Nebraska women’s basketball player Callin Hake summed it up as well as anyone could. “I think in South Dakota we shot the crap out of it, which is awesome,” the guard from Minnesota said. On that night last weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Huskers made a school-record 20 3-pointers on 58% shooting beyond the arc in a 113-70 win against South Dakota. That was three more than the previous record, from 2010. Now comes another game against Creighton where the series at times has at times been defined by the 3-point line — both the ability to make and defend it. The 3-point line is something to watch closely again when the Huskers and Bluejays play at 4 p.m. Friday at Sokol Arena in Omaha, a few hours before the men’s teams from the same schools play at CHI Health Center Omaha. Creighton (1-2) has won two straight in the series. Last year, Morgan Maly made three 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the game and Creighton led the entire game while winning 79-74. Creighton didn’t keep its hot 3-point shooting going the entire game but made nine and outscored the Huskers by 18 points beyond the arc. Nebraska was 3-for-21 on 3-pointers. In 2022, Creighton blasted the Huskers 77-51 after making five of its first eight 3-pointers. “One thing I know is they (Creighton) all shoot it pretty well,” Nebraska coach Amy Williams said. “Last year we gave up eight made threes in the first quarter. That’s something we’ll have to shore up. They’re very, very good off the ball with their movement and cuts so you’re positioning really matters. We’ll have to make the hustle plays and not give them second-chance opportunities.” Creighton has won seven of the last eight meetings with the Huskers. The Bluejays are averaging 10.4 made threes per game during the stretch, while Nebraska is averaging 3.6. The 5-0 and 21st-ranked Huskers faced a major dose of adversity this week when sophomore forward Natalie Potts sustained a season-ending knee injury during Tuesday’s game against North Alabama. She’s scheduled for surgery in two weeks. Williams called the injury is “devastating.” “What a start she’s had to the season, leading our team in scoring and rebounding,” Williams said. “She worked really hard this offseason.” Creighton has reached the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons, making the Elite Eight in 2022, the first round in 2023 and the second round in 2024 with several of the same players that are on the team this year. Creighton may be the most experienced team the Huskers face all season, as the Bluejay playing rotation includes five graduate students, two seniors and two juniors. “We’re incredibly familiar with their roster, and they’re incredibly familiar with our roster,” Williams said. Creighton guard Lauren Jensen has already gone off this season, scoring a career-high 32 in an 80-72 win against Drake. She was 6-for-10 on threes and made each of her six two-point shots. One thing new to the series for Nebraska is Britt Prince, the freshman from Elkhorn North getting her first taste of playing against her hometown school. In the past two games combined, Prince is 15 for 21 shooting. She’s driving to the basket, and also shooting 3s. “She’s gotten more aggressive, and I’d like to see her be even more aggressive,” Williams said. The 113-70 win against South Dakota showed the Huskers what it can look like this season. The Huskers zipped passes around the perimeter to get lots of good 3-point chances. Nebraska had 33 assists on 41 field goals. Hake felt like a lot of inside-outside passes helped the Huskers to the fourth-best scoring total in program history. “When you have posts that are willing to kick it out and give you dimes for passes that makes shooting in a guard’s job a lot easier,” Hake said. “I think we really wanted to carry that forward. But we don’t want to live and die by the three.” Nebraska (5-0) G – Britt Prince; 5-11; Fr.; 13.0 G – Callin Hake; 5-8; Jr.; 6.0 G – Alberte Rimdal; 5-9; Sr.; 10.4 G – Logan Nissley; 6-0; So.; 8.0 C – Alexis Markowski; 6-3; Sr.; 13.8 Creighton (1-2) Player; Ht.; Yr.; PPG. G – Molly Mogensen; 5-7; Sr.; 6.0 G – Lauren Jensen; 5-10; Sr.; 21.3 G – Kiani Lockett; 5-8; Jr.; 11.3 G – Mallory Brake; 6-0; Sr.; 2.7 F – Morgan Maly; 6-1; Sr.; 15.3 Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com . On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Shopping on Temu can feel like playing an arcade game. Instead of using a joystick-controlled claw to grab a toy, visitors to the online marketplace maneuver their computer mouses or cellphone screens to browse colorful gadgets, accessories and trinkets with prices that look too good to refuse. A pop-up spinning wheel offers the chance to win a coupon. Rotating captions warn that a less than $2 camouflage print balaclava and a $1.23 skeleton hand back scratcher are “Almost sold out.” A flame symbol indicates a $9.69 plush cat print hoodie is selling fast. A timed-down selection of discounted items adds to the sense of urgency. Pages