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Enterprise WLAN Market: Growing to $59.62B by 2031, 23.6% CAGRWASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service said Thursday that the agency is “reorganizing and reimagining” its culture and how it operates following an assassination attempt against Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Members of a bipartisan House task force investigating the attempt on Trump's life pushed Ronald Rowe on how the agency’s staffers could have missed such blatant security vulnerabilities leading up to the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At one point, the hearing devolved into a shouting match between Rowe and a Republican congressman. Rowe promised accountability for what he called the agency’s “abject failure” to secure the rally in Butler, where a gunman opened fire from a nearby building. Trump was wounded in the ear, one rallygoer was killed and two others were wounded. Another assassination attempt two months later contributed to the agency’s troubles. That gunman waited for hours for Trump to appear at his golf course in Florida, but a Secret Service agent thwarted the attack by spotting the firearm poking through bushes. The task force has been investigating both attempts, but it was the July shooting that dominated Thursday’s hearing. Its inquiry is one of a series of investigations and reports that have faulted the agency for planning and communications failures. The agency’s previous director resigned, and the Secret Service increased protections for Trump before the Republican won the November election. Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how problems so obvious in hindsight were allowed to happen. Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, said it was “just wild to me” that at a time of tech advances, the Secret Service was using text messages and emails to communicate in real time about threats. He also asked Rowe why so many things went wrong that day “yet nobody said anything.” Rowe said the agency used to have a culture where people felt comfortable speaking up. “I don’t know where we lost that,” he said. “We have to get back to that.” Rowe said the agency is putting a much stronger emphasis on training — something previous investigations found was lacking — and on doing more regular reviews of events to see what went right and where improvements can be made. “We are reorganizing and reimaging this organization," Rowe told lawmakers. He said the agency needs to identify possible leaders much earlier in their careers instead of just promoting people to command positions because they have been around a long time. The hearing was largely cordial, with members of Congress stressing the bipartisan nature of their work and praising Rowe for cooperating with their investigation even as they pushed him for explanations. But at one point, Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon, a Texas Republican, faced off — shouting over each other as other members pleaded for order. Fallon pulled out a photo of President Joe Biden, Trump and others at this year's Sept. 11 ceremony in New York and asked Rowe why he was at the event, suggesting it was to burnish his prospects at getting the director job permanently. Trump has not yet named his pick to lead the agency. “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11. Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe shouted. “You wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get!” Fallon later shot back. Rowe roared back: "You are out of line, Congressman. You are out of line!” “You're a bully,” Fallon said. This was the task force’s second public hearing and the first time that Rowe has addressed its members in public. The panel has until Dec. 13 to release its final report. Rep. Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican, said the agency’s conduct during the July shooting seemed almost “lackadaisical.” He said some of the issues that went wrong that day were ”really basic things.” “It speaks of an apathy or a complacency that is really unacceptable in an organization like the Secret Service,” Green said. The task force conducted 46 transcribed interviews, attended over a dozen briefings and reviewed over 20,000 documents. Members also visited the site of both assassination attempts and went to the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, to look at evidence. Rowe said Thursday that the agency's internal investigation , whose findings were released last month, identified failures by multiple employees. He noted that the quality of the advance work — the people who scope out event locations ahead of time — did not meet agency standards. He vowed accountability for those who fell down on the job. Many of the investigations have centered on why buildings near the rally with a clear line of sight to the stage where Trump was speaking were not secured in advance. The gunman, Thomas Crooks, climbed onto the roof of one of them and opened fire before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper. Rowe pointed to the failure to protect the building as the most glaring oversight that day. He also was asked about the morale of agents and new hires. Rowe said applications are actually up this year — the agency made a net gain of about 200 agents during the past fiscal year, meaning both new agents were hired and veteran agents retained. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Viant technology's CFO Larry Madden sells $278,695 in stockNATO seeks to position Kyiv for truce talks with arms plan shiftSAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — As bitcoin reached historic highs, surpassing $100,000 for the first tim e, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele was triumphant on Thursday about his big bet on the cryptocurrency. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — As bitcoin reached historic highs, surpassing $100,000 for the first tim e, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele was triumphant on Thursday about his big bet on the cryptocurrency. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — As bitcoin reached historic highs, surpassing $100,000 for the first tim e, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was triumphant on Thursday about his big bet on the cryptocurrency. The adoption of bitcoin — which has been legal tender in the Central American nation since 2021 — never quite matched the president’s enthusiasm, but the value of the government’s reported investment now stands at more than $600 million. Bitcoin has rallied mightily since Donald Trump’s election victory last month, exceeding the $100,000 mark on Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Just two years ago, bitcoin’s volatile value fell below $17,000. Bitcoin fell back below the $100,000 by Thursday afternoon, sitting just above $99,000 by 3 p.m. E.T. Bukele on Thursday blamed his beleaguered political opposition for causing many Salvadorans to miss out on the bonanza. There were street protests when the Congress made bitcoin legal tender in June 2021, though that move was not the only motivation for the protesters. The tiny Central American country has long used the dollar as currency, but Bukele promised bitcoin would provide new opportunities for El Salvador’s unbanked and cut out money transfer services from the remittances Salvadorans abroad send home. The government offered $30 in bitcoin to those who signed up for digital wallets. Many did so, but quickly cashed out the cryptocurrency. “It’s important to emphasize that not only did the opposition err resoundingly with bitcoin, but rather, differently from other issues (where they have also been wrong), this time their opposition affected many,” Bukele wrote on Facebook. Bukele drew an “impressive” comment from Elon Musk on the social media platform X Thursday. El Salvador’s former Central Bank President Carlos Acevedo pointed out on Thursday that while there has been a gain, it remains an unrealized one until the government’s bitcoin is sold. That said, he credited Bukele’s administration with doing well on the bitcoin move, especially in light of Trump’s election. Acevedo said “the markets’ optimism that a Trump administration will be friendly with the markets and particularly with bitcoin” explained its sustained rally over the past month. But the cryptocurrency’s volatility was a persistent risk, he said. “The average Salvadoran doesn’t use bitcoin, but obviously there are Salvadorans with economic resources who even before had already invested in bitcoin, but it is a small group,” Acevedo said. Esteban Escamilla, a worker in a clothing store in Santa Tecla, outside the capital San Salvador, said he had cashed out the original $30 of bitcoin offered in 2021. “I don’t use bitcoin because I don’t have (money) to invest and speculate with, but I know it has gone up a lot,” he said, recognizing that he would have more money now if he had kept it in bitcoin. Josefa Torres, 45, said as she was doing her grocery shopping that she didn’t have any bitcoin either. “I took out the money and used it for household expenses,” she said. At the conclusion of meetings between the International Monetary Fund and El Salvador’s government in August, the IMF issued a statement that mentioned the country’s bitcoin holdings. “While many of the risks have not yet materialized, there is joint recognition that further efforts are needed to enhance transparency and mitigate potential fiscal and financial stability risks from the Bitcoin project,” the IMf said. Advertisement
Nandkumar M. Kamat This article addresses global and national concerns over falling male sperm counts. Finally, all discourses on demographics, birth rate, population growth or decline, genetic fitness of human progeny, rising issues of infertility, the booming business of assisted reproduction, and male obsession over erectile dysfunction converge to only one important cell – the human sperms. Human semen with healthy sperm counts and healthy sperm is the key to the future of our species. However, under complex scenarios of climate change, air and water pollution, lifestyle, and dietary and nutritional changes, does human sperm have any future, or, as predicted by experts, does humanity face a sterile future? Nobody is talking about the rapid decline in male sperm counts. Over the last five decades, significant declines in male sperm counts have been reported worldwide, raising concerns about male infertility, chromosomal damage, and their implications for human reproduction. The emergence of micro-plastic detection in human