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IAG Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Michelle Klein discusses ‘doing the basics brilliantly’ in the insurance categoryNoneNEW YORK — I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little pygmy hippo, too! Forgive us the shameless attempt to link the fantasy hit “Wicked” to the delightful Moo Deng . But, hear us out — there’s something the two have in common as the year draws to a close. Escapism. Whether we found it on the yellow brick road, or in videos from a Thailand zoo, or perhaps in unlikely Olympic heroes , we gravitated toward fantasy and feel-good pop culture moments this year. There were new trends, as always. “Brat summer” became a thing, as did “demure, mindful.” And for some inexplicable reason, we became obsessed with celebrity lookalike contests. There were breakups — Bennifer is, again, a thing of the past — and reunions: Oasis, please try to stay together for the tour. Yet some things stayed, remarkably, the same: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé kept on breaking records and making history. So, after a year where much changed but some things held steady, here’s our annual, very selective trip down pop culture memory lane: Lily Gladstone poses in the press room Jan. 7 with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama for "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 81st Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. It starts as a cheery tweet from a beloved “Sesame Street” figure: “ ELMO is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answers hint at something deeper and more worrisome. “Not great, Elmo. Not great,” says one milder reply. Doing much better is the viral phenomenon called “BARBENHEIMER,” which makes its awards season debut at the GOLDEN GLOBES . But perhaps the most poignant moment comes from neither film: LILY GLADSTONE , first Indigenous winner of best actress in a drama for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” begins her remarks in the language of her tribe, Blackfeet Nation. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift on Feb. 11 after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game in Las Vegas. Valentine’s Day — a perfect time to settle into a sweet love saga via TikTok. Only that’s not quite what we get with “Who TF Did I Marry?,” REESA TEESA ’s depressing, fascinating, 50-part account of her disastrous marriage with a man who lied about absolutely everything. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a single week that encapsulates peak SWIFT cultural dominance , try this: she begins with the Grammys in Los Angeles (becoming the first artist to win album of the year four times AND announcing a new album), then heads to Tokyo for four tour dates, then jets back just in time for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas — where she shares a passionate smooch with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE on the field of victory. Ryan Gosling performs the song "I'm Just Ken" from the movie "Barbie" on March 10 during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “What was I made for?” BILLIE EILISH sings at the OSCARS, channeling BARBIE . And what was KEN made for? Not entirely clear — but it's clear RYAN GOSLING was made to play him. His singalong version of “I’m Just Ken” is one of the most entertaining Oscar musical moments in years. Still, Christopher Nolan's “OPPENHEIMER” prevails, a rare case of the top prize going to a blockbuster studio film. Will it happen again in 2025? CYNTHIA ERIVO and ARIANA GRANDE sure hope so; as presenters, they make a sly reference to their upcoming juggernaut, “WICKED.” Speaking of marketing, people are obsessed with that bizarre “DUNE” popcorn bucket. Beyonce And BEYONCÉ carves her space in country music with “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which will make her the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart. Taylor Swift performs June 21 at Wembley Stadium in London as part of her Eras Tour. Tennis, anyone? The game’s been around for centuries, but it’s having a cultural moment right now, helped mightily by “CHALLENGERS,” the sweaty romance triangle starring ZENDAYA, MIKE FAIST and JOSH O'CONNOR (40-love? More like 40-sex.) Elsewhere, a new era dawns: At midnight, SWIFT drops “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT," then drops another 15 songs two hours later. The fascinating and disturbing “BABY REINDEER,” the story of a struggling comedian’s extended encounter with a stalker, debuts on Netflix. Ben Affleck, left, and Jennifer Lopez arrive Feb. 13 at the premiere of "This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It’s MET GALA time — or as it's known in 2024, another early marketing moment for “WICKED.” ERIVO and GRANDE make fashion waves on the carpet and then musical ones at dinner, with a soulful performance of “When You Believe.” If the “Wicked” tour is in full force, another one stops in its tracks: JENNIFER LOPEZ cancels her summer tour amid reports of both poor ticket sales and trouble in her marriage to BEN AFFLECK . It’s been an eventful year for J.Lo, who's released an album and movie called “THIS IS ME ... NOW" — both