRail has continued its growth story in 2024, recently announcing $42 million in Series C financing lead by Aliment Capital, having been named to FreightWaves’ FreightTech 25 at number 19, being honored on Forbes’ 2024 and 2023 lists of America’s Best Startup Employers, and having been selected as 2024 Last Mile Company of the Year for the SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards. OneRail was also recognized in the 2024 Gartner® Hype CycleTM for Supply Chain Execution Technologies , 2024 Gartner® Hype CycleTM for Smart City Technologies, as well as the 2024 Gartner® Market Guide for Last Mile Delivery Technology Solutions. Overall, 2024 Technology Fast 500 companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 201% to 153,625% over the three-year time frame, with an average growth rate of 1,981% and median growth rate of 460%. About the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Now in its 30th year, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2020 to 2023. In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least US$50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least US$5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America. About OneRail OneRail is a leading omnichannel fulfillment solution pairing best-in-class software with logistics as a service to provide dependability and speed to help businesses meet their delivery promise. With a real-time connected network of 12 million drivers, OneRail matches the right vehicle for the right delivery so brands lower expenses and increase capacity to rapidly scale their businesses. This people-plus-platform approach features a 24/7 USA-based exceptions team who maintain a 98% on-time delivery rate. With its recent acquisition of Orderbot, a distributed order management solution, OneRail is integrating inventory and order management capabilities to enable store-shelf-to-doorstep visibility. By optimizing fulfillment processes, reducing costs and improving order accuracy, OneRail is committed to empowering clients and improving the customer experience. To learn more about OneRail, visit OneRail.com . About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 8,500 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as they build their future . Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 460,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com . Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126001147/en/ CONTACT: Media Inquiries: Diffusion PR for OneRail onerail@diffusionpr.com (646) 571-0120 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DATA MANAGEMENT RAIL APPS/APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT TRANSPORT SOFTWARE SOURCE: OneRail Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/26/2024 01:31 PM/DISC: 11/26/2024 01:32 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126001147/enSuchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————-- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.(L-R): John Logue, CEO, Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI), IFI Chair, Paddy Harte and Colin Jess CEO, Social Enterprise NI (SENI). Fourteen social enterprises from around Northern Ireland are involved in an innovative new cross-border programme. The DISCOVERY programme led by Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI) and Social Enterprise Northern Ireland (SENI) is focused on building new connections between established social enterprises around the shared social impact challenges they face. The collaborative two year programme is funded by the International Fund for Ireland, under its Communities in Partnership funding Programme, which supports meaningful cross-border partnerships, including ideas that create the conditions for the development of social enterprise and innovation. Read more: Belfast project to transform derelict buildings to be extended citywide Read more: NI social enterprise urging people to 'gift with care' this Christmas DISCOVERY aims to connect and support the leaders of social enterprises, as the key drivers of social impact and good community relations work north and south, the people who provide essential community services and are the backbone of communities on each side of the border. The collaboration to deliver the programme is the first step in a new partnership between SERI and SENI, who have worked together, to design the programme, working in the collective and best interests of the social enterprise sector. Speaking at the launch event, Paddy Harte, Chair of the International Fund for Ireland said: “We know that Social Enterprises are playing an increasingly important role contributing to the economic and social landscape. They operate much needed facilities, providing services, creating employment, working within disadvantaged communities and adding value to all aspects of community life. “This IFI funding will provide the building blocks to help Social Enterprises manage and navigate the challenges around financial sustainability and help develop long-term viable social businesses that will benefit communities. “The DISCOVERY Programme will establish a shared vision to unite communities rather than divide, working with Social Enterprises who are facing similar challenges and ultimately play an important role in building long-term cross-border connections.” As Social Enterprises grow and develop over time, expanding their social impact, community leaders can find themselves running quite complex operations, similar to businesses, but where all surplus or profit generated is reinvested into the community. Over time, the operators of Social Enterprises can encounter a whole different set of challenges from those when they first came together as a committee to start up their community group. Just like businesses that operate in the private sector, this can require a complete different set of management tools, skills and techniques to sustain and grow the social