FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Wesley Celichowski's 22 points helped Air Force defeat Stony Brook 69-61 on Saturday. Celichowski shot 6 of 10 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 8 from the line for the Falcons (3-7). Ethan Taylor scored 17 points while going 6 of 11 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and added eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Caleb Walker shot 6 of 6 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points. The Seawolves (2-7) were led by CJ Luster II, who recorded 27 points. Stony Brook also got 13 points from Collin O'Connor. Andre Snoddy finished with 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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Syrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria is gaining speed with news that they have reached the suburbs of the capital of Damascus. The government on Saturday was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus were reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander. They came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions. The factions are by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full a dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastically-arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party. But the party also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor recalls confusion and chaos during Japanese bombing 83 years ago PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors are planning to return to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. They are each over 100 years old. They will join active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for a remembrance ceremony hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.Trump says he’ll eliminate ‘wokeness’ from education
Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US
NYC’s mayor warms to Trump and doesn’t rule out becoming a Republican - The Associated PressCARSON, Calif. (AP) — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the . were one of MLS’ worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. “Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it’s great,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it’s a special moment. Couldn’t be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game.” , who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over , and to storm into the Cup final. “We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean,” Schwarz said Friday. “To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it’s necessary, because it’s a final, and without pressure it’s not possible to bring the best quality on the field.” The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they’ve collected three Supporters’ Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy’s trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. “I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit,” Vanney said. “It’s one thing to have players you like, and it’s a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group.” Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's . The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. “He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him,” Schwarz said. “But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it’s not clear now how they’re playing without him.” The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. ___ AP soccer: Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
Defending champ South Dakota State dominates Montana 35-18 in FCS 2nd round
Inside Notre Dame, Paris’ Gothic gem, as it reopens to the worldGoPro Inc. stock remains steady Tuesday, underperforms marketAfter a full Saturday shuttling her two kids to football and play-dates across Manhattan, Neha Ruch, 39, finally carved out a few precious minutes to exercise at 6.15pm. She didn’t even bother to change clothes before hopping onto her elliptical machine in a closet-turned-home-gym. After 15 minutes, the interruptions started. First, her husband poked his head in – their daughter was pleading for her to say good night. No problem, Ruch thought. She sat with her daughter for a while and then came back to the machine. But just as she was breaking a sweat, her son wandered over, asking for help finding something to do. She sighed and turned off the machine. “I had left the door wide open,” she said. After helping him, she surrendered to the couch. It’s a story that’s played out in millions of homes, as women feel pulled between taking care of themselves and taking care of family. In one recent study of 400,000 Americans, only 33 per cent of women met weekly recommendations for aerobic exercise, as opposed to 43 per cent of men. Other studies, including a 2017 study of 147 countries , have confirmed this phenomenon across ages and demographics. Experts say this exercise gender gap has a lot to do with the disproportionate amount of time and labour women devote to caring for the home and for others. It’s also consistent with research suggesting that, on the whole, women tend to prioritise other people’s health above their own, experts said. “They make the time for themselves when there is no one else to be taken care of,” said Stephanie Roth-Goldberg, a clinical social worker and therapist in New York. Among her patients, the attitude is, “Where can I sneak this in?” she said. Over time, this exercise shortfall can have serious implications on women’s health and quality of life . While women live an average of six years longer than men, they spend a greater percentage of their lives in poor health, suffering from conditions like heart disease, diabetes or depression. And yet a 2024 paper suggests that, compared to men, they may benefit more from the same dose of exercise. “Doing something was better than nothing for both,” said Dr Martha Gulati, the study’s co-author and the associate director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. But, for reasons not fully understood, “women get more bang for their buck”. The gender gap starts in childhood, and the older we get, the harder it is to close, according to researchers. For example, starting in their tweens, young men still generally have greater access to sports facilities and athletic opportunities than young women, said Melissa Bopp, a professor of kinesiology at Penn State University who studies exercise and gender. In 2019 , about 3.4 million girls played high school sports, more than a million fewer than boys. As a result, she said, more men than women enter adulthood feeling confident in their physical abilities and comfortable in settings like gyms and weight rooms. Women also report feeling less safe when exercising, she added, and report much higher rates of harassment than men. Even when they do feel comfortable, women may not always experience the same emotional benefits. “Men often report that they’re exercising because they actually enjoy it,” Dr Gulati said, while research suggests that women are more likely to work out for appearance reasons, such as losing weight , which can make it less of a stress reliever . “If we don’t find joy, we won’t necessarily carve out time for it.” Experts say the greatest barrier to exercise for many women is free time – specifically, social norms informing how women should spend it , and the division of labour at home . Women, on average, have 13 per cent less free time than men, according to a 2024 report, primarily because they shoulder more unpaid household work. The report also found the group with the least amount is 35- to 44-year-old women, who have an hour less daily free time than their male counterparts. Even in homes where men and women share domestic responsibilities, women often find themselves with less control over their time, said Eve Rodsky, a writer and activist . When researching her book Fair Play, which offers solutions for more equitable divisions of labour, Rodsky interviewed 500 couples and found that men tended to take on responsibilities that they could plan around their work and leisure schedules, such as mowing the lawn or making home repairs. Women were more likely to shoulder tasks that had to be completed around other people’s schedules, she said, such as making kids’ lunches before school or cooking dinner. A 2023 survey found that only 4 per cent of mothers considered their own health as a measure of their success, while 31 per cent saw their children’s health in these terms. For some women, having to plan their workouts around other people’s needs can mean sacrificing sleep, Roth-Goldberg said, or social opportunities. “The roles that we typically play in our household aren’t going to shift just because we decide to run a marathon.” But even with these sacrifices, making time to move in a way that boosts your physical and mental health is often worth it, she added. One way to move more is to find a workout buddy. “For women in particular, having someone to exercise with is very important,” Dr Bopp said. Not only can it create accountability , she said, but it can also “help make you feel more comfortable in an exercise space”. Another trick, if you struggle putting your desire to exercise ahead of other people’s needs, is to reframe physical activity as being a part of your caregiving, Dr Bopp said. In other words: “Take care of yourself so you can take care of others,” she said. Lastly, remember that any movement is better than no movement, and grabbing a few minutes for yourself throughout the day can have a big impact over time, Dr Gulati said. And perhaps most important, experts said, celebrate the movement you are able to fit in. Among the couples she interviewed, Rodsky found that the women who successfully kept up long-term exercise routines were the ones who showed themselves compassion for ebbs and flows along the way. As for Ruch, who founded an advocacy group for women who choose to pause their careers after children, she’s working on “feeling good about the ‘good enough’ workout. For right now.” By Danielle Friedman © The New York Times Company The article originally appeared in The New York Times .