semen has added a new dimension to the crisis, particularly in densely populated countries like India. These findings emphasise the urgent need to address environmental and lifestyle factors contributing to declining male fertility. A meta-analysis by Levine et al. (2017) revealed a 59.3% decline in total sperm count and a 52.4% decline in sperm concentration among men in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand between 1973 and 2011. The study analysed 185 studies with over 42,000 men, indicating an annual decline of 1.4% in sperm counts. An updated analysis by Levine et al. (2022) found that sperm counts are decreasing at an even faster pace globally, highlighting a potential reproductive crisis. India mirrors global trends with significant declines in sperm quality. Agarwal et al. (2015) reported that the average sperm concentration among Indian men dropped from 113 million/mL in the 1980s to 49 million/mL in the 2010s. Environmental pollution, pesticide use, stress, and urbanisation exacerbate the issue in India, where cultural and demographic dynamics depend heavily on fertility. The declining sperm count directly contributes to male infertility, with around 15% of couples worldwide experiencing infertility and male factors accounting for 20-30% of cases (WHO, 2020). Poor sperm quality, reduced motility, and abnormal morphology are key factors. Lower sperm counts and poor quality increase the risk of DNA fragmentation and chromosomal abnormalities, which can lead to miscarriages, congenital disabilities, and developmental disorders in offspring (Aitken et al., 2014). Fertility rates are falling globally, with India’s fertility rate dropping from 5.9 children per woman in 1951 to 2.0 in 2023 (United Nations, 2023). Declining sperm counts contribute significantly to this trend alongside socio-cultural factors like delayed marriages and contraception use. Recent research has uncovered micro-plastics in human semen, suggesting a new environmental threat to male fertility. Studies have identified micro-plastic particles in human tissues, including blood and reproductive fluids (Ragusa et al., 2021). Micro-plastics, often containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pose multiple risks. They can disrupt sperm production and function by inducing oxidative stress and inflammation, reducing sperm motility, and impairing DNA integrity. They are also carriers of EDCs such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which interfere with testosterone production and other hormonal pathways essential for spermatogenesis (Swan et al., 2021). Micro-plastics can cross the placental barrier, raising concerns about their impact on foetal development and inter-generational reproductive health. Prolonged exposure to micro-plastics has been associated with reduced sperm counts and abnormal morphology in animal studies, raising alarms about potential human impacts (Zhang et al., 2022). Beyond micro-plastics, other pollutants like pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial chemicals exacerbate sperm count declines. Studies in India have linked agricultural pesticide exposure to reduced sperm quality (Mathur et al., 2020). Obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentary behaviour contribute to lower sperm counts. Sermondade et al. (2013) found that obese men exhibited 20% lower sperm concentrations compared to those with healthy body weights. Prolonged exposure to heat from occupational hazards or lifestyle choices, such as laptops on laps, impairs sperm production. Chronic stress affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, reducing testosterone levels and impairing sperm production (Chen et al., 2016). Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly zinc, selenium, and antioxidants, are linked to poor sperm quality. Diets rich in processed foods and low in fresh produce exacerbate this issue. With age, sperm quality deteriorates. Studies show a significant reduction in motility and DNA integrity in men over 40 (Dain et al., 2011). Levine et al. (2022) project that if the decline in sperm counts continues at the current pace, median sperm counts could approach zero by 2050. This raises the alarming possibility of widespread male sterility within this century. India faces unique challenges. While fertility treatments and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can offer temporary solutions, they cannot fully offset the declining reproductive health of the population. Moreover, ART is inaccessible to all due to high costs and limited infrastructure. The economic burden of infertility treatments is rising, with psychological and societal repercussions for affected couples. Declining fertility rates may lead to an aging population and shrinking workforce, posing significant challenges to economic sustainability. The infiltration of micro-plastics and pollutants into human reproductive systems highlights the urgent need for environmental regulations to protect public health. Establishing longitudinal studies to monitor sperm quality trends and identify emerging threats like micro-plastics is essential. Enforcing strict controls on micro-plastic production and environmental pollution, particularly in urban and industrial areas, is vital. Public health campaigns should raise