No. 24 Illinois stuns Rutgers on Bryant's 40-yard TD reception with 4 seconds left
It didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level Media
A joint investigation by WIRED, Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), and Netzpolitik.org uncovered that US companies legally collecting digital ad data are enabling adversaries to cheaply track American military and intelligence personnel . A collaborative analysis of billions of location coordinates from a US-based data broker revealed detailed tracking of thousands of devices from sensitive US sites in Germany, including NSA facilities and bases reportedly housing US nuclear weapons. Elsewhere, social media giant Meta has disclosed for the first time its efforts to combat the forced-labor compounds driving the surge in pig butchering scams on its platforms. The company revealed that it has been quietly collaborating with global law enforcement, tech industry partners, and external experts for over two years to dismantle the crime syndicates behind these operations in Southeast Asia and the UAE. This year alone, Meta reports it has taken down more than 2 million accounts linked to scam compounds in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the UAE. At the Cyberwarcon security conference on Friday, the cybersecurity firm SpyCloud shared findings about publicly accessible black market services offering low-cost access to sensitive information on Chinese citizens, including phone numbers, banking details, hotel and flight records, and even real-time location data. According to the firm’s researchers, these services seem to obtain their data through insiders within Chinese surveillance agencies and government contractors, who sell their access. Also at the conference, cybersecurity firm Volexity uncovered that a Russian hacking group has reportedly developed a novel Wi-Fi-hacking technique that involves taking control of a nearby laptop and using it as a bridge to infiltrate a targeted Wi-Fi network. Dubbed a “nearest neighbor attack,” the method was uncovered during a 2022 investigation by the firm into a network breach of an unnamed Washington, DC. client. And finally, researchers explored how the US is calling out foreign influence campaigns faster than they ever have—but there’s plenty of room for improvement. That’s not all. Each week, we round up the security and privacy news we didn’t cover in depth ourselves. Click on the headlines to read the full stories. And stay safe out there. “King of Toxic Masculinity” Gets Hacked Hacktivists have breached an online “educational platform” founded by the misogynistic right-wing influencer Andrew Tate reportedly revealing the email addresses of hundreds of thousands of users as well as the contents of the platforms’ private chat servers. Data from the hack, first reported by the Daily Dot, has now been published by the transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets . Andrew Tate, the so-called “king of toxic masculinity,” is currently under house arrest in Romania and faces two separate criminal charges , including allegations of forming an organized criminal group and trafficking women across Romania, the UK, and the US. The compromised platform, a subscription-based service known as The Real World (formerly called Hustler's University), describes itself as a “global community” focused on “personal growth.” According to its website, members receive expert training, mentorship, and access to a wide range of educational courses for around $50 per month. According to the Daily Dot , hacktivists announced their breach of the platform on Thursday by disrupting the course's main chatroom with a barrage of uploaded emojis while Tate was livestreaming an episode of his show Emergency Meeting on Rumble. The emojis included a transgender pride flag, a feminist fist, an AI-generated image of Tate wrapped in a rainbow flag. Data from the breach, verified by WIRED, includes more than 700,000 usernames and reportedly includes messages from 221 public and 395 private chat servers. An analysis by the Daily Dot reveals a mix of content within the chat logs, ranging from motivational quotes and personal progress updates to grievances about the “LGBTQ agenda.” WIRED is continuing to analyze the leaked material. The “Worst Telecom Hack in US History” Is Still Ongoing Chinese government hackers have infiltrated over a dozen US telecommunications companies in what a senior senator is calling the worst telecom breach in American history—and they’re still inside the networks. The hacking group, Salt Typhoon, has been able to eavesdrop on audio calls in real time and obtain millions of records of call and text metadata from targeted individuals, according to a Washington Post interview with Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Fewer than 150 victims have been identified and notified by the FBI so far—most of them in the DC region—including president-elect Donald Trump, his vice president-elect, JD Vance, as well as people working for Vice President Kamala Harris and state department officials. Warner said, however, that the