reflections on her renewed love with Affleck. Welcome to BRAT SUMMER ! CHARLI XCX releases her hit “Brat” album , with its lime green cover, and launches a thousand memes. Collins Dictionary defines “brat,” its word of the year, as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” At the celeb-heavy SWIFT shows in London, we see PRINCE WILLIAM shaking it off, which is either charming or cringe, you decide. Even better: KELCE dons a top hat and tux and performs for one night. At another stadium across the pond, METS infielder JOSE IGLESIAS delights the crowd with his cheery number “OMG.” Stephen Nedoroscik is introduced June 29 at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials in Minneapolis. Bonjour, it’s OLYMPICS time! In Paris! An audacious opening ceremony along the Seine is punctuated by a fabulous CELINE DION , perched on the EIFFEL TOWER , singing her heart out — in the rain, too. Controversy swirls over a scene critics feel mocks Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (organizers say it does not). Olympic stars are born — including French swimming superstar LEON MARCHAND , rugby player ILONA MAHER , and bespectacled “Pommel Horse Guy” gymnast STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK , who nets two bronze medals and comparisons to Clark Kent. Baby pigmy hippo Moo Deng plays with a zookeeper Sept. 19 in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand. Also capturing hearts: yep, MOO DENG , born this month. Her name means “bouncy pork.” Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, competes Aug. 9 during the Round Robin Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. This is them ... now: BENNIFER is no more. After two decades, two engagements and two weddings, J.Lo files for divorce. One union dissolves, another returns: OASIS announces a reunion tour. Everyone seems to want to get in on TikToker JOOLS LEBRON 's “ DEMURE, MINDFUL ” act — even the WHITE HOUSE press team. Back at the Olympics, in the new sport of breaking, we meet Australia’s RAYGUN , arguably neither demure nor mindful with her “kangaroo” move. Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani brings his dog Decoy to the mound Aug. 28 before Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles in Los Angeles. Cute animal alert: SHOHEI OHTANI ’s perky pooch DECOY does a great “first pitch” in his Major League Baseball debut. Chappell Roan performs "Good Luck, Babe" on Sept. 11 during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. One of the year’s biggest breakout artists, CHAPPELL ROAN , withdraws from a music festival after speaking out about frightening fan interactions. And more on the price of fame: In an excruciating moment, “Bachelorette” JENN TRAN , the franchise’s first Asian American lead, is forced to sit through a painful viewing of her proposal to her chosen suitor, after tearfully explaining how he’d later dumped her over the phone. Tran is keeping busy though — she’s announced as part of the new “Dancing with the Stars” lineup. Also on the list: rugby player Maher, and Pommel Horse Guy! Also, ANNA SOROKIN , dancing with an ankle monitor. Online fandom, meanwhile, is shaken when X is temporarily suspended in Brazil and celebrity stan accounts post tearful farewells, revealing to many across the globe that their favorite accounts are run by Brazilians. Miles Mitchell, 21, wins of the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest Oct. 27 near Washington Square Park in New York. “Dune” Chalamets! “Wonka” Chalamets! Thousands gather in Manhattan for a TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET lookalike contest, and things really get interesting when Chalamet himself shows up. He doesn’t enter the contest, though, and with his mustache, he may not even have won. The trend continues with contests for JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, ZAYN MALIK and — in a very Washington version — Kennedy scion JACK SCHLOSSBERG , who's been gathering a following with some interesting social media posts. New York Liberty Kennedy Burke dances with the mascot, Ellie the Elephant, during an Oct. 24 ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York. Turning to basketball, who’s that dancing with USHER ? Why it’s ELLIE THE ELEPHANT , the now-viral NEW YORK LIBERTY mascot. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, appears Nov. 2 with Maya Rudolph on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in New York. MAYA RUDOLPH does a pretty good KAMALA HARRIS laugh on “Saturday Night Live,” but you know who does it better? HARRIS herself. The Democratic candidate makes a surprise cameo three days before the U.S. presidential election, following in the footsteps of HILLARY CLINTON , SARAH PALIN and others. Elsewhere in television, Bravo announces that “VANDERPUMP RULES,” the Emmy-nominated reality show that has lived through countless scandals, is entirely recasting its 12th season — apart from namesake LISA VANDERPUMP . As for MOO DENG , she doesn't have her own TV series yet, but our favorite pygmy hippo is generating plenty of merch . And THAT brings us back to ... Ariana Grande, left, and Cynthia Erivo pose for photographers Nov. 11 prior to the premiere