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Ever since the American Dialect Society first selected a Word of the Year at its 1990 conference, more than half a dozen English dictionaries have made it an annual ritual to anoint a word or phrase that encapsulates the zeitgeist of the year. In 2003, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary bestowed the crown on the word “democracy.” In what may be a nod to what’s happened in politics in the 21 years since then, Webster yesterday selected “ polarization ” as its word for 2024. It joins popular words and phrases of the moment highlighted by other dictionaries, including “ brat ,” “ manifest, ” “ demure ” and “ brain rot .” The winners are selected in various ways. This year, the editors of the Oxford dictionaries selected their top word in part based on votes cast by the public from a short list of candidates . The winner – “ brain rot ” – encapsulates the mind-numbing effects of excessive social media use. Oxford University Press said the frequency of the phrase increased 230% from the previous year. Amazingly, the term isn’t a new concept. In the concluding section of the American classic “ Walden ,” published in 1854, Henry David Thoreau complained that “brain rot” prevailed “ widely and fatally .” Debby Waldman Nov. 25, 2024 Given the steep decline in the sale of printed reference works 170 years later, announcements of “words of the year” raise the visibility of the publishers’ wares. But their choices also offer a window into the spirit of the times. As a cognitive scientist who studies language and communication , I saw, in this year’s batch of winners, the myriad ways digital life is influencing English language and culture. This isn’t the only year in which nearly all the winners fell under a single thematic umbrella. In 2020, epidemic-related terminology – COVID , lockdown , pandemic and quarantine – surged to the fore. Usually, however, there’s more of a mix, with some selections more prescient and useful than others. In 2005, for example, the New Oxford American Dictionary chose “ podcast ” – right before the programming format exploded in popularity. More commonly, the celebrated neologisms don’t age well. In 2008, the New Oxford American Dictionary selected hypermiling , or driving to maximize fuel efficiency. Permacrisis – an ongoing emergency – got the nod from the Collins Dictionary editors in 2022. Few people use those terms today. Paula M. Carbone Nov. 19, 2024 I already anticipate one of this year’s selections – “brat” – made popular by pop star Charli XCX falling by the wayside. Chosen just before the 2024 U.S. election by Collins Dictionary , the publisher defined it as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” It was the name of Charli XCX’s chart-topping album released in June 2024; the next month, the singer tweeted that “kamala IS brat,” signaling her support for the Democratic presidential candidate. Of course, with Harris’ loss, brat has lost some of its luster. Other 2024 words of the year also have social media to thank for their popularity. In late November, Cambridge Dictionary settled on manifest as its word of the year, defining it as “to use methods such as visualization and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want.” The term took off when singer Dua Lipa used it in an interview. She seems to have picked up on the concept from self-help communities on TikTok . Another word that clearly benefited from social media was “ demure ,” chosen in late November by Dictionary.com. Although the word dates to the 15th century, it went viral in a TikTok video posted by content creator and influencer Jools Lebron in early August. In it, she described appropriate workplace behavior as “very demure, very mindful.” The Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English settled on “ enshittification ” as its word in early December. Coined by Canadian-British writer Cory Doctorow in 2022, it refers to the gradual decline in functionality or usability of a specific platform or service – something that Google , TikTok , X and dating app users can attest to. Judy Ho Oct. 29, 2024 Merriam-Webster landed on “ polarization ,” which it defined as “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.” In the U.S., political polarization has a number of causes, ranging from gerrymandering to in-group biases . But social media undoubtedly plays a big role. A 2021 review by the Brookings Institution pointed to “the relationship between tech platforms and the kind of extreme polarization that can lead to the erosion of democratic values and partisan violence.” And journalist Max Fisher has reported on the ways in which the algorithms deployed by these social media platforms “steer users toward outrage” – an observation that experimental studies of the phenomenon have supported. Despite the polarization of political and social life, the dictionaries, at the very least, have arrived at a consensus: The tech giants are shaping our lives and our language, for better or for worse. Roger J. Kreuz is associate dean and professor of psychology at the University of Memphis. This commentary is published in partnership with The Conversation , a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to bringing the knowledge of academic experts to the public.Mercer Projects 15.5% Salary Increases in Ghana for 2025Following the death of former president Jimmy Carter on Sunday, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank released a statement expressing his heartfelt condolences to the Carter family. Blank called Carter a friend and role model. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend and role model, President Jimmy Carter,” Blank wrote. “He was a great American, a proud Georgian and an inspirational global humanitarian. “He lived his life with great civic responsibility and took it upon himself to be the change he wished to see amongst others. On behalf of my family and our family of businesses, we send a heartfelt message of condolence to his loved ones.” Carter, who won the 1976 presidential election, entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia in February 2023 after a series of hospital stays. In October, Carter celebrated his 100th birthday. His grandson, Jason Carter, spoke out at the time about the blessing living so long was. “Not everybody gets 100 years on this earth, and when somebody does, and when they use that time to do so much good for so many people, it’s worth celebrating,” Jason Carter, chair of The Carter Center governing board, said in an interview, per the Associated Press . “These last few months, 19 months, now that he’s been in hospice, it’s been a chance for our family to reflect and then for the rest of the country and the world to really reflect on him. That’s been a really gratifying time.” Blank also heaped praise on president Carter for the man he was. “President Carter’s kind and uniting spirit touched so many lives,” Blank’s statement read. “He was a man of deep faith, and did everything with principal and grace, doing things the right way for the right reasons. “We first met at The Home Depot, and I will remember him as an enthusiastic do-it-yourselfer who was willing to roll up his own sleeves to build homes for others. He was also an avid sports fan of our Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United teams.” But where Blank was the most thankful was for Carter’s service to his country, in numerous ways, including in political office. “But mostly, I will remember President Carter as my friend, a guiding light and someone who served humanity day in and day out – a quality he exhibited daily throughout his remarkable life. We will be forever indebted to President Carter for his honorable service as a Navy officer, his tireless diplomatic efforts, his dedicated philanthropic work, and his caring leadership as Georgia’s governor and then as leader of the free world. “I join with the city of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and a grieving nation in mourning the loss of one of the world’s most compassionate souls. I will miss him dearly.” This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.jili scatter 。

AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:05 p.m. ESTIn fantasy football, nothing's worse than a player going out and being a liability in your lineup. There's not a whole lot you can do when a superstar underperforms, but it's infuriating when one of your fringe starters is one of the reasons you lost a matchup. Fantasy managers should look to avoid these disappointments at all costs. Last week, we gave you names like Deebo Samuel, Isiah Pacheco, and Evan Engram as players to consider benching. If you started any of these three, chances are that you were left wishing you had made a different decision. Thankfully, Week 15 is a clean slate with new matchups to analyze. It may be a new week, but the goal remains the same - avoid the lineup landmines. We'll be using a roundtable style article for our Week 15 fantasy football busts. Three of our fantasy football analysts will be taking a look at the slate and covering one player who they will be shying away from at each position. Fantasy managers could be in line for a frustrating Sunday afternoon if they choose to start any of these players. WEEK 15 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers Fantasy QB Busts Week 15 Michael O'Hara: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions — We saw the Bills get lit up by the Rams last week, but outside of this matchup, Buffalo has largely been successful in defending the pass this season. Last week was their first time surrendering more than 240 passing yards since Week 6. The best way to attack the Bills is on the ground, where they rank 26th in yards allowed per carry. Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson should just be fine leaning on David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs in this one. Goff will likely need at least three touchdowns through the air to deliver a top-12 performance, something you'd rather not rely on. Ed Williams: Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers — So apparently Russ can still cook as he's enjoyed a renaissance season with the Steelers thus far. Even without George Pickens last week, he was still able to toss a couple touchdowns against the Browns. He should have a much tougher challenge this week traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. Wilson will likely be without Pickens once again who is already doubtful with his hamstring injury, and the Eagles are giving up the 5th-fewest points to the WR position. After Chuba Hubbard had some success last week, the Steelers may focus more on running the ball. Vinnie Iyer: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans — Aaron Rodgers did come through against the Dolphins, but overall this is a tough passing game matchup for Houston with a much better option through Joe Mixon and the running game. He should be held below 250 passing yards and should be looking at one or fewer TDs. MORE FANTASY: Complete Waiver Wire recommendations and FAAB advice Fantasy RB Busts Week 15 O'Hara: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints — Alvin Kamara's fantasy success this season has largely been driven by him seeing the largest workload of his career. With the Saints outside of the playoff bubble and Derek Carr likely out for the year, Kamara's workload will likely steadily decline in the coming weeks. Just last week, Kamara ceded 11 opportunities to second-year back Kendre Miller. With Jake Haener at quarterback, Kamara will be provided with very few scoring opportunities and will almost exclusively rely on receiving work to get there in fantasy. All signs point to Kamara disappointing fantasy managers more often than not down the stretch this season. Williams: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns — While it's been great to see Nick Chubb come back healthy this year and not miss any additional time once he returned, his performance on the field has been predictably sub-par. Averaging just 3.1 yards per carry this season, Chubb also has only three rushing touchdowns in seven games. And this week Cleveland gets the Chiefs who are giving up the fewest points to running backs in the entire league. On top of that, Jerome Ford is basically in a full-blown timeshare with Chubb right now. This is a backfield to stay away from. Iyer: Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — With Bucky Irving hurting, White should take a bigger lead role over Sean Tucker against the Chargers, but the matchup is brutal, as the Chargers shut down KC's running game last week. Expect to be disappointed with the workload and the likelihood of White not scoring. Fantasy WR Busts Week 15 O'Hara: Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders — Across the last six weeks, Jakobi Meyers ranks 7th among wide receivers in targets per game. This sort of volume is enough to make any