jili club big win

jili club big win Arsenal moved into second place in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Ipswich at the Emirates. In their final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game midway through the opening period. Arsenal’s victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more than the Reds, and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Ipswich, although much improved in the second half, have now lost five of their last six games, and remain just one place off the bottom of the table, three points away from safety. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/hDd5bkHwXr — Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 27, 2024 Mikel Arteta’s men have been rocked by Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury which could keep the England winger, who has nine goals and 13 assists this season, out of action for the next two months. Gabriel Martinelli was handed the unenviable task of filling Saka’s shoes on Arsenal’s right-hand side and the Brazilian was involved in the only goal of the evening. The Ipswich defence failed to deal with Martinelli’s cross, with the ball falling to Leandro Trossard on the opposite side of the area. Trossard fought his way to the byline before fizzing his cross into the box for Havertz to convert from a matter of yards. It was Havertz’s third goal in four matches, his 12th of the season, and no less than the hosts, who at that stage of the match had enjoyed a staggering 91.4 per cent of the possession, deserved. Heading into Friday’s fixture, Arsenal had lost only one of their last 75 Premier League games when they had opened the scoring, and their triumph here rarely looked in doubt following Havertz’s strike. Three points that take Arsenal into second 🪜 #ARSIPS pic.twitter.com/Dx3s6XlwQ2 — Premier League (@premierleague) December 27, 2024 Havertz thought he had doubled Arsenal’s lead with 34 minutes gone when he converted Gabriel Jesus’ cross. But Jesus – handed his third successive start for the first time in a year – strayed into an offside position in the build-up. When referee Darren England blew for half-time, Ipswich had failed to touch the ball in Arsenal’s box, becoming just the second side to do so in the Premier League this season. Nottingham Forest were the other, away at Liverpool, before they went on to inflict Arne Slot’s sole defeat of his tenure so far. And for all of Arsenal’s possession, while they held just a one-goal advantage, Ipswich knew they were still in the game. An encouraging start to the second half for the Tractor Boys ensued, albeit without testing David Raya in the Arsenal goal. Shortly after the hour mark, Gabriel should have settled any growing Emirates nerves when he arrived unmarked to Declan Rice’s corner, but the defender headed wide of Arijanet Muric’s post when it looked easier to score. Just over an hour on the clock. #ARSIPS pic.twitter.com/JXNipX1J1Z — IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) December 27, 2024 Martin Odegaard then forced a fine fingertip save from Muric at his near post after a mazy run and shot from the Arsenal skipper. Rice’s stinging goal-bound volley from the following corner was blocked by Dara O’Shea as Arsenal pushed for a game-killing second. Havertz should have tapped home Trossard’s header but he fluffed his lines. And moments later, substitute Mikel Merino’s effort was diverted from danger by a diving Muric. Ipswich looked to catch Arsenal on the counter, but the match ended without them registering a single effort on Raya’s goal. Ipswich fans goaded their opponents with chants of “boring, boring Arsenal”, but it was the Gunners who enjoyed the last laugh as they saw out 2024 with a win which keeps the pressure on Liverpool.Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died 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. 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. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought. Starbucks workers begin strikes that could spread to hundreds of US stores by Christmas Eve Workers at U.S. Starbucks stores have begun a five-day strike to protest a lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company. The strikes began in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Workers at 535 of the 10,000 company-owned Starbucks stores in the U.S. have voted to unionize. The Starbucks Workers United union accuses the Seattle-based coffeehouse chain of failing to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. Starbucks says the union prematurely left the bargaining table this week. It said Friday there's been no significant impact to store operations. It's beginning to look like another record for holiday travel Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. The two weekends on either side of Christmas are tempting a lot of people to head out earlier. U.S. airlines expect to have their busiest days to be Friday and Sunday this week and next Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday was not expected to immediately affect flights and airport operations. Amazon workers are striking at multiple facilities. Here's what you should know Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are on strike for a second day at seven of the company’s delivery hubs just days before Christmas. At midnight on Saturday, the Teamsters say workers at a prominent unionized warehouse in New York will also join. The union has not indicated how many employees were participating in the walkout or when it will end. The Teamsters say the workers were continuing their strike on Friday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. The company says it doesn’t expect the strikes taking place in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, and Skokie, Illinois, to impact holiday shipments.