enterprise. The DISCOVERY programme is about understanding this challenge and working in support of communities over the course of the next two years to address it. Colin Jess, CEO of Social Enterprise Northern Ireland (SENI) said: “We are already entrusted by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland to deliver the Social Economy Work Programme and the DISCOVERY programme adds great value to the existing work we do on behalf of our SENI members. "The new partnership with SERI, is we believe a key innovation for the sector in that the challenge of financial sustainability, of trading, of growing, of building revenue, of employing and retaining staff, these are challenges that every social enterprise contends with every day. That’s on top of the regular day to day work of delivering services of significant impact and benefit to the community. "What we hope to achieve through the programme, is to support social enterprises to work through some of the key sustainability challenges that they face, while at the same time building new relationships that inspire further innovations across the sector in Northern Ireland.” John Logue CEO of Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland added: “We are excited to launch the new DISCOVERY programme and to work in partnership with Social Enterprise Northern Ireland. Both of our organisations are working separately every day, each side of the border, in the best interests of our community of members, to develop policy, to advocate for much needed funding, and to connect with Government and Political Leaders to raise awareness of each Social Enterprises work, their funding and development needs. "Through the DISCOVERY programme, our motivation is really to practically support the operators of social enterprises, to help them to apply new digital tools, to enhance their financial management expertise, to help to grow and manage income, and to optimise and control costs. Theres also a great learning opportunity from the cross-border collaboration and that’s what we aim to facilitate, and that’s what the programmes about.” Join our Belfast Live breaking news service on WhatsApp Click this link or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . The DISCOVERY programme will build new connections with social enterprises operating in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. 24 social enterprises are taking part in the programme pilot and will benefit from an introduction to new skills and digital management tools, mentorship, training, a series of residentials designed around the sustainability theme, and from cross border exchanges as well as different conference events. At the same time, the partners will be working on behalf of the social enterprise sector, to further build awareness of the significant social impact work that social enterprises do, and to advance and align social policy that’s in the interests of all social enterprise operators. Social Enterprises in Northern Ireland involved in Discovery are as follows: CAN (Compass Advocacy Network) ( Antrim ) Life Change Changes Lives ( Down ) Quaker Care (Antrim) React Social ( Tyrone ) Aspire Media NI CIC ( Londonderry/Derry ) Antrim School of Music (Antrim) Empowering Communities Enterprise LTD (Antrim) Marion Centre of Excellence (Antrim) Enterprise Causeway (Londonderry/Derry) ASCERT Training (Antrim) Circusful (Antrim) Studyseed CIC ( Armagh ) Glenshane Community Development (Londonderry/Derry) Portadown 2000 (Armagh) For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BelfastLive Facebook Twitter Comment More On Co Derry Co Antrim Co Tyrone Co Armagh Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Portadown Business news
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.Stanford scientists are looking to combine SRAM and DRAM The new memory type would help solve issues with AI computing Gain Cell memory looks to bridge the gap between the two types The development of more energy-efficient hardware for artificial intelligence ( AI ) systems is receiving increased support, with a focus on improving memory technology. A hybrid type of memory that blends the high density of DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory) with the speed of SRAM (Static Random-Access Memory) is at the forefront of this effort. The project is being led by electrical engineers at Stanford University, with the team’s goal being to create faster, more efficient memory hardware for AI applications that addresses the current limitations in processing power and energy consumption. Memory, a key AI bottleneck – hybrid gain cell memory to the rescue This research is being funded under the CHIPS and Science Act, with a recent boost of $16.3 million in US Department of Defense funding to the California-Pacific-Northwest AI Hardware Hub. AI systems are heavily reliant on hardware that can efficiently move and process large volumes of data. However, moving data between memory and logic unites takes time, which slows down GPUs and leads to increased energy consumption. As AI models become larger and more complex, these memory bottlenecks become more pronounced. Therefore, faster and denser memory located directly on chips is seen as a potential solution to this problem. Stanford University’s H.-S. Philip Wong, an electrical engineer and chair of the AI Hardware Hub, emphasizes the importance of memory in making AI hardware more energy efficient. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Wong’s team has turned to a new type of memory design called Gain Cell memory, which combines the advantages of both DRAM and SRAM. The hybrid gain cell offers a middle ground which has the small footprint of DRAM, but it also provides the faster readout speeds characteristic of SRAM. The key difference in this new design is the use of two transistors—one for writing data and one for reading rather than the capacitor found in traditional DRAM. This allows the gain cell to retain data more reliably and to boost the signal strength when data is read. Gain Cell memory has faced limitations such as rapid data leakage in silicon-based designs and slower readout speeds in oxide-based designs. However the Stanford team combined a silicon transistor with an indium tin oxide transistor, significantly enhancing the device's performance, offering faster readouts while maintaining a compact footprint. The new design can hold data for over 5,000 seconds, far longer than traditional DRAM, which needs refreshing every 64 milliseconds. Additionally, the hybrid memory is around 50 times faster than oxide-oxide gain cells. Wong likens this advancement to transitioning from a basic 3-gear bicycle to a sophisticated 20-gear bicycle, emphasizing that this evolution of memory technology will extend beyond traditional options like DRAM, SRAM, and flash memory. “We want to provide better options so designers can optimize better...it’s an opportunity to rearchitect computers,” Wong said. Via IEEE Scientists inch closer to holy grail of memory Server DRAM is set to overtake Mobile DRAM this year Take a look at the best mini-PCsIt was a day of celebration as Riverside Elementary in Coral Springs unveiled a much-anticipated renovation to the school library, showing it was finally getting some return from the decade-old $800 million bond referendum. The media center now had new paint, flooring and furniture. Colorful tables and cushioned chairs replaced the old wooden furniture that had been there since the school opened in 1987. The renovation was part of an overall $2 million investment in the school that also included restroom renovations, air conditioning and roofing upgrades and a new fire alarm system. “Media centers are often the heart of a school and serve as a hub for learning,” School Board Chairwoman Debbi Hixon said at the Dec. 12 ribbon-cutting. “Within these walls, incredible, exceptional, educational experiences will be able to take place.” But Hixon and others attending the Riverside event told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that as excited as they were about the renovation, it highlighted a problem. A modest renovation that was planned to cost $1 million and be complete in 2020 cost twice that and forced students and parents to wait for years. “There were a lot of questions from parents,” said Lisa Ivanik-Geller, the longtime media specialist at Riverside. “It’s been many years since they said it was going to happen. But it finally did.” It’s a story that’s far from unique to Riverside. Broward school officials poorly managed the $800 million bond referendum that voters approved in November 2014 to provide much-needed upgrades to schools, forcing many students to learn in leaky, moldy and uncomfortable conditions for years, according to audits, investigations and a statewide grand jury report. While the bond program has produced some nice libraries, culinary labs, weight rooms, art and music rooms and classroom additions, those have often been overshadowed by years of long delays in addressing the basics, such as roofs, air conditioners and perennial flooding. Broward schools are now planning to end the program next year, while still finishing any work that was promised. “I think it’s pretty clear the program didn’t work the way it was supposed to,” said School Board member Sarah Leonardi, who was first elected in 2020. “Obviously, it has done a severe amount of damage to public trust, and I think it’s going to take a long time to repair.” The district’s bond-related work is known as the SMART program for its focus on safety, music and art, athletics, renovations and technology. It was supposed to be completed by 2021 at a cost of $1 billion (including some non-bond funding). Instead, the program has now reached the 10-year mark with less than half the work complete and a price tag of $1.7 billion, a 70% increase. Even when the work is finally complete, the district will have still have billions of capital needs, officials said. “We overpromised and underdelivered, we poorly planned how to do the work and we poorly executed the poorly planned work,” School Board member Allen Zeman, who was elected in 2022, told the Sun Sentinel. “All three of those made it end up with the unfortunate fact the SMART bond was anything but smart.” The SMART program was the focus of a statewide grand jury report, completed in 2021 and released in 2022, that concluded school administrators had mismanaged the program and misled the public for years. The same grand jury indicted three school district administrators, including then-Superintendent Robert Runcie, who was charged with perjury . He was accused of lying not about the substance of the bond but whether he was prepped about a technology contract that was partially bond funded. He has pleaded not guilty, and his case is set for trial in June. He could not be reached for comment, despite attempts by phone. Issues with the bond program also led the grand jury to recommend that Gov. Ron DeSantis remove Runcie’s allies on the School Board. DeSantis removed four board members and replaced them in August 2022. The state Department of Education forced Runcie’s successor, Vickie Cartwright, to fire three administrators named negatively in the report. The School Board later fired Cartwright, in part due to what some board members felt was a lack of urgency to fix issues identified by the grand jury. (Cartwright’s firing later was rescinded , and she agreed to a mutual separation from the district.) Now many in the school district want the stench of the SMART program gone. They’ve set an official end date for the program of Oct. 31, 2025, even though they acknowledge the work won’t all be finished by then. The unfinished projects will just move over to the district’s regular capital budget. Related Articles Zeman, who asked the School Board in May 2023 to set the completion date, told the Sun