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ST. PAUL — A buck harvested near Wheaton in western Minnesota during the opening weekend of firearms season has tested positive for chronic wasting disease, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported on Thursday, Dec. 12. The adult male deer was harvested within Deer Permit Area 271 along the Minnesota - South Dakota border. To date, no wild deer with CWD had been previously detected in that area, nearby permit areas or near the Minnesota border in eastern South Dakota. ADVERTISEMENT “This discovery in western Minnesota, while unwelcome news, highlights the importance and necessity of our disease surveillance efforts and allowing hunters to test deer harvested anywhere in the state if they would like to,” said Erik Hildebrand, wildlife health supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Deer Permit Area 271 includes all of Traverse County and small portions of northern Big Stone and Wilkin counties. It is located north of Big Stone Lake and the Minnesota River Valley habitat corridor. The permit area is heavily farmed with limited public lands and habitat. So far this year, the total deer harvest in that permit area totals 397, with 303 of the total being adult males, according to the DNR website. Following the detection near Wheaton, the Minnesota DNR will implement measures outlined in its CWD response plan, which calls for three consecutive years of testing to help determine the potential prevalence of the disease in Deer Permit Area 271 and surrounding permit areas. The Minnesota DNR also will work with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to coordinate surveillance of chronic wasting disease and management activities in the vicinity. Within deer permit areas where CWD has been detected and confirmed, the Minnesota DNR uses multiple management actions designed to help mitigate disease spread, including carcass movement restrictions, a deer feeding and attractants ban, and, sometimes, increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits. In 2024, Deer Permit Area 271 will not be included in the CWD late-season management hunt that takes place Dec. 20-22. The adult male deer in that permit area that tested positive for CWD was harvested during the breeding season when deer are known to travel longer distances. ADVERTISEMENT Before deciding whether to remove additional deer in a CWD management hunt, the DNR will conduct surveillance in the fall of 2025 to better understand disease prevalence in the permit area.
Colorado is gearing up for the rugged Big 12 schedule, but first the Buffaloes wrap up their nonconference slate with two more games, starting Friday night when they host South Dakota State in Boulder, Colo. Colorado (7-2) has won two straight after competing in the Maui Invitational, most recently a 72-55 win over in-state rival Colorado State. Now the focus turns to South Dakota State and shoring up issues before conference play. "Defensively, we're understanding what our jobs are. Now, we're not where we need to be for sure," coach Tad Boyle said. "But we're making strides in that area. And I think the guys are getting used to playing with each other, understanding each other." The Buffaloes lost a lot of talent from last year's NCAA Tournament team but boast some quality players. Andrej Jakimovski (13.0 points per game), Julian Hammond III (12.3 ppg) and Elijah Moore (12.0 ppg) lead the team in scoring. Sophomore big man Bangot Dak has shown he can be a force after scoring a career-high 16 points in the win over Colorado State. The Jackrabbits (8-4) are coming off a 77-63 loss at Nevada on Wednesday night and complete a two-game trip in Boulder. South Dakota State is led by senior center Oscar Cluff, who tops the team in scoring (17.3 points) and rebounding (11.0) but had a subpar night against Nevada when he scored a season-low six points while battling an ankle injury. "I wish he was feeling a little better," coach Eric Henderson said of Cluff. "He's going to be fine, but he's still nursing that ankle a little bit." Freshman Joe Sayler is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 ppg and has reached double figures in each of the last three games. Sophomore Kalen Garry is third on the Jackrabbits in scoring at 9.6 per contest, an average that has been hurt by his last three games when he has averaged just 5.3 points. --Field Level Media
