THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) will present at Citi's 2024 Global Healthcare Conference at 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday , Dec. 5, 2024. Peter Griffith , executive vice president and chief financial officer at Amgen, Jay Bradner , executive vice president of Research and Development and chief scientific officer at Amgen, and Susan Sweeney , executive vice president of Obesity and Related Conditions at Amgen, will participate in a fireside chat at the conference. The webcast will be broadcast over the internet simultaneously and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public. The webcast, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com , under Investors. 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CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Elissa Snook , 609-251-1407 (media) Justin Claeys , 805-313-9775 (investors) View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-to-present-at-citis-2024-global-healthcare-conference-302319891.html SOURCE Amgen
Jimmy Carter held a unique place in US politics: he was the oldest former president and a Nobel peace laureate, but his one term in office was forever tainted by his inability to end the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, arguably wielded his greatest influence not during his 1977-1981 term in the White House, but in the decades following, when he served as a global mediator, rights activist and elder statesman. The Southern Democrat, who left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January 1981 after a crushing election loss to Ronald Reagan, was perceived as naive and weak in the dog-eat-dog world of Washington politics. Even within his own party, the Georgia native with the broad toothy grin -- a "born-again" Christian who taught Sunday school well into his 90s -- was something of a persona non grata for a long time. But as the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged, one that took in his post-presidential activities and reassessed his achievements, like the brokering of a peace deal between Israel and Egypt. He placed a commitment to human rights and social justice at the core of his tenure as the 39th president of the United States. That dedication later served as the cornerstone of The Carter Center, which he founded in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, earning broad international praise. Carter represented a new generation of Southern men who were more tolerant and progressive on issues of race. The former president -- who had been both a naval officer and a peanut farmer -- heartily embraced his roots. "I am a Southerner and an American," said Carter, a virtual unknown on the national political scene when he launched his presidential campaign ahead of the 1976 election. - From farm to White House - James Earl Carter Jr. -- the full name he rarely used -- was born on October 1, 1924 in the small farm town of Plains, Georgia, south of Atlanta -- the same town where he lived out his golden years. After seven years in the navy, where he worked on the nuclear submarine program and rose to the rank of lieutenant, he returned home to run the family peanut farm. But eventually, politics came calling. He served in Georgia's state senate and took over as governor in 1971. Only a few years later, his unlikely White House bid began. Carter arrived in Washington in January 1977, sworn in to head a country needing a strong leader to dispel the gloom left over from the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and a deep recession. For the first time since 1968, the Democrats controlled the White House and Congress, so hopes were high as Carter took office. - 'Extraordinarily difficult' - He enjoyed a strong first two years, with high approval ratings. A shining moment of his term in office was the historic 1978 Camp David Accords signed by Israel's Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat, which ultimately led to a peace treaty the following year. Carter also established diplomatic relations with China following the rapprochement initiated by then-president Richard Nixon, and endorsed solar energy, even installing solar panels on the White House. But his administration hit numerous snags, the most serious being the Iran hostage crisis and the disastrous failed attempt to rescue the 52 captive Americans in 1980. His handling of the renewed oil crisis in 1979-1980 was also sharply criticized. Images of cars lined up at gas stations were long associated with his presidency. In the wake of Carter's defeat at the polls, the Democratic Party weathered a political storm -- 12 years of Republican presidents in Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Even now, few Democrats claim to be picking up Carter's mantle. In a biography published in 2010, historian Julian Zelizer, a professor at Princeton University, said Carter had fallen victim to "an extraordinarily difficult set of circumstances that would have challenged any president." - 'Best ex-president' - But Carter bounced back in perhaps the most spectacular reinvention of any US leader and was often called America's "best ex-president." Carter founded his eponymous center in Atlanta and emerged as a prominent international mediator, tackling some of the most intransigent global dilemmas -- including North Korea and Bosnia in the 1990s. He monitored dozens of elections around the world, from Haiti to East Timor, and went to Cuba in 2002 for a historic meeting with then longtime communist leader Fidel Castro to prod him on human rights. Carter won a host of awards including the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize and the highest US civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He won three Grammys for best spoken-word album, a category that included audiobooks. Carter maintained a busy schedule into his 90s. He and wife Rosalynn helped build houses for the charity Habitat for Humanity for decades. Rosalynn died in November 2023 at age 96. The couple had three sons and a daughter. In August 2015, Carter revealed he had cancer on his brain and was undergoing radiation treatment. At the time of his diagnosis, Carter said that while the presidency was the "pinnacle" of his political career, "life since the White