Sentinel recently that imposing a deadline is getting better results. “We’ve had some systemic improvements,” he said. “It used to take 12 months on average to get a change order approved. Now it’s being done in 10 working days.” Howard Hepburn, who started as superintendent in April, said his staff is working hard to get bond projects finished. He has made what many see as an overly aggressive prediction that all but 25 of the 172 projects now under construction will be complete by Oct. 31. The remaining 25 are scheduled to be finished in 2026. “We’re an administration of high expectations,” Hepburn told the Sun Sentinel. “We know the impact of what we do every day, how it impacts our students and impacts our learning environments. We’re trying to close out 10 to 12 projects per month, minimum.” That’s a completion rate the school district has yet to come anywhere close to achieving. A Sun Sentinel analysis of Bond Oversight Reports from the past two years show that the district has closed out an average of 3.5 schools per month. The most recent report shows that for the months of July through September, the district finished five new projects, an average of 1.7 per month. “Based on that analysis, it doesn’t look good. They’ve got to really step up,” Stephen Hillberg, an engineer who chairs the Bond Oversight Committee, told the Sun Sentinel. Kimberly Burke-Mohorne, who chairs the Facilities Task Force, another district oversight committee, responded “absolutely not,” when asked whether it was realistic for the district to finish 147 projects in less than a year. School Board member Nora Rupert, whose northeast district includes many projects that are still waiting to be finished, said, “Obviously it’s not going to get done by October.” While she voted last year to support the Oct. 31, 2025, deadline, she called the decision to move unfinished projects from the SMART bond budget to the regular capital budget a “shell game.” Rupert is the only current School Board member who was on the board when the bond passed in 2014. However, the grand jury didn’t recommend she be removed, saying she had “diligently attempted to hold the superintendent and the rest of the district accountable.” Hixon, who was first elected in 2020, said the decision to end the program next year is a good one. The $800 million bond money ran out two years ago, so the district is already using other funds to pay for these projects. The district will no longer pay for a program manager, a function now handled by the consulting firm AECOM. She said it’s time to move on from the SMART program. “We won’t be stuck in the whole bond place when that’s not where the funds are coming from anymore,” she said. “We’ve still committed to finishing the projects.” The school district’s bond fatigue is a far cry from a decade ago when Runcie campaigned to put the bond referendum on the November 2014 ballot and to sell it to the public. The district had a long history of problems in its facilities department outlined by previous grand juries, and two School Board members had been arrested on ethics and corruption issues in 2009 and 2010. One pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges , while another was convicted of a state charge of misconduct in office . In a news conference in 2014, Runcie said the problems were in the past. “This is a different School Board,” Runcie said at the time. “Over the past 2 1⁄2 years, this school district and administration have worked hard to show our commitment to spend taxpayer dollars responsibly and continue to build and restore public trust and confidence in us.” What was not widely known at that time was that the district made a number of key blunders that year that it struggled to overcome. Instead of focusing the bond program on the oldest schools with the most dire needs, the district spread the program out countywide to improve its chance of passing, the grand jury report said. It resulted in newer schools like Cypress Bay in Weston and Falcon Cove Middle in Weston getting new buildings to relieve crowding, while numerous older schools got less visible improvements, like roofs and air conditioners. Instead of fully using a professional firm to survey schools to assess needs, the district decided to save money by using its own staff, many of whom lacked the skills or training to assess the condition of schools, the statewide grand jury found. The needs assessment also grossly underestimated the cost of roofs, putting them at $6 to $8 per square foot, about half of what the district had paid seven years prior. “It is difficult for us to overstate the ridiculousness of this amount,” the grand jury report stated. “That needs assessment just got everyone off on the wrong foot,” Bob Nave, senior vice president for Florida TaxWatch, a government accountability group, said in a recent interview. TaxWatch provided quarterly feedback to the Bond Oversight Committee from 2015 until it dropped out earlier this year, citing a lack of funding. The 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland brought intense scrutiny on the district, including the bond program. Media reports, including one published in The Hill based on the research of a high school journalist, revealed that the district was far behind on promised safety projects, including single points of entry to control visitor access to schools and fire alarm systems. Shortly after taking office in 2019, DeSantis commissioned a grand jury to look at safety issues as well as how districts managed voter-approved bonds. Broward quickly became the primary focus. “This is not normal. BCPS is not the first local school district to undertake a construction project of this scale. In fact, all three school districts in South Florida are currently involved in similar projects,” but without similar issues, the grand jury report stated. Since the grand jury report was released in 2022, the district has had three permanent and two temporary superintendents. There has been progress, district officials and observers said. The district has made changes to its inspections department that enabled reviews to be completed faster. The School Board now allows the superintendent to approve smaller change orders instead of them having to get on a board agenda. Some delays produced better results, school officials say. Northeast High in Oakland Park was only set to get a renovation, but after community pressure, the School Board approved a new classroom building. Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale is getting a cafeteria that wasn’t planned. C. Robert Markham Elementary in Deerfield Beach is being rebuilt instead of just renovated. Rickards Middle in Oakland Park is also being rebuilt but that’s due to a major roof collapse related to a structural failure when the school was built in the late 1960s. Zeman said the upgrades have resulted in the public getting 18% more in scope than what they approved. However, the cost increase has been about 70%. School Board members are now pondering the idea of asking voters for another bond in the future. They said they’re correcting mistakes from the past. They’ve enlisted a firm to conduct the thorough assessments of school conditions that should have been done in 2014. They’ve also entered into contracts with companies to assess roofs and structural conditions. Zeman said he wants to “beg forgiveness” from the public and ask them to give the district another chance, estimating there are still $5 billion to $6 billion in capital needs in the district. He said the district’s recent A grade is already helping to restore confidence. “I think the public will be convinced of the overwhelming need to build great schools, and we can point to systemic improvements we’ve made,” Zeman told the Sun Sentinel. He said the district should have the needed data to go to voters as soon as 2026, although he doesn’t know if other decision-makers will be ready that soon. Hixon said the district still has a lot of work to do to ensure before it can consider another bond referendum. She noted the district is in a multiyear effort to close or repurpose schools, which could affect what type of renovations are needed. “I think we would have to finish out all the (2014 bond) projects that were supposed to be done and show with different leadership, there’s a commitment to doing it right,” she said. “I would say it would be a few years before we could do that.”
A SUPERMARKET giant is set to rival Aldi after slashing the price of 222 products at its smaller convenience stores across the UK. This comes after research showed customers are currently paying 10% more on average for the same item in smaller convenience-style shops than in main supermarkets . Tesco made the major discount announcement to help reduce prices at its Express stores. It confirmed that it has extended its Aldi -price match scheme to its local outlets. Tesco CEO Kevin Murphy said: "[The] round of price cuts on more than 200 lines in our Express stores underlines our commitment to offering great value to Tesco customers. "Whether you are picking up coffee and milk for the office or a loaf of bread and a tin of soup on the way home, our Express stores offer both convenience and great value." Read More on Supermarkets This comes as research from Which? also showed how shopping at a convenience store versus a large supermarket can be incredibly costly. It found that shoppers using local branches could be paying up to 20% more than at larger stores. This decision could cost you a whopping £800 extra on your food costs each year. The research compared the cost of 42 grocery items at convenience chains Morrisons Daily, Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express against prices at their full-size supermarkets. Most read in Money It found the biggest price difference was at Morrisons Daily, where shoppers paid 21 per cent more on average. While Sainsbury's and Tesco had less variation in prices, Nectar members could still be paying an average of 14 per cent more at Sainsbury's Local. It also concluded that Tesco Clubcard holders could be charged 11 per cent more at Tesco Express. For example, despite offering a Clubcard discount, a pack of six Mr Kipling Bakewell Slices had a significant discount in price. Costing £2.32 on average at a Tesco Express, it was costing shoppers at a large Tesco just £1.50, a shocking 54 per cent difference. Even basics such as bread were more costly at local stores than main ones. A medium white Hovis loaf cost 12% more at both Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express. Morrisons Daily was an even worse offender, having a 14% uptick in price. SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from comparison site Money.co.uk about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills: Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewardsPlymouth Argyle suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road after a totally inept defensive display. Even by the low standards the Pilgrims have set on their travels in the Championship this season, which has seen them heavily beaten at Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff City and Leeds United, this was an absolute shocker from Wayne Rooney’s side. Borja Sainz, the Championship’s top scorer, netted twice for Norwich in the opening 17 minutes but despite dominating the first half the home side only took a 2-1 lead into the break after Mustapha Bundu replied for the Pilgrims with a fine 39th minute finish. However, the Canaries were much more clinical in the second period as they added four more goals from Shane Duffy, Saiz - to complete his hat-trick, Anis Slimane and Ante Crnac as the Pilgrims were torn apart, and far too easily. You had to feel sorry for the 461 Argyle fans who had to witness the embarrassment and it was no wonder there were jeers and cries