'Around the Horn'Volkswagen workers plan to launch extended strikes starting Monday, escalating a heated conflict with management over layoffs and what would be the first factory closures on German soil for Europe's largest automaker, according to a union statement on Thursday. The IG Metall union said workers would down tools for four hours at nine different sites in so-called "warning" strikes across the country, twice as long as the first round of industrial action at the start of December. The walkouts are timed to coincide with the next round of talks between Volkswagen and labor representatives over cost-cutting measures that the company says are vital to staying competitive against rising costs and foreign rivals. Volkswagen on Thursday said the management and workers representatives remained in dialogue to collaboratively develop viable, long-term solutions that balance economic stability and secure employment prospects. The crisis at Europe's largest carmaker has hit Germany at a time of economic uncertainty and domestic political upheaval, as well as wider turmoil among the region's automakers. Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume on Wednesday had defended his decisions as necessary in a rapidly changing environment, saying management could not operate "in a fantasy world." "It borders on mockery when Oliver Blume stands in front of the workforce and wishes them a Merry Christmas, while at the same time, the VW board would prefer to put letters of termination under the Christmas tree for the employees," IG Metall negotiator Thorsten Groeger said on Thursday. "We will now step up our efforts on December 9th and thus increase the pressure on the company at the negotiating table," he said in a statement. Europe's car sector is in turmoil, with thousands of jobs on the line at automakers and their suppliers, all suffering from a weakening market on the continent and a slower-than-expected take-up of electric vehicles. On Monday morning, thousands of VW employees are expected to attend a rally in Wolfsburg, where VW is headquartered, shortly before the start of negotiations. Workers could increase pressure if no agreement is struck during next week's negotiations, union officials have signaled, leading to longer and possibly even open-ended strikes.
CVR Energy Announces Pricing of Proposed Senior Secured Term Loan B Facility, 2025 Capital ...By TOM KRISHER, AP Business Writer DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter posted by Musk on the platform now called X , his lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. “It is the policy of the SEC to conduct investigations on a confidential basis to preserve the integrity of its investigative process,” an agency spokesperson said in an email Friday. Messages also were left Friday by The Associated Press seeking comment from Spiro. In the letter, Spiro says he is responding to demands from SEC staff members about a multi-year investigation of “certain purchases, sales and disclosures of Twitter shares.” In addition, Spiro is demanding to know who directed the actions. Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion. But a lawsuit filed by a Twitter investor in April 2022 accused Musk of violating a regulatory deadline to reveal that he had accumulated a stake of at least 5%. Instead, according to the complaint, Musk failed to disclose his position in Twitter until he had nearly doubled his stake to more than 9%. That strategy, the lawsuit alleges, hurt ordinary investors who sold shares in the San Francisco company in the nearly two weeks before Musk acknowledged that he held a major stake in Twitter. Related Articles National News | NJ cop suffered ‘medical episode’ before crashing cruiser National News | UnitedHealth Group CEO speaks out after Brian Thompson murder National News | Woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 publicly admits she lied National News | Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats National News | FBI, Homeland Security say drones in N.J. are not a threat Eventually, the disclosure of Musk’s stake in Twitter caused the value of its shares to soar 27% from its April 1 close to nearly $50 by the end of trading on April 4. That improper delay, according to the lawsuit, deprived investors who had sold shares before Musk’s stake in the company was publicly known of the opportunity to realize significant gains. Musk has been engaged in a running battle with the SEC since 2018. That was when he and Tesla, his electric car company, each agreed to pay $20 million in fines over tweets Musk had made about having amassed the necessary funding to take Tesla private. Such a transition never happened; Tesla remains a public company. Musk sought to overturn part of the settlement that required him to have his postings about Tesla reviewed by a Tesla attorney . That provision, he had contended, violated his free speech rights. The dispute made its way to the Supreme Court, which rejected Musk’s appeal without comment. Gensler, who was nominated to lead the SEC by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would step down from his post on Jan. 20, when Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president. Trump has announced that intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the SEC. Trump has named Musk as co-chair of a “Department of Government Efficiency” to try to reform the federal government.NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis.Macron names ally Bayrou as new PM as he aims to restore political stability
MAPS DEADLINE: ROSEN, A LEADING NATIONAL FIRM, Encourages WM Technology, Inc. Investors To Secure Counsel Before Important December 16 Deadline In Securities Class Action First Filed By The Firm – MAPSCozy winter fare: Make a French-style cassoulet at home
