
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jason Drake had 21 points in Drexel's 68-65 victory over Howard on Tuesday night. Drake shot 8 for 17 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Dragons (8-4). Yame Butler went 6 of 10 from the field (3 for 7 from 3-point range) to add 16 points. Marcus Dockery led the Bison (5-7) in scoring, finishing with 14 points and two steals. Blake Harper added 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Cameron Shockley-Okeke had 10 points. Drexel went into halftime leading Howard 36-34. Butler put up 10 points in the half. Drexel used an 8-0 run in the second half to build an 11-point lead at 49-38 with 13:07 left. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on semiconductor-related exports. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications. The ratcheting up of trade restrictions comes as President-elect Donald Trump has been threatening to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries, potentially intensifying simmering tensions over trade and technology. China's Foreign Ministry also issued a vehement reproof. “China has lodged stern protests with the U.S. for its update of the semiconductor export control measures, sanctions against Chinese companies, and malicious suppression of China’s technological progress," Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in a routine briefing Tuesday. "I want to reiterate that China firmly opposes the U.S. overstretching the concept of national security, abuse of export control measures, and illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction against Chinese companies,” Lin said. China said in July 2023 it would require exporters to apply for licenses to send to the U.S. the strategically important materials such as gallium and germanium. In August, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said it would restrict exports of antimony, which is used in a wide range of products from batteries to weapons, and impose tighter controls on exports of graphite. Such minerals are considered critical for national security. China is a major producer of antimony, which is used in flame retardants, batteries, night-vision goggles and nuclear weapon production, according to a 2021 U.S. International Trade Commission report. The limits announced by Beijing on Tuesday also include exports of super-hard materials, such as diamonds and other synthetic materials that are not compressible and extremely dense. They are used in many industrial areas such as cutting tools, disc brakes and protective coatings. The licensing requirements that China announced in August also covered smelting and separation technology and machinery and other items related to such super-hard materials. China is the biggest global source of gallium and germanium, which are produced in small amounts but are needed to make computer chips for mobile phones, cars and other products, as well as solar panels and military technology. After the U.S. side announced it was adding 140 companies to a so-called “entity list” subject to strict export controls, China’s Commerce Ministry protested and said it would act to protect China’s “rights and interests.” Nearly all of the companies affected by Washington's latest trade restrictions are based in China, though some are Chinese-owned businesses in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Both governments say their respective export controls are needed for national security. China's government has been frustrated by U.S. curbs on access to advanced processor chips and other technology on security grounds but had been cautious in retaliating, possibly to avoid disrupting China’s fledgling developers of chips, artificial intelligence and other technology. Various Chinese industry associations issued statements protesting the U.S. move to limit access to advanced chip-making technology. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said it opposed using national security as a grounds for export controls, “abuse of export control measures, and the malicious blockade and suppression of China.” “Such behavior seriously violates the laws of the market economy and the principle of fair competition, undermines the international economic and trade order, disrupts the stability of the global industrial chain, and ultimately harms the interests of all countries,” it said in a statement. The China Semiconductor Industry Association issued a similar statement, adding that such restrictions were disrupting supply chains and inflating costs for American companies. “U.S. chip products are no longer safe and reliable. China’s related industries will have to be cautious in purchasing U.S. chips,” it said. The U.S. gets about half its supply of both gallium and germanium metals directly from China, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. China exported about 23 metric tons (25 tons) of gallium in 2022 and produces about 600 metric tons (660 tons) of germanium per year. The U.S. has deposits of such minerals but has not been mining them, though some projects underway are exploring ways to tap those resources. The export restrictions have had a mixed impact on prices for those critical minerals, with the price of antimony more than doubling this year to over $25,000 per ton. Prices for gallium, germanium and graphite also have mostly risen. AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report.