of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ aimed at the players after the final whistle. The Pilgrims have now lost seven of their nine away league games this term, and drawn the other two, while conceding 23 goals and scoring just three. Argyle were without Morgan Whittaker after he had to be substituted during the 2-2 draw with Watford at Home Park last Friday due to a toe injury. Rooney’s starting line-up showed three changes from that game as Bundu, Victor Palsson and Callum Wright all came into the team. Lewis Gibson and Michael Obafemi dropped to the bench as Whittaker was ruled out. With Gibson named among the substitutes, midfielder Adam Randell took over the captain’s armband, just as he had done in the Pilgrims’ previous away game, a 1-1 draw at Derby County on November 9. Two former Norwich players were part of the Argyle squad as Bali Mumba started at left wing-back while midfielder Adam Forshaw was on the bench. With Jordan Houghton and Ryan Hardie both absentees from the squad, added to long-term injury victims Ibrahim Cissoko, Joe Edwards and Muhamed Tijani, the substitutes included teenage trio Freddie Issaka, Caleb Roberts and 16-year-old Tegan Finn. For the seventh time in their last eight games, Argyle conceded the opening goal and it came as early as the third minute as Sainz took his tally for the season to 12. Crnac tried to play a through ball and it took a touch off defender Julio Pleguezuelo into the path of Sainz, who was not offside as a result even though he was behind the Pilgrims’ defence. Sainz showed the confidence of a goalscorer in form as he calmly slotted past Dan Grimshaw, and Argyle appeals for offside went unheeded. Norwich centre-back Duffy should have made it 2-0 in the sixth minute but somehow sent the ball over the bar from point blank range after a corner had been flicked on at the near post. Moments later, Pleguezuelo gifted possession to Crnac inside the Pilgrims’ box and the striker set up Sainz, who lifted the ball over Grimshaw but onto the top of the net. There was one chance for Darko Gyabi when the midfielder had a shot from the edge of the Pilgrims’ penalty area which was straight at goalkeeper Angus Gunn, but Norrwich looked like they were going to score every time they attacked as Argyle were all over the place defensively. Crnac went close to scoring a couple of times, first with a low angled shot which rebounded off the far post and then with a header which was saved by the legs of Grimshaw after the Croatian striker had been picked out unmarked by a cross from Ben Chrisene. It was only a matter of time before Argyle fell further behind and City had a second goal in the 17th minute when Emiliano Marcondes played the ball in behind Kornel Szucs for Sainz to race clear and calmly place his shot past Grimshaw into the net. Marcondes had a 20-yard free-kick saved by the Argyle keeper as the Norwich onslaught continued. There was a near miss for Randell, though, in the 31st minute when his first time shot from 20 yards out flew just wide of Gunn’s left post with the aid of a slight deflection. City had the next chance after Szucs gave the ball away and they launched a swift attack. Sainz played it inside to Marcondes and his shot hit Palsson and went past the outside of Grimshaw’s left post for a corner. A misplaced pass from Norwich midfielder Jacob Sorensen inside his own half led to Argyle reducing the deficit in the 39th minute through a fine finish from Bundu. Szucs intercepted the ball and played it forward to Andre Gray, who touched it across to Bundu and he fired past Gunn for just Argyle’s third away goal of the season. Given Norwich’s first half dominance, and the many excellent scoring chances they created, they would have been very disappointed to only lead 2-1 at the break, while Argyle must have felt relieved not to be out of the game already. The Pilgrims had the first scoring opportunity of the second period when Randell played in Wright but he miscued his shot and there was an easy save for Gunn. Norwich then extended their lead to 3-1 in the 52nd minute when a corner from Marcondes was headed home from close range by Duffy. It was yet more extremely poor defending from Argyle. The Pilgrims almost got a second goal with a fierce strike from Gray which was pushed over the bar by Gunn after Gyabi had won the ball high up the pitch before Rooney made a double substitution in the 62nd minute as Issaka and Obafemi were sent on for Bundu and Matty Sorinola. It should have been 4-1 to Norwich moments later when Grimshaw passed the ball straight to Crnacx and he played it inside to Sainz who spurned the chance of completing his hat-trick by completely mis-hitting his attempt on goal. Two more Argyle changes followed in the 70th minute as Forshaw and Rami Al Hajj were sent on for Gyabi and Wright before Sainz did get his third goal of the game. Sainz was again given far too much time and space as he cut inside onto his right-foot in the 72nd minute and curled a shot into the far corner of the net beyond the despairing dive of Grimshaw. Norwich piled the misery on Argyle with a fifth goal in the 80th minute as substitute Anis Slimane slotted home after a cut-back from Jack Stacey and then a couple of minutes later Crnac fired past Grimshaw after a slip by Pleguezuelo had gifted the City striker a free run forward. It was the first time the Pilgrims had conceded six goals in a game since they were thrashed 6-0 by Charlton Athletic in a League One game at Home Park in April 2021. Dan Grimshaw; Kornel Szucs, Julio Pleguezuelo, Victor Palsson; Matty Sorinola (Michaewl Obafemi 62 mins), Adam Randell, Darko Gyabi (Adam Forshaw 70 mins), Bali Mumba; Mustapha Bundu (Freddie Issaka 62 mins), Callum Wright (Rami Al Hajj 70 mins); Andre Gray (Caleb Roberts 80 mins). Substitutes (not used): Marko Marosi, Nathanael Ogbeta, Lewis Gibson, Tegan Finn. Angus Gunn; Jack Stacey, Shane Duffy, Callum Doyle, Ben Chrisene (Brad Hills 83 mins); Jacob Sorensen (Anis Slimane 62 mins), Kenny McLean, Emiliano Marcondes; Amankwah Forson (Liam Gibbs 62 mins, Oscar Schwartau 71 mins)), Ante Crnac, Borja Sainz (Ashley Barnes 83 mins). Substitutes (not used): George Long, Grant Hanley, Kaide Gordon, Onel Hernandez. Sunny Singh GIll 25,893 (461) and we want you to join us. 