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After a thrilling conference championship Saturday and a drawn-out reveal show Sunday, the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field is set. The first true tournament in FBS history has plenty to love -- and elements to loathe. What Went Right: Unique opening-round matchups Whether the first round proves to be more competitive than the four-team Playoff's often lopsided semifinal matchups remains to be seen. Until then, there is at least intrigue in the historic rarity of the four pairings. One opening-round matchup -- ACC automatic qualifier Clemson at Texas -- is a first-time encounter between two programs that combine for seven claimed national championships. Of the other three, the most recent contest occurred in 1996 when Tennessee topped Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl. The Vols and Buckeyes meet as the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds at Ohio State's Horseshoe, with the winner advancing to face top overall seed Oregon. SMU, a perhaps surprising final at-large selection given the Mustangs' dearth of high-profile wins, meets Penn State for the third time ever and first since 1978. The Nittany Lions scored a 26-21 come-from-behind win in Happy Valley, where they will again host SMU. The Penn State victory ended a 30-year stalemate after the first and only meeting in the 1948 Cotton Bowl produced a 13-13 tie. Here's hoping the third part of a 76-year trilogy is as closely contested as the initial two. Meanwhile, the matchup with the most previous installments is the closest in proximity -- less than 200 miles separate in-state counterparts Indiana and Notre Dame -- and the most lopsided. The Fighting Irish and Hoosiers last played in 1991, with Notre Dame's 49-27 win marking its sixth straight victory by multiple scores. Indiana's last win in the series came in 1950, a 20-7 Hoosiers victory in Bloomington. What Went Right: Boise State's big opportunity Although not the first outsider to reach or win a Bowl Championship Series game, Boise State's 2007 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma was arguably the most pivotal moment in building support for outsiders to compete for the national championship. The Broncos spent two decades knocking on the door, beginning with their perfect 2004 regular season, extending through two Fiesta Bowl wins, and withstanding the heartbreak of late-season losses in 2010 and 2011. The celebration in response to Boise State being part of the bracket -- and not just in, but as the No. 3 seed with a bye into the quarterfinals -- marked a culmination of generations of effort for just this opportunity. What Went Right: ‘Football weather' comes to the postseason From the birth of the bowl system with the first-ever Rose Bowl Game, college football's postseason has resided primarily in warm-weather destinations. This makes sense for the original purpose of bowl games as showcases and celebrations of a team's regular-season performance, but less so for the goal of crowning a national champion. After decades of playing what often amounted to road games in the postseason, northern teams get their opportunity to host. Three of the four first-round contests are in such climates -- though Indiana won't be particularly disadvantaged by weather when playing Notre Dame in South Bend. With average December highs in Pennsylvania in the 30s, SMU will need its heaters on the sideline at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. The more intriguing trip, however, is Tennessee's to Ohio State. Longtime college football fans know the arguments about SEC teams playing in Big Ten country late in the year. Pitting two high-quality teams from the two leagues head-to-head in such conditions is a highlight of this new postseason system. And, given Tennessee and Ohio State have two of the nation's best defenses, expect a style of play befitting what is often described as football weather. What Went Wrong: More teams means more politicking When Mack Brown seemingly spent as much time on TV campaigning in 2004 as that year's presidential candidates, George W. Bush and John Kerry, his Texas Longhorns were among a small collection of teams vying for BCS bids. With the 12-team Playoff opening the top postseason opportunities to as many as 20 teams realistically, the political campaign ads that mercilessly ended in early November were replaced by the politicking of college football figures. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard spent last week taking shots at SMU and other programs over strength of schedule -- a point neglecting that the Cyclones' losses came to unranked Texas Tech and sub-.500 Kansas. Arizona State's thorough dismantling of Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game solved that debate at the proverbial ballot box. However, brace yourself for an offseason of recount demands coming out of the SEC. Alabama's exclusion at 9-3, while 11-2 SMU landed the final at-large spot, is sure to play into the same controversy that South Carolina coach Shane Beamer leaned into last week. Beamer told The State (Columbia, S.C.) last week that his program may consider changing its nonconference scheduling in response to its seemingly inevitable Playoff snub. It's an odd position, given South Carolina's three losses all came in-conference, and the Gamecocks' nonleague slate included sub-.500 teams Old Dominion, Akron and FCS Wofford. But then again, how often are political campaign pitches rooted in logic? What Went Wrong: Quantity over quality? A more salient position in Beamer's case for South