effort was not directly election-related, as the hackers got into some telecom systems more than a year ago. Leaked Documents Show GrayKey Struggles to Access Modern iPhones Leaked documents obtained by 404 Media reveal that GrayKey, a phone-hacking tool used by law enforcement to extract data from devices in their possession, can at the moment only partially access information from modern iPhones running iOS 18.0 and 18.0.1. While the precise details of exactly how Graykey operates are unknown, the tool reportedly brute-forces iPhone or Android passcodes to unlock them—essentially hacking the phone—allowing law enforcement to then access and extract encrypted device data. While the specific types of data accessible during a “partial” extraction are unclear, it likely includes unencrypted files and metadata, such as file sizes and folder structures. The document provides context to an ongoing cat-and-mouse dynamic between forensic technology companies and mobile device manufacturers. With each new software update, tools like GrayKey are temporarily thwarted, prompting developers to quickly adapt their technology to catch up. At the moment it appears that they have not. This leak follows another report from 404 Media about a feature in iOS 18 called “inactivity reboot,” which forces devices to restart after four days of inactivity, adding another layer of difficulty for law enforcement attempting to access data on seized devices. Europe Probes Undersea Cable Sabotage European authorities are investigating suspected sabotage to two undersea fiber-optic cables: one linking Finland and Germany, and the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania. Russia—widely suspected as the likely perpetrator—denies involvement, dismissing the allegations as “ridiculous.” The incident began on Sunday when two telecommunications companies detected traffic disruptions likely caused by physical damage to undersea cables. One of the affected cables, known as C-Lion—a vital 730-mile link between Finland and Central Europe—runs alongside other critical infrastructure, including gas pipelines and power lines. By Wednesday, the Danish navy had reportedly intercepted a Chinese cargo ship in connection with the disruptions. The vessel, which had most recently docked in Russia before the incident, was near the damaged area at the time. It is now under investigation, with its crew being questioned about their possible involvement.Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network pleads guilty to fraud charges NEW YORK (AP) — The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges, admitting that he misled customers about the business. Alexander Mashinsky entered the plea Tuesday in Manhattan federal court to commodities and securities fraud. He admitted illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’ proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices. A plea agreement Mashinsky reached with prosecutors calls for him to be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for April 8. Celsius filed for bankruptcy in 2022. A judge has once again rejected Musk's multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what? DETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick turned aside a request from Musk’s lawyers to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla’s board and had engineered the outsize pay package during sham negotiations. Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. US job openings rose last month, though hiring slowed, in mixed picture for labor market WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September. The increase suggests that job gains could pick up in the coming months. Still, the latest figure is down significantly from 8.7 million job postings a year ago. Last month, job openings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, managers, and accountants, as well as in the restaurant and hotel and information technology industries. Trump vows to block Japanese steelmaker from buying US Steel, pledges tax incentives and tariffs HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is underscoring his intention to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp., and he’s pledging to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the iconic American steelmaker. Trump said during the campaign that he would “instantaneously” block the deal, and he reiterated that sentiment in a Monday night statement. President Joe Biden also opposes Nippon Steel’s purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. A secretive U.S. committee is reviewing the transaction for national security concerns, and federal law gives the president the power to block the transaction. Nippon Steel is pledging to invest in U.S. Steel’s factories and strengthen the American steel industry. Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records after a quiet day of trading. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, on Tuesday to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. The South Korean won sank against the dollar after its president declared martial law and then later said he’ll lift it. China bans exports to US of gallium, germanium, antimony in response to chip sanctions BANGKOK (AP) — China has announced a ban on exports to the United States of gallium, germanium and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. 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. Beijing earlier had required exporters to apply for licenses to send strategically important materials such as gallium, germanium and antimony to the U.S. The 140 companies newly included in the U.S. so-called “entity list” subject to export controls are nearly all based in China. Small business owners brace for Trump's proposed tariffs Small businesses are bracing for stiff tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed as one of his first actions when he takes office. Trump has proposed importers pay a 25% tax on products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. This means small businesses may end up paying more for goods and services. Small business owners say they’re waiting to see what final form the tariffs take, but are bracing for higher costs that they may in turn need to pass on to consumers. A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official says he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, which would support an argument for keeping the Fed’s rate unchanged this month. US closes investigation into E. coli outbreak linked to onions in McDonald's Quarter Pounders The federal government has closed its investigation into an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers after determining there is no longer a safety risk. The outbreak began in late October and sickened at least 104 people in 14 states, including 34 who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One person in Colorado died and four people developed a potentially life-threatening kidney disease complication. The FDA linked the outbreak to yellow onions distributed by California-based Taylor Farms and served raw on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and other states. McDonald’s briefly pulled Quarter Pounders from one-fifth of its U.S. restaurants. Melinda French Gates plans to match $1M in GivingTuesday gifts to groups that support women NEW YORK (AP) — Melinda French Gates is offering to match up to $1 million in gifts to two nonprofit organizations to help spur donations on GivingTuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, GivingTuesday has become a major annual fundraising day for nonprofits. Through her organization Pivotal Ventures, French Gates will match up to $500,000 in donations to the Vote Mama Foundation and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said, “It’s a great time to remind people that we’re better off when we give something back and we all have something to give back."
Occidental Petroleum Co. ( NYSE:OXY – Get Free Report )’s share price shot up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday after Raymond James raised their price target on the stock from $77.00 to $78.00. Raymond James currently has a strong-buy rating on the stock. Occidental Petroleum traded as high as $51.60 and last traded at $51.59. 2,153,531 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average session volume of 9,344,175 shares. The stock had previously closed at $50.91. A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on OXY. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $67.00 to $63.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on Occidental Petroleum from $77.00 to $65.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Barclays cut their price target on Occidental Petroleum from $67.00 to $58.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Occidental Petroleum from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price target on Occidental Petroleum from $76.00 to $72.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $63.70. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Occidental Petroleum Institutional Trading of Occidental Petroleum Occidental Petroleum Trading Up 0.7 % The firm has a market capitalization of $48.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.52 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $51.79 and a 200-day moving average of $57.02. Occidental Petroleum Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 10th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 10th. Occidental Petroleum’s payout ratio is currently 22.92%. Occidental Petroleum Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Occidental Petroleum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas properties in the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa. It operates through three segments: Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Midstream and Marketing. The company's Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops, and produces oil and condensate, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Occidental Petroleum Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Occidental Petroleum and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. “I’m gonna