Big Ten slate features Indiana-Ohio State showdown and Penn State-Minnesota matchup
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Nebraska women’s basketball player Callin Hake summed it up as well as anyone could. “I think in South Dakota we shot the crap out of it, which is awesome,” the guard from Minnesota said. On that night last weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Huskers made a school-record 20 3-pointers on 58% shooting beyond the arc in a 113-70 win against South Dakota. That was three more than the previous record, from 2010. Now comes another game against Creighton where the series at times has at times been defined by the 3-point line — both the ability to make and defend it. The 3-point line is something to watch closely again when the Huskers and Bluejays play at 4 p.m. Friday at Sokol Arena in Omaha, a few hours before the men’s teams from the same schools play at CHI Health Center Omaha. Creighton (1-2) has won two straight in the series. Last year, Morgan Maly made three 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the game and Creighton led the entire game while winning 79-74. Creighton didn’t keep its hot 3-point shooting going the entire game but made nine and outscored the Huskers by 18 points beyond the arc. Nebraska was 3-for-21 on 3-pointers. In 2022, Creighton blasted the Huskers 77-51 after making five of its first eight 3-pointers. “One thing I know is they (Creighton) all shoot it pretty well,” Nebraska coach Amy Williams said. “Last year we gave up eight made threes in the first quarter. That’s something we’ll have to shore up. They’re very, very good off the ball with their movement and cuts so you’re positioning really matters. We’ll have to make the hustle plays and not give them second-chance opportunities.” Creighton has won seven of the last eight meetings with the Huskers. The Bluejays are averaging 10.4 made threes per game during the stretch, while Nebraska is averaging 3.6. The 5-0 and 21st-ranked Huskers faced a major dose of adversity this week when sophomore forward Natalie Potts sustained a season-ending knee injury during Tuesday’s game against North Alabama. She’s scheduled for surgery in two weeks. Williams called the injury is “devastating.” “What a start she’s had to the season, leading our team in scoring and rebounding,” Williams said. “She worked really hard this offseason.” Creighton has reached the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons, making the Elite Eight in 2022, the first round in 2023 and the second round in 2024 with several of the same players that are on the team this year. Creighton may be the most experienced team the Huskers face all season, as the Bluejay playing rotation includes five graduate students, two seniors and two juniors. “We’re incredibly familiar with their roster, and they’re incredibly familiar with our roster,” Williams said. Creighton guard Lauren Jensen has already gone off this season, scoring a career-high 32 in an 80-72 win against Drake. She was 6-for-10 on threes and made each of her six two-point shots. One thing new to the series for Nebraska is Britt Prince, the freshman from Elkhorn North getting her first taste of playing against her hometown school. In the past two games combined, Prince is 15 for 21 shooting. She’s driving to the basket, and also shooting 3s. “She’s gotten more aggressive, and I’d like to see her be even more aggressive,” Williams said. The 113-70 win against South Dakota showed the Huskers what it can look like this season. The Huskers zipped passes around the perimeter to get lots of good 3-point chances. Nebraska had 33 assists on 41 field goals. Hake felt like a lot of inside-outside passes helped the Huskers to the fourth-best scoring total in program history. “When you have posts that are willing to kick it out and give you dimes for passes that makes shooting in a guard’s job a lot easier,” Hake said. “I think we really wanted to carry that forward. But we don’t want to live and die by the three.” Nebraska (5-0) G – Britt Prince; 5-11; Fr.; 13.0 G – Callin Hake; 5-8; Jr.; 6.0 G – Alberte Rimdal; 5-9; Sr.; 10.4 G – Logan Nissley; 6-0; So.; 8.0 C – Alexis Markowski; 6-3; Sr.; 13.8 Creighton (1-2) Player; Ht.; Yr.; PPG. G – Molly Mogensen; 5-7; Sr.; 6.0 G – Lauren Jensen; 5-10; Sr.; 21.3 G – Kiani Lockett; 5-8; Jr.; 11.3 G – Mallory Brake; 6-0; Sr.; 2.7 F – Morgan Maly; 6-1; Sr.; 15.3 Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com . On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner. Get local news delivered to your inbox!None