from the Shein website, left, and from the Temu site, right. Welcome to the new online world of impulse buying, a place of guilty pleasures where the selection is vast, every day is Cyber Monday, and an instant dopamine hit is always just a click away. By all accounts, we’re living in an accelerating age for consumerism, one that Temu, which is owned by the Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings, and Shein, its fierce rival , supercharged with social media savvy and an interminable assortment of cheap goods, most shipped directly from merchants in China based on real-time demand. The business models of the two platforms, coupled with avalanches of digital or influencer advertising, have enabled them to give Western retailers a run for their money this holiday shopping season. A Christmas tree ornament purchased on Temu. Software company Salesforce said it expects roughly one in five online purchases in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada to be made through four online marketplaces based or founded in Asia: Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop — the e-commerce arm of video-sharing platform TikTok — and AliExpress. Analysts with Salesforce said they are expected to pull in roughly $160 billion in global sales outside of China. Most of the sales will go to Temu and Shein, a privately held company which is thought to lead the worldwide fast fashion market in revenue. Lisa Xiaoli Neville, a nonprofit manager who lives in Los Angeles, is sold on Shein. The bedroom of her home is stocked with jeans, shoes, press-on nails and other items from the ultra-fast fashion retailer, all of which she amassed after getting on the platform to buy a $2 pair of earrings she saw in a Facebook ad. Neville, 46, estimates she spends at least $75 a month on products from Shein. A $2 eggshell opener, a portable apple peeler and an apple corer, both costing less than $5, are among the quirky, single-use kitchen tools taking up drawer space. She acknowledges she doesn’t need them because she “doesn’t even cook like that.” Plus, she’s allergic to apples. “I won’t eat apples. It will kill me,” Neville said, laughing. “But I still want the coring thing.” Shein, now based in Singapore, uses some of the same web design features as Temu’s, such as pop-up coupons and ads, to persuade shoppers to keep clicking, but it appears a bit more restrained in its approach. Shein primarily targets young women through partnerships with social media influencers. Searching the company's name on video platforms turns up creators promoting Shein's Black Friday sales event and displaying the dozens of of trendy clothes and accessories they got for comparatively little money. But the Shein-focused content also includes videos of TikTokers saying they're embarrassed to admit they shopped there and critics lashing out at fans for not taking into account the environmental harms or potential labor abuses associated with products that are churned out and shipped worldwide at a speedy pace. Neville has already picked out holiday gifts for family and friends from the site. Most of the products in her online cart cost under $10, including graphic T-shirts she intends to buy for her son and jeans and loafers for her daughter. All told, she plans to spend about $200 on gifts, significantly less than $500 she used to shell out at other stores in prior years. “The visuals just make you want to spend more money,” she said, referring to the clothes on Shein's site. “They're very cheap and everything is just so cute.” Unlike Shein, Temu's appeal cuts across age groups and gender. The platform is the world’s second most-visited online shopping site, software company Similarweb reported in September. Customers go there looking for practical items like doormats and silly products like a whiskey flask shaped like a vintage cellphone from the 1990s. Temu advertised Black Friday bargains for some items at upwards of 70% off the recommended retail price. Making a purchase can quickly result in receiving dozens of emails offering free giveaways. The caveat: customers have to buy more products. Despite their rise, Temu and Shein have proven particularly ripe for pushback. Last year, a coalition of unnamed brands and organizations launched a campaign to oppose Shein in Washington. U.S. lawmakers also have raised the possibility that Temu is allowing goods made with forced labor to enter the country. More recently, the Biden administration put forward rules that would crack down on a trade rule known as the de minimis exception, which has allowed a lot of cheap products to come into the U.S. duty-free. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to slap high tariffs on goods from China, a move that would likely raise prices across the retail world. Both Shein and Temu have set up warehouses in the U.S. to speed up delivery times and help them better compete with Amazon, which is trying to erode their price advantage through a new storefront that also ships products directly from China. 