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casino slot pagcor Lowe's Cos. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsBy Conor Ryan Fabian Lysell was bracing himself for another bus ride over to Hartford on Saturday morning. Such is the usual weekend itinerary for players honing their craft in the AHL. But the Bruins had other plans for their top prospect. Hours ahead of puck drop between Boston and the Blue Jackets, the Bruins made the call to bring up Lysell from Providence. After 136 regular-season games spent in Providence across three seasons, Lysell finally earned his shot up at hockey’s highest level. “Crazy, crazy how fast things can happen,” Lysell said after Boston’s 4-0 win over Columbus. I woke up (Saturday) morning, didn’t think of this, and then you get a call and you’re up here so it’s just unbelievable and definitely special for me and my family and everybody that’s helped me along the way.” 🎥 Fabian Lysell on his NHL debut: "Crazy how fast things can happen. I woke up this morning, didn't think of this. Then you get a call and you're up here. It's just unbelievable. Definitely special for me and my family." Watch full postgame reaction ➡️ https://t.co/Lre0GaP0H9 pic.twitter.com/6See0n8CWl With the Bruins in desperate need of a scoring spark, a player with Lysell’s playmaking prowess and wheels served as an appealing addition — especially on a bottom-six unit hindered with far too many passengers as of late between Trent Frederic, Oliver Wahlstrom, and others. Even though he didn’t land on the scoresheet, Lysell made his presence felt in Boston’s bounce-back win — helping to set up Justin Brazeau’s opening tally just 2:29 into the contest. Replacing Wahlstrom on a line with Frederic and Brazeau, Lysell’s skating ability helped set up a fortuitous O-zone shift for Boston’s forward grouping. After Brazeau chipped a puck past a pair of Columbus skaters, Lysell turned on the afterburners, slipping past both players and recovering the puck in the Blue Jackets’ zone. After protecting the puck down low, Lysell handed the biscuit back to Brazeau — who jumpstarted a low-to-high play with both Brandon Carlo and Mason Lohrei that ended with Brazeau knocking a rebound into twine for an early lead. Fabian Lysell first NHL Shift and Justin Brazeau give the #NHLBruins a 1-0 lead pic.twitter.com/a7cW7bgKGw Lysell’s first shift as a Bruin didn’t led to a secondary assist, but the 21-year-old winger did the necessary legwork to get Boston’s stagnant offense rolling. “I thought he handled himself well. It’s obviously an exciting night for him, his family. He was on the ice for the first goal, which is always a good feeling,” interim coach Joe Sacco said of Lysell’s night. “And then, he did some good things. He was very responsible. He was trying to be very responsible away from the puck. “You could see he was making a conscious effort to be good without the puck, and those are the things that he needs to continue to build into his game. But I thought that he handled himself fine here tonight for his first game.” It was far from a perfect night from Lysell, who registered zero shots on goal over 11:32 of ice time. He was even bumped off the third line over the final period of play in favor of Cole Koepke, who tallied his sixth goal of the season in the win. But considering just how listless Boston’s previous third-line combination of Brazeau-Frederic-Wahlstrom had been over the past week, Lysell injected some much-needed pace and skill into an underachieving segment of the roster. Over 20:22 of 5-on-5 reps this season , the Brazeau-Frederic-Wahlstrom line has been outshot, 9-2, and outscored, 1-0. “There wasn’t really a person who could carry the play through the neutral zone between the blue lines,” Sacco said pregame of that third line. “Maybe that’s something that Fabian can add here tonight with his speed and his ability to transport the puck through the blue lines. “That’s an opportunity there. There just wasn’t a lot happening with the three of those together. So obviously you have to make some changes and have to make some adjustments.” Saturday’s debut was a long time coming for Lysell, but the timing was welcome for the young forward. Lysell’s parents — Henrik and Maria — and sister, Frida, were already visiting from Sweden as part of their annual holiday visit to the U.S. to watch Fabian play for Providence. All three were in attendance for Saturday’s game at TD Garden. “My whole family’s here. They came down for Christmas and they were actually going to go home I think tomorrow so it turned out well. ... “That’s what it’s all about,” Lysell said of having his family in Boston for his debut. “They’ve been my biggest supporters throughout all the years I’ve been playing, and helping me with everything, driving me to the rink, cooking, all that stuff, late nights. So, it’s more so for them, honestly, than it is for me. It’s special.” Time will tell if the Bruins will give Lysell a chance to build upon his promising debut. Boston sent Lysell back down to Providence on Sunday afternoon, although it remains to be seen if it was more of a paper transaction to bank cap space or a planned roster reshuffle. Conor Ryan Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023. Sign up for Bruins updates🏒 Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during hockey season. Be civil. Be kind.