We must think historically to cool down our post-election emotions. Historical perspectives clarify our recent presidential election and lower its post-election temperature. Let’s start with feudalism, of kings and lords, which we inherited from our Anglo-European past which had ruled the known world for over a millennium. Then, the American Revolution came and overthrew feudalism and ushered in a new democratic system, governed by ourselves and leaders chosen by us according to our own precepts of freedom. This post-feudal new world lasted for over two centuries — until this past Nov. 5. Contrary to its conventional images of the Dark Ages and oppression, a few scholars have considered feudalism as an ideal system of social order and as a pre-modern community of peace and harmony. As historical fact, this idyllic feudalism, where lords and peasants lived in good order and harmony, came to its end: Earth-shaking events were coming in waves, most notably in scientific discoveries, religious revolts, radical perspectives in Renaissance and Enlightenment, and the emboldening New World — which told feudal rulers that their time was up. Two types of responses, quite fateful for their historic consequences, emerged from feudal societies to face the inevitable “modern” world: One from the Old World and the other from the New World. The Old World, mostly European, decided to welcome the new developments by prudently combining their existing tradition, religion and habits with the new ways of thinking — half-feudal and half-democratic — that would accommodate the changes without destroying their old system. With this new combination, where society is modern but people think traditional, the Old World kept its community and social order in a form generally known as “social democracy” which continues today in most European nations. The New World produced a rather different response. With the backdrop of open land and physical distance from the Old World, the American colonies chose a completely radical break from feudalism. Following the Revolution, the New World realized humanity’s fondest dream of “liberal democracy” (emphasizing individual liberty, unlike Europe’s social democracy), as the new model for idealized self-governance and America’s own self-image as “the Shining City on a Hill.” Liberal democracy satisfied the restless American soul for nearly two centuries, first with wide open frontier society of freedom and equality and later with consumer capitalism to its heart’s content. No nation on Earth or in history had enjoyed the range of physical comfort and convenience like post-World War II American consumers. The age of affluence was upon America, which created an entirely new kind of human generations and personality: The typically solitary American consumer lived in a post-human society, always restless in search of something better for himself. He wanted everything he consumed to be better than before, faster and louder, more thrilling and pleasing. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Hollywood responded with the entertainment revolution, expanding three television channels to 3,000 with cable TV, then to three million with the internet to meet the new demands. America even conquered the time-and-space limitations of nature: entertainment was now always available across time and space — night or day, here or yonder, at will. Upon the consumer’s instant command, movie stars sang, danced, and told jokes and athletes ran and jumped — all to please the new lord. In this society where everything seemed possible and available, the line of sanity between reality and fantasy blurred, and the largely frivolous “choices” covered up the harsh conditions of powerlessness for the masses under the liberal-democratic version of the American Dream. Liberal democracy is both a blessing and a curse. As a blessing, it allows maximum individual indulgences. As the curse, the very nature of individual choice makes it difficult for us to control the consequences of our own choice. Such a system requires a high degree of citizen intelligence and social consciousness. It’s like giving a child a loaded gun and expecting a happy ending. With the gun, the child already possesses the power not to be responsible, like those who struggle with credit cards, even with pre-set limits. No such systems ever survived their own indulgences, and America’s libertine (woke?) anything-goes culture — expertly orchestrated by America’s best and brightest — could not moderate its own civic degeneration. These master psychologists, working for politicians and corporations, kept us deep in our own cesspool, flailing with minor daily irritations that morphed into major political wraths. Under Democrats, life was a sweet dream only in illusion or hypocrisy as our economic cruelty did not (and does not) allow such fantasies to become reality. With the world’s largest wealth-poverty gap, individual lives can improve indefinitely only in Hollywood dreams and Disney fantasies. Soon Democrats, already characterized as an “elitist” party, were seen as largely unrelated to the actual daily lives of working Americans. Still dreaming of the