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ATLANTA — The New York City Police Department, with assistance from Atlanta Police and surrounding law enforcement jurisdictions, have searched the bus terminal in Downtown Atlanta and possibly another in metro Atlanta in connection with the investigation into the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, NBC 4 New York reported. NBC 4 New York said those details came from a senior Georgia official familiar with the investigation. The update comes after authorities said that before the shooting, the gunman arrived at Manhattan’s main bus terminal on a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta. It's not clear whether he embarked there or one of the other stops along the route. The Atlanta Police Department said Friday it was contacted by NYPD to provide assistance as needed in the case. The Atlanta FBI office also said it is assisting NYPD in the investigation. Meanwhile, Marietta Police tells 11Alive that it is not part of the investigation and has no knowledge of case details at this time. The search for the gunman continues after the Dec. 4 shooting that killed Thompson. Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it — though they believe the shooting was a targeted attack. “The net is tightening,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Saturday. Hours after he spoke, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any possible clues and found his bag there Friday. Police believe the gunman left New York after the shooting by bus. As the search continues, law enforcement is working to retrace the gunman's potential steps. RELATED: Search for UnitedHealthcare CEO's killer yields evidence, but few answers Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. The shooter paid cash at the hostel, presented what police believe was a fake ID and is believed to have paid cash for taxi rides and other transactions. He didn't speak to others at the hostel and almost always kept his face covered with a mask. Investigators did come across security camera images of a moment where the person wanted for questioning briefly showed his face soon after arriving in New York on Nov. 24. But even with those photos distributed by police, officers still haven't been able to identify him. Thompson was killed as he arrived at the New York Hilton Midtown. He was there to attend a conference. Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported that investigators searched a bus terminal in Marietta. Marietta police told 11Alive Sunday that it is not involved in the investigation and did not assist in the search. 11Alive is working to clarify which agencies were involved in the search. Material from the Associated Press was used to provide more information about the case.Nine of the dreamiest Aussie dining venues to add to your 2025 bucket list
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Omnicom Group has agreed to buy Interpublic Group in a deal, valued at $US13.3 billion ($20.6 billion) excluding debt, that will create the world’s largest advertising company, The Australian Financial Review’s Fareed Sahloul and Mark Bergen report. Under the terms of the agreement announced on Monday (Tuesday AEDT), Interpublic shareholders will receive 0.344 Omnicom shares for each share of Interpublic common stock they own. Led by chief executive officer John Wren, Omnicom serves more than 5000 clients in over 70 countries, according to its website. Its network of agencies includes BBDO, DDB and TBWA. Interpublic is run by CEO Philippe Krakowsky and has about 55,000 employees, its website shows. [Read more] Rupert Murdoch has failed in his attempt to change the terms of a family trust that would have consolidated his son Lachlan’s control over a media empire that spans Fox News, The Wall Street Journal , The New York Post , The Australian and The Daily Telegraph and Sky News Australia, The Australian Financial Review’s Sam Buckingham Jones reported. A Nevada court ruled resoundingly against Mr Murdoch, 93, rejecting his efforts to preserve his media empire’s conservative editorial position. Murdoch and his lawyers had argued that it would be better for the entire family if Lachlan, now the chairman of News Corporation and the executive chairman of Fox Corporation, oversaw the business. The blockbuster lawsuit had pitted Mr Murdoch and Lachlan against the rest of the family – James Murdoch, Elisabeth Murdoch and Prudence MacLeod. [Read more] News Corp is edging closer to securing a deal for its pay TV and streaming group Foxtel with the billionaire-backed streaming platform DAZN, potentially taking the company that broadcasts the AFL and the NRL into foreign ownership, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Calum Jaspan . Having put the business up for sale publicly in August, News Corp is in late-stage negotiations with DAZN, a sports streaming business backed by British-Ukrainian billionaire Len Blavatnik. DAZN, which broadcasts the NFL, MMA