Carolina is that the Gamecocks scored quality wins during a season-ending, six-game streak. With its Rivalry Week defeat of Clemson, South Carolina added a victory over a Playoff qualifier to complement victories over Texas A&M and Missouri. Alabama, meanwhile, boasts wins over No. 2 overall seed Georgia and that same South Carolina team in contention. SMU's resume might be the most likely to draw ire, given the Mustangs received the last at-large berth. However, SMU beat nine- and eight-win Duke and Louisville, with two losses by a combined six points. Indiana should be the more contentious at-large choice, with the Hoosiers beating only one team that finished above .500: 7-5 Michigan. Indiana's only other matchup with an above-.500 opponent was a 38-15 blowout at Ohio State. That's something Alabama and South Carolina have in common with Indiana, as all three teams lost in routs. Alabama dropped a 24-3 decision late in the season at Oklahoma that presumably doomed the Crimson Tide's chances, while South Carolina lost to Ole Miss 27-3. To that end, there are arguments to be made for and against every team that was on the bubble. No system will ever appease all parties. What Went Wrong: Seeding conundrum Much of the Playoff's very existence flies in the face of college football tradition. One facet of how the field was set that upholds tradition in its own small way is rewarding teams for winning their conferences by reserving the four first-round byes for league champions. When this format was implemented, however, the committee could not have envisioned that two of the top five conference champions would not be ranked in the top 10. Because three-loss Clemson survived a furious SMU comeback in the ACC championship game, and Arizona State caught fire after underwhelming losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati to win a weak Big 12, the committee was in the unusual position of having to slot a non-power conference champion and double-digit-ranked team in a top-four spot. This first edition of the Playoff seems likely to be the last to use this format, even if this scenario seems like an outlier. --Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media
The health care company formerly known as Bright Health, which benefited from Minnesota’s largest-ever initial public offering of stock less than three years ago, is going private again as executives retool the business. NeueHealth, as the company is now known, is being taken private by a group of investors including venture fund New Enterprise Associates (NEA) in a deal that values the firm at $1.3 billion. The business has switched from selling health insurance plans to providing care to patients and accountable-care contracting solutions to providers. The company moved its corporate headquarters from Bloomington to Doral, Fla., earlier this year. The deal, announced late Monday , will provide holders of common stock $7.33 per share — a 70% premium over the stock’s closing price on Monday. NEA and the dozen other investors who own the company’s preferred shares will exchange their existing NeueHealth stock for equity in the private company. NeueHealth’s existing loan facility with Hercules Capital will remain in place. “We are pleased to announce this transaction as we believe it places NeueHealth in a strong position for continued growth while maximizing value for all of NeueHealth’s public stockholders,” NeueHelath CEO Mike Mikan said in a press release announcing the deal . Bright Health was founded in 2015 as a health insurer that quickly grew to cover more than 1 million people through Obamacare individual insurance exchanges and 125,000 seniors in Medicare Advantage plans. In 2021, the company raised $924 million in an IPO that made it Minnesota’s must lucrative. But going public during the COVID-19 pandemic proved challenging for the new insurer. The company stumbled by not accurately paying claims or calculating risk-adjustment payments. Mikan said in 2021 that the company grew faster than it had capacity to handle. The timing of the pandemic coincided with difficulties in obtaining accurate data on the health status of individuals it was covering, as well as scaling up the company’s organizational capabilities and technologies. The company jettisoned it insurance business and in January announced its move to Florida, changing its name in the process. Today, NeueHealth says it provides care to more than 500,000 “health consumers” through a network of clinics it owns and partnerships with more than 3,000 affiliated clinicians. The company says it works with patients with Medicare and Medicaid coverage and Obamacare, or Affordable Care Act, plans. It also partners with independent doctors and medical groups to provide the advanced technology and services needed to enter “value-driven” payment arrangements, which are intended to align the costs and benefits of care by varying payments based on patients’ health outcomes. In the most recent quarter , NeueHealth reported a $6 million operating loss on $152 million in revenue in the solutions business, and $16 million in profits from $83 million in revenue in its segment providing care.Indiana aims to limit turnovers vs. Minnesota