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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it's usually a backhanded compliment. They say he's a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn't try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here's the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that's hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. “I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they're a huge part of our success,” Allar said Sunday at College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day. “For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don't do that, there's nobody more frustrated than us.” The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday's game against No. 3 seed Boise State. But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar's no-frills performances often are the object of ire. The Penn State offense is a run-first bunch , led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. “If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we'd all be pretty rich,” offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. “I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism.” The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that's largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. “I’ve been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy,” Allar said. “I think that’s been a huge difference for me this year.” The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn't capable of winning the big games. He's 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, which sealed the Ducks' 45-37 victory . He wasn't great in the CFP's first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State muscled past SMU 38-10 on a cold, blustery day to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. “For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm,” Allar said. “Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game.” Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that's not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback's ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. “He’s a football player,” Warren said. “He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he’s just a football player and that fires up our offense.” Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don't show up in big games. Not that he's worried about what other people think. “I think it's a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise," Allar said. "Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Independent Bank Co. ( NASDAQ:IBCP – Free Report ) by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,756 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,217 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.16% of Independent Bank worth $1,095,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Independent Bank by 202.3% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 171,090 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,706,000 after buying an additional 114,487 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in Independent Bank by 27.8% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 423,631 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,432,000 after acquiring an additional 92,148 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Independent Bank by 28.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 349,631 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,660,000 after acquiring an additional 77,874 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Independent Bank by 75.8% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 174,011 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,698,000 after purchasing an additional 75,022 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its stake in Independent Bank by 7.2% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,034,775 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,510,000 after purchasing an additional 69,504 shares during the last quarter. 79.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Insider Activity at Independent Bank In other news, EVP Gavin A. Mohr acquired 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $36.71 per share, for a total transaction of $29,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 18,662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $685,082.02. The trade was a 4.48 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . 5.45% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Independent Bank Independent Bank Stock Performance Independent Bank stock opened at $34.69 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Independent Bank Co. has a twelve month low of $22.53 and a twelve month high of $40.32. The company has a market capitalization of $724.81 million, a PE ratio of 11.80 and a beta of 1.02. Independent Bank ( NASDAQ:IBCP – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $77.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $55.05 million. Independent Bank had a net margin of 19.93% and a return on equity of 15.26%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.83 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Independent Bank Co. will post 3.02 EPS for the current year. Independent Bank Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 5th were paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 5th. Independent Bank’s payout ratio is 32.65%. About Independent Bank ( Free Report ) Independent Bank Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Independent Bank that provides commercial banking services to individuals and businesses in rural and suburban communities in Michigan. It offers checking and savings accounts, commercial lending, direct and indirect consumer financing, mortgage lending, and safe deposit box services. Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Independent Bank What is a Low P/E Ratio and What Does it Tell Investors? Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December What is a buyback in stocks? A comprehensive guide for investors Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 3 Small Caps With Big Return Potential These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Receive News & Ratings for Independent Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Independent Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————-- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.