and UEFA Women’s Champions League in Australia, emerged as the likely buyer for Foxtel after talks broke down between News Corp and US private equity firm Platinum earlier this year over the former’s unrealistic asking price. The deal to sell Foxtel for an undisclosed sum could be completed before Christmas, three sources with knowledge of the deal said. Foxtel’s debt load is about $1.2 billion. The news was first reported by Capital Brief . Sky has struck a crucial content deal with Warner Bros Discovery, the owner of the film studio behind Barbie and HBO shows including Succession, averting a potential crippling exodus of shows as the Hollywood giant prepares the launch of its Max streaming service, The Guardian’s Mark Sweeney reports. Under the deal between Sky’s parent company Comcast and WBD, the ad-supported versions of WBD’s Max and Discovery+ services will be bundled for Sky customers from April 2026. However, it has not been able to launch its full streaming service, Max, because of an existing deal with Sky. Max is scheduled to launch in the UK and Ireland in 2026, after the expiry of the current deal with Sky at the end of next year. [Read more] After months of feverish buzz, musical juggernaut Wicked being nominated in several categories for the 2025 Golden Globes is hardly a surprise, The Daily Telegraph’s Bronte Coy reports. But an unexpected – and fairly significant – snub among the team who brought it from stage to screen has certainly raised some eyebrows. Wicked is up for four awards, including for its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. It’s also nominated for Best Picture and in the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement categories – making it all the more surprising that the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, didn’t make the cut himself. The full list of nominations was announced by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut on Monday morning, LA time, with drug cartel musical Emilia Pérez leading the entire pack with an impressive 10 nominations. [Read more] Originally valued at $4.7 million, the slippers exceeded that price within seconds of bidding at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, eventually selling to an unidentified buyer for an eye-watering $43 million, ABC reports. After forking out the winning bid and auction house fees, the buyer is expected to pay a total of $50.8 million for the slippers. The aged footwear are one of four remaining pairs worn by Garland during the filming of the 1939 classic film. But these are the only pair that were, up until a few years ago, at large. [Read more] The popular social media app TikTok may soon be banned in the US following a Friday decision from a federal appeals court . Though president-elect Donald Trump came out against shutting down the app on the campaign trail, experts expressed doubts in his ability to halt a ban, The Australian’s Connor Smith reports. Trump could opt not to enforce a ban by telling Apple, Google and TikTok’s other service providers that he will not punish them for keeping TikTok up and running, according to Sarah Bauerle Danzman , an associate professor of international studies at Indiana University Bloomington. But such a move may not keep the lights on at TikTok. “This could set up a legal battle, and the app stores likely do not feel comfortable being in violation of the law even if Trump says he won’t enforce it,” she said. [Read more] The Guardian has published two letters from current and former staff attacking the chair of the Scott Trust, the limited company which owns Guardian Media Group, The Press Gazette’s Dominic Ponsford reports. Scott Trust chair Ole Jacob Sunde wrote an article in The Guardian on Saturday explaining why the Trust has decided to sell The Observer to Tortoise Media, saying the move followed “extensive internal and external consultation”. Some 125 Guardian and Observer staff have signed a letter published by the title today taking issue with this and asking further questions about the sale of The Observer, which was agreed last Thursday. Those signing the letter include star Guardian writers like Simon Hattenstone , Polly Toynbee and Marina Hyde . [Read more]
Fossil treasure chest: How to preserve the geoheritage of South Africa's Cape coastPolice say Luigi Mangione was found with a 3D printed ghost gun, an illegal firearm that one gun violence prevention advocate called 'scary on so many levels.'Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling
Pacers feast on Perth startersARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is transforming the Philippines' service-driven economy, but it also poses risks to employment, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a report. In the paper, 2024 Article IV Consultation and Staff Report on the Philippines, the IMF outlined how advancements in AI are increasingly capable of performing tasks traditionally handled by human workers. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.