Palantir Technologies ( PLTR 3.92% ) stock investors got some good news to start their weekends. On Friday at 8 p.m. ET, Nasdaq ( NDAQ -0.93% ) announced that the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software company is being added to the Nasdaq-100 index. This move by Nasdaq -- which owns and operates its namesake stock exchange and others -- is part of its annual reconstitution of the Nasdaq-100 index, which comprises 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. In 2024, Palantir stock has soared 343% through Dec. 13 versus the S&P 500 's 29% return. So, it's easy to understand how a huge, roughly corresponding increase in Palantir's market cap has landed it a place on the Nasdaq-100. The timing of the news release was strategic, as 8 p.m. ET is when after-hours stock trading ends in the United States. I suspect Palantir stock would have gotten a boost had this news been released during either regular or after-hours trading. What stocks are being added and removed from the Nasdaq-100? Along with Palantir, the stocks being added to the Nasdaq-100, launched in 1985, are MicroStrategy and Axon Enterprise . Palantir is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that provides AI -powered software over the cloud. Its platforms enable its customers to use their data to increase operational effectiveness and efficiency. Its customers include agencies within the U.S. government and those of our allies and commercial customers. MicroStrategy operates as an enterprise software company, but most investors likely view it as a play on the price of Bitcoin since the company plows money into buying the cryptocurrency. As of Dec. 13, 2024, MicroStrategy stock is up 547%. Axon sells body cameras and other products and services to law enforcement, the military, and consumers. Through Dec. 13, Axon stock is up 150% this year. The three stocks being removed from the Nasdaq-100 are AI server specialist Super Micro Computer ( SMCI -3.90% ) , genomics-focused biotech Illumina , and biotech Moderna , best known as the maker of one of the two mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines . Shares of Supermicro are up 28% through Dec. 13, 2024, but they've plunged 69% since hitting their all-time high in March. The stock's big drop is partly due to the weakening of some of the company's financial metrics. However, it mainly stems from the fallout following a well-known short-seller's allegations of accounting manipulations and other items of concern to investors. (Short-sellers are those who bet on the price of a stock declining.) Illumina stock has eked out a gain of 6% so far this year, while Moderna stock has plummeted 58%, largely due to a steep fall-off in sales of its COVID-19 vaccine. When does Palantir stock join the Nasdaq-100 Index? The reconstitution of the Nasdaq-100 index will become effective prior to the market open on Monday, Dec. 23. How does being added to the Nasdaq-100 benefit Palantir and its shareholders? A Nasdaq-100 index membership means mutual funds , exchange-traded funds (ETFs) , and other financial products based on this index will have to buy shares of Palantir. This increased demand should exert at least some upward pressure on the stock price. Membership in any well-known stock index also increases a company's visibility. Greater awareness of Palantir will widen the pool of potential investors in its stock. The good news keeps rolling in for Palantir stock investors Palantir stock investors have had an abundance of good news recently. Notably, the company released a fantastic third-quarter report last month, which sent shares soaring more than 24% the next day. In the third quarter, Palantir's year-over-year revenue and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) surged 30% and 43%, respectively. Both results beat Wall Street's estimates. Moreover, management increased full-year 2024 guidance for revenue, adjusted operating profit, and adjusted free cash flow.