of "Wicked" at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. “WICKED” ! Director JON M. CHU ’s emerald-hued fantasy remains very very popular, to quote one of its buzzy show tunes, dancing through life and defying gravity at the multiplex. Moviegoers also come for “GLADIATOR II” and, in a veritable tidal wave, Disney's “MOANA 2,” which beckons us back to the seas of Oceania. Once again, 2024 seems to be telling us: Give people some whimsy, a place to escape, maybe some catchy tunes — and no one knows how far they’ll go. The stories and images that defined 2024. Searching for something? From queries about U.S. politics to cricket in India, Wikipedia has become a source of information for millions of people across the globe. From the Paris Olympics to the Super Bowl. From Simone Biles to Shohei Ohtani. And, of course, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. These are the sp... AP photographers assembled a visual catalog of our civilization as life in 2024 hurtled directly at us at every speed and in every imaginable ... In 2024, photographers captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election, to hurricanes and fires that ravag... Associated Press photographers captured voters with raw emotions of joy, excitement, contemplation or sorrow. See entertainment's biggest moments in 2024, through the lens of Associated Press photographers. It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. News anchors, politicians and other public figures in the U.S. struggled with these words the most this year. Is it any surprise Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "polarization"? Here are the other words that rounded out the top 10 for 2024. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:18 p.m. EST
By Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe Bill O’Brien knows dipping into the transfer portal periodically is inevitable, and he’s OK with that, but his vision is to build Boston College football into a perennial power primarily through high school recruiting. O’Brien said constructing a roster largely via the NFL Draft worked well with the Patriots and Texans, and he views the college process through a similar lens. “We’re not going to be swapping 30 guys out and bringing 30 guys in,” O’Brien said. “That’s not who we are. We’re going to develop the guys we have in our program, build a culture with those guys.” O’Brien welcomed a 27-player recruiting class to Chestnut Hill on Wednesday, as each signed his national letter of intent. It’s the program’s largest class since 2014, with players from 14 states and three countries. With a senior- and graduate student-heavy roster this fall, the Eagles will lean on a blend of returners and freshmen next year. While filling needs is a factor, O’Brien said it was even more about finding recruits with the right makeup and characteristics. “In the end, what it was important for us to do was to make sure we had guys that were good football players, high-character guys, that we felt fit the bill for Boston College, fit the culture of Boston College,” O’Brien said. When he arrived in February, O’Brien inherited a roster constructed by previous coach Jeff Hafley’s staff. O’Brien and Co. had to strike the balance between preparing this year’s team and finding the next wave of talent. He said they try to recruit in some capacity every day. O’Brien credited general manager Spencer Dickow, director of on-campus recruiting Kamryn Rodriguez, and many more for their efforts. “We did get started a little bit late,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, there is some catch-up that has to be done, relative to developing relationships with these guys. That’s what recruiting is all about, being honest and upfront about what we are at BC.” By the numbers · 5 players from Massachusetts: DT Micah Amedee (Halifax, Xaverian), TE Kaelan Chudzinski (Needham, St. Sebastian’s), LB Griffin Collins (Longmeadow, Worcester Academy), RB Mekhi Dodd (West Roxbury, Catholic Memorial), RB Bo MacCormack (Westford, BB&N). O’Brien: “I take a lot of pride, having grown up here, in getting guys from Massachusetts.” · 4 tight ends: Stevie Àmar Jr., Chudzinski, Derrick Johnson Jr., Bryce Lewis. O’Brien: “Chudzinski, I went and watched him personally.” · 3 countries: P/K Andy Quinn (Galway, Ireland; NFL Academy); Njita Sinkala (Headingley, Manitoba, Canada; St. Thomas More). O’Brien: “I have an affinity for Ireland. I’m an Irish-Catholic from Boston.” · 2 sons of current BC coaches: Lewis is the son of defensive coordinator Tim Lewis. Chudzinski is the son of senior offensive analyst Rob Chudzinski. O’Brien: “We recruited them because they were very good players.” · 1 quarterback: Shaker Reisig, a 6-foot-5-inch, 185-pound prospect who played at Union High in Tulsa, Okla., and recently threw for 500 yards and eight touchdowns in a game. O’Brien: “We can’t wait to coach him. He’s been a joy to recruit.” O’Brien’s comments TE Stevie Àmar Jr.: “Stevie can make catches in all areas of the field.” DT Micah Amedee: “Micah brings another relentless style to the defensive line.” WR Nedrick Boldin Jr.: “He has excellent speed. He can do everything.” TE Kaelan Chudzinski: “Very athletic, very tough. He’s a guy