Oxford Instruments ( OTCMKTS:OXINF – Get Free Report ) and Everspin Technologies ( NASDAQ:MRAM – Get Free Report ) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and valuation. Volatility & Risk Oxford Instruments has a beta of 0.82, indicating that its stock price is 18% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Everspin Technologies has a beta of 0.9, indicating that its stock price is 10% less volatile than the S&P 500. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Oxford Instruments and Everspin Technologies”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Institutional & Insider Ownership 44.7% of Everspin Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.1% of Everspin Technologies shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Oxford Instruments and Everspin Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat. Everspin Technologies has a consensus target price of $9.00, indicating a potential upside of 41.51%. Given Everspin Technologies’ higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Everspin Technologies is more favorable than Oxford Instruments. Profitability This table compares Oxford Instruments and Everspin Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Summary Everspin Technologies beats Oxford Instruments on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks. About Oxford Instruments ( Get Free Report ) Oxford Instruments plc provide scientific technology products and services for academic and commercial organizations worldwide. It operates through three segments: Materials & Characterisation, Research & Discovery, and Service & Healthcare. The company offers atomic force, electron, and Raman microscopy; deposition tools comprising plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition, chemical vapour deposition, inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition, atomic layer deposition, and ion beam deposition systems; and etch tools, including inductively coupled plasma etching, reactive ion etching, deep silicon etching, atomic layer etching, and ion beam etching systems. It also provides low temperature systems, such as dilution refrigerators, high field magnets, and cryostats; optical imaging products, including cameras, confocal microscopy, and 3d and 4d visualisation software; nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) products comprising NMR spectrometers, TD-NMR research, QA/QC analyzers, and rock core analyzers; and X-Ray sources, tubes, and power supply products. Its products are used in various industries, such as advanced manufacturing, agriculture and food, astronomy, automotive and aerospace, bio imaging and life science, chemical and catalysis, energy generation and storage, forensics and environment, geology, petrology, mining, metals, alloys, composites, ceramics, pharma, photonics, polymers, quantum technologies, semiconductors, microelectronics, and data storage. Oxford Instruments plc was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Abingdon, the United Kingdom. About Everspin Technologies ( Get Free Report ) Everspin Technologies, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) products in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore, China, Canada, and internationally. It offers Toggle MRAM, spin-transfer torque MRAM, and tunnel magneto resistance sensor products, as well as foundry services for MRAM products. The company provides its products for applications, including industrial, medical, automotive/transportation, aerospace, and data center markets. It serves original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and original design manufacturers through a direct sales channel, and a network of representatives and distributors. Everspin Technologies, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. Receive News & Ratings for Oxford Instruments Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oxford Instruments and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .BETHESDA, Md. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) ("AGNC" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared cash dividends on the outstanding depositary shares 1 of the following series of preferred stock for the fourth quarter 2024: Series of Preferred Stock Ticker Per Annum Dividend Rate Dividend Per Depositary Share 1 7.00% Series C Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCN 10.01991% 2 $0.64016 6.875% Series D Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCM 9.24091% 3 $0.59039 6.50% Series E Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCO 9.90191% 4 $0.63262 6.125% Series F Fixed-to-Floating Rate AGNCP 6.125 % $0.3828125 7.750% Series G Fixed-Rate Reset AGNCL 7.750 % $0.48438 1. Each depositary share represents a 1/1,000th interest in a share of preferred stock. 2. The Series C Depositary Shares accrue dividends at a floating rate equal to Three-Month CME Term SOFR plus 0.26161% plus 5.111%. The dividend rate for the dividend period ending January 14, 2025 is 10.01991% per annum. 3. The Series D Depositary Shares accrue dividends at a floating rate equal to Three-Month CME Term SOFR plus 0.26161% plus 4.332%. The dividend rate for the dividend period ending January 14, 2025 is 9.24091% per annum. 4. The Series E Depositary Shares accrue dividends at a floating rate equal to Three-Month CME Term SOFR plus 0.26161% plus 4.993%. The dividend rate for the dividend period ending January 14, 2025 is 9.90191% per annum. The dividend for each series of outstanding preferred stock is payable on January 15, 2025 to holders of record as of January 1, 2025 . For further information or questions, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com . ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP. Founded in 2008, AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) is a leading investor in Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (Agency MBS), which benefit from a guarantee against credit losses by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or Ginnie Mae . We invest on a leveraged basis, financing our Agency MBS assets primarily through repurchase agreements, and utilize dynamic risk management strategies intended to protect the value of our portfolio from interest rate and other market risks. AGNC has a track record of providing favorable long-term returns for our stockholders through substantial monthly dividend income, with over $13 billion of common stock dividends paid since inception. Our business is a significant source of private capital for the U.S. residential housing market, and our team has extensive experience managing mortgage assets across market cycles. To learn more about The Premier Agency Residential Mortgage REIT , please visit www.AGNC.com , follow us on LinkedIn and X , and sign up for Investor Alerts . CONTACT: Investor Relations - (301) 968-9300 View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnc-investment-corp-declares-fourth-quarter-dividends-on-preferred-stock-302329441.html SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp.UTAH TECH 68, DENVER 54
Authorities in Pakistan launch operation to clear Khan supporters from capitalMathematics, in a very simple manner if approached means science about truth. However, the decline in its respect amongst the evolving youngsters has different causes. In earlier times, people who tend to study and carry on with Maths were regarded as people with high IQ, so only fewest of the total population would choose to go along with this subject. In the meantime, with the explosion of technology and Artificial Intelligence, this subject secures its rank in every manner, as Mathematics is thought of as the backbone of science. However, current times do not seem to comprehend the need to study Mathematics as a subject, rather it has become a part of engineering courses. Being a Pure Mathematician, it becomes obligatory for me to contribute to the enhancement of Mathematics as a subject or re-attainment of its position in the academic system. Let’s commence from recognising the fields where Mathematics has played crucial role. The ground for the higher mathematics is set by the concept of Sets, Relations and Functions, Linear Algebra and Modern Algebra. Nonetheless, everyday life demands continuous use of basic mathematics as in terms of budgeting, driving, managing time, exercising, cooking, stitching, trading etc. No such an event that doesn’t require mathematics some or the other way. Well, we can celebrate this National Mathematics Day by visualising different shades of math beyond classroom. Let’s first consider the concept of relations, which in maths means how the elements of one set are related to the elements of other set. This concept enables us to understand how the students are associated with their grades, another example being the temperature at different times in a day, a particular group of people and their ages and so on. The next very immediate concept being the subset of a relation itself called as function. Function, also being a relation, but the only difference that function generates exactly one output for one input but contrary to that a relation has many outputs for a single input. To see that in real life, we can consider the human appearances, one person with exactly one unique appearance. Moreover, students in a particular classroom with exactly one identification number, aadhar numbers etc. Next, we study the concept of differentiation which in layman’s language means the rate of change. To further see that in real life we can consider a moving car, where we can see the change of distance with respect to time, the rate of change of speed with respect to time, or change of velocity with respect to time and what not. Similarly, we see the rotation of earth with respect to the sun and the rotation of other planets with respect to sun or earth and among themselves as well. Another most important concept is that of matrices which is used in geology for conducting seismic surveys, in computer sciences for programming 3D games etc. Another prominent application of mathematics (in particular, Number Theory) lies in the field of Cryptography, which involves encryption and decryption of data for security purposes. As by the use of coding and decoding, one can secretly send a message from one place to another without anyone manipulating the same. For example, if we divide english alphabet in two sets, first 13 and later 13. Then join them by a bijective function, so we can write HELLO by URYYB. So that message goes encrypted. This is a very basic way, we have advanced ways as well. This field itself has got many efficient uses for national or international level of confidential communications or transmission of sensitive information. Fibonacci series in mathematics, is a sequence of numbers in which each consecutive number is equal to the sum of the two numbers that come before it. For instance, if you start with the number zero, this is what a Fibonacci series would look like: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on. The Fibonacci series is famously found in nature–trees, flowers, and other naturally occurring spiral structures grow leaves and petals that follow the sequence. It’s also particularly useful when it comes to cryptology, the study of codes and