Myles Rice scores 18 to lead Indiana to 77-68 victory over WinthropAnyone born after January 1 2009 will be prevented from legally smoking if the Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law. The Bill faced criticism during its second reading, with Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell arguing that people should be able to make their own choices, and the Liberal Democrats claiming it “raises issues of civil liberties”. On Tuesday, the Bill cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons, with MPs voting 415 to 47, majority 368, to approve it. The division list showed Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was among the MPs to vote against the Bill at second reading. There was a free vote for Tory MPs, with former health secretary Victoria Atkins among the 23 Conservatives who voted in favour of the Bill while 35 Tories were listed as voting against. The legislation includes a total ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, including displays seen by children and young people such as on buses, in cinemas and in shop windows, bringing them in line with tobacco restrictions. Opening the second reading debate, Mr Streeting said: “This Bill will come down on the vaping industry like a ton of bricks to prevent a new generation of children and young people from getting hooked on nicotine.” Conservative MP Bob Blackman called for the legislation to go further to include a levy on tobacco companies’ profits to hold them responsible “for the blight on our population’s health”. “Both of my parents died from smoking-related cancer. My late mother was only 47, and she was a very heavy smoker all her life. I was then left as a 23-year-old with three younger sisters to bring up as a family,” he said. “I don’t want any families in this country to have to go through what our family went through then. So this for me is personal, as well as political.” The MP for Harrow East, and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for smoking and health, called for the “implementation of a polluter pays tobacco levy on the profits of big tobacco, addressing issues of both market prices and limiting the profitability of the industry”. Romford MP Mr Rosindell said “banning things very rarely works”, adding: “Surely we should be promoting the concept of freedom with responsibility and allowing people to make choices about their own lives?” Responding to the intervention, Mr Streeting said tobacco is “uniquely addictive, uniquely harmful”, adding: “There is no liberty in addiction. There is no freedom in addiction, and the logical extension of the libertarian argument he puts forward would be the end of the ban on indoor smoking.” The Liberal Democrats’ health spokeswoman Helen Morgan said: “The introduction of a phased smoking ban is problematic and not because Liberal Democrats want to see people smoke themselves into an early grave – far from it – but because it raises issues of practicality and raises issues of civil liberties.” She warned that the Bill “raises the prospect of an ID card, because those people who do choose to start smoking will potentially be forced to carry an ID card or some other form of ID with them for the rest of their lives, and that is a concern for a Liberal Democrat who is strongly opposed to requiring people to carry their ID around with them for various issues of privacy and personal liberty”. Health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Most retailers already follow recommended practice and regularly ask customers for ID. “We are stopping people from ever starting smoking and 83% of smokers start before the age of 20, this means that someone who has never previously smoked is highly unlikely to want to take up smoking later in life. “And our published modelling shows that smoking rates in England for 14 to 30-year-olds could be close to 0% as early as 2050, with the measures in this Bill.” Reform UK MP James McMurdock (South Basildon and East Thurrock) urged the Government to “think very carefully” about its “remit”. He said: “I would just ask everyone in the room to consider what kind of world and country we actually want to live in, one where we could send one of the kids down to the shop, pick something up for us, or one where we literally are forced to police people’s behaviour in parks? “And I think we should think very carefully about what our remit is as a Government.” Earlier in the debate, Mr Streeting told the Commons that the Government “will consult on banning smoking outside schools, hospitals and in playgrounds, protecting children and vulnerable people from the harms of second-hand smoke”, as part of the Bill. He also confirmed the consultation will not be extended to pubs and other outdoor hospitality spaces. The Bill also includes powers to introduce a licensing scheme for retailers to sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Shopkeepers found to be selling to anyone under age will receive on-the-spot fines of £200.What's your health forecast? Expert explains science behind personal guides to well-being