IMPHAL: Prolonged violence in Manipur with frequent internet shutdowns, curfews and general strikes is affecting the academic and career pursuits of students pursuing higher education in the northeastern state, many educationists said. With frequent internet shutdowns, students are facing problems in having access to online resources and many recruiters are hesitant to visit campuses in Manipur for placement drive due to curfews and general strikes, they said. Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and also in charge of placement of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Manipur, K H Johnson Singh told PTI "We have witnessed a decline in recruitment drives after violence broke out in the state. At least 40 companies (online mode) came and 70 students have been selected this year. This is much less than what we were used to before the outbreak of violence. We had expected selection of some 100 students and some 50 companies." He said, "Recruiters who prefer offline mode of interviews are much reluctant to visit for campus interviews. Despite our consistent assurance that the NIT campus is safe and just 20 minutes from the airport, the media images of tyres burning in the streets, mob violence and gunfights at peripheral areas seemed to have affected their psychology." Eighty per cent of our students stay in hostels within the campus and have access to broadband 24 hours a day, he added. Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at Manipur University, Natasha Elangbam told PTI "Our students in every department have limited access to online resources as the majority of them rely on mobile internet data. Curfews and general strikes have severely affected ongoing classes. Timely completion of assignments given to students are also affected as many students do not have broadbands at their homes." Internet shutdown also has severely affected career counselling agencies with many senior counsellors unable to provide desired information flow to students seeking employment. Counsellors also said that submission of resumes to national companies has been affected. Sapam Joychandra, Director of SS Career Counselling told PTI, "We are unable to conduct psychometric assessment of students that would help chart out a career route for the concerned student. Counselling through zoom, online mock tests and other tools have been affected. Students are unable to submit their resumes on time to outside companies. Those having broadband is very limited and the majority of the students rely on mobile data internet services for every form of update related to their education and career. For my organisation alone, there is a drastic change of 90 per cent in student guiding activities before and after the violence." More than 250 people have been killed, and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year. The violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups, besides inflicting heavy casualties, rendered thousands of people homeless since May last year. It started after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling
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A postal worker with an “unusually high number of customer complaints” was accused of stealing a customer’s credit card and has now pleaded guilty in Florida. The 43-year-old man worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 16 years, according to a plea agreement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida shared Dec. 10 that the former employee of the St. Petersburg Main Post Office pleaded guilty to one count of theft by a postal employee . His attorney declined to comment to McClatchy News, as the sentencing has not yet taken place. According to his attorney and the plea agreement, he cooperated and took responsibility. In May 2023, USPS received a complaint from a customer who said a Social Security card and a credit card she was expecting in the mail never arrived, officials said in a plea agreement. Another credit card was mailed to her, then again she reported she never received it. In October that year, she saw a $280 transaction from a Winn Dixie in Madeira Beach on her statement, but she didn’t make that purchase, according to federal officials. Winn Dixie gave investigators surveillance footage showing the mail carrier assigned to the woman’s route making a purchase with his mom using the stolen credit card, according to the man’s plea agreement. The St. Petersburg man faces up to five years in prison, but a sentence date hasn’t been set. St. Petersburg is part of the Tampa Bay area. Postal carrier stole credit cards from mail, then went shopping in Florida, feds say Man bought USPS key off Alabama postal worker, stole mail, feds say. He’s sentenced Man dressed as mail carrier steals checks, money orders from mailboxes in PA, feds say Postal worker stole 450 checks worth $6 million in Pennsylvania and sold them, feds sayAEC Drone Market Set to Revolutionize Construction and Engineering: Key Trends and Market Insights | Valuates Reports 12-08-2024 07:14 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: Valuates Reports Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Drone Market The global Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Drone market was valued at US$ million in 2023 and is anticipated to reach US$ million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of % during the forecast period 2024-2030. Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-38S9246/Global_Architecture_Engineering_and_Construction_AEC_Drone_Market_Research_Report_2022 By Type •Multi-Rotor •Fixed-Wing •Single-Rotor Helicopter By Application •Surveying Land •Infrastructure Inspection •Security & Surveillance •Others Major Trends: 1.Increased Adoption of Drone Technology in Construction: Drones are increasingly being used for tasks like surveying, mapping, and monitoring construction sites, improving accuracy and efficiency in the AEC industry. 2.Integration with BIM (Building Information Modeling): Drones are being integrated with BIM software to provide real-time data collection, allowing for more efficient project management, design, and construction processes. 3.Rise of Autonomous Drones: Autonomous drones that can conduct inspections, surveys, and other tasks without manual control are gaining popularity, helping to reduce labor costs and improve safety. 4.Real-time Data and Analytics: Drones equipped with high-tech sensors and cameras are providing real-time data, enhancing decision-making and reducing project delays and cost overruns. 5.Government Support and Regulations: Increasing government regulations for drone usage in construction are driving growth, with some regions introducing policies that allow for safer and more structured drone operations on construction sites. Challenges: 1.Regulatory and Legal Challenges: Despite growing adoption, drone usage in the AEC sector faces legal and regulatory hurdles, including airspace restrictions, data privacy concerns, and operational limitations. 2.High Initial Investment: The cost of purchasing and maintaining drones, as well as training personnel, can be prohibitive, particularly for small and medium-sized construction firms. Purchase Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-38S9246/Global_Architecture_Engineering_and_Construction_AEC_Drone_Market_Research_Report_2022 Key Companies 3D Robotics, Airware, DJI, DroneBase, senseFly, Wingtra AG, FLIR Systems, Freefly Systems, Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems, OnyxStar View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-38S9246/global-architecture-engineering-and-construction-aec-drone Please reach us at sales@valuates.com Address: Valuates, 4th Floor, Balaraj's Arcade, Whitefield Main road, Bangalore 560066 Valuates offers an extensive collection of market research reports that helps companies to take intelligent strategical decisions based on current and forecasted Market trends. This release was published on openPR.