how to solve them. With modern technology, the Fibonacci series can be used to encrypt sensitive information over the internet for security purposes. The toughest field of mathematics so far known is the Topology, which literally means the study of place, or the study of surfaces. In this field of mathematics, we study how we can transform one object into another without any cut-paste, yet one can mould, stretch, crumple, bend or tear the object with the use of proper transformation (preserving the features of the object, mathematically called as homeomorphism. Thus, for a topologist, a coffee mug and donut (also known as torus) are same, as each of these two objects possess a single hole which is preserved during the transformation (homeomorphism). Such things are mathematically termed as topologically equivalent. One more observation, as being a topologist, we believe in two perspectives of looking at a particular object, one is locally and another globally. Thus, for us, Earth is flat (locally) but round (globally). Another very eminent concept of mathematics is that of metric spaces, which leads to understand the distance between any two points in a space or a set. This metric being a distance measuring function has got direct application in the field of Biology. Since genotypes-phenotypes are of very primary importance in biology, we see how topology is even useful in sequencing the right nucleotides in DNA strand. Genotypes are the internally veiled and inheritable information of a living being while as phenotypes are the physical appearances of that information. Topology solves one most important problem in DNA research. As we know that DNA is composed of four nucleotides: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine. These are arranged in a manner that they resemble a sequence. The sequence of nucleotides on every single chain of DNA decides the sequence of the other chain. The problem found in DNA research is in the comparison of distinct DNA sequences. So using the concept of metric spaces (a special type of topological spaces), we measure the distance between two sequences, where the distance function(metric) gives the intuition towards the nature of evolutionary history of species. Let’s consider x and y to be the two sequences of letters A , C , G and T . To calculate the distance between x and y , we fix the number of operations on x to turn it into y . We can apply three operations that is insertion, deletion and replacement for the sequence say P to turn x into y . In current era, we owe Mathematics a standing ovation for preserving the logic behinds theories. Let’s not underestimate the contribution of maths to all the fields of science and non-science. Dr. Mir Aaliya, Mathematics Faculty in Govt. Degree College, Sopore
A low doesn’t always mean a stock’s cheap. But I think value investors should take a close look at ( ) shares at a P/E multiple of 8. The company makes money by buying and leasing aircraft. And it looks to me a potentially better pick than either of the . Overview With a few exceptions, airlines typically don’t like owning the aircraft they operate. And the reason’s straightforward – they’re expensive. Buying and maintaining aircraft involves a lot of cash. By contrast, leasing involves a relatively small capital outlay early on and this gives airlines the possibility for rapid profits when demand’s strong. The downside – and the reason I mostly don’t like airlines as investments – is that making ongoing lease payments requires constant cash generation. And in a industry, that’s very risky. Aercap however, has the opposite approach. It used debt to buy aircraft outright and generates income by leasing them to airlines. Valuation At a P/E ratio of around 8, the stock looks cheap, but investors should be careful with jumping to conclusions here. Aercap’s earnings don’t just go down in a cyclical downturn – they go negative. That means investors need to make enough when things are going well to offset the effect of loss-making years. This is why a low P/E ratio doesn’t automatically make the stock a bargain. A better way of assessing the stock from a valuation perspective is the . Unlike the company’s earnings, its book value’s relatively stable through the business cycle. On a P/B basis, the stock‘s towards the higher end of its historic range. Given this, my instinct is to keep the stock on my watchlist for the next downturn, rather than buying it now. Aercap Vs airlines When a downturn comes – and the cyclical nature of air travel means I’m convinced it will come – I’d rather buy shares in Aercap than an airline. I think the risk of bankruptcy’s much lower. They can make big profits during strong periods and I could be wrong, but airlines that have to make lease payments can find themselves in trouble in a downturn. Aercap however, has a collection of assets it can sell if needed. It’s worth noting that the firm‘s been selling its older aircraft at around twice what it carries them on its balance sheet at. And this has allowed it to reduce its share count by almost 25% since 2022. Neither nor has managed to do this. And I see that as a clear reason to prefer Aercap over either of the FTSE 100 airlines. When to buy? I’m usually wary of cyclical stocks trading at historically high multiples. But Aercap shares might be good value right now, even given the threat of a downturn. The company’s managed an average 10% return on equity over the last decade. On top of this, it’s selling aircraft at twice their book value. Given this, a P/B multiple of 1 for the stock doesn’t look high. So there’s a decent case for considering the stock right now.