House has been personally more gratifying." During a church service in November 2019 in Plains, Carter looked back -- with serenity, and a touch of humor -- at his battle with cancer. "I assumed, naturally, that I was going to die very quickly," he said. "I obviously prayed about it. I didn't ask God to let me live, but I asked God to give me a proper attitude toward death." "And I found that I was absolutely and completely at ease with death." bur-jca-mlm/sst/ec/bbk Originally published as Jimmy Carter: president, global mediator, Nobel laureate Breaking News Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. More related stories Breaking News Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100 Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100 Read more Breaking News Croatia’s president faces conservative rival in election run-off Croatia's president faces conservative rival in election run-off Read moreIt was no different for Jimmy Carter in the early 1970s. It took meeting several presidential candidates and then encouragement from an esteemed elder statesman before the young governor, who had never met a president himself, saw himself as something bigger. He announced his White House bid on December 12 1974, amid fallout from the Vietnam War and the resignation of Richard Nixon. Then he leveraged his unknown, and politically untainted, status to become the 39th president. That whirlwind path has been a model, explicit and otherwise, for would-be contenders ever since. “Jimmy Carter’s example absolutely created a 50-year window of people saying, ‘Why not me?’” said Steve Schale, who worked on President Barack Obama’s campaigns and is a long-time supporter of President Joe Biden. Mr Carter’s journey to high office began in Plains, Georgia where he received end-of-life care decades after serving as president. David Axelrod, who helped to engineer Mr Obama’s four-year ascent from state senator to the Oval Office, said Mr Carter’s model is about more than how his grassroots strategy turned the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary into his springboard. “There was a moral stain on the country, and this was a guy of deep faith,” Mr Axelrod said. “He seemed like a fresh start, and I think he understood that he could offer something different that might be able to meet the moment.” Donna Brazile, who managed Democrat Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, got her start on Mr Carter’s two national campaigns. “In 1976, it was just Jimmy Carter’s time,” she said. Of course, the seeds of his presidential run sprouted even before Mr Nixon won a second term and certainly before his resignation in August 1974. In Mr Carter’s telling, he did not run for governor in 1966, he lost, or in 1970 thinking about Washington. Even when he announced his presidential bid, neither he nor those closest to him were completely confident. “President of what?” his mother, Lillian, replied when he told her his plans. But soon after he became governor in 1971, Mr Carter’s team envisioned him as a national player. They were encouraged in part by the May 31 Time magazine cover depicting Mr Carter alongside the headline “Dixie Whistles a Different Tune”. Inside, a flattering profile framed Mr Carter as a model “New South” governor. In October 1971, Carter ally Dr Peter Bourne, an Atlanta physician who would become US drug tsar, sent his politician friend an unsolicited memo outlining how he could be elected president. On October 17, a wider circle of advisers sat with Mr Carter at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss it. Mr Carter, then 47, wore blue jeans and a T-shirt, according to biographer Jonathan Alter. The team, including Mr Carter’s wife Rosalynn, who died aged 96 in November 2023, began considering the idea seriously. “We never used the word ‘president’,” Mr Carter recalled upon his 90th birthday, “but just referred to national office”. Mr Carter invited high-profile Democrats and Washington players who were running or considering running in 1972, to one-on-one meetings at the mansion. He jumped at the chance to lead the Democratic National Committee’s national campaign that year. The position allowed him to travel the country helping candidates up and down the ballot. Along the way, he was among the Southern governors who angled to be George McGovern’s running mate. Mr Alter said Mr Carter was never seriously considered. Still, Mr Carter got to know, among others, former vice president Hubert Humphrey and senators Henry Jackson of Washington, Eugene McCarthy of Maine and Mr McGovern of South Dakota, the eventual nominee who lost a landslide to Mr Nixon. Mr Carter later explained he had previously defined the nation’s highest office by its occupants immortalised by monuments. “For the first time,” Mr Carter told The New York Times, “I started comparing my own experiences and knowledge of government with the candidates, not against ‘the presidency’ and not against Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. It made it a whole lot easier”. Adviser Hamilton Jordan crafted a detailed campaign plan calling for matching Mr Carter’s outsider, good-government credentials to voters’ general disillusionment, even before Watergate. But the team still spoke and wrote in code, as if the “higher office” were not obvious. It was reported during his campaign that Mr Carter told family members around Christmas 1972 that he would run in 1976. Mr Carter later wrote in a memoir that a visit from former secretary of state Dean Rusk in early 1973 affirmed his leanings. During another private confab in Atlanta, Mr Rusk told Mr Carter plainly: “Governor, I think you should run for president in 1976.” That, Mr Carter wrote, “removed our remaining doubts.” Mr Schale said the process is not always so involved. “These are intensely competitive people already,” he said of governors, senators and others in high office. “If you’re wired in that capacity, it’s hard to step away from it.” “Jimmy Carter showed us that you can go from a no-name to president in the span of 18 or 24 months,” said Jared Leopold, a top aide in Washington governor Jay Inslee’s unsuccessful bid for Democrats’ 2020 nomination. “For people deciding whether to get in, it’s a real inspiration,” Mr Leopold continued, “and that’s a real success of American democracy”.NoneNone