Maverick McNealy birdies the last hole at Sea Island to finally become PGA Tour winnerGOVZ: When Do You Step In To Buy Treasuries?The New England Patriots ’ players did not have to report to Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, but the team as a whole was still quite busy, making four total transactions. Offensive lineman Cole Strange was activated from the physically unable to perform list; wide receiver K.J. Osborn was waived; kicker John Parker Romo was signed to the practice squad; outside linebacker Keshawn Banks was released from the practice squad. With the dust settling, the Patriots still have a full 53-man roster and 16-player practice squad. What else do the moves mean for the team, though, especially those regarding Strange and Osborn? Let’s take a closer look at them. Improvement up front: Even though he has been the subject of frequent criticism since arriving in New England as the 29th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, there is no denying Strange is a talented football player. Adding him to the Patriots offense is therefore a definitive improvement for a unit in need of all the help it can get. After all, he has the athletic skillset to perform in the team’s zone-focused blocking scheme, and has more starts on his career résumé than all but one member of the team’s current O-line. While it remains to be seen how long it will take him to shake off the rust, or indeed which position he will ultimately play, his presence is making the entire group a better one. Another new configuration: All 27 of Strange’s career starts so far have come at left guard, and inserting him in that position over rookie Layden Robinson would make sense; the former has proven his starter qualities at the NFL level, the latter has not. However, it appears New England is adamant that Robinson deserves to see reps with the first-team offensive line regardless of his uneven play. As a consequence, the Patriots might move Strange to center to replace eight-game starter Ben Brown. Inserting him in that spot is more of a gamble — Brown has played better than Robinson, and Strange has no in-game experience at center — but apparently one the team is willing to take with the future in mind. Regardless of where the 26-year-old ends up, though, the Patriots will continue playing their game of musical chairs up front deep into the season. So far, the team has already started 11 players along its offensive line this year. Strange will be No. 12. Crowded interior offensive line: While there are definitive and legitimate questions about quality, the Patriots do have quantity along their interior O-line. With Strange added to the mix, New England now has seven(ish) guards or centers on its 53-man roster plus another on the practice squad. The group as a whole looks as follows, with Strange projected as the starting center: 53-man roster (7): Layden Robinson (64 | LG), Cole Strange (69 | C), Michael Onwenu (71 | RG), Ben Brown (77), Lecitus Smith (68), Lester Cotton (61), Tyrese Robinson (65) Practice squad (1): Liam Fornadel (63) Injured reserve (2): David Andrews (60), Jake Andrews (67) In addition to those eight players, second-year lineman Sidy Sow also could be added to the mix as a guard-tackle hybrid. Even if he remains more of a tackle moving forward, the Patriots have numbers son the interior. Whether that makes the position group a strength is a different story. One-year saga is nearing its end: Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in Week 15 last season, and the injury will have kept him out for an entire year. He went down on December 17 and could be in line to make his comeback on December 15, which would be the same Sunday just one (leap) year removed. Of course, there is no telling whether or not he will actually suit up, let alone play, this week against the Arizona Cardinals ; his return window closing could simply have forced New England’s hand. That said, his activation is in itself a big step for the former first-round draft pick. No surprise: The Patriots announcing their parting of the ways with Osborn comes as no real surprise considering his impact so far this season. While joining the team in the offseason with the hopes of contributing as a Z-receiver with some inside-out capabilities, he never managed to earn himself a consistent role. His final numbers make this painfully clear. Osborn’s tenure ends with the same number of in-game appearances and receptions — seven each — as well as only 57 receiving yards and one touchdown. In total, he was on the field for 232 offensive snaps including zero in four of the last five games. Even with rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker struggling, the Patriots continued to give them snaps over the veteran. The writing was therefore very much on the wall. Wide receiver depth takes a hit: The Patriots entered the week with six wide receivers on their active roster plus two more on the practice squad. Removing Osborn reduces the numbers, but given his recent usage (or lack thereof) the actual impact will be more theoretical than anything. Still, there are new “next men up” in case the injury bug decides to bite higher up on a depth chart that