Exchange your uncertified or unreadable Qurans at Madani programmeJubilation. Joy. Relief. Wonder. Pick your word for it — emotions, each and all of them felt by the masses, came pouring out as the clock struck zero inside Memorial Stadium. The Nebraska football program’s long eight-year bowl drought finally came to an end on a 50-degree November afternoon in downtown Lincoln. That achievement is worth celebrating on its own, but the way Nebraska got it done — dominating, rather than eking over the line against an opponent it knows well — made the accomplishment that much sweeter. Nebraska never trailed in a 44-25 win over Wisconsin on Saturday, securing the program’s first bowl game since the 2016 season. The victory also snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Badgers, and the four-game losing skid which NU entered the day with. For a Nebraska (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) senior class which had never made the postseason before, their level of play on the field matched the seriousness of the opportunity in front of them. Particularly on the offensive side of the ball, improvements from last week’s loss to USC were evident. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, calling his second game as a member of the Nebraska coaching staff, dialed up a blistering six-play, 55-yard touchdown drive to start the game. A 45-yard kickoff return from freshman Jacory Barney Jr. set Nebraska up on the drive, with junior Heinrich Haarberg scoring the 5-yard run to secure NU’s early 7-0 lead. Having parted ways with its offensive coordinator during the week, Wisconsin, (5-6, 3-5) showed no ill effects from that shakeup as it immediately responded with a scoring drive of its own. Helped by a key missed tackle near midfield, Wisconsin found the end zone on a 4-yard passing score from Braedyn Locke to Bryson Green. After the initial scoring drive, Wisconsin took three of its next four possessions into Nebraska territory but came away with just three points from those chances. A Janiran Bonner fumble deep inside Nebraska territory set up Wisconsin with a prime scoring opportunity, but a three-and-out and delay of game penalty contributed to a 34-yard field goal sailing wide. The Badgers pushed across a 33-yard kick later in the half but also missed a second field goal from 41 yards out, a miss which resulted in a 10-play drive netting zero points. Not all of Nebraska’s first-half drives were perfect — the Huskers punted twice and fumbled once — but when things clicked, Wisconsin could do little to slow down the surging Nebraska offense. Nebraska utilized its quick passing game during its second touchdown drive, with a 27-yard gain from Emmett Johnson on a screen pass quickly being followed by a 21-yard Barney gain on a touch pass in the backfield. Running back Dante Dowdell capped off the eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 12-yard rushing score in which Jahmal Banks and Nate Boerkircher sealed the edge with a pair of punishing blocks. Nebraska also took advantage of Wisconsin’s field goal miscues by scoring touchdowns immediately following both misses. An efficient drive just prior to the halftime break ended with a toe-tap catch from Banks in the back of the end zone, a 5-yard passing score from Dylan Raiola which extended Nebraska’s lead to 21-10. Taking the ball with just 17 seconds left in the half, Wisconsin could’ve kneeled out the clock but instead opted to give running back Tawee Walker a first down carry. NU’s Nash Hutmacher made Wisconsin regret that decision by jarring the ball loose for a Bager turnover. One completion later and Nebraska brought kicker John Hohl onto the field for a 37-yard try, one he dispatched to give the Huskers a 14-point halftime lead. The 24 first-half points scored by Nebraska marked the team’s second-most all season, and the most since NU’s win over Colorado in September. The Huskers came out firing after the halftime break, too, forcing a Wisconsin three-and-out prior to putting together a scoring drive of its own. While the Nebraska drive stalled out prior to the end zone, a 45-yard Hohl field goal gave the Huskers a three-score advantage, 27-10 in their favor. Unable to trust its kicker in a similar situation, Wisconsin instead opted to keep its offense on the field for a fourth down outside the NU red zone. Walker’s carry up the middle was stuffed by the Blackshirts, resulting in a turnover on downs midway through the third quarter. When Nebraska turned that opportunity into a touchdown of its own, the game just about escaped Wisconsin’s reach. Another well-executed scoring drive, this time a seven-play march down the field which took three-plus minutes, ended in a Dowdell 3-yard touchdown run. As Nebraska’s lead reached 34-10, it marked the most points NU has scored against a Big Ten foe under head coach Matt Rhule. Wisconsin did fire back with a touchdown drive late in the third quarter and another midway through the fourth quarter. A third made field from Hohl helped keep Nebraska’s lead safe to the end, though. Nebraska can take away many positives from its win over Wisconsin, with the all-around performance of Johnson at running back and its much-improved offense taking center stage. Most important of all was the fact that Saturday’s win meant six on the season, a mark Nebraska fans hadn’t celebrated since the 2016 season. That major season milestone now secured, Nebraska’s regular season will come to a close during a Black Friday matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) and Dana Holgorsen celebrate a touchdown during the second quarter of the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Head Coach Matt Rhule (left) high-fives Janiran Bonner (16) and Dana Holgorsen after a touchdown during the second quarter of the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (23) runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter of the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (23) dodges a tackle by Wisconsin's Austin Brown (9) as he runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter of the game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Jahmal Banks (4) catches a pass during the first quarter of the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Jahmal Banks (4) catches a pass while defended by Wisconsin's Justin Taylor during the first quarter of the game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola reacts to a fumble recovered by Wisconsin during the first quarter of the game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen looks over his notes during the first quarter of the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen looks over his notes during the first quarter of the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Heinrich Haarberg (10) runs through a tackle by Wisconsin's Austin Brown (9) and Preston Zachman (14) into the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter of the game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Heinrich Haarberg (center) leaps over Dante Dowdell (23) as he runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Jahmal Banks (4) catches a touchdown pass while defended by