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Mr Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly. Mr Macron’s office said in a statement that Mr Bayrou “has been charged with forming a new government”. During the handover ceremony, Mr Bayrou said that “no one knows the difficulty of the situation better” than he does. “I’ve taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections,” he said. France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. “I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success,” Mr Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a “needed reconciliation”. “I think this is the only possible path to success,” he said. The new prime minister is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers. Former prime minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Mr Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Mr Macron’s centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Mr Bayrou’s Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from the left and the right to be able to stay in power. Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government. Mr Macron’s strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding “make or break” power over the government. Ms Le Pen helped oust Mr Barnier by joining her National Rally party’s forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week. Mr Bayrou’s appointment is also in line with Mr Macron’s efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they commit not to vote against the government in any future confidence motion. Mr Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007. In 2017, he supported Mr Macron’s first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French president’s centrist alliance. At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDem’s alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds. Mr Bayrou this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine. Mr Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government. He was three times a candidate for president: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:25 p.m. ESTAP News Summary at 1:32 p.m. ESTAP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:21 p.m. EST
For “Hysteria!” actresses Anna Camp and Julie Bowen, horror is harder than comedy. “Horror is really hard actually because there is a fine line you have to walk; you have to make it feel grounded and you’re put in these extreme circumstances: You’re being possessed or pulled through the air, there’s nothing you can do to relate to that,” explained Camp of “Pitch Perfect” fame. “With comedy, you can have a relatable situation and go, ‘I’ve been in situations like that.’ There’s nothing you can compare (horror) to, so you have to use your imagination. I find it harder. Your imagination goes home with you at the end of the day. You’re still thinking crazy thoughts.” Bowen, best known for playing Claire Dunphy on “Modern Family,” agreed. “Comedy’s pretty binary because it’s like either you can make people laugh or you don’t. I can’t watch horror. I’m terrified, terrified! I am the easiest scare in the world, so as far as doing (horror), I want to make it as real as possible. It was hard because I had to be really, really crazy. There were times when I’d get back to my hotel room at 3 a.m., I didn’t want to be alone in my head,” said Bowen, laughing. Camp, Bowen, Royal Oak native Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead”), showrunner David A. Goodman (“Futurama”), and Ypsilanti native/creator Matthew Scott Kane (“American Horror Story”) were promoting “Hysteria!” at the New York Comic Con in October. The horror series is streaming on Peacock. Set in the fictional Michigan town of Happy Hollow, the first episode of “Hysteria” begins with a popular quarterback’s disappearance and a pentagram is discovered on a garage door. As a result, rumors of the occult and satanic influence run rampant through the town. A trio of outcasts in a heavy metal band called Dethkrunch exploit this by rebranding themselves as a satanic metal band, which leads to them becoming the targets of the town’s witch hunt. “Something on my mind a lot in 2019 was we’re living in this post-factual age with social media. It seemed like decades and decades ago, you could trust the news. Now everything is in question. When lies end up getting disseminated as truth, that starts to warp people’s version of reality. Suddenly, they’re living in a world other people are not. That was going on in the world I was living in and I very quickly connected it to the 1980s satanic panic. It’s not really that different because people were saying Ozzy Osbourne, Jason Voorhees (of ‘Friday the 13th’), and the Smurfs were going to turn your kids into satanists and kill you in your sleep. That didn’t happen. It wasn’t true, but so many people got worked up into such a fervor over it, bad things happened. ... It was smoke without fire,” Kane said. “Disinformation is not new,” Campbell said. “Disinformation will tear a town apart.” Campbell portrays Happy Hollow Police Chief Ben Dandridge. “This guy’s a reasonable cop; he’s a rational person who doesn’t treat the teenagers like they’re idiots. It’s all very refreshing,” he said. “I