now looks as follows: 53-man roster (5): Kayshon Boutte (9), Kendrick Bourne (84), DeMario Douglas (3), Ja’Lynn Polk (1), Javon Baker (6) Practice squad (2): John Jiles (83), Braylon Sanders (80) Injured reserve (1): JaQuae Jackson (82) Leadership questions: Osborn may not have been part of the game plan lately, but as one of the two most experienced players in the wide receiver room — the other being Kendrick Bourne — he still played a role as a mentor and leader. Now, it appears even more of those responsibilities will have to fall on Bourne. Underwhelming return on investment: When the Patriots added Osborn in March, they did so via a one-year, $4 million contract that included $3.18 million in guarantees. At a cost of $500,000 per catch, it goes without saying that the price tag and the production did not align. In that regard, Osborn is in some good company. He is one of several free agency signings made by first-year GM Eliot Wolf that did not work out: the 27-year-old joins offensive linemen Chukwuma Okorafor and Nick Leverett as well as defensive tackle Armon Watts as March pickups no longer with the team. Salary cap ramifications: Speaking of the price tag associated with Osborn, waiving him gives the Patriots some more salary cap space to work with (i.e. roll over into 2025). Eight per-game roster bonuses that were originally considered likely to be earned are now no longer on New England’s books, resulting in combined savings of $320,000. Eye on the future? The Patriots signing John Parker Romo to their practice squad seemingly serves two purposes. For one, he will provide depth at kicker behind Joey Slye over the last four weeks of the season. The team additionally will be able to get an extended look at the 27-year-old heading into 2025. Fact is that the kicker position is a need for the Patriots moving toward the offseason. Slye is not just an unrestricted free agent, he also has made just 78.6 percent of his field goal attempts this season. Not all of his six misses this year were necessarily his fault — one was a block, for example, and one a 68-yard try — but they were costly nonetheless for a team not good enough to leave points on the board. Will Romo challenge Slye this year, though? Maybe, but it seems more likely his signing was made with an eye on the future and on possibly limiting Slye’s practice workload in a long season. Core special teamer wanted: The Patriots have gone through multiple core special teamers lately. Raekwon McMillan was the first to go, followed by Joe Giles-Harris. Now, Keshawn Banks is off the team as well after playing a combined 78 percent of special teams snaps in his three game day elevations from the practice squad. The last two weeks, he was employed on five units: kickoff and punt return, kickoff and punt coverage, and field goal/extra point block. The Patriots need to find a way to replace that production, either by finding another practice squad member to regularly elevate for that specific usage or by giving his snaps to others already on the roster.
LEE Mack's The 1% Club has returned for a festive special, with Christmas themed questions already catching out contestants. The ITV show sees contestants faced with questions designed to test how their brain works, rather than their intelligence level. They have to use their logic, reasoning and common sense as they are whittled down to one final question that only 1% of the country can answer correctly. This is all in an effort to try and take home the jackpot prize of up to £100,000. This year's Christmas special featured festive themed questions, but it wasn't long before those trying to win the money were stumped. With the second question focusing on a Christmas 'spot the difference', viewers at home were left stunned to find that 28 contestants had failed to get the answer right. The question pictured a festive scene where contestants had to spot what was differing between the two, with the answer being a missing pair of Santa's legs. Taking to X, one viewer wrote: " 28 people getting the second question wrong!" Another shared: "28 people. Wow". "What on earth were those 28 people looking at?" asked another baffled viewer. This wasn't the only question that viewers at home were shocked to see the contestants struggling with, as some questioned whether the Christmas special quiz had been made 'easier'. One viewer shared on social media: "these questions are exceptionally easy . how anyone’s getting them wrong i’ll never know." Another simply put: "Too easy." The festive special sees comedian Lee Mack back at the helm of the quiz show, which won Best Quiz Game Show for the third year in a row at the NTA Awards. The series has also been recommissioned for a fifth series , with ITV bringing back the show for this festive special and also a charity one for Soccer Aid . A source previously told us: "The show has well and truly proved its popularity with viewers, and so it’s only natural to bring it back for not one, but two more rounds. "This will also include two Christmas specials, which will air on ITV after the main series have run." Previous episodes of The 1% Club are available on ITVX.A pop-up spinning wheel offers the chance to win a