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There have always been goals. The foremost were to play good field hockey and give area high school players a chance to be seen by college coaches. Debbie McQuaid has done this for 28 years during Thanksgiving weekend, taking area teams to the annual United States Field Hockey Association Festival in locations in Florida, California and Arizona. “I don’t really care about the win-loss (record),” McQuaid said. “But winning is always fun.” Well, McQuaid and her TC Shore team had a lot of fun last weekend, as it went 5-0 over three days of pool play during the annual USFHA Festival at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Florida. “We’ve won our pool a couple of times,” McQuaid said. “But we’ve never gone 5-0. It was very exciting.” It was also very impressive, considering after Friday’s tournament-opening 5-2 victory over Team Gateway of St. Louis, TC Shore yielded only one more goal over its remaining four games. “Somebody asked me, ‘Well, who stood out?’” McQuaid said. “I said, ‘None of them and all of them.’ They just worked as a unit. And they were so supportive. We had (Saints Peter and Paul eighth-grader) Caroline (Corson) being younger and they were just all so supportive of her. Just nice to see. No egos.” TC Shore also won its second game Friday, as Queen Anne’s County High goalies Cassidy Alexander and Caroline Kimball combined for a 3-0 shutout of Xcaliber (New Jersey). It was after Day 1, that McQuaid — who is currently the head coach at Sts. Peter and Paul, but has also been head coach at St. Michaels and Easton — thought her team could go undefeated. “Those were the two best teams,” McQuaid said of Team Gateway and Xcaliber. TC Shore came back to post back-to-back shutouts on Saturday, blanking both GOA Canada and Atlanta by 3-0 finals. In addition to Kimball and Alexander not letting anything get past them, the play of backs and midfielders Ellee McLean (Queen Anne’s), Haley Cole (Queen Anne’s), Angie Webb (SSPP), Jordan Bilbo (Queen Anne’s), Kadence McGuckin (Easton) and Claire Bieber (SSPP) stymied opponents. “The midfield really took care of things. They locked them down,” McQuaid said. TC Shore also had Gunston’s Layla Kent and Grace Shepherd, who saw time up front, at midfield, and in the back. McQuaid, who was assisted by Missy Cannon and Julie Corson, had Sadie Latchaw (Kent Island), Ellen Napier (Kent Island) and Sadie Jacobs (SSPP) rotating at midfield and forward, and Jules Stepp (SSPP), Ryann Quicke (Easton) and Gabi Shepherd (Gunston) up front. That offensive group combined to outscore the opposition, 15-3, for the tournament. TC Shore punctuated its unbeaten run Sunday with a 2-1 victory over HTC of Connecticut. “We started probably three years ago with the core group and they stayed together through Disney tournaments and spring tournaments,” McQuaid said. “And basically they just trust each other. Their personalities get along on the field, off the field. It was just a joy to coach. They enjoy themselves on the field.”
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The plan for the Minnesota Vikings was to bring in Sam Darnold as the bridge between Kirk Cousins and J.J. McCarthy, confident his strong arm and starting experience would sufficiently run a high-caliber offense until the rookie was deemed ready to play. Darnold's performance to date has been much closer to superstar than mere stopgap. “He’s a baller," Vikings safety Harrison Smith said. "He can make stuff happen when he needs to. I know with the outside narrative on him and his path and everything, you might not think that, but ever since he got here, it felt like that was going to happen.” Having led the Vikings (10-2) to their fifth consecutive victory with the go-ahead touchdown pass against Arizona last week, one game after a stellar overtime drive to beat Chicago , Darnold has become one of the darlings of this NFL this season with his success in coach Kevin O'Connell's system after the third overall pick in the 2018 draft started his career in rather bleak fashion. His first year in Minnesota sure has been smoother than what Cousins has gone through in his debut with the Atlanta Falcons . Last week in a loss at home to the Los Angeles Chargers, Cousins matched his career high with four interceptions. “I don’t think anybody can put any more pressure on Kirk than he has for himself. He’s carried us through this season when we were figuring out a lot of things on defense,” Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “He’s just having a hard time right now. There’s nothing to say he can’t catch fire and light it up like he’s been doing.” The Falcons (6-6) take their three-game losing streak on the road to face the Vikings, with division races for both teams in full swing. The quarterback contrasts have made this matchup all the more intriguing, with Cousins coming back to the place where he spent the previous six seasons. Cousins has a $25 million salary cap hit this season, the 11th-highest among quarterbacks in the league. Even if the Falcons were to move on in 2026 and swallow the dead money for two more years with eighth overall pick Michael Penix Jr. waiting in the wings, Cousins will carry a $40 million charge in 2025. Darnold’s cap charge is $5 million this season, just 31st on the list. Though he will become a free agent in March, the Vikings structured his contract with void years to spread his cap hit into next season for another $5 million. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick, won't be ready until next year after having surgery to repair the meniscus he tore in his right knee in his first preseason game. Though Darnold has had a couple of clunkers this year, the Vikings still won those games and he's bounced back strong without letting interceptions linger into future decisions. "He’s kind of found a little balance, at least the last few weeks, of ‘When is it too risky?’ and ‘When can I take my shot at something?’” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. The Falcons have seen as much on tape. “I think he’s playing free,” Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates said. “It’s not a lot of complicated throws or anything that he’s doing. I just think that he’s finally able to feel comfortable in himself.” Acknowledging the moment Falcons coach Raheem Morris decided to address the significance of Cousins’ homecoming with the team, bracing for the type of crowd reaction that will only intensify the noise at U.S. Bank Stadium that's already daunting for opponents. Minnesota's defense has thrived this season at home, using the fans to enhance the effectiveness of a disguise-based, aggressive scheme that leads the league with 18 interceptions and has also been adept at rushing the passer and stuffing the run. “The environment they create up in Minnesota is absolutely outstanding,” Morris said. Cousins isn't the only key figure from the Falcons who's well-known to Vikings coaches. Morris was the defensive coordinator in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams when O'Connell was the offensive coordinator and Phillips was the tight ends coach on that Super Bowl champion team. Listen to your mother Vikings running back Aaron Jones has fumbled three times in the last two games, losing two of them, but he hasn't lost the confidence of coaches or teammates as evidenced by the pass called for his go-ahead touchdown catch against the Cardinals. Family is a strong support system for him, too, but sometimes that means tough love. His mother, Vurgess Jones, let him have it after the game when they talked about the turnovers. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to learn from it,'” Jones said. “She was like, ‘You didn’t learn last week?'” He has matched his career high in 2024 with five fumbles and three lost, a fact not lost on a Falcons defense that's aggressive with dislodging techniques despite only four recovered fumbles in 12 games. “You can see it all over the tape: Those guys are coaching it," Phillips said. Greenard is going strong Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, who was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month after racking up eight tackles for loss in November, carried his pass-rushing mojo into December with a couple of clutch plays in the final minute to preserve the victory over Arizona. Greenard has 10 of the team's 39 sacks. “How many times this year has he affected the quarterback, drawn a penalty, sacked the quarterback, strip-sacked like last week in these critical moments where you need your best players to go make those plays?” O'Connell said. “He’s done it time and time again.” Bijan is busy Falcons running back Bijan Robinson set a career high last week with 26 carries. He had 102 yards rushing and was again a significant part of the passing attack with six catches against the Chargers. “I just do whatever I can to help us as a team,” said Robinson, who’s fifth in the NFL with 1,277 combined yards from scrimmage. “I just trust whatever they have in the plan.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press
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22yo’s ‘sick act’ as 80yo bf in hospitalThe Australian government recently that . Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the legislation for putting — for protecting youth from online harms. Australia is to pass a nationwide ban of social media for teens, set to . But other measures have been enacted or considered here in Canada and elsewhere. In the United States, it will be to have social media accounts starting Jan. 1, 2025. Beginning in 2024, Québec began . This fall, with the start of the 2024–2025 academic year, also began . This follows a lawsuit filed by against social media companies for disrupting youth learning. Québec is reportedly — — that would limit social media use for teens under 16. Provincial governments recognize that social media and cellphones can be problematic for youth, and they’re not waiting on the federal government to take action. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced that the proposed , originally , will be . The idea is to pass the part of the to address , image-based sexual abuse, revenge porn and other forms of online sexual violence. Since the Online Harms Act is still being debated, MPs in Canada may look to other countries, like Australia, for guidance on protecting youth from these online harms. Youth and online harms Some people in Canada and see it as , including . This idea has received a lot of traction in public discourse too, including with the book that argues social media should be . Many of us may recall the stories of , and more recently who died by suicide after being cyberbullied and sextorted. Some studies have shown that social media use is related to . Bans or regulations raise important questions about how we, as a society, should respond to social media use