Warren Buffett is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK.A 0.99% ) ( BRK.B 0.95% ) , which has delivered an annual return of 19.8% since Buffett took the helm in 1965. That could have turned an investment of $1,000 into more than $42 million. The same investment in the S&P 500 index would have grown to just $308,115 over the same period. Buffett's simple long-term investing strategy is the secret to Berkshire's success. He likes companies with steady growth, reliable profitability, strong management teams, and shareholder-friendly initiatives like dividends and stock buybacks. You will never see him and his team piling money into the latest stock market trends -- even one as powerful as artificial intelligence (AI). However, four stocks in Berkshire's $292 billion portfolio of publicly listed securities are deploying AI into their legacy businesses in unique ways. 1. Domino's Pizza: 0.2% of Berkshire's portfolio Domino's Pizza ( DPZ 1.68% ) is the world's largest pizza chain with over 21,000 stores in 90 countries, which serve more than 1 million customers every day. Berkshire just added this stock to its portfolio in the third quarter of 2024 (ended Sept. 30), which might be a great sign for the pizza giant considering the conglomerate was a net seller of stocks overall . Domino's puts technologies like AI at the center of its operations, because they drive efficiency, which lowers costs and boosts profits. Thanks to the predictive capabilities of AI, it can start making pizzas before a customer even finishes placing an order. That means each pizza is cooked sooner and reaches the customer faster than ever. The company also uses Microsoft 's Azure OpenAI platform for the computing infrastructure and software required to create powerful AI assistants for its website, which can help customers with their orders. Lastly, AI is going to streamline operations in each store by helping managers save time on day-to-day tasks like inventory management and employee scheduling. 2. Amazon: 0.7% of Berkshire's portfolio Amazon ( AMZN -0.64% ) is the world's largest e-commerce company, but most investors are more focused on its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud business, which is trying to dominate the three core layers of AI: Infrastructure : AWS builds data centers fitted with industry-leading AI chips from suppliers like Nvidia and has designed its own chips, called Trainium and Inferentia. With Trainium, developers can save an estimated 50% on AI training costs compared to using other chips, and Amazon says it's producing more of them than it expected because demand is so high. Large language models (LLMs) : Amazon developed its own family of LLMs called Titan, but the AWS Bedrock platform is also home to the world's leading third-party LLMs like Anthropic's Claude 3.5, and Meta Platforms ' Llama 3.2. Developers use these ready-made LLMs to accelerate the build-out of their AI chatbots and software applications. Software : AWS developed an AI virtual assistant called Q to answer questions about an organization's internal data, and it can be prompted to instantly generate computer code. Amazon says Q is the most powerful assistant in the world for software developers. During the recent third quarter of 2024, Amazon said AI revenue within AWS grew by a triple-digit percentage compared to a year ago, and it's growing more than three times faster than the cloud division did at the same stage of its evolution. Berkshire invested in Amazon stock in 2019, and Buffett has expressed regret for not identifying the opportunity sooner. Even though it represents only 0.7% of the conglomerate's portfolio, it could still deliver spectacular returns over the long run thanks to AI. 3. Coca-Cola: 8.4% of Berkshire's portfolio Berkshire acquired 400 million shares in Coca-Cola ( KO 0.25% ) between 1988 and 1994 at a cost of $1.3 billion. It still holds all of them, and they are now worth $24.7 billion! AI certainly wasn't on Buffett's mind when he decided to invest in the soda giant back then, but it's playing an increasingly important role in the business today. Last year, Coca-Cola appointed a chief of generative AI. So far, the company has used the technology to create marketing campaigns and make a promotional version of its flagship soda called Coca-Cola Y3000. It captures what the drink might taste like in the year 3000 by using AI to analyze high volumes of customer data. Back in April, Coca-Cola also struck a five-year $1.1 billion deal with Microsoft Azure to improve its supply chains, marketing, and productivity. 4. Apple: 23.1% of Berkshire's portfolio Apple ( AAPL 0.59% ) is Berkshire's largest holding. The stock used to account for almost 50% of the conglomerate's entire portfolio, but Buffett sold more than half of his position during the first three quarters of 2024. We don't exactly know why, but Buffett has mentioned at least part of the reason for selling was that he thinks the capital gains tax could rise in the future, so it's beneficial to take profits now. The timing is certainly interesting. On the one hand, the S&P 500 is expensive right now with a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 25.6, which is a 41% premium to its long-term average of 18.1. On the other hand, Apple is on the cusp of realizing an enormous opportunity within the AI space, which could fuel a significant device upgrade cycle over the next few years. The company recently started rolling out its Apple Intelligence software in the latest versions of its iPhone, iPad, and Mac computer lineup. It was developed in partnership with OpenAI. It allows users to summarize messages and emails with a single tap, and it can generate text and images. Plus, Apple's Siri voice assistant will now draw on the knowledge of OpenAI 's ChatGPT, which will make it more powerful than ever. Although Berkshire has been a heavy seller of Apple stock lately, Buffett expects it to remain the conglomerate's largest holding for now. Therefore, the investing legend is still likely to do very well if Apple's AI efforts pay off.