NoneAfter another election cycle that brought few bright spots for Nebraska Democrats, some former party officials have escalated their criticism of the state party's leader, Jane Kleeb, calling on her to step aside. In interviews with the Journal Star, two former chairs of the Nebraska Democratic Party — Vince Powers, who led the party from 2012 to 2016, and former U.S. Attorney for Nebraska Tom Monaghan, who was chair from 1985 to 1989 — called last week for Kleeb to step down from the post she has held since 2016. The two former party leaders were joined in their calls for change by Bud Pettigrew, who served as the Nebraska Democratic Party's chair of chairs from 2008 to 2022, working alongside Kleeb for six years before resigning his position after that year's midterms punctuated his lack of confidence in the party's direction. The calls for change come as the Democratic Party continues to shrink in Nebraska, where there are fewer registered Democrats now than there have been in any general election year since at least the 1960s. Republicans, meanwhile, have maintained their hold on statewide offices, all five of the state's congressional seats and captured a filibuster-proof majority in the Legislature. "Some people need to be fired," said Pettigrew, who once chaired the Cherry County Democratic Party and now lives in Hastings. "Maybe Jane might need to step down. She may say, ‘Hey, maybe it’s time for fresh blood.’ I know a lot of people are saying that. They are telling me that." "The last few days, I’ve had phone calls from people as far west as Bayard, as far north as Valentine, people in Omaha and Lincoln, (saying), 'We’ve had enough. It’s not working,'" Pettigrew said in a phone interview Tuesday. "And I agree. It’s not working. It’s time for fresh blood.” In an interview, Kleeb, an activist who rose to prominence in the 2010s as Nebraska's leading opponent to the Keystone XL Pipeline, largely dismissed criticism of her stewardship of the state's Democratic Party, which she has chaired as a volunteer since 2016 — winning reelection by votes at party conventions in 2018, 2020 and 2022. She pointed to the state party's record fundraising this year, a substantial increase in elected Democrats in down-ballot races since she took over in 2016, key wins in tough legislative races this cycle and the delivery of the 2nd Congressional District's "Blue Dot" presidential electoral vote to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Kleeb, who said she still plans to finish out her current term as chair that runs until 2026, acknowledged that "more listening sessions have to happen" between Democrats and state voters and said she "welcome(s) fair criticism." But Kleeb contended her most vocal critics like Powers, Monaghan and former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey — who did not call for Kleeb's resignation but did label the state party "a corrupt organization" under her leadership — are "people who've always hated me and always have an ax to grind against me and who (have) never, ever recognized the work that we've done." "And as a woman, it's increasingly obvious," Kleeb said, adding: "That's how it is. And no matter how many conversations I've had to try to have with those critics, they don't want me to be successful." Criticism of Kleeb is far from universal among Nebraska Democrats or former party leaders. Vic Covalt, who led the party from 2008 to 2012, said he doesn't "fault Nebraska's (party) leadership at all" for this year's disappointing election cycle, adding that Kleeb "does her best, but there isn't much to work with." Randy Fair, the chair of the Keith County Democratic Party and the state party's 3rd Congressional District chair, said "some of the criticism of her is really misplaced." Fair A Democrat who unseated a GOP incumbent in 2010 to become the top prosecutor in a county where more than 68% of voters are Republicans, Fair said he had never heard from anyone at the state party until Kleeb came along in 2016, spurring him to become an active party member. "I think that Jane Kleeb and the current Nebraska Democratic Party is much more focused on the blue-collar, the working class, making inroads with everybody in the state," said Fair, who is thought to be the only Democratic county attorney in Nebraska. But critics point to high-profile instances of a divided state party — including the party's vote in March to censure Omaha Sen. Mike McDonnell over his votes in the Legislature for a stricter abortion ban and limits on gender-affirming care in a move that prompted McDonnell to switch parties a month after the censure — as evidence for their case. The critics also point to the widening gulf between registered Republicans and Democrats in the state, where Democrats haven't won a statewide race since 2006 and haven't won federal office since 2014, repeatedly failing to unseat GOP Rep. Don Bacon in the 2nd Congressional District even as Democratic presidential candidates prevailed there in 2020 and again this month. "The party is shrinking, and that just means that it's time for a change," said Powers. "I don't think anyone could say the status quo ... is good." Twenty years ago, 396,764 voters in Nebraska were registered Democrats — the high watermark for the party in the state dating back to at least 1972, according to state voter registration archives. Even in 2004, Democrats accounted for less than 35% of voters in Nebraska, but the party's candidates continued to compete with Republicans in statewide races. In 2006, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, the state's former governor, won his second term in the U.S. Senate, winning nearly 64% of the vote over wealthy Republican upstart Pete Ricketts, who poured $14.35 million into his own campaign. Democrats haven't won a statewide election since. Ricketts, the state's former governor and Nebraska's junior U.S. Senator, has won three. After the number of registered Democratic voters in Nebraska hovered between 370,000 and 400,000 from 1972 until 2020, the party has hemorrhaged voters in the years since. There are now 337,289 registered Democrats in Nebraska, 33,205 fewer than there were four years ago. Republicans have added 16,470 voters since 2020 