rip apart her quote here. But Julia Child once said something along these lines: the best people love food, and love to eat.” At the Horse and Plow, a dimly-lit historic tavern at the The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin, the celebrity chef and restauranteur Scott Conant throws back another handful of bar popcorn. He blends in with any other patron there watching the afternoon football game, but in under an hour, Conant will transform onstage at the Kohler Food & Wine Festival for a cooking demonstration to a crowd of fans, eager to learn kitchen secrets from the Chopped judge himself. “It’s taken me a long time to really love that entertainment element of it,” Conant also admits with a smile. “I basically have three jokes on stage, and I use them all the time. I mean, I think that people show up to these things because they’ve seen us on television, or like our restaurants, you know? It’s not the worst thing in the world. No, the worst thing is when they show up and they’re like, ‘are you Bobby Flay?’ [Laughs].” Set amidst the backdrop of Gilmore Girls and greeting card-levels of picturesque fall foliage, Kohler Food & Wine is a relentlessly busy four-day experience where some of the most talented chefs, winemakers, and culinary innovators have gathered to show off for a crowd of hungry visitors from across the country. There are, of course, those who come to learn how to braise the perfect pork tenderloin or how to nose out a good orange wine. But for the most part, food and wine demos are a kind of performance — something echoed by several of the chefs we spoke to at the fest, including Conant’s colleague and fellow TV personality, Andrew Zimmerman. “I believe people come here for entertainment and for pleasure-seeking,” he tells me backstage, in-between demos. It’s his second time at Kohler’s festival too, the chef and philanthropist having hosted a private dinner here 15 years ago. “I mean, there’s alcohol and food on one end, and then there’s the spa and golf courses on the other. I like to talk about capital ‘F’ food issues, but I know that people don’t come here to be lectured. To the ones who are just here to hear me make a couple of fun crock pot jokes? They get that too.” And in a way, it makes sense — in all honesty, how many folks are going to go home and recreate a [checks notes] duck Tsukune with cured egg and crispy venison with tamarind chutney? Maybe they will. But what most will take away are the easier methods between flashier flambés and pan flips, the advice on how to streamline their everyday cooking tasks. Ever hear the joke of what professional chefs make for their own dinner when they go home at the end of a shift? — A cup of ramen noodles. Even the pros want to make their own lives easier in the kitchen, because let’s face it, no one loves having to deal with a pile of dishes and a 16-step recipe at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. But that got us thinking: what’s making our kitchen lives easier when we get back home? Or at least, what’s promising to? Smart tech . The tech industry is increasingly encroaching on our kitchens in new and intriguing ways. According to consulting firm Spherical Insights, they predict the smart kitchen category is on track to reach $76 billion by 2033 . While the definition of a “smart kitchen” product is pretty loose (and can conjure up images of Disneyland’s Monsanto House of the Future ), it’s largely a catch-all for devices that are either a) Wi-Fi-enabled or b) contain some form of AI (or both). We’ve seen our fair share of everything from self-cleaning air fryers, to app-connected cocktail-mixing machines , but at a certain point we need to ask ourselves: does our stand mixer really need to be connected to an smartphone app ? Arguably, a lot of what’s considered “AI” in kitchen tech (or any consumer home product, for that matter) is just fancy marketing for basic automation. But either way, smart kitchen gear has dominated in recent years at CES , and now it feels like even your toaster oven can adapt to your cooking habits. The buzzy June Oven pioneered the ability to recognize elements of food and drink and adjust the appliance accordingly with an internal HD camera, also allowing you to watch how your food was cooking on your phone (instead of, simply, checking through the glass door). Fun to play around with? Sure. Superfluous? Maybe — and certainly at the price point some of these gadgets are going for (for $1,299 retail, it’s no wonder there’s no current plans for a restock of the June Oven, although there are rumors of integrating the tech into existing Weber grills ). What a lot of these smart appliances aim to do is cut out the complicated cooking tasks and decisions made by humans, ones where previously the advice of chefs like Conant, Zimmerman, and Chauhan would help. “At the risk of sounding like an old guy, I think the intention is to make life more simple,” Conant muses. “But unless those gadgets are so easy to operate that a five-year-old from anywhere in the world can pick it up and do it — it’s a pain in the neck. Think about the