WWE Smackdown rebounded from the previous week’s Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul-related drop in the ratings last week. Friday’s episode brought in a 0.46 rating in the 18 – 49 demographic and 1.1578 million viewers per Wrestlenomics . Those numbers were up 43.8% and 27.9% respectively from the previous week’s 0.32 demo rating and audience of 1.234 million. The demo rating was still slightly down from the 0.47 demo rating from two weeks ago, while the audience was the highest since the October 11th episode had 1.652 million. Friday’s show up against the NBA game between the Warriors and Pelicans on ESPN, which did a 0.36 demo rating and 1.378 million viewers. Smackdown is averaging a 0.593 demo rating and 2.096 million viewers in 2024 to date, compared to a 0.592 demo rating and 2.238 million for the same point in 2023.
2025 budget: 13 states commit N3.8tn on salaries, othersLeslie's swings to quarterly loss as higher costs drag profits; shares drop 20%
Warner Bros. Discovery: Reshuffling The DeckA judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge's order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. ____ Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.
Syracuse, Albany each hoping to get right at expense of the otherLarge fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The new law requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects meant to repair or avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill earlier this year to force big oil and gas companies to contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events and resiliency projects such as coastal wetland restoration and upgrades to roads, bridges and water drainage systems. “The Climate Change Superfund Act is now law, and New York has fired a shot that will be heard round the world: the companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable," said state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat who sponsored the bill. “The planet’s largest climate polluters bear a unique responsibility for creating the climate crisis, and they must pay their fair share to help regular New Yorkers deal with the consequences,” Krueger said. The biggest emitters of greenhouse gases between 2000 and 2018 would be subjected to the fines. The law won't start penalizing companies immediately. Instead, the state must come up with rules on how to identify responsible parties, notify companies of the fines and create a system to determine which infrastructure projects will be paid for by the fund. Legal challenges are expected. “This type of legislation represents nothing more than a punitive new fee on American energy, and we are evaluating our options moving forward,” the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s top lobbying group, said in a statement. New York's governor signed the measure months after Vermont put a similar law in place.NoneRavens LB Roquan Smith inactive with hamstring injury for 'Monday Night Football' game vs. Chargers
None
Restaurant Brands International's executive chairman sells $2.9m in stock