coupon. Rotating captions warn that a less than $2 camouflage print balaclava and a $1.23 skeleton hand back scratcher are “Almost sold out.” A flame symbol indicates a $9.69 plush cat print hoodie is selling fast. A timed-down selection of discounted items adds to the sense of urgency. Welcome to the new online world of impulse buying, a place of guilty pleasures where the selection is vast, every day is Cyber Monday, and an instant dopamine hit is always just a click away. By all accounts, we’re living in an accelerating age for consumerism, one that Temu, which is owned by the Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings, and Shein, its fierce rival , supercharged with social media savvy and an interminable assortment of cheap goods, most shipped directly from merchants in China based on real-time demand. The business models of the two platforms, coupled with avalanches of digital or influencer advertising, have enabled them to give Western retailers a run for their money this holiday shopping season. Software company Salesforce said it expects roughly one in five online purchases in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada to be made through four online marketplaces based or founded in Asia: Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop — the e-commerce arm of video-sharing platform TikTok — and AliExpress. Analysts with Salesforce said they are expected to pull in roughly $160 billion in global sales outside of China. Most of the sales will go to Temu and Shein, a privately held company which is thought to lead the worldwide fast fashion market in revenue. Lisa Xiaoli Neville, a nonprofit manager who lives in Los Angeles, is sold on Shein. The bedroom of her home is stocked with jeans, shoes, press-on nails and other items from the ultra-fast fashion retailer, all of which she amassed after getting on the platform to buy a $2 pair of earrings she saw in a Facebook ad. Neville, 46, estimates she spends at least $75 a month on products from Shein. A $2 eggshell opener, a portable apple peeler and an apple corer, both costing less than $5, are among the quirky, single-use kitchen tools taking up drawer space. She acknowledges she doesn’t need them because she “doesn’t even cook like that.” Plus, she’s allergic to apples. “I won’t eat apples. It will kill me,” Neville said, laughing. “But I still want the coring thing.” Shein, now based in Singapore, uses some of the same web design features as Temu’s, such as pop-up coupons and ads, to persuade shoppers to keep clicking, but it appears a bit more restrained in its approach. Shein primarily targets young women through partnerships with social media influencers. Searching the company's name on video platforms turns up creators promoting Shein's Black Friday sales event and displaying the dozens of of trendy clothes and accessories they got for comparatively little money. But the Shein-focused content also includes videos of TikTokers saying they're embarrassed to admit they shopped there and critics lashing out at fans for not taking into account the environmental harms or potential labor abuses associated with products that are churned out and shipped worldwide at a speedy pace. Neville has already picked out holiday gifts for family and friends from the site. Most of the products in her online cart cost under $10, including graphic T-shirts she intends to buy for her son and jeans and loafers for her daughter. All told, she plans to spend about $200 on gifts, significantly less than $500 she used to shell out at other stores in prior years. “The visuals just make you want to spend more money,” she said, referring to the clothes on Shein's site. “They're very cheap and everything is just so cute.” Unlike Shein, Temu's appeal cuts across age groups and gender. The platform is the world’s second most-visited online shopping site, software company Similarweb reported in September. Customers go there looking for practical items like doormats and silly products like a whiskey flask shaped like a vintage cellphone from the 1990s. Temu advertised Black Friday bargains for some items at upwards of 70% off the recommended retail price. Making a purchase can quickly result in receiving dozens of emails offering free giveaways. The caveat: customers have to buy more products. Despite their rise, Temu and Shein have proven particularly ripe for pushback. Last year, a coalition of unnamed brands and organizations launched a campaign to oppose Shein in Washington. U.S. lawmakers also have raised the possibility that Temu is allowing goods made with forced labor to enter the country. More recently, the Biden administration put forward rules that would crack down on a trade rule known as the de minimis exception, which has allowed a lot of cheap products to come into the U.S. duty-free. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to slap high tariffs on goods from China, a move that would likely raise prices across the retail world. Both Shein and Temu have set up warehouses in the U.S. to speed up delivery times and help them better compete with Amazon, which is trying to erode their price advantage through a new storefront that also ships products directly from China.