process of roasting a piece of salmon. Just turn the oven on, you’re going to sear it in the pan, and finish it in the oven. It’ll take you seven to 12 minutes, and you’re fine. Anything else is overthinking.” Especially for novice cooks, learning how to tell the doneness of your meat, or when a dough has been kneaded to the right consistency are kitchen rites of passage. For chef and restauranteur Maneet Chauhan, this means that when it comes to making your kitchen “smarter”, it all comes down to moderation. “I think technology should be just one tool in your cooking Swiss Army knife. Think about your air fryer — that’s a perfect example of streamlining cooking steps. We don’t use air fryers in commercial kitchens, but what we do use are convection ovens, which is practically the same concept. But you are the one who has to learn how to properly prep the meat, the knife skills to chop the vegetables, etc.” Other than the steep barrier-to-entry price, are these smart appliances that purport to help home chefs beef up their skills actually stunting their growth in the kitchen? Arguably people who want to cook from scratch also want to learn — the rest will just order delivery, says Conant, not a $1,000 oven. “Audiences really do want to learn, how do I make this taste so good? How can I do this at home? I never cooked a lot at home until I had kids, because I was always in restaurants, right? So I started to think, what are the tips and tricks that people can take from my demos and use to become better home chefs?” Smart kitchen tech can even feel fascinatingly flashy to some chefs, and even helpful to some like Zimmerman. “Let me tell you why I’m a bit hopeful. First of all, we are time poor right now in this country, and it’s one of the reasons why we spend less and less time together. Everyone is over schedule, and we’re inundated with too much stress. So if there are products that save us time and make life easier for caregivers to put food on the table, I’m all for that.” He adds that there are useful inventions that were once considered too industrial and “tech-y” that have since entered home kitchens, such as sous vide cookers and vacuum sealers . “Thirty years ago those two things, collectively, used to cost about $8,000 to $18,000. They’re such a time saver, and and such an improvement in your cooking life. Just about a $100 investment now, and you don’t need to buy an expensive 10-in-1 oven. There are inexpensive “smart” ovens now too, like from Breville . But while AI and other types of kitchen tech have a wonderful ability to help us, I think we’re still in their infancy right now.” But there is one element to the “smart” race that does worry Zimmerman, and it requires a bit of going back in time to understand how we got here. “Here’s why I’m still a bit wary. About 75 years ago — when supermarkets boomed in post-WWII America — manufacturers in the Fifties started selling larger refrigerators to Americans. Now they’re very big. The idea at the time was for your family shop once a week and put everything in your refrigerator. Seventy-five years later, shopping once a week is a nightmare because of our busier modern schedules.” This has lead to a massive amount of food waste, around 50% of which actually occurs post-consumer contact — and what Zimmerman believes comes from over-shopping. “I just don’t want this new tech to go the same way that the old tech did. It’s sold as a short-term solution to a problem, but long-term becomes even more of a problem, as did the size of the American refrigerator. I recently bought a European refrigerator — it’s tall and skinny. Shopping more actually helps me save food, since I use more of it before it spoils. With this new kitchen tech, we keep selling convenience, but what we’re really being sold is a way to kick the problem down the road. And that has me cautious, to say the least.” So what does Zimmerman’s ideal kitchen of the future look like? “I’d like to see a few induction pods, a more modern, multi-functional microwave, and a combi oven.” A ‘combi ovens’ is chef speak for something that steams, has convection, air fries, etc, something made more accessibly-priced in recent years from brands like Ninja . “Those 10-in-1 smart AI gadgets, I think, are trying to address a problem that I think combi ovens address more effectively. Home units are kind of like having a fancy microwave, and if it’s big enough, then that will replace a whole slew of energy-sucking devices in your kitchen.” That being said, it seems like smart kitchen tech can feel unnecessary at times if you’re someone who actually enjoys the process of cooking (like me). Over-engineered appliances like the June Oven and GE Profile Smart smart mixer don’t seem quite interested in making anyone a better cook. Whether it’s the oftentimes $1,000+ price tag, or the amount of counter real estate they eat up, many of these products feel more like proof-of-concepts that were designed to wow on the floor of CES (and many do, and receive design awards — even from us ) rather than be an integral part of anyone’s kitchen toolkit. Just because you can