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sherrie Smyth had a feeling something was wrong. For several months, she suffered shortness of breath. After her cardiologist found nothing unusual, she tried an allergist. “I was 57, and the allergist told me I had adult-onset asthma,” said Smyth, a Miami mother of a teenager. Although she accepted an inhaler, she also requested an X-ray of her chest. When the results showed an abnormality in her right lung, the allergist prescribed antibiotics. Still short of breath, she went to a pulmonologist and learned through a CT scan that the abnormality was a large mass. An immediate full-body PET Scan showed she had stage 4, inoperable lung cancer that had spread to her adrenal glands and brain. “I am a big believer in early screening and advocating for yourself,” Smyth said. “If I had stopped at adult-onset asthma, I would be dead.” Floridians are at high risk for lung cancer, and many are waiting too long to get screened. The 2024 American Lung Association’s “State of Lung Cancer” report, released on Nov. 19, reveals that lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in Florida. The more localized state report shows only a quarter of Floridians with lung cancer get diagnosed early, which lowers their five-year survival rate. “With lung cancer, the symptoms can be masked as a common cold,” said Ashley Lyerly, Senior Advocacy Director at the American Lung Association. “That’s why we need to increase screenings, to find it early.” Miami oncologist Dr. Estelamari Rodriguez says several factors contribute to Florida’s lung cancer toll: The population is older, the screening rate is low, and people relocate to the state from countries where smoking is prevalent. Florida’s large Hispanic population may be a factor, too. “Nationally, the lung cancer rates for Hispanics are highest of the ethnic groups,” said Rodriguez, a thoracic medical oncologist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami. Hispanics also are less likely to receive treatment. “Maybe it’s insurance problems or stigma, but they are less likely to seek care.” Getting screened is getting easier Lung cancer diagnosis usually starts with an imaging test called a low-dose CT scan to look at the lungs. The report shows that only about 15% of at-risk people get screened in Florida. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 64% when the cancer is detected early, but only 9% for late-stage lung cancer. Early treatment often is surgery to remove the cancer in the lung before it spreads. Smoking is a well-known risk factor for lung cancer. Although adult smoking rates in Florida are 11%, slightly below the national average, youth vaping in Florida has increased over the past few years, according to Tobacco Free Florida. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend annual lung cancer screening for anyone 50 to 80 years old who has a heavy smoking history, currently smokes or has quit within the past 15 years. Other risks are a family history of lung cancer or radon exposure. Lately, researchers have seen an alarming increase in the number of women ages 55 and younger being diagnosed with lung cancer, and no one yet knows why. Rodriguez doesn’t understand why more people are willing to do a colonoscopy for colon cancer than a CT scan for lung cancer, which is a much simpler test. “People are presenting to me with advanced disease,” said Rodriguez at Sylvester Cancer Insitute. “Maybe they don’t recognize the symptoms, which are shortness of breath, back pain, and cough.” Some Florida hospitals, such as Moffitt Cancer Center in Pasco County, are entering communities with new mobile lung screening units. And UHealth’s Sylvester is allowing anyone at risk to schedule a CT scan without seeing a physician first. Across the state, a coalition of health organizations is offering eligible primary-care patients the FirstLook Lung blood test to aid in early detection. If the test returns “Elevated,” the individual gets referred for a CT scan. New treatments for lung cancer In an advancement, Florida oncologists are using biomarker testing to create a personalized treatment plan with fewer side effects. A new Florida law requires Medicaid and state employee health insurance plans to cover biomarker testing. Smyth said the specialists at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer performed biomarker testing and developed her treatment plan of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The four-drug therapy included medications new to the market. Smyth will receive the last of her 24 treatments on Dec. 12, 20 months after her first infusion. “I am a strong individual, and I have maintained a completely normal existence,” Smyth said. “After my last scan, my doctor told me there is no evidence of disease.” Smyth wants others to get screened and, if necessary, treated for lung cancer. The new Florida research shows the state is above the national average for people diagnosed who don’t get treatment. “It is no longer a death sentence