want to play that guy again. I want cops to be that guy. I’m playing the cop (that) cops need to be. That’s my whole motivation for playing this guy: How would you like cops to be, especially the guy in charge, the chief of police? They’re lucky to have Chief Dandridge.” “It was truly an exciting moment when Bruce signed on,” Goodman said. By the end of the first episode, a supernatural phenomenon happens to Linda Campbell, played by Bowen. “Linda seems like one thing, then you realize she’s bananas. She’s either bananas or she’s possessed. Either way, it’s a complicated thing to play,” Bowen said. “With Julie, you can have your cake and eat it too,” Kane said. “She’s this fun, quirky mom. ... As the episode goes on, she’s pulled deeper into this thing and crazy stuff starts happening. That final act of the first episode was my favorite moment with her because this announced that this is not Claire Dunphy. We’re not doing that again; we’re pushing her as a performer. “Julie was so excited about doing stunts. She told us on many occasions she’s very sturdy and can take it. The same goes for Bruce and for Anna. We didn’t ask anyone to give us a flavor of the thing they did before. We cast people we loved so much (in their famous projects) that we wanted to give them the opportunity to do the exact opposite.” Added Bowen: “I got this script and was like, ‘Oh great. She’s a mom. How fun.’ I love moms. I’m a mom, but I felt this was not worth flying out of town to Georgia and being away from my kids. Then I got to the end of the pilot and was like, ‘She’s crazy!’ Is she possessed? There’s a lot more questions. It’s fun to just stretch again and do things I haven’t done in a while, which I found really exciting.” Kane said he felt lucky Bowen signed on at the beginning. “She was the first adult actor to sign on. That gave us such credibility to have a two-time Emmy-winning actor leading this show. Suddenly, it goes from this script from a relatively unknown writer into the new Julie Bowen show,” he said. It was the quality of the writing that attracted Camp, Bowen and Campbell to “Hysteria!” “I loved the script; it was incredibly well-written. It was immersed in the time period. It was such a good coming-of-age story, too — the feeling of being in high school again, being in the 1980s,” Camp said. “I talked to Matt who said my character (Tracy) was incredibly pivotal to the series and we’ll learn about why she is the way she is. So I was like, ‘I’d love to do this!’” For Campbell, the writing is everything. “A lot of times, I’ll get a script that could make the words interchangeable with every other character because the writing is very bland and just doesn’t have the detail you need. This was different. Every character was pretty distinct and pretty well-drawn,” he said. “It’s quality. It’s not a (expletive) show. It’s a real show that’s playing around with interesting themes. A lot of it is still relevant to this day.” “Hysteria!” has other Michigan connections, including University of Michigan alumnus Jonathan Goldstein (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) and Dondero High School alumnus Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“Kong: Skull Island”), who both serve as executive producers. Kane explained why he set “Hysteria!” in Michigan. “You write what you know. I grew up in Ypsilanti, so that had a lot to do with it. More importantly, when you’re in a small town in the Midwest — somewhere like Michigan — these things don’t ever happen and word spreads fast and paranoia spreads quickly and (everything’s) blown out of proportion and takes up a lot of people’s minds,” he said. “Whether or not something is real doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if there are people willing to believe it does and willing it into the world. What does it matter if it’s objectively real or living rent-free in someone’s head?”Golden at-bat idea brings critics to the plate: 'Absolutely stupid and ridiculous'
Ajax lost 1-3 to Italian team SS Lazio in the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League. The Amsterdammers equalized through Bertrand Traore early into the second half, but goals from Pedro and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru gave the leaders of the Europa League the victory. It was Ajax’s third loss in their last five matches and their second in a row in the UEFA Europa League after they lost to Real Sociedad in their previous game. Despite this, they will likely still advance in the Europa League as their next match is against RFS from Latvia, who have two points in their six games. Lazio took the lead in the 12th minute. Lazio’s experienced Spanish player Pedro played a through ball to Loum Tchaouna, whose shot went in via the Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer. Ajax had a chance to equalize in the 19th minute. A cross from Rensch found Brian Brobbey, but it was just about too high for the striker. Francesco Farioli’s team made the best possible start to the second half by equalizing. Steven Berghuis’ cross was headed toward goal by Kenneth Taylor. Lazio defender Luca Pellegrini cleared the ball off the line, but