among youth and deal with online harms. Challenges with bans We are a who study technology-facilitated sexual violence among youth aged 13–18 in Canada. We have conducted 26 focus groups with 149 youth from across the country, and launched a nationally representative survey of around 1,000 youth to learn about their experiences with online harms, what they know about the law and which resources work — and which ones don’t. show that youth experience a range of harms as they use digital platforms and social media. We also found that algorithms are fueling harms. Youth have emphasized they want tailored supports and resources to help them have safe, healthy and enjoyable experiences with technology. A full ban of social media is not realistic, in part because . Some ideas are to . Another idea is to for age verification. However a ban is implemented, it will almost certainly gather more user data, which raises questions about . These measures may also drive youth towards other platforms that are less regulated, such as on the dark web. This could actually make it harder to protect youth from online harms. . For example, abstinence-based interventions don’t work when it comes to . It is unlikely that an abstinence-based approach would work with . Furthermore, technology is increasingly integrated into our daily lives, and youth need to be taught about healthy and responsible online interactions. Youth are learning how to become . Kicking the problem down the road until they’re 16 or older will postpone the consequences, not solve them. This could . A ban also frees social media companies, governments from any accountability. Rather than meaningfully addressing the harmful content and their impacts, a ban removes any and all responsibility and whose job it is to protect youth. Holistic interventions Technology companies need to , rather than prioritizing their profits and putting child safety and health second. , and a ban does nothing to remove harmful content or resolve its negative impacts. Rather than bans, we suggest that emphasize digital citizenship and youth rights and responsibilities so people of all ages learn how to have safe and healthy interactions with technology. This requires a consolidated effort across various sectors of society, , and, importantly, both tech companies and government agencies. While there are about how to , we need to act now. Rather than resorting to blanket bans, we should prioritize comprehensive societal changes that address the root causes of these harms. By doing so, we can promote youth safety and help our communities confront online harms. To remove this article -Bolsonaro's coup indictment postponed by Brazil's top prosecutor, sources say
George R. R. Martin Isn't Sure He'll Ever Finish The Winds of Winter, 'but That's Still a Priority'Patrick Brown says there was pressure from India, but that foreign interference didn't change outcome of Conservative leadership raceFormer Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also resigned as vice-president of the animal welfare organisation, with both of them expressing their “sadness” over leaving the roles. It comes after an Animal Rising investigation made claims of cruelty at “RSPCA Assured” slaughterhouses in England and Scotland, with the campaign group sharing footage of alleged mistreatment. RSPCA Assured is a scheme whereby approved farms must comply with the organisation’s “stringent higher welfare standards”, according to its website. Mr Packham shared the news of his resignation on social media, saying: “It is with enormous sadness that I have resigned from my role as president of the RSPCA. “I would like to register my respect and admiration for all the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect animals from cruelty.” Ms Lucas said she and Mr Packham failed to get the charity’s leadership to act. She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “With huge sadness I’m resigning as VP of the RSPCA, a role I’ve held with pride for over 15 years. “But their Assured Schemes risk misleading the public & legitimising cruelty. “I tried with @ChrisGPackham to persuade the leadership to act but sadly failed.” In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent review of 200 farms on its assurance scheme which concluded the scheme was “operating effectively” to assure animal welfare on member farms. Following Animal Rising’s release of footage last week, the charity said it was “appalled” by what was shown, adding that it launched an immediate investigation and suspended three slaughterhouses from the scheme. In the wake of Mr Packham and Ms Lucas’ resignations, an RSPCA spokesperson said it is “simply not true” that the organisation has failed to take urgent action. They said: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals, but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare. “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as body-worn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2 million of investment.” The charity insisted that while 94% of people continue to choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it is the “right thing to do” to work with farmers to improve the lives of animals. “RSPCA Assured visit all farms on the scheme every year, but last year just 3% of farms were assessed for animal welfare by state bodies,” the spokesperson continued. “No-one else is doing this work. We are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.”