and now outnumber Democrats by more than 285,000 voters statewide. Kleeb acknowledged the party has "to get a handle on what's happening with voter registration" but pinned the party's losses in part on Nebraska's Secretary of State's Office, which she said is purging Democrats from state voter rolls at a higher rate than Republicans. The Secretary of State's Office did not provide data on what kind of voters have been removed from state voter rolls in time for publication. "We have documented that we've registered 16,000 new people this cycle, but you would not know that if you look at the raw numbers, because we're barely treading water with the amount of people that are either moving out of state or that are getting purged from voter files," Kleeb said, adding that the party would continue to invest in partisan voter registration moving forward — an initiative that Kleeb said donors had declined to fund in prior years. The widening gulf between registered Republicans and Democrats has hardened the party's path to winning statewide races, but even in Nebraska's Democratic strongholds, success has been fleeting. In the Lincoln-centric 1st Congressional District — where independent candidate Dan Osborn edged U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer this month by less than 1% in his closer-than-expected loss to the GOP incumbent statewide — Democratic challenger Carol Blood lost to Republican Rep. Mike Flood by more than 20 points. Democrats delivered an electoral vote to Harris in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District through the state's unusual presidential electoral system, but Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas again fell short of unseating Bacon, the district's Republican congressman who has staved off challenges from Vargas by narrow margins two election cycles in a row. Trouble for Democrats in the 2nd District did not stop at the ballot box this election cycle. In October, the Douglas County Democratic Party filed paperwork with the Federal Election Committee to establish its own federal campaign account separate from the Nebraska Democratic Party's to boost federal candidates, a move that violates the state party's bylaws . In response, Kleeb revoked the county party's access to the state party's VAN system, which is campaign software organizers use to track and inform door-to-door canvassing. The move left the county party in Democrats' biggest Nebraska stronghold without the technology for the last month of the campaign cycle. CJ King, the Douglas County Democratic Party chair, deferred questions on the spat to Kleeb, but said the county party "got along just fine without" the system. Kleeb said the conflict was "purely technical" and the bylaws the county party violated are meant to ensure both parties don't violate shared FEC contributed limits placed on parties. "We have to follow our bylaws," Kleeb said. "I can't just be like, 'Well, it's close to the election.' So what we did was we said, ‘We want to solve this together. If we can’t solve this together in the next 30 days, you know that there, of course, has to be repercussions, which means you won't have full VAN access.'" An email obtained by the Journal Star that Kleeb sent King and others in early October suggests the revocation was more immediate. Kleeb told King the Douglas County party's VAN "access will be turned off until the DCDP is in compliance with the bylaws" in an email sent Oct. 9, the same day King filed paperwork to establish the county party's federal committee. The state party has seen its own federal fundraising spike under Kleeb's leadership. In the 2016 election cycle, the Nebraska Democratic Party raised $2.61 million and spent $2.36 million, according to FEC data. This time around, the party raised $4.24 million and spent $3.42 million through Oct. 16. Both figures are sure to increase when the party's campaign finance records for the last 20 days of the race become public. For Kleeb and other Democratic Party leaders, Harris' victory in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District marked a bright spot in an otherwise grim election cycle for the party. For critics, the Blue Dot's uncertain future is further evidence in the case against Kleeb. Since 1992, Nebraska has had in place a unusual presidential electoral system that awards a single presidential electoral vote to the winner of each of the state’s three congressional districts — a system that allowed Democratic nominees to pick up one of the state's five electoral votes in 2008, 2020 and again this year. Maine is the only other state that allows its electoral votes to be split between presidential candidates. Conservative state lawmakers in Nebraska's formally nonpartisan Legislature have tried to undo the system repeatedly in the decades since it was established, falling one vote shy of overcoming a filibuster in a close call in 2016. Heading into this year's legislative session, progressive lawmakers maintained 16 seats in the Legislature — enough to kill legislation with a filibuster when the group voted in lockstep. But in April, when McDonnell became a Republican a month after the Nebraska Democratic Party had censured him for his conservative social views, the Blue Dot's future seemed in peril. McDonnell was the subject of a national pressure campaign from Republicans urging him to back a switch to a winner-take-all system. In the end, McDonnell refused to bow to the calls from national Republicans and Nebraska's system survived the Donald Trump-backed push for the change. Kleeb said she was opposed to McDonnell's censuring that preceded his party switch but stood with the rank-and-file Democrats who called for it "because that’s what I have to do as a chair." "But it was always my advice that we are a big tent party," she said, adding that McDonnell's refusal to back the switch to winner-take-all was a testament to her close relationship with the Omaha lawmaker "and showed a lot of work and ability of me as a chair." Critics cast the episode as an embarrassment for Democrats that served as a microcosm for the party's shrinking ranks. "If you're going into the 3rd District and you behave that way, don't ever expect to win it," said Kerrey, a Democrat who represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate from 1989 to 2001, adding: "You're never gonna get their attention if you start off by saying, 'I'm going to censure you if you're a committed Catholic.'" "If you’re going to try to have the Democratic Party succeed in Nebraska, you can’t start off without facing this fact: if it weren’t for a man you censured, we’d have a winner-take-all state," he added. "What do you make of that? It’s not for me to decide. It’s for the leadership of the Democratic Party in Nebraska to decide. What do you make of the fact that you were saved by the man you censured?” If Democrats hope to retain Nebraska's presidential electoral system for another election cycle, they will once again have to turn to Republican state lawmakers for their rescue. Democrats won tough legislative races this month, according to unofficial results, unseating conservative Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island in District 35 while appearing to eke out a win in District 3, where Democrat Anthony Rountree leads conservative Felix Ungerman by less than 2%. Democrats also won back the Omaha seat McDonnell vacated at the end of his second term — but Republicans captured the District 15 seat vacated by term-limited Democratic Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont and unseated Democratic Sen. Jen Day of Gretna, maintaining the filibuster-proof majority they first captured when McDonnell switched parties in April. Progressives came within 1,000 votes of retaining Day's seat and flipping two others, including in District 39, where the Democrat-backed nonpartisan Allison Heimes lost by less than 5 points in her bid to replace term-limited Republican Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn. In District 45, Democrat Sarah Centineo fell 870 votes short of unseating conservative Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue in a race where Centineo faced a massive fundraising gap with little support from the Nebraska Democratic Party. Sanders outraised Centineo by more than $70,000. The Democratic Party contributed $1,500 to the Democrat's campaign. "I had a very close race, and I had very little support from the state party," Centineo said at a virtual meeting the party hosted Saturday to evaluate the election cycle. "It's not that y'all were talking to me. Nobody showed up at anything. (It) was very disappointing." Kleeb acknowledged in the meeting that Centineo's race is one the state party is "kicking ourselves in." "Sarah was one of our strongest recruits, our strongest candidates, and we did not invest enough resources into her race," Kleeb said. The party's lack of support for Centineo was among other perplexing investments Democrats did and did not make in legislative races. The state party contributed $32,238 to Rountree, who garnered the most support from the state party among legislative candidates this cycle en route to her narrow win in a district that leans conservative, according to campaign finance records. But as the party gave less than $10,000 to the likes of Centineo, Heimes, Day and nonpartisan progressive Nicki Behmer Popp — all of whom squared off against conservatives in relatively close races — the party poured $29,139 into Democrat Ashlei Spivey's race against Nick Batter, a progressive nonpartisan backed by some Democrats like Kerrey, in District 13. The party also contributed $27,858 to Michelle Smith, who lost to a conservative by nearly 35 points in District 33, a Republican fortress that includes Hastings, where Kleeb lives. The state party also gave $19,144 to Dunixi Guereca, who prevailed in his District 7 race against another Democrat, Tim Pendrell, who recieved $1,000 from the party. Guereca also received $10,000 from Bold Alliance, the environmental nonprofit run by Kleeb. Among legislative candidates, Bold Alliance contributed the most to Spivey and Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney, an employee of the nonprofit who ultimately ran unopposed for reelection in District 11. The nonprofit contributed more than $15,000 to both campaigns. In District 13, Kleeb said "it was very important for us to keep that seat for a Democrat, not an independent" and noted that Spivey, an Omaha nonprofit executive, is "a Black woman who is highly qualified to be in the Legislature." "And, quite frankly, to see the racism and sexism of some donors (and) community leaders who would tell us that they didn't think Ashlei was qualified or ready to be a state senator was shocking, and pissed us off as a party," she said. "And so we wanted to make sure that Ashlei had the resources to win." Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com . On Twitter @andrewwegley Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Florida State continues torrid star with rout of UMassLea Miller-Tooley hopped off a call to welcome the Baylor women’s basketball team to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, where 80-degree temperatures made it easy for the Bears to settle in on Paradise Island a week before Thanksgiving. About 5,000 miles west of the Caribbean nation, similar climes awaited Maui Invitational men's teams in Hawaii. They’ve often been greeted with leis, the traditional Hawaiian welcome of friendship. College basketball teams and fans look forward to this time of the year. The holiday week tournaments feature buzzworthy matchups and all-day TV coverage, sure, but there is a familiarity about them as they help ward off the November chill. For four decades, these sandy-beach getaways filled with basketball have become a beloved mainstay of the sport itself. “When you see (ESPN’s) ‘Feast Week’ of college basketball on TV, when you see the Battle 4 Atlantis on TV, you know college basketball is back,” said Miller-Tooley , the founder and organizer of the Battle 4 Atlantis men's and women's tournaments. “Because it’s a saturated time of the year with the NFL, college football and the NBA. But when you see these gorgeous events in these beautiful places, you realize, ‘Wow, hoops are back, let’s get excited.’” The Great Alaska Shootout was the trend-setting multiple-team event (MTE) nearly five decades ago. The brainchild of late Alaska-Anchorage coach Bob Rachal sought to raise his program’s profile by bringing in national-power programs, which could take advantage of NCAA rules allowing them to exceed the maximum allotment of regular-season games if they played the three-game tournament outside the contiguous 48 states. The first edition, named the Sea Wolf Classic, saw N.C. State beat Louisville 72-66 for the title on Nov. 26, 1978. The Maui Invitational followed in November 1984, borne from the buzz of NAIA program Chaminade’s shocking upset of top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 star Ralph Sampson in Hawaii two years earlier. Events kept coming, with warm-weather locales getting in on the action. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Cayman Islands Classic. The Jamaica Classic. The Myrtle Beach Invitational joining the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Numerous tournaments in Florida. Some events have faded away like the Puerto Rico Tipoff and the Great Alaska Shootout, the latter in 2017 amid event competition and schools opting for warm-weather locales. Miller-Tooley’s push to build an MTE for Atlantis began as a December 2010 doubleheader with Georgia Tech beating Richmond and Virginia Tech beating Mississippi State in a prove-it moment for a tournament’s viability. It also required changing NCAA legislation to permit MTEs in the Bahamas. Approval came in March 2011; the first eight-team Atlantis men’s tournament followed in November. That tournament quickly earned marquee status with big-name fields, with Atlantis champions Villanova (2017) and Virginia (2018) later winning that season’s NCAA title. Games run in a ballroom-turned-arena at the resort, where players also check out massive swimming pools, water slides and inner-tube rapids surrounded by palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s just the value of getting your passport stamped, that will never get old,” Miller-Tooley said. “Watching some of these kids, this may be their first and last time — and staff and families — that they ever travel outside the United States. ... You can see through these kids’ eyes that it’s really an unbelievable experience.” ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock knows that firsthand. His Louisville team finished second at Atlantis in 2012 and won that year’s later-vacated NCAA title, with Hancock as the Final Four's most outstanding player. “I remember (then-coach Rick Pitino) saying something to the effect of: ‘Some of you guys might never get this opportunity again. We’re staying in this unbelievable place, you’re doing it with people you love,’” Hancock said. “It was a business trip for us there at Thanksgiving, but he definitely had a tone of ‘We’ve got to enjoy this as well.’” Maui offers similar vibes, though 2024 could be a little different as Lahaina recovers from deadly 2023 wildfires that forced the event's relocation last year. North Carolina assistant coach Sean May played for the Tar Heels’ Maui winner in 2004 and was part of UNC’s staff for the 2016 champion, with both teams later winning the NCAA title. May said “you just feel the peacefulness” of the area — even while focusing on games — and savors memories of the team taking a boat out on the Pacific Ocean after title runs under now-retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. “Teams like us, Dukes, UConns – you want to go to places that are very well-run,” May said. “Maui, Lea Miller with her group at the Battle 4 Atlantis, that’s what drives teams to come back because you know you’re going to get standard A-quality of not only the preparation but the tournament with the way it’s run. Everything is top-notch. And I think that brings guys back year after year.” That’s why Colorado coach Tad Boyle is so excited for the Buffaloes’ first Maui appearance since 2009. “We’ve been trying to get in the tournament since I got here,” said Boyle, now in his 15th season. And of course, that warm-weather setting sure doesn’t hurt. “If you talk about the Marquettes of the world, St. John’s, Providence — they don’t want that cold weather,” said NBA and college TV analyst Terrence Oglesby, who played for Clemson in the 2007 San Juan Invitational in Puerto Rico. “They’re going to have to deal with that all January and February. You might as well get a taste of what the sun feels like.” The men’s Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, got things rolling last week with No. 11 Tennessee routing No. 13 Baylor for the title. The week ahead could boast matchups befitting the Final Four, with teams having two weeks of action since any opening-night hiccups. “It’s a special kickoff to the college basketball season,” Oglesby said. “It’s just without the rust.” On the women’s side, Atlantis began its fourth eight-team women’s tournament Saturday with No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Baylor, while the nearby Baha Mar resort follows with two four-team women’s brackets that include No. 2 UConn, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi and No. 20 N.C. State. Then come the men’s headliners. The Maui Invitational turns 40 as it opens Monday back in Lahaina . It features second-ranked and two-time reigning national champion UConn , No. 4 Auburn , No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 North Carolina. The Battle 4 Atlantis opens its 13th men’s tournament Wednesday, topped by No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Arizona. Michigan State Hall of Famer Tom Izzo is making his fourth trip to Maui, where he debuted as Jud Heathcote’s successor at the 1995 tournament. Izzo's Spartans have twice competed at Atlantis, last in 2021 . “They’re important because they give you something in November or December that is exciting,” Izzo said. Any drawbacks? “It’s a 10-hour flight,” he said of Hawaii. AP Sports Writers Pat Graham in Colorado and Larry Lage in Michigan contributed to this report. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Loobie 3-9 3-4 9, Richards 3-7 1-3 7, Chung 4-10 2-4 11, Sonnier 6-11 0-0 12, Tucker 1-9 2-2 4, Brice 0-3 0-0 0, Oliva Fernandez 2-2 0-0 4, Wright 2-4 3-6 7, Jones-Brown 1-4 0-0 2, Reynoso 0-3 0-0 0, Totals 22-62 11-19 56 Hobbs 5-10 2-2 12, Holloway 2-7 5-6 9, Kampschroeder 1-4 2-2 4, Olson 10-15 1-2 23, Swords 6-15 3-3 18, Dunbar 0-0 2-2 2, VanTimmeren 2-2 2-3 6, Grabovskaia 5-7 3-3 13, Brown 2-4 0-0 4, Delfosse 4-8 0-0 10, Q. Daniels 5-7 0-4 10, Totals 42-79 20-27 111 3-Point Goals_Long Beach St. 1-22 (Loobie 0-4, Richards 0-1, Chung 1-5, Sonnier 0-3, Tucker 0-4, Jones-Brown 0-2, Reynoso 0-3), Michigan 7-25 (Hobbs 0-3, Holloway 0-1, Kampschroeder 0-3, Olson 2-6, Swords 3-7, Brown 0-2, Delfosse 2-3). Assists_Long Beach St. 11 (Chung 3), Michigan 25 (Hobbs 5, Swords 5). Fouled Out_Long Beach St. Richards. Rebounds_Long Beach St. 29 (Chung 6), Michigan 51 (Hobbs 8, Swords 8). Total Fouls_Long Beach St. 25, Michigan 20. Technical Fouls_None. A_2,753.