it went out to Bertrand Traore, who smashed the ball into the net to make it 1-1. However, the ArenA was silenced again five minutes later as the Roman team re-took the lead. A cross from Mattia Zaccagni went to the far post where Fisayo Dele-Bashiru shot toward the goal. Pasveer thought he had saved it initially, but goalline technology showed that the ball had gone over the line. Brobbey had another chance to score later on in the half after Pellegrini’s attempt to chest the ball back to the keeper was intercepted by Brobbey, but the striker’s header went wide of the goal. Pedro followed up his assist with a terrific goal in the 77th minute. Nuno Tavares came forward from his own half, dribbling past two players before passing the ball on to Tchaouna, who laid it off to the Spaniard. Ajax created chances to equalize late on in the match. They hit the crossbar twice via Traore and Anton Gaaei before Chuba Akpom missed a significant chance to score.Photos: Cliff Grassmick Best of 2024 PhotosMacron names ally Bayrou as new PM as he aims to restore political stabilityMr Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly. Mr Macron’s office said in a statement that Mr Bayrou “has been charged with forming a new government”. During the handover ceremony, Mr Bayrou said that “no one knows the difficulty of the situation better” than he does. “I’ve taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections,” he said. France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. “I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success,” Mr Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a “needed reconciliation”. “I think this is the only possible path to success,” he said. The new prime minister is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers. Former prime minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Mr Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Mr Macron’s centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Mr Bayrou’s Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from the left and the right to be able to stay in power. Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government. Mr Macron’s strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding “make or break” power over the government. Ms Le Pen helped oust Mr Barnier by joining her National Rally party’s forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week. Mr Bayrou’s appointment is also in line with Mr Macron’s efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they commit not to vote against the government in any future confidence motion. Mr Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007. In 2017, he supported Mr Macron’s first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French president’s centrist alliance. At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDem’s alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds. Mr Bayrou this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine. Mr Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government. He was three times a candidate for president: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.
UCF and Tulsa will test their mettle against each other on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Knights will make their first appearance in the event since recording a two-point loss to Missouri in 2022, while Tulsa's last trip to the Orange Bowl Classic was a loss to Florida State in 2012. UCF (7-2) may have something to prove being away from Addition Financial Arena. The Knights are 7-0 at home, whereas a November trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia produced an 86-70 loss to Wisconsin and a triple-overtime setback against LSU. The Knights relied heavily on their defense in Sunday's 66-51 win over Tarleton State. After a sluggish start offensively, UCF found its rhythm during a 37-point second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with a game-high 16 points and freshman center Moustapha Thiam collected 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. UCF's Big 12 opener draws closer (at Texas Tech, Dec. 31), but head coach Johnny Dawkins remains focused on daily improvement. "I feel a sense of urgency to get better, not with regards to Big 12 play to be quite frank, but every game," Dawkins said. "I don't look too far in the future. Pretty much I've always been in the moment as a player and as a person, and so for me it's about just getting better because it's our standards." Tulsa (4-6) looks to stop a three-game slide following a 70-66 home loss to Southern University last Saturday. Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, netting a season-high 23 points off the bench. But Isaiah Barnes, one of three Golden Hurricane players to start all 10 games, was injured in the first half and played only eight minutes. To complicate matters, head coach Eric Konkol's team is 0-6 when trailing at halftime. "We got to get some guys healthy that can be healthy for next Saturday (against UCF)," Konkol said. "We got a couple other guys dealing with some different things, but then (also) having some planning to figure out what's the best way going forward for this group." --Field Level Media