pre-capitalist era, liberal America had become ungovernable and its lives unlivable. The stage was now set for Donald Trump who promised to clear the liberal swamp with his imperial magic wand. Back in power, he is remaking everything in America except money and entertainment. This way, Trump is having the best of both worlds — populist and capitalist: He gets votes from dumb masses and dollars from smart billionaires. Democrats are just in shock and awe of his genius. As democracy replaced feudalism, Trump’s imperial democracy is replacing liberal democracy. In this new era that began on Nov. 5, we have taken our first baby steps, like Adam and Eve after the fall, toward an entirely unknown future — both foreboding and expectant. There, waiting for us is the judgment on the liberal fruit of indulgence that we had picked and consumed, a gift from the capitalist-serpent who whispered to us that we could live “as gods.” Historians would write the rest. Jon Huer, columnist for the Recorder and retired professor, lives in Greenfield and writes for posterity.Donald Trump doesn’t exactly have a great record with musicians. He’s infamous for stealing their music and racking up cease-and-desist letters— and even lawsuits —because they don’t want to have any association with him. Unless you’re still hanging onto that Kid Rock poster you bought in the early aughts, you can take some small comfort in knowing that some of your favorite artists are not Trump fans. Earlier this year, Swift’s success has had the Republican world of conspiracists and misogynists claiming the mega pop star was a “deep state” psychological operation created to shift the election away from Trump. In September, she endorsed Kamala Harris —which of course drove conservatives absolutely mad . It made Trump so mad, he posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on his social media site. x x YouTube Video The Puerto Rican popstar backed Kamala Harris on Instagram to his 45 million followers after racist comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “ floating island of garbage ” at Trump’s Nazi-inspired rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. x x YouTube Video A longtime critic of Trump , the rapper loaned his talents to Vice President Kamala’s campaign at a rally in Michigan, alongside former President Barack Obama. x x YouTube Video Cher endorsed Harris in October, but her history of slamming Trump goes all the way back to his first run for the White House, when she called him “a fucking idiot.” x x YouTube Video The legendary folk singer made it clear she would vote against the orange one if she were a U.S. citizen. “Fuck Donald Trump,” she declared at a concert in October. x x YouTube Video The Puerto Rican superstar singer and actor cut a powerful promo for the Harris campaign, reminding Hispanic voters of Trump’s bigotry. x x YouTube Video Grant took Trump to court for his use of Grant’s hit song “Electric Avenue,” in 2020— and won! x x YouTube Video Trump’s unauthorized use of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” led the group to reunite long enough to slap him with a lawsuit . The front man of the group, Jack White, posted a damning statement on his Instagram account on Election Day. “Americans chose a known, obvious fascist and now America will get whatever this wannabe dictator wants to enact from here on in,” he wrote . x x YouTube Video Williams sent Trump a cease-and-desist letter for playing his hit “Happy” at Trump’s ill-advised rally the same day 11 people were murdered at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburg, in October 2018. “On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist’, you played his song Happy to a crowd at a political event in Indiana,” the letter said. “There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose.” x x YouTube Video In 2020, he sued Trump over the unauthorized use of his music. “The Plaintiff in good conscience cannot allow his music to be used as a ‘theme song’ for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate,” his lawyer wrote in the court filing. x x YouTube Video Beyoncé was one of the many artists demanding Trump stop using their music at rallies. Not only did she tell him to stop playing her hit song “Freedom,” but she gave the Harris campaign explicit permission to use it as Harris’ campaign theme song. x x YouTube Video The music legend penned an anthem for women in service of the anti-Trump movement during this year’s election. x x YouTube Video The Boss released a full video detailing exactly why he was not going to vote for Trump. x x YouTube Video