Cavaliers vs. Wizards Injury Report Today – December 3
A windy day on St. Simons Island, Georgia, saw Maverick McNealy make his way to the top of the 2024 RSM Classic leaderboard. Navigating through the Seaside Course at Sea Island in a bogey-free fashion, the Stanford graduate tacked on six birdies and an eagle to sign for an 8-under 62 in the first round of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall finale. McNealy was caught by Michael Thorbjornsen in the late stages of the first round as the PGA Tour rookie carded an 8-under 64 on the more accessible Plantation Course. "I feel like we kind of did everything really well," McNealy said. "I drove it awesome, iron play was about as good as it's been all year. The last three tournaments it's really been great, and that's the part of my game I've wanted to improve the most. I chipped in today, got everything up and down and putted awesome today, too. There's really nothing weak out there today." Coming into the year playing on a major medical extension, McNealy made easy work of his early opportunities to regain full-time status. Now well inside the Aon Next 10, which qualifies for the first two signature events of 2025, the right hander seeks more than a spot in the fields at Pebble Beach and Riviera, and instead intends on securing a spot in the winner's circle. "I started the fall wanting to be in the top 60, and now that that's pretty much taken care of, Scott and I want to get to Kapalua," McNealy said. "That's our next box to tick, so good start today for that." McNealy takes to the Plantation Course on Friday, where Thorbjorsen was among the many to go low on Thursday. Just recently exiting the college ranks through PGA Tour University, McNealy's fellow Stanford product will persist across the next 54 holes just as he did this past summer when he finished runner-up at the John Deere Classic in what was his third start as a professional. The leaders T1. Maverick McNealy, Michael Thorbjornsen (-8) The good news for Thorbjornsen is that six of the last seven winners at the RSM Classic started on the Plantation Course. The bad news is he has gotten through the easier of the two golf courses and finds himself in a share of the lead with a player who still has a date with the Plantation Course. The 23-year-old should feel more than comfortable in this position despite this week representing his 11th start on Tour. Stating at the beginning of his professional career that he wished to replicate the success of Ludvig Åberg — who finished No. 1 in PGA Tour University the year prior — Thorbjornsen now has the opportunity to do just that. A win would secure starts at The Sentry, the Masters and the PGA Championship and completely open up his first full-time season on the PGA Tour. Other contenders 3. Andrew Novak (-7) T4. Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Chandler Phillips (-6) T6. Patrick Rodgers, Michael Kim, Kevin Yu, Kelly Kraft, Keith Mitchell, Harris English, Austin Eckroat (-5) A name many had circled coming into 2024 was that of Dumont de Chassart. The Belgian arrived on the PGA Tour fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign on the Korn Ferry Tour, but outside of a couple quality starts in opposite field events, Dumont de Chassart struggled to get his feet underneath him for much of his rookie year. Collecting two top-25 finishes and 13 missed cuts in his first 23 starts, the 24-year-old found something in Bermuda, where he nabbed a podium finish and injected some life into his season. Moving inside the cut-off for conditional status with his play last week, Dumont de Chassart now eyes another quality result to push him inside the top 125 that secures full-time status. "It's been lots of learning this year, I'd say," Dumont de Chassart said. "You know, I'm glad it's working out. A little late maybe, but being a rookie, you get to play a new course every week. That's not easy. I made some changes early in the year, which was a little tough at first, especially when it came to my confidence. To know that I finished in the top three last week definitely gave me a boost, and coming out today and shooting a 6 under round is pretty solid in this wind." Bubble watch There is little movement when it comes to the Aon Next 10 as Novak and Yu are projected to move inside the top 60 following stellar first rounds. While they hope to play in the first two signature events next year, others just hope to play on the PGA Tour. With Dumont de Chassart and Thorbjornsen (who is secure no matter the result due to PGA Tour University) moving inside the top 125, Wesley Bryan and Joel Dahmen are among a handful of players moving out. T12 Dylan Wu 121 131 155 David Skinns 122 120 T4 Adrian Dumont de Chassart 124 142 T80 Sam Ryder 125 122 T34 Wesley Bryan 126 125 T80 Zac Blair 127 123 T101 Joel Dahmen 128 124 Åberg's return off to slow start In the early stages of the first round, the defending champion looked like he hadn't missed a beat coming off a two-month hiatus due to injury. Carding a birdie on No. 1, Åberg struggled from there and got himself into trouble off the tee on more than one occasion. Adding three bogeys to his scorecard before the turn, Åberg's biggest blemish came on the par-4 10th when he overcooked his drive and found the penalty area. Leading to a triple bogey, the Swede dropped to 5 over before battling back with a couple nice birdies to finish the day with a 73, his highest score since The Open. "It was hard, obviously it was a rough day," Åberg said. "It was a lot of rust I felt like, but I also felt like the good was pretty good but the bad was really bad. A little bit of everything today, but all in all, pretty happy to be back playing golf again." Back like he never left. Defending champ Ludvig Åberg is 1-under thru 1 @TheRSMClassic ! pic.twitter.com/slQ1ybVkvu 2024 RSM Classic updated odds and picks Golf betting odds below provided via DraftKings Sportsbook . Check out the latest DraftKings promo to get in the game. Maverick McNealy: 3-1 Andrew Novak: 9-1 Michael Thorbjornsen: 10-1 Patrick Rodgers: 12-1 Michael Kim: 16-1 Harris English: 18-1 Only Kim and English are PGA Tour winners listed below 20-1, so the confidence is not high with this bunch. Of the favorites, Novak draws the most interest fresh off a contention run in Bermuda and with both his iron play and putter in good form. If asked to look further down the board, Yu only three back at 55-1 seems more than fair having already won this fall.