that can block.” CB Charleston Coldon: “I believe Charleston will have an instant impact.” LB Griffin Collins: “We knew this is one of the best athletes in this class.” CB Ashton Cunningham: “He plays with great anticipation and instincts.” S Omarion Davis: “He does it all on the football field.” RB Mekhi Dodd: “This is a guy that has dominated the state of Massachusetts this past year.” WR Semaj Fleming: “He’s a guy you’re going to want to get the ball to in space.” DE Jayden Fry: “Very good size, very good range.” DB Tyree Green Jr.: “TJ’s a really, really fast, instinctive, quick player.” TE Derrick Johnson Jr.: “This is a guy that will be a matchup nightmare in the passing game.” TE Bryce Lewis: “Bryce brings so much talent to this program.” RB Bo MacCormack: “He’s powerful. He’s explosive. He has great competitiveness.” DE Israel Oladipupo: “Israel is going to come in here and contribute right away.” WR Dawson Pough: “His high school coach played him all over the place.” P/K Andy Quinn: “Andy’s a very talented punter. He has a great leg.” QB Shaker Reisig: “Shaker is a guy that’s the same guy every day. Very consistent demeanor.” DT Sterling Sanders: “He plays with a relentless style.” CB Njita Sinkala: “This is a guy that has patience, he has poise.” OL Robert Smith IV: “I even think, eventually, he could possibly play center.” S Rae Sykes Jr.: “He has great size for a safety, really good range.” LB Zacari Thomas: “We look at him on film and we see a heat-seeking missile.” DB Marcelous Townsend: “He’s got great ball skills. He had a pick-6 this year.” S Marcus Upton: “This is one of the most dynamic players in this class.” OL Denzil Williams Jr.: “DJ is an excellent, tough offensive lineman.” Get the latest Boston sports news Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Be civil. Be kind.
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Pat Bryant caught a 40-yard touchdown on fourth down with four seconds remaining as No. 25 Illinois rallied for a dramatic 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. With Rutgers playing cover-zero defense, Bryant caught Luke Altmyer's sidearm toss on fourth-and-13 at the 22-yard line in the middle of the field and ran in from the right side for a 36-31 lead. Bryant's dramatic catch came after Illinois initially decided to attempt a go-ahead 57-yard field goal into the wind. Following a timeout, the Ilini went for it on fourth down. Altmeyer's two-point conversion attempt to Bryant was incomplete, but the visitors recorded a safety on the game's final play. Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards, and his score came after Rutgers took a 31-30 lead on a 13-yard rushing TD by Kyle Monangai with 1:08 left. Monangai gave the Scarlet Knights the lead after Illinois overcame a nine-point deficit on Aidan Laughery's 8-yard TD run with 13:48 remaining and Altmyer's 30-yard run with 3:07 left. Bryant's clutch catch gave Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) eight wins for the second time in three seasons on a day when it committed 11 penalties. Altmyer finished 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and threw two touchdowns. He also gained a team-high 74 yards on the ground as the Ilini totaled 182 rushing yards. Monangai finished with 122 yards on 28 carries and Kaliakmanis completed 19-of-37 passes for 175 yards, but Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) was unable to win a third straight Big Ten game for the first time. Kaliakmanis also rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. The Scarlet Knights saw their losing streak against ranked teams reach 41 games after taking a 17-9 halftime lead and a 24-15 advantage early in the fourth. --Field Level Media'AI Jesus' avatar tests man's faith in machines and the divineHouse rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics report
With Easter Sunday falling on April 20 next year, customers shared their confusion on social media after finding chocolate eggs and hot cross buns already for sale in shops including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda. One user, @Jingle1991, shared an image of Malteser Bunnies in Sainsbury’s on Christmas Eve and pointed out: “Jesus hasn’t even been born yet.” Meanwhile, Gary Evans from Margate shared a shot of Creme Eggs on display in Morrisons in Margate on Boxing Day. “I just think its crazy that everything is so superficial and meaninglessly commercial... (there’s) something quite frantic about it,” the 66-year-old told the PA news agency. No Shame.Morrisons.Easter eggs.Boxing Day. December 26th.Peace on Earth pic.twitter.com/slGoIjOpRq — Gary Evans (@GaryEva04679693) December 26, 2024 Joseph Robinson found Easter confectionary including Cadbury Mini Eggs, and themed Kit-Kat and Kinder Surprise products at his local Morrisons in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday evening. “It’s funny, as they’ve not even managed to shift the Christmas chocolates off the shelves yet and they’re already stocking for Easter,” the 35-year-old admin support worker told PA. “I wish that Supermarkets weren’t so blatantly consumerist-driven and would actually allow customers and staff a time to decompress during the Christmas period.” @Morrisons