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s former Wisconsin attorney lashed out Thursday at the state’s Democratic attorney general for filing felony charges against him and two others related to the 2020 fake electors scheme, saying after their initial court appearance that he was the victim of “lawfare” that wreaked havoc on his life. Jim Troupis, a former Wisconsin judge who represented Trump in 2020, was the only one of the three defendants to appear in person at the hearing. Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who advised Trump’s 2020 campaign, and Mike Roman, Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020, appeared by phone. All three are charged with 11 felony forgery counts. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A court commissioner set a preliminary hearing for all three for Jan. 28. They will enter their pleas at their arraignment, which is not yet scheduled. Troupis, in comments after the brief hearing, said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has “doubled down on a vicious strategy to destroy our very faith in the system of justice by using the courts for his own personal political game.” “My family and I have endured nonstop vicious and unrelenting savage attacks on my reputation, on my livelihood,” Troupis said outside of the courtroom surrounded by supporters, including Republican former Gov. Scott McCallum. “My children have been interrogated. My long-held friendships and professional life have been destroyed.” Kaul said in a written statement in reaction to Troupis that decisions in cases are based on the facts and the law. “In this case, like all other cases, we will litigate the issues in dispute in a court of law,” Kaul said. Troupis defended the strategy of having the GOP electors meet, saying it was necessary in case a court ruled that Trump won Wisconsin. “We had thought that this would end,” Troupis said. “The country asked for it to end in November, but lawfare in all its despicable forms will not end in Wisconsin.” Troupis and the other two defendants were ordered not to have contact with the 10 electors or three others not identified by name in the criminal complaint. They did not object to those conditions and were allowed to leave without posting any money for bail. The state charges against the Trump attorneys and aide are the only ones in Wisconsin. None of the electors have been charged. The 10 Wisconsin electors, Chesebro and Troupis all settled a lawsuit that was brought against them in 2023. There are pending charges related to the fake electors scheme in state and federal courts in Arizona , Michigan , Nevada and Georgia. Federal prosecutors investigating Trump’s conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot said the fake electors scheme originated in Wisconsin. Electors are people appointed to represent voters in presidential elections. The winner of the popular vote in each state determines which party’s electors are sent to the Electoral College, which meets in December after a presidential election to certify the outcome. The Wisconsin complaint details how Troupis, Chesebro and Roman created a document that falsely said Trump had won the state’s 10 Electoral College votes and attempted to deliver it to then-Vice President Mike Pence for congressional certification. Prosecutors said in the complaint that most of the 10 electors told investigators they needed to sign the elector certificate indicating that Trump had won only to preserve his legal options if a court changed the outcome of the election in Wisconsin. Most of the electors also said that they did not consent to having their signatures presented as if Trump had won without such a court ruling, the complaint said. Troupis and Roman filed four motions to dismiss the charge before Thursday’s hearing. The court commissioner did not consider those. The fake elector efforts were central to a 2023 federal racketeering indictment filed against Trump alleging he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon that case last month, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House in January will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him. Trump was also indicted in Georgia along with 18 others accused of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election there. Trump is trying to get that case dismissed , arguing that state courts won’t have jurisdiction over him when he returns to the White House next month. Chesebro and Roman were among those indicted with Trump in Georgia. Roman has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges there, as well as to nine felony charges in Arizona related to the fake electors scheme in that state. Chesebro pleaded guilty to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents in a deal with Georgia prosecutors. He is trying to invalidate the plea after the judge in September tossed out the charge against Trump and others. Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this story.
Colorado continues to work on defense, faces South Dakota StateAP Business SummaryBrief at 5:25 p.m. EST