iOS 18 Updates: It is anticipated that the update will improve overall stability and performance for users running iOS 18.2. iOS 18 Updates : Apple, the Cupertino-based tech giant, is reportedly in the final stages of testing iOS 18.2.1, the next incremental update for iPhone users. According to recent reports from MacRumors, the software is currently in internal testing and is expected to be released soon, likely by late December or early January. Meanwhile, the official details from tech giant Apple have yet to be disclosed, iOS 18.2.1 is expected to be a minor update, mainly focused on bug fixes and addressing ongoing security vulnerabilities. As with most updates of this nature, the specific issues being resolved remain unclear. However, it is anticipated that the update will improve overall stability and performance for users running iOS 18.2. According to MacRumors, the much anticipated update follows the release of iOS 18.2, which debuted earlier in December. iOS 18.2 introduced several new features, particularly for the latest iPhone models, such as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 series. In the iOS 18.2 update has included advanced Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji, Image Playground, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. Apple Find My App Gets Major Upgrade Adding further, the Find My app received a major upgrade, enabling users to share the location of AirTag-equipped baggage with select airlines, including Delta, United, and Air Canada, for easier tracking of lost or delayed luggage. Apple iOS 18.2.1 Moreover, iOS 18.2.1 is unlikely to introduce major new features, it is expected to enhance the stability and security of devices already running iOS 18.2. Apple is also reportedly testing iOS 18.3 with developers and public beta testers. However, that update is not anticipated to bring significant changes and is expected to focus on fine-tuning the overall user experience. The release of iOS 18.3 is currently expected sometime in January 2024. In parallel, MacRumors has reported that macOS 15.2.1 is also in development, suggesting a similar update for Mac users could be on the horizon. (With Inputs From ANI) Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota's first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area's indigenous and cultural heritage. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota's first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area's indigenous and cultural heritage. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota’s first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area’s indigenous and cultural heritage. The proposed Maah Daah Hey National Monument would encompass 11 noncontiguous, newly designated units totaling 139,729 acres (56,546 hectares) in the Little Missouri National Grassland. The proposed units would hug the popular recreation trail of the same name and neighbor Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named for the 26th president who ranched and roamed in the Badlands as a young man in the 1880s. “When you tell the story of landscape, you have to tell the story of people,” said Michael Barthelemy, an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and director of Native American studies at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. “You have to tell the story of the people that first inhabited those places and the symbiotic relationship between the people and the landscape, how the people worked to shape the land and how the land worked to shape the people.” The National Park Service oversees national monuments, which are similar to national parks and usually designated by the president to protect the landscape’s features. Supporters have traveled twice to Washington to meet with White House, Interior Department, Forest Service and Department of Agriculture officials. But the effort faces an uphill battle with less than two months remaining in Biden’s term and potential headwinds in President-elect Donald Trump ‘s incoming administration. If unsuccessful, the group would turn to the Trump administration “because we believe this is a good idea regardless of who’s president,” Dakota Resource Council Executive Director Scott Skokos said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Dozens if not hundreds of oil and natural gas wells dot the landscape where the proposed monument would span, according to the supporters’ map. But the proposed units have no oil and gas leases, private inholdings or surface occupancy, and no grazing leases would be removed, said North Dakota Wildlife Federation Executive Director John Bradley. The proposal is supported by the MHA Nation, the Spirit Lake Tribe and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe through council resolutions. If created, the monument would help tribal citizens stay connected to their identity, said Democratic state Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, an MHA Nation enrolled member. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service, including national monuments. In a written statement, Burgum said: “North Dakota is proof that we can protect our precious parks, cultural heritage and natural resources AND responsibly develop our vast energy resources.” North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven’s office said Friday was the first they had heard of the proposal, “but any effort that would make it harder for ranchers to operate and that could restrict multiple use, including energy development, is going to raise concerns with Senator Hoeven.” Advertisement Advertisement