receiver intriguing in fantasy, but when the quarterback delivering those passes is set to be Desmond Ridder, the intrigue quickly fades. Ridder entered the game for Aidan O'Connell last week and didn't look great, averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt. Hitching your wagon to Ridder during the fantasy playoffs isn't the best idea. Williams: Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts — It's been a bit of a struggle all season for Michael Pittman, and facing a tough Denver secondary this week won't change his fortunes. Pittman has only one 100+ yard receiving game, and that was all the way back in Week 4. He did secure five catches last week, but they only went for 42 yards. Given Anthony Richardson's accuracy issues, this isn't a good matchup for Colts pass-catchers. Iyer: DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks — There's been something off in his chemistry with Geno Smith, who is feeding Jaxon Smith-Njigba a ton and also taking more shots to Tyler Lockett. Metcalf runs into a tough secondary matchup with the Packers, who have remained stingy since letting A.J. Brown get loose in Week 1. Fantasy TE Busts Week 15 O'Hara: Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — For much of his career, Cade Otton has been a Cardio King. He runs plenty of routes without drawing many targets. He briefly shed that reputation but has since reclaimed it following the return of Mike Evans. Otton has drawn more than four targets in just one of three games with Evans back on the field. At this point, Otton seems to be falling back into the touchdown-or-bust tier of tight ends. Williams: Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins — This is definitely a risky fade as Jonnu Smith has been one of the game's best tight ends over the last several weeks. Until the last couple of weeks, it looked like Smith may have surpassed Jaylen Waddle in the Dolphins' target tree. But Waddle has come on of late, and Smith finished with three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, but all of that production came in overtime as he was held scoreless in regulation. On top of that, they face the Texans this week, and Houston gives up the 4th-fewest points to tight ends. Iyer: Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers — He's been hot in fine matchups, but the Eagles are tougher on the tight end position, so this week it's more of a touchdown or bust game for him with limited yardage and catches in store. Fantasy Defense Busts Week 15 O'Hara: Houston Texans — Tua Tagovailoa has the Miami offense back to their 2023 form in recent weeks. In required overtime against the Jets, but the Dolphins have scored 30-plus points in three of their last four games. They'll play the Texans (indoors) this week and should pull out all the stops in a crucial AFC matchup. Think twice before starting the Texans this week. Williams: Pittsburgh Steelers — The Eagles beat the Panthers last week 22-16, but you'd never know it from all of the headlines about A.J. Brown beefing with Jalen Hurts over the shortcomings of the passing game. Typically when A.J. Brown is unhappy, he gets fed. He also has had 12 catches for 309 yards and four touchdowns in two games versus the Steelers in his career. Prior to this week, the team was looking much closer to the team that went to the Super Bowl in '22 than the team that collapsed in '23. Pittsburgh could be in for a long day at The Linc. Iyer: Philadelphia Eagles — They have been fantastic at times for Vic Fangio but showed some key cracks against the Panthers, and the Steelers have been one of the cleanest, most effective offenses with Russell Wilson.

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Maria Gakdeng tied her season high with 21 points and grabbed a season-best 12 rebounds, Alyssa Ustby added 19 points and 13 boards and the No. 17 North Carolina women beat Miami 69-60 on Sunday for their third consecutive win. North Carolina (13-2, 1-1 ACC) lost its conference opener to No. 13 Georgia Tech on Dec. 15 before nonconference wins against Florida and Norfolk State. Gakdeng made 7 of 11 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line. Indya Nivar finished with 11 points, five assists and three steals for the Tar Heels. Miami (11-2, 1-1) had its four-game win streak snapped. Gakdeng made a layup with 6:14 left in the first quarter that gave North Carolina the lead for good and Ustby followed with a 3-pointer to spark a 9-0 spurt that made it 16-7 about 2 minutes later. The Tar Heels scored eight of the first 10 second-quarter points to push their lead to 13 with 7:25 left in the second quarter before Miami scored the final seven points to trim its deficit to 39-29 at halftime. Jasmyne Roberts hit a 3-pointer for the Hurricanes that made it a seven-point game with 8:11 left in the third quarter but they got no closer. Nivar made a layup with 5:16 remaining until the fourth that made it 48-38 and UNC led by double figures until a 3-pointer by Roberts capped the scoring in the closing seconds. Hannah Cavinder led Miami with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Roberts made four 3-pointers and also scored 19 points, 14 in the second half. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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1 2 Hyderabad: Union coal minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday said they will take up door-to-door campaigning to expose the Congress govt's failures in the state. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, he said: "CM Revanth Reddy is attacking those who are questioning the failures of the govt in implementing six guarantees and promises. BJP will organise programmes highlighting these from Dec 1 to 5. On Nov 30, we will hold a state-level meeting." He said that Telangana lost out in the past due to BRS govt and now due to Congress govt. "The political system is deteriorating in the state. Both Congress and BJP are misleading people with their false promises. Revanth Reddy is saying promises will be fulfilled in two days," he said. He demanded that the CM tell people what exactly the Congress govt has done in one year instead of holding one year celebrations.Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia

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ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted.Nets Have Stockpiled 31 Draft Picks Over The Next Seven YearsRespond to your NCBsTrump taps SF legal firebrand to lead civil rights enforcement