to be told you have cancer,” she said. “There are so many treatments.” Florida hospitals are using robots At Delray Medical Center, after a lung nodule shows up on a CT scan, specialists use a robot to biopsy it, regardless of its size or location within the lobe. Even a nodule the size of a Cheerio can be biopsied. They can also use a specialized scope to learn whether the lung cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. “With this advanced biopsy procedure, we are able to diagnose patients earlier to get them to treatment faster,” said Dr. Stephen Milan, an advanced bronchoscopist and pulmonologist at Delray Medical Center. At Baptist Health in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, specialists are using robots and technology in three ways, said Dr. Manmeet Singh Ahluwalia, chief scientific officer and chief of Medical Oncology at Baptist Health South Florida. They are using robots to help remove lung cancer during surgeries. They are using artificial intelligence with x-rays to determine when lung cancer tumors are malignant or benign. And when a CT scan looks suspicious, they use special blood tests to find DNA fragments that indicate if a nodule is cancerous. “We are using technology in all these ways for better detection and treatment, ” Ahluwalia said. Aware that screening rates are low, he wants to use these new blood tests to screen those at high risk in South Florida communities in near future. This 2024 State of Lung Cancer report highlights an area of progress: Nationally, the lung cancer survival rate has improved 26% in the last five years. “It’s an improvement but we still have a long way to go,” said Lyerly of the American Lung Cancer Association. “Now that we have better treatment for advanced disease, we need to detect it earlier.” -------- ©2024 South Florida Sun Sentinel. Visit at sun-sentinel.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

For Nebraska football, there have been no shortage of bowl week activities leading into tomorrow’s Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, including a New York staple Friday morning. Ahead of Friday’s walk-thru at Yankee Stadium, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, along with Isaac Gifford, Ty Robinson and Jahmal Banks, were at the center of the country’s economic district, ringing the bell to open the New York Stock Exchange. “If you told me I would be ringing the bell and a couple of hours later be on the field at Yankee Stadium, I never would have believed it,” Rhule said Friday during a zoom press conference. In between practices at the New York Giants’ and Fordham University’s facilities, the Huskers have gotten the full Big Apple experience, walking around Times Square, having a snowball fight in Central Park, attending a New York Knicks game and walking through the 9/11 memorial museum. Surely, those experiences will be remembered for a lifetime. However, Rhule made it clear that his message to his players throughout this week was that they were there to end the season with a bowl win, and a winning record on the season. “That's the message from day No. 1,” Rhule said. “We have given them some free time and done some cool things, celebrated Christmas together, but at the end of the day, this is an opportunity for us to finish our season the right way against an excellent football team. As a coach, I trust these guys and believe they will be ready to go.” That was emphasized as soon as Nebraska got off the plane in New York, and headed immediately into its first padded practice of the week. Nebraska (6-6) will play Boston College in its first bowl game in seven years Saturday at Yankee Stadium, in a moment that Rhule said he hopes is a stepping stone to getting the program back into national relevancy. “When you are in college football, you are playing to get to the postseason,” Rhule said. “You want to win a national championship and get to the College Football Playoff. That starts with our first opportunity to get to the postseason. "To navigate the distractions and opportunities, challenges in schedules and traveling. It is the first time we won enough games to come here. You have to earn the right to go to a bowl game, and now we have to go play ball, win and train ourselves to show up in moments like this, so we can continue to win more games and qualify for things that come.” Standing in their way is a Boston College team making its first bowl game appearance since the 2019 season, also looking to take a step