Donald Hand Jr. racked up a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to help Boston College stave off visiting Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Chad Venning added 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Dion Brown contributed eight points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Eagles (8-5) wrapped up their nonconference slate with just their second win in six games. Ahmed Barba-Bey, a grad transfer from Division II, exploded for a season-high 31 points to power FDU (4-11). Barba-Bey buried 8 of 9 attempts from the 3-point arc. Terrence Brown added 15 of his 20 points in the second half, as the Knights made it close before falling to 0-10 on the road this season. Bismark Nsiah scored 10 points. Boston College led 70-59 with 3:39 to play when Barba-Bey was fouled attempting a corner 3. He made all three of his foul shots, and after a stop Brown got to the bucket to cut FDU's deficit to six. It was 72-67 when Venning made a clutch turnaround jumper from the high post with 51 seconds left. Boston College let Barba-Bey get loose for his eighth 3-pointer, pulling FDU within four, its closest margin of the half. But Hand drove to the basket and scored with 29 seconds on the clock, and FDU was out of time. The Knights trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, but Barba-Bey kept them in the game. He made a fastbreak layup off Brown's steal and added a 3-pointer on the next possession, turning what was a 10-point deficit to a manageable 29-24 game. Boston College led 38-28 at halftime, with Hand scoring 15 for the hosts and Barba-Bey pouring in 16 for the Knights, including 4-of-5 shooting from deep. FDU pulled within nine points three times in the early stages of the second half, the third coming when Nsiah knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 56-47 with about 10 minutes to go. --Field Level MediaRising From The East, Sweeping Across The Globe, Double Dutch Shanghai Vol.8 Ignites Shanghai

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Justin Jefferson might be weary of all the safeties shadowing his every route, determined not to let the Minnesota Vikings go deep, but he's hardly angry. The double and triple coverage he continually faces, after all, is a sign of immense respect for his game-breaking ability. The strategy also simply makes sense. “I would do the same," Jefferson said. "It’s either let everybody else go off or let Justin go off. I’m going to let everybody else go off. That would be my game plan.” When the Vikings visit Chicago on Sunday, they're expecting the usual heavy dose of split-safety coverage designed to put a lid on the passing attack and force them to operate primarily underneath. “We see that every week: Teams just have different tendencies on film, and then when we go out on the field they play us totally different,” Jefferson said, later adding: “I don’t really feel like anyone else is getting played how I’m getting played.” Jefferson nonetheless is second in the NFL in receiving yards (912) behind Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase, his former college teammate at LSU. Last week, Jefferson set yet another all-time record by passing Torry Holt for the most receiving yards over the first five seasons of a career. Holt logged 80 regular-season games and accumulated 6,784 yards for St. Louis. Jefferson has 6,811 yards — in just 70 games. “I want to go up against those single coverages. I want to go have my opportunities to catch a deep pass downfield, just one-on-one coverage, like a lot of these other receivers get," Jefferson said. "It’s definitely difficult going up against an extra person or an extra two people, but it is what it is and the concepts that we’re drawing up and the ways that we’re trying to get me open, it definitely helps.” With fellow tight end Josh Oliver ruled out of the game on Sunday because of a sprained ankle, T.J. Hockenson is certain to have his heaviest workload since returning from knee surgery four weeks ago. He's also certain that Jefferson will continue to see persistent double-teams. “It puts it on us to make some plays and do some things to get them out of that,” Hockenson said. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has been forced to dig deeper into the vault of play designs and game plans to help keep quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense on track. O'Connell said after Minnesota's 12-7 win at Jacksonville, when Darnold threw three interceptions to precipitate a safer strategy down the stretch, that he superseded his play-calling role with the wisdom of a head coach to help win that game. "Not just the egomaniac of wanting to score points and constantly show everybody how smart we are. There was a mode that I think you have to go into sometimes to ensure a victory,” O'Connell said on his weekly show on KFAN radio. Taking what the defense gives is usually the shrewdest strategy. “You’ve got to really implement some new things and some things that maybe you didn’t come across during your early coaching years whether as a coordinator or position coach or even when you’re responsible for a small area of the game plan as a younger coach," O'Connell said. "You really have to kind of look outside the lens of always what you see on tape.