Wetv Partners With Magnite To Enhance Video Inventory Monetisation: Calling the Constitution a “guiding light”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said it is a matter of pride that it has stood every test of time. Speaking in his monthly radio broadcast "Mann ki Baat", Mr Modi also described the upcoming Maha Kumbh as the "Maha Kumbh of unity" and urged the people to take a vow to banish hate and division from the society at the grand religious congregation. In his address, Mr Modi noted that the next Republic Day will mark the 75th anniversary of the implementation of the Constitution. He said: “On January 26, 2025, our Constitution is completing 75 years. It is a matter of great honour for all of us. The Constitution, handed over to us by our Constitution makers, has stood the test of time in every sense of the term. The Constitution is our guiding light, our guide. It is on account of the Constitution of India that I am here today, being able to talk to you.” The Prime Minister mentioned that this year, on November 26, Constitution Day, many activities have commenced that will go on for a year. “A special website named constitution75.com has also been created to connect the citizens of the country with the legacy of the Constitution. In this, you can read the Preamble of the Constitution and upload your video. You can read the Constitution in myriad languages; you can also ask questions pertaining to the Constitution,” Mr Modi said and urged the listeners of ‘Mann Ki Baat to visit this website and become a part of it. Talking about the Maha Kumbh beginning from January 13 in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, the Prime Minister noted that the speciality of the Maha Kumbh is not only in its vastness but is also in its diversity. “There is no discrimination anywhere. No one is big and no one is small. Such a scene of unity in diversity will not be seen anywhere else in the world. Therefore, our Kumbh is also the Maha Kumbh of unity. This time's Maha Kumbh will also bolster the mantra of Maha Kumbh of unity,” he said. The Prime Minister urged the devotees who are planning to visit to take a vow to banish hate and division from the society. “Let us also make a resolve to annihilate the feeling of division and hatred in the society. If I have to say it in a few words, then I will say... Maha Kumbh ka sandesh, ek ho poora desh and putting it in another way, I will say Ganga ki aviral dhara, na bante samaj hamara," Mr Modi said. The Prime Minister further noted that this time in Prayagraj, devotees from the country and the world will also be witness to the digital Maha Kumbh. “With the help of digital navigation, you will be able to reach different ghats, temples, and ‘akharas’ of sadhus. The same navigation system will also help you reach parking spaces. For the first time, an AI chatbot will be used in the Kumbh event. All kinds of information related to Kumbh will be available in 11 Indian languages through the AI chatbot,” he said. In his radio address, the Prime Minister announced that India will host the “World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit” (WAVES) for the first time from February 5 to 9, next year. Comparing the WAVES to global events like Davos, where the world's economic giants gather, the Prime Minister highlighted that a great opportunity is on the way to showcase India's creative talent to the world. “Giants from the media and entertainment industry, as well as creative minds from across the globe, will gather in India. This summit is an important step towards making India a hub of global content creation,” he said. Mr Modi emphasised the pivotal role of young creators in the preparations for WAVES, reflecting the dynamic spirit of India's creative community and expressed pride in the enthusiasm of the country’s youth and their contribution to the burgeoning creator economy, a key driver as India advances toward becoming a $5 trillion economy. The Prime Minister said: "Whether you are a young creator or an established artist, associated with Bollywood or regional cinema, a professional from the TV industry, an expert in animation, gaming, or an innovator in entertainment technology, I encourage you to be a part of the WAVE Summit.” He also urged all stakeholders in the entertainment and creative industries to actively participate in the WAVES. The Prime Minister also remembered four icons of Indian cinema — Raj Kapoor, Mohammed Rafi, Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) and Tapan Sinha — in their birth centenary year and stated that these personalities have accorded Indian cinema recognition at the world level. Mr Modi said: “Raj Kapoor Ji introduced the world to the soft power of India through films. Rafi sahab's voice had that magic that touched every heart. His voice was amazing. Be it devotional songs, romantic songs or sad songs, he brought every emotion alive with his voice. His greatness as an artiste can be gauged from the fact that even today the young generation listens to his songs with the same passion—this is the distinct mark of timeless art.” “Akkineni Nageswara Rao Garu has taken Telugu cinema to new heights. His films presented Indian traditions and values very well. Tapan Sinha Ji's films gave a new vision to society,” Mr Modi said, adding that their films always carried the message of social consciousness and national unity, and the lives of these personalities are an inspiration for our entire film industry.
Luke Humphries defeats Luke Littler to retain Players Championship Finals title