forward under first-year head coach Bill O’Brien. “Offensively they can run the ball as well as anybody,” Rhule said. “Defensively, they are physical, tough... They consistently win the turnover battle and are excellent pass rushers.” One of those pass rushers, Donovan Ezeiruaku, who leads college football with 16.5 sacks this season, will not play in the bowl game, deciding to opt out, according to O’Brien during his portion of the zoom press conference. Ozzy Trapilo, an all-ACC offensive lineman, is also opting out of the game for Boston College, according to O’Brien. As much as those losses could have an affect on Saturday’s outcome, Rhule said the focus this week has been on his players and program. It’s been about making memories that no Husker team over the past eight seasons has been able to do, and setting up next year’s group to achieve even more. That begins with a bowl win in the Bronx. “We are playing an excellent football team,” Rhule said. “To do that we have to play well. To take all the practices we have done, go out and play well, that is what we are working on right now. Our team knows how to practice and work. We are still figuring out how to win and playing an excellent team like Boston College will help us do that” 2025 class members join Huskers on bowl trip While this year’s Huskers are looking to put a final bow on its season, a group of next year’s Huskers are joining them in the experience In a recent photo posted by Nebraska football’s X account, incoming true freshman Houston Kaahaaina-Torres, Pierce Mooberry, Caden VerMaas, Bryson Webber, Tanner Tech, TJ Lateef, Isaiah Mozee and Jackson Carpenter, as well as East Tennessee State transfer Jaylen George, have been practicing with the team out in New York. Rhule said the group wasn’t allowed to start practicing until Dec. 21 when the semester of school ended. And over the past week, they have started their acclimation process into the program. “In terms of on the field, they have done a lot,” Rhule said. “I think it is a great opportunity for them being here, around the team and in the meetings, it is a jump start to their career.” Though none of them can play in the bowl game, there have been other young players, specifically at wide receiver that have stood out during practices over the past couple of weeks. The Huskers will be without Isaiah Neyor against Boston College, as he prepares for the NFL Draft, which has given more opportunities for Jaylen Lloyd, Jacory Barney and Keelan Smith, according to Rhule. Lloyd, a sophomore, caught 12 balls for 248 yards this season. Barney added 52 catches for 431 yards and Smith, a freshman, caught one ball for four yards, playing in just one game. Nebraska has already taken steps to replenish its wideout room, adding Cal's Nyziah Hunter and Kentucky's Dane Key from the portal for next season. But Rhule said its important not to count out those players already producing for the Huskers this past fall. “I think it has been good for all of those guys to have those opportunities. “

Rumble Inc RUM shares are trading higher Monday after the company announced that streamer Dr. Disrespect will provide exclusive content to Rumble Premium and lead Rumble Gaming as an advisor . What Happened: Rumble announced Monday morning that Dr. Disrespect will begin streaming his content on the Rumble platform as part of an agreement that includes equity with milestones as a majority of its compensation. Dr. Disrespect is set to provide exclusive content to Rumble Premium for his “Champions Club” community and lead Rumble Gaming, acting as an advisor and helping build the Rumble Gaming community. Dr. Disrespect will make his Rumble debut on Dec. 2. Rumble will be offering a $10 discount for new subscribers to his community as part of the launch. “Rumble is in a new era, and I’m laser-focused on expanding into two categories: gaming and crypto. Dr Disrespect will give a much-needed injection into our gaming category,” said Chris Pavlovski , chairman and CEO of Rumble. See Also: Trump’s Commerce Secretary Pick Howard Lutnick’s Fund Owns $1.19B In Nvidia, $804M In Tesla: Here Is A Look At His Portfolio How To Buy RUM Stock By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Rumble – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company. Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy ‘fractional shares,' which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share. In the case of Rumble, which is trading at $7.23 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 13.83 shares of stock. If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline. RUM Price Action: Rumble shares were up 13.3% at $7.35 at the time of publication, according to Benzinga Pro . Photo: Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Kaolack — La Société nationale de commercialisation des oléagineux du Sénégal (SONACOS) compte collecter, dans la région de Kaolack (centre), entre 100 mille 120 mille tonnes de graines d'arachide durant la campagne de commercialisation 2024-2025, qui a démarré jeudi dernier sur l'étendue du territoire national, a indiqué, vendredi, son directeur général, El Hadji Ndane Diagne. "Pour Kaolack seulement, nous espérons collecter entre 100 et 120 mille tonnes de graines d'arachide. Notre objectif global est de 300 mille tonnes et ça découle d'un consensus que nous avons eu avec les services du ministère de l'Agriculture, de la Souveraineté alimentaire et de l'Elevage. Nous sommes assez bien confiants de ce que nous avons vu jusqu'à présent", a-t-il souligné. Le budget de la SONACOS pour cette campagne de commercialisation des graines d'arachide couvrira totalement, aussi bien l'achat des graines que la transformation, a dit M. Diagne lors d'une visite dans les usines de la SONACOS, à Lyndiane, où il a remis respectivement à deux opérateurs un chèque d'un montant de plus de 26 millions de francs CFA et un autre chèque de plus de 8 millions de francs CFA. Ce geste démontre l'excellence opérationnelle" des unités de la SONACOS par la rapidité des opérations de déchargement et de paiement, souligne le directeur général, assurant que l'argent est disponible pour les paiements. Deux jours après le démarrage officiel de la campagne de commercialisation arachidière et de collecte pour la SONACOS, au point de collecte de Lyndiane, plusieurs camions sont déjà stationnés pour décharger des graines d'arachide. "C'est déjà une grande satisfaction au niveau de Kaolack, la cadence va crescendo et nous espérons que ça va passer, très bientôt, à 100 voire 200 camions par jour. Nous pensons pouvoir traiter à Lyndiane jusqu'à 1800 tonnes de graines d'arachide par jour", a estimé M. Diagne. "Sur l'étendue du territoire national, nous sommes satisfaits de ce que nous avons vu", a-t-il salué. "Pour la première, nous avons reçu un stock assez conséquent sur tous les sites que nous avons visités, notamment à Louga, Diourbel et aujourd'hui, à Kaolack. Et demain nous serons à Ziguinchor", a-t-il dit. Le DG de la SONACOS invite les producteurs à "ne pas aller brader leurs stocks dans les marchés hebdomadaires ». "La SONACOS défend la cause des producteurs et des opérateurs. Au moins, avec les opérateurs, le prix d'achat des graines, qui est homologué, les producteurs peuvent avoir plus que ça, parce que c'est un prix plancher", a-t-il soutenu. Kaolack étant le "coeur du bassin arachidier", le DG de la SONACOS, tenant compte du dynamisme agricole de la zone centre du Sénégal, notamment de la filière arachide, se dit "assez satisfait" de ce qu'il a constaté sur place. "Nous avons des objectifs opérationnels de 48 heures pour décharger et maximum 48 heures pour les paiements. Donc, nous sommes dans cette dynamique et nous comptons la garder jusqu'à la fin de la campagne de commercialisation", a-t-il indiqué. Pour le démarrage effectif des activités au niveau de l'usine de Lyndiane qui, jusqu'à présent, ne tourne pas à plein régime, El Hadji Ndane Diagne signale que les travaux de mise à niveau ont commencé. "Nous comptons démarrer dans une semaine ou dix jours. C'est une occasion pour nous d'appeler tous les habitants des localités environnantes à venir chercher du travail dans nos usines, parce que l'un des rôles de la SONACOS, c'est la création d'emplois et nous sommes dans cette lancée", a-t-il insisté. M. Diagne a également appelé tous les opérateurs de la région de Kaolack et des localités environnantes à apporter leurs graines d'arachide dans ses usines, car la SONACOS est là pour continuer à collaborer avec eux. "L'Etat a donné un prix assez compétitif et nous aussi [la SONACOS], dans les thèmes que nous avons discutés la semaine dernière avec les opérateurs, nous leur avons accordé des faveurs qui n'ont jamais été accordées par la SONACOS aux opérateurs auparavant. Tout ça pour faciliter la collaboration et le partenariat et pour faire du gagnant-gagnant avec eux", a-t-il fait valoir. Cette année, le prix d'achat des graines d'arachide est fixé à 305 francs CFA. Lire l'article original sur APS .