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLKILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she suffered an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just can’t move,” she said later in a video posted on social media . “I have a pretty good abrasion and something stabbed me. ... I’m so sorry to scare everybody. It looks like all scans so far are clear.” She plans to skip the slalom race Sunday, writing on Instagram she will be “cheering from the sideline.” The 29-year-old was leading after the first run of the GS and charging for her 100th World Cup win. She was within sight of the finish line, five gates onto Killington’s steep finish pitch, when she an outside edge. She hit a gate and did a somersault before sliding into another gate. The fencing slowed her momentum as she came to an abrupt stop. Reigning Olympic GS champion Sara Hector of Sweden won in a combined time of 1 minute, 53.08 seconds. Zrinka Ljutic of Croatia was second and Swiss racer Camille Rast took third. The Americans saw Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien finish fifth and sixth. “It’s just so sad, of course, to see Mikaela crash like that and skiing so well,” Hector said on the broadcast after her win. “It breaks my heart and everybody else here.” The crash was a surprise for everyone. Shiffrin rarely DNFs — ski racing parlance for “did not finish.” In 274 World Cup starts, she DNF'd only 18 times. The last time she DNF'd in GS was January 2018. Shiffrin also has not suffered any devastating injuries. In her 14-year career, she has rehabbed only two on-hill injuries: a torn medial collateral ligament and bone bruising in her right knee in December 2015 and a sprained MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her left knee after a downhill crash in January 2024. Neither knee injury required surgery, and both times, Shiffrin was back to racing within two months. Saturday was shaping up to be a banner day for Shiffrin, who skied flawlessly in the first run and held a 0.32-second lead as she chased after her 100th World Cup win. Shiffrin, who grew up in both New Hampshire and Colorado and sharpened her skills at nearby Burke Mountain Academy, has long been a fan favorite. Shiffrin is driven not so much by wins but by arcing the perfect run. She has shattered so many records along the way. She passed Lindsey Vonn’s women’s mark of 82 World Cup victories on Jan. 24, 2023, during a giant slalom in Kronplatz, Italy. That March, Shiffrin broke Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark’s Alpine mark for most World Cup wins when she captured her 87th career race. To date, she has earned five overall World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals — along with a silver — and seven world championships. In other FIS Alpine World Cup news, the Tremblant World Cup — two women’s giant slaloms at Quebec’s Mont-Tremblant scheduled for next weekend — were canceled. Killington got 21 inches of snow on Thanksgiving Day, but Tremblant — five hours north of Killington — had to cancel its races because of a lack of snow. AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report. More AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, The Business Journal hosted its 11th annual Best of Central Valley Business Awards dinner. Some of the Valley’s biggest names in business were in attendance at Pardini’s Catering to celebrate their achievements and be featured as one of the Valley’s top honorees, voted on by readers of The Business Journal. Today, The Business Journal highlights its essential services and community impact award recipients. Congratulations to all winners. 1st Finalist: Central California Food Bank 2nd Finalist: Hinds Hospice For the first time since 2022, the Marjaree Mason Center finds itself back in the top spot for this year’s Best of the Central Valley Business Awards Best Nonprofit category, beating out finalists Central California Food Bank and Hinds Hospice in this year’s voting. “Being named a finalist in the Best of Central Valley Awards Best Non-Profit category is a true honor and a testament to the incredible work taking place to serve survivors of domestic violence in our community,” said Marjaree Mason Center CEO Nicole Linder. “This recognition not only highlights our commitment to survivors and their children, but also celebrates the collective efforts of our team, our partners, and our donors who share our vision for a community free of domestic violence.” Founded in 1978 after the murder of the center’s namesake — Marjaree Mason — the Marjaree Mason Center advocates for victims of domestic violence, helping provide shelter, resources, legal aid and more to those in need. The Marjaree Mason Center’s new Isnardi Foundation Community Resource Center is scheduled to open its doors this month, doubling the capacity of the center’s non-residential services. The building will house the nonprofit’s 24/7 trauma center, drop-in center, non-residential survivor services, group therapy and more. The organization has tirelessly raised funds for several years since acquiring the building, formerly Milan Institute, hosting match