cram in AI everywhere doesn’t always mean you always should. For Zimmerman, further automation also raises the problem of the connection we have to physically making our food. “We lose our touch and feel for it, and for people like me, that’s my yoga. That’s how I take care of my mental health, is by cooking. I just made cavatelli from scratch, and when you’re making homemade pasta dough and you’re it rolling out, I’m not thinking for that hour about all my life problems. And we all have life problems. Everyone has to have a yoga, right? A meditative practice that allows one to focus completely on something — because that’s what quiets our mind and gets our serotonin going. So I worry about this new tech supplanting that, and taking that away for many people.” But even if cooking isn’t your “yoga”, professional chefs like Conant and Chauhan agree that your most essential tools really can be the simplest options. “I think what you really need are good pans,” Conant suggests. “A great cast iron pan will help you no matter, and it gets seasoned over the years from use. I don’t come from money, so I got passed down the cast iron pan [laughs]. But those family heirlooms — your grandmother’s spoons, or your father’s tortilla press — those are important, too.” “There’s nothing like a really good chef’s knife,” is Chauhan’s advice. “There’s no need for those 15-knife sets, especially if you’re just starting out and learning to cook. Even something small, such as a cooking spoon , can be essential.” When they’re not trying be a do-it-all, 12-in-one miracle makers, there are smart kitchen gadgets and appliances that can be a worthwhile additions to your daily routines (and worth the cost). Both Conant and Zimmerman brought up the one appliance they believe has revolutionized home kitchens the most in recent history: the humble microwave. “The allure of it is the ease-of-use. It’s arguably the most advanced kitchen gadget that we’ve had in the past 30-40 years,” says Conant. “I’ve done 200 interviews in the past year, and in at least half of them, I always gets asked ‘well, what single appliance do you recommend?’,” laughs Zimmerman. “It was popular a couple years ago for chefs to say, get rid of all your single-use appliances! And there are a couple single-use appliances that I love. But for the most part, I look for diversity. I actually think the most energy-saving device that has the most uses when utilized properly is your microwave. They defrost fantastically, they reheat beautifully. If you take two minutes to read the manual and understand how to do so at a very low temperature, they’re great for things like cooking rice, too.” Smart kitchen tech is understandably still finding its footing, but until some of these innovations enter affordable ubiquity (which some already have — smart coffee makers that brew on a schedule have gotten very good and very cheap), they might just be relegated to shining aspirations for our “kitchen of the future”. Even appliances with a lighter AI touch, such a Breville’s Joule Oven , can get it right when they focus on what home cooks actually need (like notifications when the oven is preheated and again when the food is finished cooking, and a fantastic rotisserie function). Sure, they may have a foothold in the vacuum category , but robots are not taking over our kitchens anytime soon. And for that, it’s heartening to learn that the pros don’t seem to get sick of teaching the basics, either. “I never get tired of it. Never,” says Chauhan. “Even if you’re just refreshing your skills, everyone can take something away from a kitchen demo or class.” AI might already be in our iPhones and laptops , but it can’t be stirred into a pot or sautéed in our meals. It’s nice to know that there’s still a little bit of you in every dish, Contant points out. “When you eat someone’s dish, you get to know who that chef is by eating the food. There’s another quote I’m going to butcher: Picasso was talking to a young student, and that student was explaining their ideas of how they wanted to make art. Picasso stopped them and said, “It’s fine. But don’t talk about it. Say it with your painting. I feel like that’s such a powerful experience, to be able to identify a chef’s point of view, their heart laid bare, without them ever having to say it. It’s all on the plate.”
OTH Network Revolutionizes Influencer Marketing With AI-Powered Platform And Exclusive Black Card( MENAFN - The Peninsula) AFP Kyiv: Ukraine's military said on Thursday an air raid alert had been declared across the country, reporting inbound missiles targeting several regions. "Air raid alert has been declared all over the territory of Ukraine due to a missile threat," Ukraine's air force said in a message on Telegram, adding in other messages that missiles were detected headed for Kharkiv, Odesa and eight other regions. "Kharkiv, go to the shelters!" the air force said in a Telegram message. The latest missile salvo comes a day after US president-elect Donald Trump named staunch loyalist and retired general Keith Kellogg as his Ukraine envoy, charged with ending