Wisconsin's Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second quarter of the game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. In a play that was ruled incomplete, Nebraska's Isaiah Neyor (18) catches a pass in the endzone while defended by Wisconsin's Xavier Lucas (10) in the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Ceyair Wright (15) and Nash Hutmacher (0) try to block a field goal kick by Wisconsin's Nathanial Vakos (90) in the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (23) runs in to the endzone for a second quarter touchdown on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin's Austin Brown (9) tries to tackle Nebraska's Dante Dowdell (23) as he runs the ball in for a touchdown in the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin's Braedyn Locke (18) is sacked by Nebraska's Willis McGahee (12) in the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Marques Buford (3) defends Wisconsin's Bryson Green (9) as he catches a touchdown in the endzone in the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's John Hohl (90) scores a filed goal in the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Heinrich Haarberg (left) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Dylan Raiola during the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Heinrich Haarberg (left) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Dylan Raiola during the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska players take the field after the tunnel walk on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin's Trech Kekahuna (left) escapes a tackle from Nebraska's Isaac Gifford, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Javin Wright (right) breaks up a pass intended for Wisconsin's Tucker Ashcraft, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Heinrich Haarberg scores against Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Jacory Barney (right) celebrates his opening kickoff return against Wisconsin with teammate Janiran Bonner and Kwinten Ives, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's Joey Mancino (67) embraces head coach Matt Rhule during a senior day ceremony before the game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's MJ Sherman embraces head coach Matt Rhule during a senior day ceremony before the game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Fans arrive at Memorial Stadium before the Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. The Cornhusker Marching Band arrives at Memorial Stadium before the Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Nebraska fans walk around campus before the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Hudson Meyer of Hooper, 6, throws leaves in the air before the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
NoneSchooled like Mourinho: Amorim’s path from pioneering Lisbon universityDENVER — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's "America's Got Talent" meets "American Idol," with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it's never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at "Dream Team" status given the men's side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023. The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. "We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport," said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. "We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world." Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores. "Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That's something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok, the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado's two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. "If a receiver is running around, I'm thinking, 'OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,'" Daniels explained. "They're like, 'No, you can't.' I'm just like, 'So I'm supposed to let this guy just run?!' I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn." The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. "I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. "I'm not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, 'I played NFL football for five years. I'm popular. I have a huge name.' I'm still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise." Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It's his way of working on avoiding a "defender" trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. "You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the 'Redeem Team' led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, 'That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. "Everybody thinks, 'Yeah, the U.S. just wins,'" Daniels said. "But we work hard all the time. We don't just walk in. We don't just get off the bus thinking, 'We're going to beat people.'" Get local news delivered to your inbox!The suspect who was arrested for a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, Germany had reportedly offered a reward in return for information regarding the whereabouts of the Saudi ambassador to Germany. A Saudi source told Independent Arabia daily on Sunday, December 22, that Taleb Jawad Al-Abdul Mohsen had offered 10,000 Saudi Riyals to anyone who provided information about the residence and time of the Saudi ambassador. “The German authorities were informed of this by the Saudi embassy, but they did not take the situation seriously,” the source added. On Friday evening , December 20, Taleb drove a speeding car through a Christmas market in Germany, killing at least five and injuring more than 200, including 41 in serious condition. According to sources, the incident has also injured seven Indian nationals . “Three of them have been discharged from the hospital. Our mission is in touch with all those injured in the attack,” they said. Surveillance footage captured a black BMW racing through a crowd, scattering bodies amid festive stalls selling handicrafts, snacks, and mulled wine. The suspect was apprehended by the police at the scene of the attack. It is reported that the suspect is charged with murder and attempted murder, according to police, who remanded him in custody. According to a German police statement, the magistrate ordered the man into pretrial custody after prosecutors charged him with five counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm, Reuters reported. Taleb, a 50-year-old doctor, fled Saudi Arabia , where he was wanted for criminal charges. He had been living in Germany since 2006. He strongly opposed Islam and supported the far-right Alternative for Germany party on X. Taleb’s X account is full of tweets and retweets focussing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion, as well as congratulatory messages to Muslims who have left the faith. He also identified as a former Muslim, according to AFP . A German source confirmed that in 2023 and 2024, Germany received warnings from Saudi authorities regarding Taleb. Germany’s interior minister Nancy Faeser said that she can now confirm that the suspect was an “Islamophobe”, reported Reuters . In a statement on Saturday, Saudi Arabia condemned the ramming attack and expressed solidarity with the people of Germany.