donation campaigns for the $21 million project. Paired with the expected opening of the Isnardi Foundation Building, the Marjaree Mason Center also introduced its new logo this year. Their new logo, featuring a butterfly, represents transformation, resilience and freedom, reflecting on the challenging journey survivors of domestic violence face. 1st Finalist: Quiring General 2nd Finalist: Pickett & Sons Construction Inc. This is the second year in a row that Harris Construction was voted as the Best Local Construction Firm. Since its founding in 1914, Harris Construction has grown its legacy spanning over five generations, becoming a prominent builder in multiple sectors, including education, civic and public safety, health care, industrial and private ventures. A statement from Harris Construction said the repeated recognition as the Best Local Construction firm is a testament to the company’s commitment to honesty, integrity, customer satisfaction and community involvement. The Harris team has spent years dedicated to building strong relationships, delivering exceptional projects and giving back to the community. This year, Harris Construction successfully completed several projects, including the Child Development Center for Fresno City College, The Fairmont Elementary School Ag Farm For Sanger Unified School District, and the Video Broadcasting Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. There is also significant progress done on new school projects including Sanger West High School Phase III, The Terry Bradley Ed Center for Clovis Unified School District, and just starting the new King Husein Elementary School for Madera Unified School District. “As we look ahead to 2025, we are optimistic about the future. We will start new construction on two civic buildings (Reedley and Clovis) late in the year, amongst other new educational and civic projects, plus the continuation of our other large educational and civic projects. Our goal is to continue delivering exceptional results and building on our reputation as a leading contractor in both Central and Coastal California,” a statement from Harris Construction read. 1st Finalist: Noble Credit Union 2nd Finalist: Golden 1 Credit Union The Best Credit Union category for 2024 represents a homecoming for EECU (Educational Employees Credit Union) as it won the category for the 10th year after just missing the top spot in 2023. EECU is the Central Valley’s largest member-owned credit union, with $4.6 billion in assets and 367,087 members as of 2023. Elizabeth Dooley is the CEO. The win is extra special for EECU as it celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, founded in 1934. With new branches, ATMs, loan products and other services, the credit union aims to serve members where their financial needs live. At EECU, we are always looking for ways to better serve our members. Earlier this year we launched our mobile branch, which helps us make banking services more accessible – especially for those in more rural areas who can’t easily visit a branch or ATM,” said Mark V. Perez, senior VP of lending and marketing. “We also opened an ATM in West Fresno – the only full-service credit union ATM in the 93706-zip code. In addition to expanding services, we provide free financial wellness education to people of all ages, and we continue to support numerous organizations, programs and events in the community as we prioritize giving back to the communities we are so proud to serve.” 1st Finalist: Valley Children’s Hospital 2nd Finalist: Saint Agnes Medical Center Clovis Community Medical Center (CCMC) has been named “Best Hospital” for the tenth time in this year’s competition, reflecting a quality of care and commitment to excellence shown by the team. CCMC has been voted “Best Hospital” in all but one of the 11 years of The Business Journal’s Best Of awards presentations. Last year, Kaiser Permanente took home the title, with CCMC honored as 1st Finalist. “We are humbled by this honor, knowing it represents the efforts of our doctors, nurses, support staff, and the community we serve,” said Alan Christianson, VP, chief operating officer at CCMC. “This accolade is a testament to the unwavering dedication and commitment of our entire team, where each member plays a vital role in creating an environment of healing and hope, and this inspires us to continue pushing the boundaries of excellence in healthcare.” CCMC is one of four Community Health System inpatient hospitals in the area. The hospital was first established in 1965 and has seen several expansions. It was renamed Clovis Community Hospital in 1982 and opened at its current location in 1988. Over the past decade, CCMC has seen expansion in its emergency department, pharmacy, laboratory and other services, as well as expansion of its outpatient care center, parking facilities and more in order to meet the growing needs of care in the area. 1st Finalist: Facility Designs 2nd Finalist: JP Marketing In 1969 La Tapatia Tortilleria started as a side business after Helen Hansen bought her first set of tortilla making equipment, making tortillas in the evenings and weekends after her shift at the