the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion. Trump campaigned on a platform of securing a swift end to the Ukraine war, boasting that he would quickly mediate a ceasefire deal between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But his critics have warned that the incoming Republican will likely leverage US military aid to pressure Kyiv into an agreement that leaves it ceding occupied territory permanently or agreeing not to join NATO. "I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia," Trump said in a statement on social media. "Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration." A fixture on the cable news circuit, the 80-year-old national security veteran co-authored a paper earlier this year calling for Washington to leverage military aid as a means of pushing for peace talks. Ukraine has received almost $60 billion from Washington for its armed forces since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, but with the more isolationist Trump taking over the White House, supporters fear the spigot will run dry. "The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," Kellogg's research paper for the Trumpist America First Policy Institute think tank said. "Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia." Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on the White House National Security Council and national security advisor to then-vice president Mike Pence. Troop shortages Kellogg told Voice of America at the Republican convention in July that Ukraine's options were "quite clear." "If Ukraine doesn't want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don't have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000-250,000," he said. Trump's announcement came as the outgoing administration of Democrat Joe Biden was hosting a news conference to urge Ukraine to enlist more recruits by reducing the minimum age of conscription to 18 -- in line with the US benchmark. Facing a much larger enemy with more advanced weapons and with stocks of volunteers dwindling, Ukraine is facing an "existential" recruitment crunch, a senior administration official told reporters. "The simple truth is that Ukraine is not currently mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace their battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He added that an additional 160,000 troops would be "on the low end" to fill out Ukraine's ranks -- but "a good start." National Security Council spokesman John Kirby later clarified that the White House would not make the huge flow of US military aid to Kyiv dependent on a conscription age change. MENAFN27112024000063011010ID1108934609 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news of the unexpected passing of Daniel “Dan” Rey Ericksen, 55, of Duluth, on November 19, 2024 at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center. His mother and all three of his brothers were at his side at the time of his passing. Dan was born in Duluth, Minnesota on December 27, 1968 to Stanley and Diane Ericksen, living his entire life in Duluth, a city he loved so much. Dan graduated from Duluth Central High School in 1987, where he enjoyed playing various sports, excelling in his favorite sport, basketball. He was an avid fan and was passionate about watching the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings and UMD Hockey games. The greatest joy in Dan’s life was the moment he welcomed his only son, Dominic, into the world. Watching Dominic grow and mature into the exceptional person he is today made Dan proud and appreciate his son even more. Dan thoroughly enjoyed watching Dominic participate in various sports competitions, both locally and away from Duluth. Dan hoped that he instilled many memories in Dominic for him to always remember how much his father loved him. Dan treasured the memories of going hunting and fishing with his son, brothers, family members and friends. Dan worked for the International Longshoreman’s Association Local 1037 since he was 17 years old. At the time of his death, Dan was the Vice-President of the ILA union. He has a great sense of humor, often joking and loved to make people laugh, which made his job and getting through life easier. Dan was preceded in death by his father, Stanley and his grandparents. He is survived by his mother, Diane of Duluth; his son, Dominic, of Faribault; and his three brothers: Tim of Duluth, “Rocky” (Tracy Davey) of Duluth and James (Stephanie) of Hermantown; and Dan’s many nieces and nephews. Dan leaves behind many loving family members and dear friends who he truly enjoyed sharing his life with. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Dan’s family would like to openly express their sincere gratitude and a heart-felt “Thank You” to the entire staff at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital Oncology Center for their compassionate and professionalism in caring for Dan. Dan’s “Celebration of Life” will be held at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, 4100 Grand Ave, in Duluth 11:00 am Saturday, January 11, 2025, with the visitation beginning at 10:00 am. A private family Inurnment service will be held at Calvary Cemetery at a later date.