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Cornerback Riley Moss is “good to go” for the Denver Broncos' crucial game at Cincinnati on Saturday. “He's doing good,” coach Sean Payton said Thursday. “He'll be ready to go.” The Broncos (9-6), who would end their eight-year playoff drought with a win or a tie against the Bengals (7-8), have sorely missed the second-year pro from Iowa since he sprained an MCL against Las Vegas in Week 12. The Broncos allowed 26.3 points per game during his absence. With Moss in the lineup opposite superstar Patrick Surtain II, Denver gave up just 16.8 points per game. Aside from allowing defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to go back to employing more man coverage, Riley's return is expected to give the Broncos defense back its bite. “I think he's got an awfully competitive juice, yeah, I would say you definitely felt his absence, not just physically as a player but also his presence," Payton said. Earlier this week, Surtain said, “it’s great to have him back” at practice. “I mean, you talk about a guy who was playing lights-out before the injury, but to see him back out there with confidence, out there practicing, getting his mojo back, it brings a lot of confidence to the team.” Moss has enjoyed a breakout season in Denver with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception. He played in 14 games as a rotation player his rookie season after recovering from core muscle surgery that relegated him to special teams and spot duty in 2023. Moss wasn't available for comment Thursday as he was receiving treatment during the locker room access period. Moss has been the perfect complement to Surtain because of the physical play, bravado and the production he provides as opposing offenses shy away from Surtain. “It's going to be really good” having him back on the field, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said. “I mean, I know the work that he's been putting in to get back and just knowing the type of season that he's had I'm just happy that he's going to be able to come back against an opponent like this.” Denver's defense hasn't been the same without Moss. The Broncos allowed 32 points to the Cleveland Browns when former teammate Jerry Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards. Jonathan Taylor’s unforced fumble at the goal line as he was about to score a 41-yard touchdown and give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead saved the Broncos in Week 15 and allowed Denver to seize momentum and get the victory. And Denver couldn’t stop Justin Herbert , who led the Los Angeles Chargers back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit for a 34-27 win last week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNone
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Pep Guardiola admits Man City 'have a lot of problems' in disagreement over Ilkay Gundogan verdictICEYE expands its Earth Observation capabilities with launch of two SAR satellites for mid-inclination orbit on the Bandwagon-2 mission with SpaceX
S.Sudan's Kiir holds urgent talks over shootout at ex-spy chief's homeLast winter, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a blockbuster trade for a right-handed fireballer. How about a lefty this time around? The Tyler Glasnow trade worked wonders for the Dodgers in the first half of the season, and then they still managed to win the World Series despite Glasnow missing the entire postseason. Now, with Glasnow re-joining the rotation, the Dodgers could be looking for a lefty to balance things out. There is one top consensus trade candidate in Major League Baseball right now: Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox. Crochet is coming off a breakout season, striking out 209 batters in just 146 innings, and could be a game-changer to add to any team's rotation. There may be teams that "need" to add Crochet more than the Dodgers do, but LA can trade for anyone at any time. They're world-renowned for their player development system, so if they want to throw some prospects at the White Sox, they certainly can. Recently, Elijah Evans of Just Baseball proposed a trade that would send Crochet to the Dodgers in exchange for catcher Dalton Rushing, shortstop Alex Freeland, and shortstop Emil Morales. "Los Angeles may be more likely to go the free agency route because they continue to spend in excess every year, but they do have the pieces necessary for a Crochet deal. A package headlined by Rushing... could be better than anything else on the table this winter," said. "Fresh off a breakout season, Alex Freeland would be an obvious target for the Sox as they need infielders with offensive pop... Any of Joendry Vargas, Emil Morales, and Eduardo Quintero would be an ideal project player to acquire as a third piece as well with ample room to develop." Rushing, who Just Baseball ranks as the 23rd-best prospect in all of baseball, would be a tough piece to lose, but he also doesn't have a clear path to playing time as long as Will Smith is around. Freeland and Morales could also come back to bite the Dodgers someday, but those are the chances you take when dealing top prospects. Crochet could be the final piece to the Dodgers dynasty. At age 25, he's only getting better, and after playing for the worst team in baseball, he'd undoubtedly be motivated to shine for the best. More MLB: Dodgers $100 million World Series hero predicted to spurn LA for Red SoxS.Sudan's Kiir holds urgent talks over shootout at ex-spy chief's home