OSW Stock Soars to All-Time High, Reaching $20.28
Part of the reason Google decided to start developing its own Chrome browser —all the way back in 2008—was to funnel people toward all of its web apps, from Google Docs to Gmail to Google Maps. And of course, Chrome has Google’s search engine built right in. However, if you love Google Chrome but you've decided you've had enough of Google search, you can change the default search engine in the browser. You can switch to Bing, DuckDuckGo, or whichever alternative search engine you like. Maybe you feel you've spent enough of your life scrolling through Google's sponsored links, or perhaps you'd rather use a search engine without any AI in it . Whatever the reason, here's how to change the default search engine in Google Chrome. Set Your Search Engine By default, when you type out a search query in the address bar at the top of the Chrome interface and hit Enter, you'll see results from Google search. You'll also see the Google search engine front and center if you open up a new tab in the browser. Both these settings can be changed from their initial configurations. To choose a new search engine for the address bar, click the three dots in a browser tab (top right), then choose Settings . On the Search engine tab, click Manage search engines and search . You get five options you can cycle between, and some alternatives will already be listed. If the search engine you want to use is listed here, click the three dots to the right of it, and choose Make default . If you can't see the search option you want, click Add next to Site search below the search engine list. You can add any search engine to Chrome. There are three fields to complete: The name of the search engine, its shortcut (used to quickly access it in the address bar), and its URL (its web address). To get the URL, run a simple query on the search engine in your browser, then copy the web address you get sent to, replacing the query with “%s”. For DuckDuckGo, for example, the URL you want is “https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%s” You then need to click the three dots next to your new search engine, and click Make default . Back on the Search engine tab of Settings, your changes should be applied—you can also just click on Change to pick a default search engine, provided it's already in the list and you don't need to enter its details. You can switch the new tab page to show an alternative search engine. To temporarily use a different search engine in the address bar, rather than permanently switching to it as your default, type out the shortcut for it (as set in the options above). When you see it selected, press Tab , and then write out your query and hit Enter : Your selected search engine will then be used rather than the default. As for the new tab page, you can set this to point to a particular URL—maybe the search engine of your choice—via Appearance in Settings. You can also reconfigure the new tab page entirely using a Chrome extension such as Infinity New Tab : It lets you choose the shortcuts and the search engine you see, and there are plenty of these new tab extensions to choose from (just search for “new tab”). Some of Your Other Options We've already mentioned a couple of search engines you might want to use instead of Google. Microsoft Bing is often used as a punchline to tech jokes, but it offers a wide range of useful features, a built-in AI assistant in the form of Copilot, and lots in the way of news and shopping info too. When it comes to anti-Google search engines, DuckDuckGo is perhaps the best known. It prioritizes privacy, so your searches aren't logged, and third-party web trackers and adverts are blocked by default. Open up the site in Chrome and it will offer to set itself as the default search engine, an option you can use instead of the method described above. DuckDuckGo promises a super-secure search experience. Brave Search is also heavily focused on privacy protections. Your searches are kept private and aren't stored, and they're free from advertisements and trackers. There's also the option to tweak the algorithm used to deliver you results, so you aren't at the mercy of whatever SEO rules Google might be following at any particular time. For a search engine option that puts the planet's best interests first, you can try Ecosia . Any money the search engine makes from advertising is plowed into environmental projects, including tree planting , all across the world. Ecosia has tight privacy policies too, with minimal data collection and opt-in personalized searches. Ecosia uses search profits for environmental projects. If you want to browse the web like it's the 1990s, then Yahoo Search is still going: It'll present you with good-quality results with the minimum of fuss or on-screen clutter, though it doesn't have quite the same feature set as something like Google or Bing. The search engine is particularly useful for news, sports, and stocks, however. Last but not least, there's AI-powered search from ChatGPT : It can give you information pulled from the web and mined from its training data together in the same response, if you want it to. If you prefer, you can tell it to get all of the details of its responses from online sources, limiting the chances of it hallucinating fake facts and other information.