Follow Emirates 24|7 onTOWNSHEND — The Leland & Gray boys basketball team lost their first league game against Springfield on Monday 65-42, but had a strong offensive showing from their senior Cody Hescock, which they will hope to build off as they look for their first win of the season. Hescock ended the game with 24 points for the Rebels (0-3), leading all scorers. After the Rebels graduated five seniors last year, Hescock is one of just two seniors this season, along with Ely White, who has been out since the first game with a broken nose. Spencer Claussen, who is a sophomore, joins Hescock and White as returning players who saw significant minutes last year, while junior Ryder Butynski also returns from the varsity roster last season. Against the visiting Cosmos (1-2), Rebels first year head coach Bob Culver started each of his available varsity players who were Claussen, juniors Logan Plimpton and Colin Dunleavy-Mercier, Hescock, and Butynski. White and junior Jax Meister, the other full-time varsity players for the Rebels, were out of the lineup due to injury. When White returns from injury, Culver said either Plimpton or Butynski will help give the Rebels meaningful minutes off the bench. With only five of his seven varsity players in action against the Cosmos, Culver has also pulled up some players from junior varsity, with freshmen Dakota Shippee, Frank Flood, Connor Richardson, and sophomores Lucas Gleason and Orren Styles added to the lineup for the Rebels. Culver said Flood, Styles and Richardson will provide depth at the forward position, and Shippee was pulled up in their last game to help out at guard. Gleason is also listed at the guard position. “We felt it was important to make sure they do get minutes on JV and not just sit on the bench on varsity. It’s important for these players to get those minutes, get the experience, and then if we can get them in, we get in foul trouble ... get minutes up here too. We need them,” said Culver. Something that Culver has stressed so far this year is his team playing with composure in pressure situations. The Cosmos applied a full court press against the Rebels, which is something they had a hard time with early in the game, but Culver was pleased with how his team adjusted to the pressure as the game went on. In these situations, Culver wants his team to slow the game down, and trust that they know what to do in those times. Offensively, Culver wants to base what they run on whether the opposing team is playing zone or man-to-man defense. Against zones, Culver wants his team to spread the court and move the ball with passing to draw out the defense and get everyone involved. Against man-to-man on offense Culver wants Claussen, who finished with nine points against the Cosmos, to isolate and beat his defender to force help defense and allow him to either attack the rim or pass to the open player. “I think tonight it worked out alright ... there were moments that we did it perfect, it looked beautiful, then moments we just got flustered ... and they got two points on the other end because of a silly turnover” said Culver. On the defensive side, this is something Culver said has been impacted by both injuries and the lack of numbers he has on the bench. Culver said he prefers man-to-man defense, but is also going to be mixing in some zone when necessary. He said he would like to implement some pressure man-to-man defense as well, but admitted this is difficult with having short numbers on the bench as he doesn’t want to deplete the energy of his players that he needs in the game. Culver said once his team is fully healthy, he wants to implement a press on defense to help jumpstart their transition game and get easy layups as opposed to slowing down the speed of play and having to set up a look on offense. The Rebels didn’t show any full court pressure in the game against Springfield, which Culver attributed to his team’s lack of numbers on the bench. “We were just five players essentially tonight ... they had a lot deeper bench, we weren’t going to be able to keep up with them legs wise I don’t think if we tried that,” said Culver. As the season continues, Culver said that one of the biggest challenges the team will face is continuing to deal with limited personnel. This includes the next two games, as the Rebels will be without Hescock, according to Culver, starting with their home game on Friday against Grace Christian. Culver said the hardest part about missing players is making sure that everyone else is up to speed, especially those who are new to the varsity level. The Rebels host Grace Christian Friday at 7 p.m. They will close out the calendar year with a road game against Poultney on Monday at 7 p.m. “I’m looking forward to seeing what Cody [Hescock] and Ely [White] do as seniors. I’ve been working with Cody for four years now since he’s been a freshman on varsity,” said Culver. “So I’m really excited to see how he does his senior year, and how his improvement, his growth has come, and become a real leader.”