Meta announced that it has taken down 2 million accounts across its platforms since the beginning of the year that are linked to pig butchering and other scams. Most of these accounts originate from Myanmar, Laos, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and Cambodia, which is known for hosting "scam slave" operations. "These criminal scam hubs lure often unsuspecting job seekers with too-good-to-be-true job postings on local job boards, forums and recruitment platforms to then force them to work as online scammers, often under the threat of physical abuse," explains Meta . The primary type of scam carried out by these accounts is 'pig butchering,' a particularly damaging financial investment scam relying on long-term manipulation and advanced deception. Meta removed these accounts from its ecosystem and partnered with law enforcement agencies in those countries to share intelligence to disrupt the scam operations at their core. Scams on social media Meta says 'gangs in the Asia Pacific primarily conduct pig butchering' scams but target users worldwide. The tech giant has been reportedly actively fighting this problem on its platforms for over two years now, seeing an expansion of cybercrime gangs from Cambodia to other places like Laos, Myanmar, and the UAE. The perpetrators, be they forced or conscious, pose as attractive single people or members of government agencies and large companies. They send out generic messages to a large number of users (via DM, SMS, or email), hoping that some of them will respond, a tactic known as 'spray and pray.' Those who engage with the scammers, enter a spiral of deception that takes them to fraudulent investment platforms that appear legitimate but display falsified returns and do not allow money withdrawals apart, maybe from an early exception during the trust-building phase. While it may seem like not many would fall for these scams, the FBI reports that it has become a massive revenue generator for these organized crime groups. The FBI's 2023 Internet Crime Report warned [ PDF ] that investment fraud scams saw a 38% increase from $3.31 billion in 2022 to $4.57 billion in 2023. What Meta is doing about it Meta says it employs a range of measures to try to detect and stop these scams on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, before they have the opportunity to bait users and victimize them. The company lists the following measures in its latest announcement: Users of Meta's platforms are advised to enable two-factor authentication on their accounts, consider the 'selfie verification' pathway to restore access to stolen accounts, and always treat unsolicited communications with caution. Steer clear whenever you're asked for money on social media and communication platforms, whether from people (supposedly) in an emergency or to join in "too good to be true" investment schemes.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for a National Women’s Soccer League expansion team. Major League Soccer’s FC Cincinnati heads the group trying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming that Clark, a rookie for the Indiana Fever this season, had joined in the effort. “The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing women’s professional soccer to our city,” a team statement said. “Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region and influence as an athlete and a role model for women and girls around the world, make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL.” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the 16th team by the end of the year. She announced Friday there are three finalists: Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver. The league’s 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. The Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit play Saturday for this season’s NWSL championship at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. Clark, who earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors, averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and a league-best 8.4 assists this season for the Fever, who finished 20-20 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. “Her accomplishments and contributions to women’s sports is incredible, historic. It’s changed the game for everyone and she’s amazing,” Berman said. “Having her interest in the NWSL is an honor. We couldn’t be more excited about her, having shared her own personal story about having been a young soccer player and loving the game, and her messaging around being a multisport athlete, is so important for young kids who aspire to be just like her.”