It's not even a full 2025 and you're already stocking for easter.Kindly get in the bin pic.twitter.com/kLS7DGSRXt — Joseph (@stokegoblin) December 27, 2024 Asked if he was tempted to make a purchase, Mr Robinson added: “As a vegan it holds no appeal to me!” Mike Chalmers, a devout Christian from Chippenham, Wiltshire, was slightly less critical after spotting a display entitled: “Celebrate this Easter with Cadbury.” Easter is for life, not just for Christmas(Photo today in Morrisons!) pic.twitter.com/VmdJ31La9r — Mike Chalmers (@realMChalmers) December 27, 2024 “Christmas and Easter are the two centrepoints of the Christian good news story so it’s no bad thing to see the connections,” the 44-year-old said. “It’s about more than shapes of chocolate though!” Marketing consultant Andrew Wallis admitted he was surprised to see Easter eggs in the Co-op in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire, but added it also illustrates “forward-thinking” from big businesses. Christmas isn’t even over, and Easter eggs are already on the shelves. Say what you want about it—but big brands don’t wait. They plan ahead and act fast. Are you doing the same? Your future self will thank you pic.twitter.com/Sl9qd7sOGS — andrewwallis (@andrewwallis) December 27, 2024 “It made me reflect on how big brands are always thinking ahead and planning early,” the 54-year-old from the Isle of Man, who provides marketing advice to the fitness industry, told PA. “My message to retailers would be: while planning ahead is important, it’s also essential to be mindful of consumer sentiment. “Some might feel it’s too early for seasonal products like this but others might see it as a sign of forward-thinking. “Striking the right balance is key to keeping customers happy.”Fantasy Football Playoffs Tight End Preview: Week 17 Streamers, numbers to know, and more
With a Juan Soto free agent decision looming, the MLB free agent market is largely at a standstill. That has teams like the New York Yankees doing their homework on backup plans if Soto decides to sign elsewhere. The Yankees are considering infielder Willy Adames as a possible backup plan if Soto decides not to sign with them, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com . Adames would fit at shortstop or third base for the Yankees, depending on what they choose to do with Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm. Adames has been a shortstop for his entire career, but has signaled an openness to move to third base in order to expand his market. Volpe played shortstop for the Yankees this season, but he could move to second base to accommodate Adames and replace free agent Gleyber Torres. The Yankees could also move Adames to third and keep Volpe at short while having Chisholm play second. Regarded as one of the game’s best hitting shortstops, Adames hit over 30 home runs last season for the second time in three years. The career .248 hitter has never made an All-Star team, but finished 10th in NL MVP voting with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024. The Yankees will not be alone in their pursuit of him, as he has drawn interest from multiple teams . The Yankees are still regarded as one of the favorites to land Soto. Previous reports indicated the Yankees would likely spread that money around were he to sign elsewhere. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.Although lesser known than Tutankhamuun ’s golden mask or Nefertiti ’s bust, the Narmer Palette is a hugely significant artefact from ancient Egypt . The reason: it boasts a pair of firsts. To begin, it features some of the oldest hieroglyphic inscriptions yet found, leading the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where the palette is on display, to describe it as “the first historical document in the world”. Next, the carved reliefs represent the earliest-known depictions of both Egyptian kingship and of the style of art now so synonymous with the civilisation. From its visualisation of the human form to how different elements of an image are placed and sized, early artefacts like this one established the artistic template used throughout the dynastic period over three millennia. What is the Narmer Palette? Measuring 64 by 42cm and made of flat grey-green siltstone, the Narmer Palette was, as the name suggests, a ceremonial palette resembling the kind that most Egyptians kept in their homes to make their cosmetics. They did so by mixing and grinding coloured minerals and oils together before applying the result to the skin. Makeup held not only aesthetic significance in ancient Egypt, but spiritual. Beauty was a sign of holiness, so the meaning of using ceremonial palettes like this one to depict something important, kingly even, would be widely understood. When was the Narmer Palette found? British archaeologists James Quibell and Frederick Green unearthed the Narmer Palette in near-perfect condition during their 1897-98 excavations. They were digging in the temple of Horus in Nekhen (or Hierakonpolis), which used to be the political and religious heart of Upper Egypt, when they came across an impressive cache of objects. This ‘Main Deposit’ had been ritually buried and included hundreds of artefacts, including