Ducks’ Frank Vatrano and Troy Terry are heating upThe high school football regular season has wrapped up in Southern Arizona. The Star shares our weekly look back at the best of last week while charging ahead toward what we might be able to expect from programs across Tucson and surrounding communities this Friday and Saturday, as the state tournament winds down for Classes 4A, 5A and 6A, and the Open Division. Team of the week The Pusch Ridge Christian Lions outscored their four opponents 131-26 in the Class 3A state tournament. Pusch Ridge Christian beat No. 2 Waddell ALA - West Foothills 26-7 in the Class 3A state championship game. It’s the Lions’ second state title in football after they won the Division IV championship in 2015. ALA - West Foothills had been undefeated. Pusch Ridge senior quarterback Jacob Newborn passed for 198 yards, going 13 for 20 and earning a 97.5 quarterback rating. He also ran the ball 14 times for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns. Seniors John Sunukjian and Elliott Lovett each had an interception. Play of the week With 9:40 left in the game, Mica Mountain took a commanding lead at Yuma Catholic when senior quarterback Jayden Thoreson hit senior tight end Jimmy Leon with a 9-yard touchdown pass, according to All Sports Tucson , to put Mica Mountain up 24-7. The Thunderbolts would go on to win the state semifinal 24-14. Stat book Pusch Ridge senior running back Blake Reed ran for 144 yards on 17 carries with a long of 67 yards in the state championship game. Mica Mountain senior running back Jordan Perry rushed for 105 yards on 13 attempts in the Thunderbolts’ win over Yuma Catholic on Friday. Next level Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson ran for 102 yards on 26 carries in the Falcons’ 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The Salpointe Catholic alum has run for 885 yards on the season and at least 100 yards in two of his last three games. The former Texas star has also gotten into acting with the help of Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey. Tucson transfers Peoria Centennial senior Shamar Berryhill had four catches for 64 yards in the Coyotes’ 37-32 win over Queen Creek in the 6A semifinals. Berryhill, who transferred from Sabino, helped lead Centennial to the championship game against Mesa Mountain View after sitting out the first five games of the season, even though the Coyotes finished the regular season 3-7. His brother, Romeo, is a sophomore on Centennial. Their father, Stanley Berryhill Jr., went to Cholla. Their brother, Stanley Berryhill III, went to Mountain View before going to Orange (Calif.) Lutheran and the University of Arizona; and their other brother, Savaughn, played for Sabino. Quotable “It was really exciting watching her get to that level and unfortunately they didn't get the win, so a lot of battles in our household right now to see if we can get one.” — Mica Mountain head football coach Pat Nugent on the first Nugent to reach a state final for Mica Mountain before his daughter, Jayden. Mica Mountain girls volleyball reached the 4A state championship match, going 27-11. Jayden Nugent, a libero, was second team All-4A Kino. Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Is Enron back? If it’s a joke, some former employees aren’t laughing
The winter solstice is Saturday, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere — ideal conditions for holiday lights and warm blankets. For those who would rather have more sunlight, you can try to make your way to the Southern Hemisphere, where it is summer. Or be patient: Starting Sunday, days will get a little bit longer in the Northern Hemisphere every single day until late June. These annual changes in sunlight as the Earth revolves around the sun have been well known to humans for centuries. Monuments such as Stonehenge in England and the Torreon at Peru's Machu Picchu were designed in part to align with solstices. Here’s what to know about how the Earth's march around the sun splits up the year. As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle. For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. The solstices mark the times during the year when the Earth is at its most extreme tilt toward or away from the sun. This means the hemispheres are getting very different amounts of sunlight — and days and nights are at their most unequal. During the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice, the upper half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun, creating the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23.. Meanwhile, at the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is toward the sun, leading to the longest day and shortest night of the year. This solstice falls between June 20 and 22. During the spring and fall equinoxes, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight. The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That’s because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time — though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet. The Northern Hemisphere’s spring — or vernal — equinox can land between March 19 and 21, depending on the year. Its fall – or autumnal — equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24. These are just two different ways to carve up the year. Meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. They break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1. Astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun. Solstices kick off summer and winter. Equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DON’T LOOK Projects is pleased to announce its inaugural group exhibition, Permission to Bloom, featuring the work of four international artists working across various media. Opening on January 18, 2025, at 2680 South La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles. The exhibition explores the interrelation between nature and technology, prompting us to consider both their effects on our society, humanity and its horizon, and our own positionality in earth’s future. Like a call to adventure beckoning us to explore these connections, the exhibition challenges our understanding of these two seemingly opposing forces. Nature has long been a source of inspiration for artists over the last 40,000 years, the natural world being depicted in prehistoric cave paintings found across the globe. Despite human attempts to control it, nature will reclaim its space after our technological innovations fade, a thought best illustrated in the image of wildflowers that bloom in derelict factories in many provincial locations globally. This exchange reminds us that while modern technologies enhance our lives and agricultural advances feed vast populations, it is nature’s virility that forms the foundation of our existence. Nature also finds ways to endure despite humanity's insatiable appetite for expansion and subjugation. Gillian Brett's work (France) reflects upon the decline of traditional farming methods and the increasing reliance on precision agriculture technologies. Brett invites viewers to consider the delicate balance between human intervention and the natural world. Similarly, Beverley Duckworth’s (UK) research into global landfills materializes in sculpture and installation that takes a regenerative approach to the infinite mountains of discarded garments and electronic waste by implanting them with seeds and utilizing them as foundations for roots of new life to emerge. Helena Sekot (Austria) attends to the formal symbolism of the natural world, leaning into the grace and grit of flora and fauna. Sekot’s series of digital prints of rhubarb skins wrapped around body parts contain a sensuality and eroticism that references both digital cultures and art history. Ewelina Skrowronska’s (Poland) paintings use natural dyes, departing from a human-centric framing of the world to reveal a deeply interconnected biophilic reading of Earth. The works offer us a potential dreamscape of a future where humankind and the natural world work in symbiosis. DON’T LOOK Projects is a contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles, CA. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2220fa9-6332-4d44-9924-db386e5f331d