8 Potential Trades That Could Transform the Lakers' SeasonENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — What's stoking the Denver Broncos' surprising surge is the growing connection between rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Whenever the Broncos (7-5) need a clutch catch, a key flag or a timely touchdown, Sutton is usually the one delivering it like he did Sunday when he caught eight passes on 10 targets for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns that sparked the Broncos' come-from-behind 29-19 win at Las Vegas. “Courtland played tremendous,” coach Sean Payton said. Again. “He’s just reliable,” Nix said. “He's just always there when you need him.” Sutton's size (6-foot-4 and 216 pounds) and experience (he's in his seventh NFL season) make him an ideal target and safety valve for the rookie QB whose confidence is growing by the week. “He’s smart. He’s savvy. He makes plays when the ball’s in the air,” Nix said. “You can trust him. When it’s up in the air, it’s his or nobody’s. It’s not going to be a pick.” Nix's first touchdown toss to Sutton was an 18-yarder that allowed the QB to break Marlin Briscoe's 1968 Denver rookie record of 14 TD passes, and the two connected again with 5:30 left to make it a two-score game. The Broncos trailed 13-9 at halftime and Nix said they knew they had to get the ball into Sutton's hands more in the second half after he had caught the only pass thrown his way in the first half (for 17 yards). “Didn’t target him (much) in the first half,” Nix said. “We come out and say, ‘Look, Courtland, this is your half.’ We take over the game. He goes for two touchdowns. That just kind of speaks for what he means to our team.” Sutton has been on a tear after since he wasn't targeted a single time in Denver's 33-10 win at New Orleans on Oct. 17. (Payton mentioned as recently as last week what an anomaly that game was because there was a heavy diet of plays for Sutton that just didn't pan out for various reasons.) In his six games before that goose egg, Sutton had 21 catches on 49 targets for 277 yards and a touchdown. In the five games since, he's caught 36 of the 48 balls thrown his way for 467 yards and three TDs. Plus, he threw a touchdown pass to Nix on a “Philly Special” at Baltimore in Week 9. “I think we're just scratching the surface,” Sutton said. Thanks in part to the chemistry between Nix and Sutton, the Broncos are in position for the seventh and final playoff spot entering December. What’s working The passing game, thanks to the Nix-Sutton connection. What needs help The running game. Javonte Williams had just 2 yards on eight carries and Audric Estime ran three times for 15 yards against the Raiders' run-heavy fronts and a steady diet of blitzes. Jaleel McLaughlin saved the day with seven carries for 44 yards. Stock up OLB Nik Bonitto. His 10 sacks make him the first Denver defender with double-digit sacks since 2018, when Von Miller did it. Stock down Once again, the Broncos' special teams, with the exception of K Wil Lutz, who hasn't missed a field goal attempt or extra point since his protection unit cratered at Kansas City three weeks ago and allowed the Chiefs to block what would have been the game-winning kick as time expired. On Sunday, the Raiders had a successful fake punt and a 59-yard kickoff return. Injuries Payton isn't saying much about the injuries to DE Zach Allen (heel) and CB Riley Moss (knee) except that to him they're not serious setbacks for either player. Key number 2 — The Broncos are two games above .500 for the first time since starting the 2021 season with three wins. Next steps The Broncos host Cleveland (3-8) on Monday night ahead of their bye week. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Arnie Stapleton, The Associated Press
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