grain factory. Decades later, the company has become a Central Valley staple and nothing short of a household name with products being sold in grocery stores up and down the Central Valley. It has won in the Best Women-Owned Business category for the fifth time — and the first since 2022. For Yvette Cuellar, Hansen’s daughter and director of public relations and marketing for the company, this achievement is an honor. “Being a finalist, or even being included in the voting to begin with, feels like a very humbling and prestigious honor,” said Cuellar. “It really means a lot to us that our company is important or meaningful to others, especially because we are a locally based family company.” As it’s grown, La Tapatia Tortilleria has had the opportunity to give back to the community through sponsorships, donations to nonprofits and participating in community outreach events. Cuellar attributes this, along with maintaining a face-to-face relationship with customers, to the success of the business, which ships globally. “I think being out and participating in the community has helped put a face to the company, and keep us at the forefront of people’s minds,” said Cuellar. 1st Finalist: Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant—The Harris Family 2nd Finalist: De Young Properties—The De Young Family This is the sixth time that Business Journal voters have chosen Wawona Frozen Foods, owned by the Smittcamp Family, as the Best Family Owned Business. It’s their first win since 2021. Since 1963, Wawona Frozen Foods has been a purveyor of various frozen fruits, including peaches, pears, strawberries, plums and more. The company is an industry leader that ships more than 100 million pounds of frozen fruit annually. The company was founded by Earl Smittcamp, and later ran by his children. Bob Smittcamp passed away in 2021, and Wawona Frozen Foods is led today by CEO Bill Smittcamp. Wawona Frozen Foods employs nearly 300 full-time employees. Each year, employees raise money for Valley Children’s Hospital, with Wawona matching those funds. Marketing Manager Blair Smittcamp said the family is incredibly honored to be nominated for the Best Family Owned Business. She said they are proud to be a third-generation family-owned company. The family would like to see Bill retire and take some time for himself, but “it’s not in his blood,” Blair said. “We love the opportunity to share the fruits of our labor, literally and figuratively. The Fresno/Clovis area has been so good to us and we love to give back. The support that we have for the community is unwavering,” Blair said. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, The Business Journal hosted its 11th Access Plus Capital, a nonprofit community development financial institution that On Tuesday, Dec. 10, The Business Journal hosted its 11th After a year of franchising challenges, including a delay with

Facing SC State, Georgia aims for best start in nearly a centuryThe "Juan Soto sweepstakes" are taking over baseball this winter. Most of the league seems to be at a complete standstill as everybody holds their breath and waits for Soto to sign. There are basically five teams left in the running to acquire Soto: the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Toronto Blue Jays. Make that six teams, if you want to count the Philadelphia Phillies. Each team has its own recruiting pitch. For the Red Sox, they're going with an all-hands-on-deck approach, which includes Red Sox legend David Ortiz making a pitch to Soto. Ortiz and Soto have a good relationship that's dated back years. Ortiz was recently asked how he would speak to Soto in order to help recruit him to Boston. "I would just tell him it's a great organization. I would tell him to surround yourself with a good organization. I have a very good relationship with Juan. If I see him before in the Dominican where we live, and we talk, I would tell him that the finances, you know, the finances are whatever, they'll take care of themselves," Ortiz told Newsweek Sports on Friday. "I would love for him to go to the Red Sox. He's a phenomenal player. Go to a good organization. The Red Sox are a great organization; they take care of their players." With the Red Sox emerging as one of the top suitors, to have such a well-respected member of the Baseball Hall of Fame recruiting Soto to play in Boston is going to be pretty tough to look past. Soto and Ortiz's personal relationship has opened the door for the Red Sox to sign the $650 million superstar. Now it's up to the front office to get the deal done. Ortiz spoke to Newsweek while attending his 16th Annual "Weekend With Papi" Celebrity Gold Classic, raising money for the David Ortiz Childen's Fund, which raises money for lifesaving pediatric heart surgeries in the Dominican Republic and New England. As part of his fundraising efforts, Ortiz is holding a silent auction loaded with priceless items that will be live until Saturday, Nov. 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can also donate to the cause on the David Ortiz Childen Fund's website . More MLB: Red Sox, Tigers, Astros Listed As Potential Fits For $119 Million World Series Legend