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — If Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi has any definite ideas about who'll play quarterback for New Orleans against Washington on Sunday, he's not ready to share that information. Rizzi maintained on Wednesday that there's still a chance that Derek Carr could clear the concussion protocol and function well enough with his injured, non-throwing left hand to return against the Commanders. Meanwhile, reserve QBs Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler split first-team snaps during Wednesday's practice, which Carr missed, Rizzi said. “We're not going to name a starter right now,” said Rizzi, who also made a point of noting that Carr would not be placed on the club's injured reserve list and would not need surgery. “We're going to see how that progression plays out, first with Derek and then obviously with Jake and Spencer.” Carr, whose latest injury occurred when he tried to dive for a first down during Sunday's 14-11 victory over the New York Giants , has already missed three starts this season because of a separate, oblique injury. New Orleans lost all three of those games, with Rattler, a rookie, starting and Haener, a second-year pro, serving as the backup. In his three starts, Rattler completed 59 of 99 passes (59.6%) for 571 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Haener has gotten sporadic work this season in relief of both Carr and Rattler, completing 14 of 29 passes (48.3%) for 177 yards and one TD without an interception. Rizzi said he finds the 6-foot-1 Haener and 6-foot Rattler “very similar in a lot of ways," adding that whichever of those two might play “doesn't change a whole bunch" in terms of game-planning. “They're both similar-size guys. Their athletic ability is very similar,” Rizzi said. “They're similar-style quarterbacks. We're not dealing with opposites on the spectrum.” The Saints also signed another QB this week — Ben DiNucci — to help take scout team snaps at practice, now that Rattler and Haener are not as available to do that while competing to possibly start if Carr is indeed unable to play. The Saints (5-8) have won three of four games since Rizzi took over following the firing of coach Dennis Allen. That allowed New Orleans to remain alive in the NFC South Division, currently led by Tampa Bay (7-6). Rizzi said Carr has not had any setbacks this week in terms of progressing through the NFL's concussion protocol. “By the end of the week, if's he's not able to get any reps in any form or fashion, then obviously we'll go with one of the other guys,” Rizzi said. NOTES: RB Alvin Kamara did not practice on Wednesday because of an illness. ... WR Chris Olave, who is out indefinitely because of concussions this season, has returned to meetings at Saints headquarters. He as not, however, made plans to return to practice yet because he still plans to meet first with neurological specialists to try to assess the risks of returning to action during what's left of this season. Rizzi said the possibility of Olave playing again this season remains “on the table” for now. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Cornerback Riley Moss is “good to go” for the Denver Broncos' crucial game at Cincinnati on Saturday. “He's doing good,” coach Sean Payton said Thursday. “He'll be ready to go.” The Broncos (9-6), who would end their eight-year playoff drought with a win or a tie against the Bengals (7-8), have sorely missed the second-year pro from Iowa since he sprained an MCL against Las Vegas in Week 12. The Broncos allowed 26.3 points per game during his absence. With Moss in the lineup opposite superstar Patrick Surtain II, Denver gave up just 16.8 points per game. Aside from allowing defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to go back to employing more man coverage, Riley's return is expected to give the Broncos defense back its bite. “I think he's got an awfully competitive juice, yeah, I would say you definitely felt his absence, not just physically as a player but also his presence," Payton said. Earlier this week, Surtain said, “it’s great to have him back” at practice. “I mean, you talk about a guy who was playing lights-out before the injury, but to see him back out there with confidence, out there practicing, getting his mojo back, it brings a lot of confidence to the team.” Moss has enjoyed a breakout season in Denver with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception. He played in 14 games as a rotation player his rookie season after recovering from core muscle surgery that relegated him to special teams and spot duty in 2023. Moss wasn't available for comment Thursday as he was receiving treatment during the locker room access period. Moss has been the perfect complement to Surtain because of the physical play, bravado and the production he provides as opposing offenses shy away from Surtain. “It's going to be really good” having him back on the field, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said. “I mean, I know the work that he's been putting in to get back and just knowing the type of season that he's had I'm just happy that he's going to be able to come back against an opponent like this.” Denver's defense hasn't been the same without Moss. The Broncos allowed 32 points to the Cleveland Browns when former teammate Jerry Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards. Jonathan Taylor’s unforced fumble at the goal line as he was about to score a 41-yard touchdown and give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead saved the Broncos in Week 15 and allowed Denver to seize momentum and get the victory. And Denver couldn’t stop Justin Herbert , who led the Los Angeles Chargers back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit for a 34-27 win last week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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Mid-inclination orbit provides more SAR-imaging opportunities at middle latitudes of the globe for ICEYE customers. HELSINKI, Finland , Dec. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ICEYE, the global leader in SAR satellite operations for Earth Observation and persistent monitoring, announced today that it has launched two new satellites to its constellation of SAR satellites. Both satellites expand the availability of ICEYE's latest imaging technology to deliver additional 25 cm imaging capacity. The satellites were integrated via Exolaunch and launched as part of the Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA . Both satellites have established communication, and early routine operations are underway. With today's launch, ICEYE has successfully launched 40 satellites into orbit since 2018, with nine satellites launched in 2024 alone. The new SAR satellites were launched into mid-inclination orbits; compared to a polar orbit, these mid-inclination orbits provide more than twice the collection opportunities at middle latitudes of the globe. ICEYE customers have many areas of interest in these middle latitudes (+/- 45 degrees), and these customers will benefit from increased persistence over these regions. Customers with imaging interests outside these middle latitudes will continue to benefit from the frequent revisit enabled by ICEYE's dozens of satellites in polar orbits. ICEYE's unique mix of mid-inclination and polar orbits provides its customers with deep revisit capabilities for targets all around the globe. The new satellites will serve ICEYE's commercial missions as part of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation owned and operated by ICEYE. Rafal Modrzewski , CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE said: "This launch marks another significant milestone in ICEYE's ability to provide our customers with a rich diversity of collection opportunities. We bolster our industry-leading SAR constellation and expand our customers' collection opportunities in the areas most important to them." Today's launch is another step forward in ICEYE's steady drumbeat of innovative breakthroughs in Earth Observation. This year alone, ICEYE has, for example, introduced Dwell Precise, a new 25 cm imaging mode that offers its customers the highest-fidelity 25cm imaging capability, and adds advanced capability to ICEYE's line of Dwell products; launched an API that allows customers to directly task its SAR satellite constellation; and launched ICEYE Ocean Vision to provide actionable intelligence for maritime domain awareness. About ICEYE ICEYE delivers unparalleled persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth, faster and more accurately than ever before. Owning the world's largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, ICEYE provides objective, near real-time insights, ensuring that customers have unmatched access to actionable high-quality data, day or night, even in challenging environmental conditions. As a trusted partner to governments and commercial industries, ICEYE delivers intelligence in sectors such as insurance, natural catastrophe response and recovery, security, maritime monitoring, and finance, enabling decision-making that contributes to community resilience and sustainable development. ICEYE operates internationally with offices in Finland , Poland , Spain , the UK, Australia , Japan , UAE, Greece , and the US. We have more than 700 employees, inspired by the shared vision of improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation. Media contact: press@iceye.com Visit www.iceye.com and follow ICEYE on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates and insights. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iceye-expands-its-earth-observation-capabilities-with-launch-of-two-sar-satellites-for-mid-inclination-orbit-on-the-bandwagon-2-mission-with-spacex-302337876.html SOURCE ICEYEBethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas during the war in Gaza
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Blackhawks have lots to prove in first of back-to-back games vs. IslandersChristopher Nolan is following his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” with a true epic: Homer’s “The Odyssey.” It will open in theaters on July 17, 2026, Universal Pictures said Monday. Details remain scarce, but the studio teased that it will be a “mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX technology.” It will also be the first time that an adaptation of Homer’s saga will play on IMAX film screens. Nolan has been an IMAX enthusiast for years, going back to “The Dark Knight,” and has made his last three films exclusively using large format film and the highest resolution film cameras. For “Oppenheimer,” the first black-and-white IMAX film stock was developed. Nolan hasn’t said specifically what the new technology for “The Odyssey” will be, but earlier this month he told The Associated Press that they’re in an intensive testing phase with IMAX to prepare for the new production. “They have an incredible engineering staff, really brilliant minds doing extraordinary work,” Nolan said. “It’s wonderful to see innovation in the celluloid film arena still happening and happening at the highest level possible.” “The Odyssey” will be Nolan’s second collaboration with Universal Pictures following “Oppenheimer,” which earned nearly $1 billion at the box office and won the filmmaker his first Oscars, including for best director and best picture . Rumors about his next project have been swirling ever since, with near-daily speculations about plot — none of which turned out to be true — and casting. While there are many reports about actors joining the ensemble, none has been officially confirmed by the studio. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.