statues, ivories, and the so-called Narmer Macehead – a decorative stone mace head. Who is depicted on the Narmer Palette? The Narmer who is thought to be depicted on the palette was a pharaoh in the earliest days of the dynastic period , credited with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3200–2900 BC. Both sides of the Narmer Palette are decorated to celebrate his deeds. His name appears in a serekh (a square cartouche) at the top, in between bovine heads that may represent the goddess Bat or Hathor. On the Recto side, an oversized Narmer wears the white crown of Upper Egypt as he prepares to smite an enemy with a mace. His sandal bearer stands nearby, while the falcon god Horus stands on papyrus flowers (a symbol of Lower Egypt) and holds another prisoner with a rope. The Verso side is busier: the king, in the top-left corner, is again accompanied by his sandal bearer, but this time wears the red crown of Lower Egypt. Ahead of a procession of standard bearers are lines of decapitated and castrated prisoners. What draws the eye most on the Verso side, however, are two mythical creatures – serpopards, lepoard-like animals with serpentine necks – with their necks entwined and held by attendants. At the bottom, Narmer is seen as a bull trampling an enemy and destroying a fort. The use of both crowns, and possibly even the joining of the serpopards, may symbolise the unification. But it has been suggested the reliefs were not intended to honour a literal deed by Narmer, whether he even succeeded in uniting the kingdoms or not. Instead, the palette could represent a metaphorical bringing together of all lands and cosmos under the power of king. Through him, there was the balance of order, or ma’at to the Egyptians.House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics reportThe United States has identified a ninth telecommunications company compromised by Salt Typhoon, a cyberespionage campaign allegedly linked to China. This announcement comes amid various following what some lawmakers have described as the most significant telecommunications breach in American history. Salt Typhoon, previously alleged to have , uses sophisticated techniques to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The attackers reportedly extracted a large amount of metadata, enabling them to geolocate millions of individuals and potentially record calls. The group has also targeted government officials and political figures. Anne Neuberger, the U.S. deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, confirmed the addition of another unnamed telecom to the list of victims. The US government has repeatedly accused China of conducting cyberattacks against American businesses and government institutions. China, however, denies these allegations and maintains that it is opposed to all cyberattacks. The discovery of a ninth compromised telecom is concerning, as it suggests the campaign's scope may be broader than initially believed. While the specific companies involved remain undisclosed, the US government's warning serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within the telecommunications sector. Telecom companies worldwide, particularly those in the US and allied nations, must significantly strengthen their cybersecurity to defend against Salt Typhoon and other cyberespionage threats. The US government is taking steps to mitigate this threat, but it is clear that more needs to be done to secure US telecom networks. Source:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jacob Ognacevic's 20 points helped Lipscomb defeat Southeast Missouri State 78-60 on Thursday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jacob Ognacevic's 20 points helped Lipscomb defeat Southeast Missouri State 78-60 on Thursday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jacob Ognacevic’s 20 points helped Lipscomb defeat Southeast Missouri State 78-60 on Thursday. Ognacevic added seven rebounds for the Bisons (6-4). Gyasi Powell scored 19 points, going 6 of 9 (5 for 8 from 3-point range). Dylan Faulkner shot 5 of 8 from the field and 3 for 6 from the line to finish with 13 points, while adding nine rebounds. Troy Cole Jr. finished with 10 points and six rebounds for the Redhawks (3-5). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement
Blame it on the food and drink?It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." Something in the kitchen was contaminated In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." But how did the drugs get into the kitchen? A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." New information sent to WADA ... eventually This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not."
Brady Corporation elects Board of Directors and declares regular dividend to shareholdersStocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. The Dow rose 1% as it nudged past its most recent high set last week, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. It's now within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.63 points to 5,969.34. The Dow climbed 426.16 points to 44,296.51, and the Nasdaq picked up 42.65 points to close at 2,406.67. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December.