Zuby Ejiofor delivered an early Christmas present to St. John's in the form of a buzzer-beating shot to keep the Red Storm's winning streak alive. St. John's (10-2) beat Providence at the horn back on Dec. 20 to win its fifth straight game and move to 2-0 in the Big East. Back on its campus in New York, St. John's will face Delaware on Saturday for one last tune-up before returning to conference action. In the Red Storm's first true road game of the season, Providence led most of the way before Ejiofor and RJ Luis Jr. steered the comeback. Ejiofor made a jumper in the lane in the final second to secure a 72-70 win. Coach Rick Pitino saw evidence that his team had grown from the start of the season. The Red Storm's two losses came on a double-overtime buzzer-beater against Baylor and by three points versus Georgia. "I think they're mentally maturing," Pitino told the New York Post. "Three weeks ago, with missing all those free throws, all those shots, we lose by 12 to 16 points. But they're maturing mentally and getting tougher because (that night) we didn't have it offensively, and they still found a way to win on the road in a tough environment." Ejiofor had 19 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. On a team stacked with talent, he and Luis have been the main catalysts. Luis averages 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and Ejiofor provides 14.6 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds per contest. Ejiofor's game-winner came on an offensive board and second-chance look. "My philosophy is, and Coach says, every shot is essentially my rebound," Ejiofor said. "I have pride in getting my team a second chance, and that's exactly what I did." Delaware (7-5) has had a quiet month, with two of its three wins coming against non-Division I teams. But its other win in that time was a 93-80 romp against rival Delaware State on Dec. 3. That night, the Blue Hens shot a red-hot 17-of-31 from 3-point range. The 17 makes were one shy of tying the program record. Cavan Reilly (five 3-pointers) led them that night with 20 points, but three other starters also buried three triples. "That's what I envisioned out of this group," coach Martin Ingelsby told the Delaware News Journal, "to have multiple weapons." Delaware would love to rediscover that shooting touch. It made just 6 of 21 shots from deep in a 72-64 loss to Saint Peter's on Dec. 20. John Camden paces Delaware with 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Four other players average double-figure scoring: Niels Lane (13.7), Reilly (12.9), Erik Timko (12.4) and Izaiah Pasha (10.7). --Field Level MediaMaryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex often used for raincoats and other outdoor gear, alleging its leaders kept using “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks associated with them. The complaint, which was filed last week in federal court, focuses on a cluster of 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland operated by Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. It alleges the company polluted the air and water around its facilities with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances , jeopardizing the health of surrounding communities while raking in profits. The lawsuit adds to other claims filed in recent years, including a class action on behalf of Cecil County residents in 2023 demanding Gore foot the bill for water filtration systems, medical bills and other damages associated with decades of harmful pollution in the largely rural community. “PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.” Gore spokesperson Donna Leinwand Leger said the company is “surprised by the Maryland Attorney General’s decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years.” “We have been working with Maryland, employing the most current, reliable science and technology to assess the potential impact of our operations and guide our ongoing, collaborative efforts to protect the environment,” the company said in a statement, noting a Dec. 18 report that contains nearly two years of groundwater testing results. But attorney Philip Federico, who represents plaintiffs in the class action and other lawsuits against Gore, called the company’s efforts “too little, much too late.” In the meantime, he said, residents are continuing to suffer — one of his clients was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. “It’s typical corporate environmental contamination,” he said. “They’re in no hurry to fix the problem.” The synthetic chemicals are especially harmful because they’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. In addition to cancers and immune system problems, exposure to certain levels of PFAS has been linked to increased cholesterol levels, reproductive health issues and developmental delays in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Gore leaders failed to warn people living near its Maryland facilities about the potential impacts, hoping to protect their corporate image and avoid liability, according to the state’s lawsuit. The result has been “a toxic legacy for generations to come,” the lawsuit alleges. Since the chemicals are already in the local environment, protecting residents now often means installing complex and expensive water filtration systems. People with private wells have found highly elevated levels of dangerous chemicals in their water, according to the class action lawsuit. The Maryland facilities are located in a rural area just across the border from Delaware, where Gore has become a longtime fixture in the community. The company, which today employs more than 13,000 people, was founded in 1958 after Wilbert Gore left the chemical giant DuPont to start his own business. Its profile rose with the development of Gore-Tex , a lightweight waterproof material created by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene, which is better known by the brand name Teflon that’s used to coat nonstick pans. The membrane within Gore-Tex fabric has billions of pores that are smaller than water droplets, making it especially effective for outdoor gear. The state’s complaint traces Gore’s longstanding relationship with DuPont , arguing that information about the chemicals' dangers was long known within both companies as they sought to keep things quiet and boost profits. It alleges that as early as 1961, DuPont scientists knew the chemical caused adverse liver reactions in rats and dogs. DuPont has faced widespread litigation in recent years. Along with two spinoff companies, it announced a $1.18 billion deal last year to resolve complaints of polluting many U.S. drinking water systems with forever chemicals. The Maryland lawsuit seeks to hold Gore responsible for costs associated with the state’s ongoing investigations and cleanup efforts, among other damages. State oversight has ramped up following litigation from residents alleging their drinking water was contaminated. Until then, the company operated in Cecil County with little scrutiny. Gore announced in 2014 that it had eliminated perfluorooctanoic acid from the raw materials used to create Gore-Tex. But it’s still causing long-term impacts because it persists for so long in the environment, attorneys say. Over the past two years, Gore has hired an environmental consulting firm to conduct testing in the area and provided bottled water and water filtration systems to residents near certain Maryland facilities, according to a webpage describing its efforts. Recent testing of drinking water at residences near certain Gore sites revealed perfluorooctanoic acid levels well above what the EPA considers safe, according to state officials. Attorneys for the state acknowledged Gore’s ongoing efforts to investigate and address the problem but said the company needs to step up and be a better neighbor. “While we appreciate Gore’s limited investigation to ascertain the extent of PFAS contamination around its facilities, much more needs to be done to protect the community and the health of residents,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a statement. “We must remove these forever chemicals from our natural resources urgently, and we expect responsible parties to pay for this remediation.”

By Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. Generally, how do I know a product is harmful? It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. How can I find out if black plastic food trays are made with recycled contaminated plastic? Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. When did recycled e-waste begin contaminating black plastic products? There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. What are safer alternatives? The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.TikTok's future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible U.S. ban

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade — two generations of college football players — that's all it has been: Ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football's great rivalries is reborn. Third-ranked Texas (10-1, 6-1) and No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) meet Saturday night for the first time since 2011, with a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship game on the line . “Guys that have been in my position and bleed burnt orange, they have not gotten to play this game,” said Texas fourth-year junior safety Michael Taaffe, who grew up in Austin. “Remember them when you step on Kyle Field.” For Aggies fans, who have carried the misery of Texas' 27-25 win in 2011, getting the Longhorns back in front of a frenzied crowd in College Station is a chance for some serious payback. “I was born and raised an Aggie, so I’ve been dreaming about playing in this game my whole life,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said. Zuhn played high school football in Colorado, but his parents and grandparents attended A&M. At SEC media days back in August, Zuhn said his family would turn Texas gear upside down in stores. He keeps a picture of a longhorn in his room, hanging upside down, of course. “It should be the most amazing atmosphere that I’ve ever experienced,” Zuhn said. "I can’t wait for that, and I feel bad for Texas having to play in that." Texas players said they are ready. “That place is going to be rocking,” Texas senior cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “It's good to go on the road and play in hostile environments.” The Longhorns have overcome big and loud road crowds before. They won at Alabama in 2023. They won at Michigan and Arkansas, another old rival, this year. The Longhorns have won 10 in a row on an opponent’s home field. “When the hate is on us, we love it. We enjoy it,” Taaffe said. But some former Texas players say the current group has faced nothing like what awaits them in College Station. Playing at Texas A&M is more than just noise and a lot of “Horns down” hand signals. The “Aggie War Hymn” fight song calls for Aggies to “Saw varsity’s horns off." Beating Texas is their passion, said former Longhorns All-American offensive lineman Dan Neil, who won at Texas A&M in in 1995. He calls that win one of the best of his career. “I was done showering and getting ready to leave, and their fans were still standing outside the locker room screaming and throwing things,” he said. “The (Texas) players have no idea what they are walking into. They have no clue. No one on that team has walked into that stadium in burnt orange.” The rivalry broke up when Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Aggies have twice finished tied for second but have otherwise found little success there. Texas is in its first year in the SEC and has smashed its way to the top. Texas is the only SEC team with one loss this late in the season, which would make beating Texas that much sweeter for A&M. “The hype is definitely saying it's a rivalry. History says it's a rivalry, but for us, it's the football game we have this week,” Texas senior center Jake Majors said. “It's important for us to not let the environment, the game, get the best of us. ... I get to go out there and play not only for me and my team, but for the guys who came before me, so that's a true honor to have.” Even though the game hasn't been played since 2011, there has always been an element of the rivalry simmering under the surface, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. Elko is in his first year as the Aggies' coach, but he was the Texas A&M defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher from 2018-2021. “Even though it hasn’t been played, it just doesn’t feel like it’s ever really left the fabric. I really don’t think it’s as removed from the psyche as maybe it feels,” Elko said. “I think our kids are very much aware of what this is all about.” ___ Rieken reported from College Station, Texas. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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