awareness about lifestyle choices that improve fertility, such as maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, and consuming a nutrient-rich diet. Expanding the availability and affordability of ART services, particularly in low-income and rural areas, is necessary. Encouraging the reduction of plastic use and promoting recycling initiatives can minimise environmental micro-plastic contamination. Without urgent interventions, the possibility of widespread male sterility within this century is a real threat. Addressing this issue requires collaborative efforts between governments, researchers, and individuals to protect reproductive health and ensure the sustainability of human populations. While scientific advances in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) offer temporary solutions, they remain inaccessible to many due to economic, geographic, and social barriers. A multifaceted response is essential. Governments must enforce stricter regulations on industrial pollution, including micro-plastic production and waste management. Scientific research should focus on understanding how environmental toxins affect male fertility and develop preventive measures. Healthcare systems should prioritise fertility screenings and early interventions for at-risk populations. Public awareness campaigns should promote healthier lifestyles, including balanced diets, reduced tobacco and alcohol consumption, regular exercise, and stress management. Moreover, international cooperation is crucial. Integrating reproductive health into public health policies and educational curricula can ensure widespread understanding and proactive responses. The potential for widespread male sterility and its societal consequences are too significant to ignore.By Conor Ryan After 14 seasons in the NHL ranks, Kevin Shattenkirk is hanging up his skates. Shattenkirk announced his retirement via social media on Tuesday evening, with the playmaking defenseman’s final stop in the pro ranks coming with the Bruins during the 2023-24 season. “After 14 amazing years in the National Hockey League, I have decided to retire,” Shattenkirk said in a statement on X . “I never knew hockey would take me this far. ... To the Boston Bruins, for valuing my qualities as a player and a leader in the locker room. Thank you to all of my great general managers and coaches for treating me with respect and teaching me some great life lessons along the way.” Brought in last year to add some veteran mettle to Boston’s blue line, the 35-year-old Shattenkirk appeared in 61 games with the Bruins last season — scoring six goals and adding 18 assists. Beyond his contributions from the back end, Shattenkirk’s postseason experience (91 playoff games, one Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020) came in handy during Boston’s first-round series against the Maple Leafs. Congratulations on a tremendous career, Shatty! Wishing you and your family all the best in this next chapter! pic.twitter.com/e16cxfbG8i Following Boston’s overtime triumph against Toronto in Game 7, several Bruins veterans credited Shattenkirk for inspiring the team ahead of an eventual 2-1 victory at TD Garden. “Shatty gave the group an incredible speech,” Brad Marchand said postgame . “That really allowed us to kind of settle down and understand where we were at and how we had to play and what we needed to believe to get the job done.” Shattenkirk already had plenty of familiarity in Boston ahead of signing with the Bruins in 2023. He played three seasons at Boston University, helping the Terriers win a national championship in 2009. NCAA champion Stanley Cup champion Olympian Terrier Congrats on an incredible career, Shatty! Proud to call you a Terrier. pic.twitter.com/7TT5xkvquv A first-round pick (No. 14 overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007, Shattenkirk concludes his NHL career with 103 goals and 484 total points over 952 career games. “I want to say one final thank you to all the fans who have supported me along the way,” Shattenkirk added in his social media post. “Your passion for hockey is what made me stepping onto the ice every night so much fun and playing in front of you was a privilege that I never took for granted.” Conor Ryan Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023. Sign up for Bruins updates🏒 Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during hockey season. Be civil. Be kind.
NoneBarbie Director’s Next Movie Starts Filming in Summer (and Is Wildly Different)It’s doubtful anyone in Liverpool ever walked into a dressing room saying: ‘We wanted Winston Churchill.’ No matter, they may have their own Dutch version of him anyway. Among his many qualities, Arne Slot evidently knows how to deliver a half-time rally cry. While securing victory in Girona to guarantee qualification to the Champions League round of 16, Liverpool continued their happy knack of improving with time. Twenty of the past 24 Liverpool goals have arrived in the second half – most after the 60th minute – which depending on your point of view means they are worryingly slow starters or love a big finish. Slot is unimpressed by this contradiction and issued rousing messages post-match too, criticising his players for their lack of application in a first half in which they were grateful goalkeeper Alisson marked his comeback with the kind of performance that underlined his status as the world’s number one. “If you ask me about all the six [Champions League] games, I’m really pleased with all the results,” said Slot. “I’m really pleased with the first five games, but I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight. “If you play against a team that has such a good idea about football and knows how to bring the ball out from the back like some of the teams we’ve played recently, such as Real Madrid and Manchester City, you need to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them. “But if you are waiting a few seconds to press them then this team can cause you a lot of problems. Every time we lost the ball, we were not aggressive enough and they could go almost all the way to our goal and have a shot.” This is not the first public dressing down from Slot to remind his players of standards. There are occasions – albeit rare – when this extraordinarily talented group of players looks like it wants to win in second gear. They are at their most thrillingly effective at their famed ‘full throttle’ without the ball as much as with it, and Slot does not want them to slack off. He must be tired of giving the same speech during the break. Whatever messages he and his coaching team are dispatching during the intervals, his team keeps re-emerging re-energised with tactical problems solved, the momentum of games more often than not irreversibly shifting towards the Champions League and Premier League leaders. Such attention to detail is becoming a feature of Slot’s debut campaign, like a grandmaster making the necessary adjustment having rapidly assessed where his opponent is trying to strike. After Alisson’s first-half brilliance, Mohamed Salah was the inevitable attacking catalyst for victory here, his 63rd-minute penalty ending Girona’s resistance to preserve Liverpool’s 100 per cent Champions League record. That followed a prolonged period of Liverpool possession which, while also a feature of the first half, had included several lapses where the home side could have benefited from counter-attacks. Such frequent surges were snuffed out as the game progressed. This still wasn’t as straightforward as previous European victories, the evening putting one in mind of a tight away fixture at an unfashionable English stadium more than an intimidating Uefa tie. That is not surprising given how many players familiar to Premier League football were in the home line-up. Slot’s decision to pick his strongest available XI and leave out the unlucky Caoimhin Kelleher was vindicated. Alisson was called upon five times in the first 50 minutes, his capacity to make the difficult look straightforward asserting his class. This excellence laid the foundation so when former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek fouled Luis Díaz, Mohamed Salah could take the points. Salah strikes again from the penalty spot! 💥 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) “We have an incredible goalkeeper. Alisson has been so important for so many years and showed why he is, in my opinion, one of the best or the best in the world,” said Slot. Liverpool could have led sooner but squandered numerous first-half chances. Darwin Núñez remains the great Liverpool enigma, the arguments still raging as to whether Slot’s side can maintain their dominance at home and in Europe without a free-scoring number nine. No Anfield striker has embraced the phrase ‘hit and miss’ so eagerly as Núñez, his moments of quality so often caveated because of his tendency to squander routine chances, albeit while converting the spectacular. In any normal season, a central striker scoring just three goals heading to Christmas would be a cause for concern. The issue has been camouflaged by the reliability of others, especially Salah who continues to press home his case for that new deal. Diogo Jota has more goals than Nunez in this campaign and he has not played for six weeks. Nothing has happened in Jota’s absence to suggest he will not assume senior status when he returns in the coming weeks. Núñez’s defenders will point out he is working harder than ever and still making the runs beyond defenders in the hope of a decisive pass. For much of the season, he has cut a frustrated figure when not receiving the necessary assists. This was more of the Núñez of last season as opportunities came and went, the Uruguayan embracing the hit-and-hope theory to shoot directly at keeper Paulo Gazzaniga after perfect through-balls from Ryan Gravenberch and Salah. Rather than pay the penalty for wastefulness and carelessness, Liverpool won with one. The fixer Slot is recognising and correcting flaws as Liverpool march on. 07:50 PM GMT Liverpool have won six out of six And top the group by five points from Inter. 07:40 PM GMT Mo’s half-century Mo Salah is the first player in Liverpool's history to score 5️⃣0️⃣ goals in European competitions 👑 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) 07:36 PM GMT Full time: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Salah plays a neat one-two with Szoboszlai, the latter’s contribution a cute flick, and then bends a left foot shot into a defender and behind for a corner, that comes to naught and prompts the ref to blow for time. 07:34 PM GMT 90+3 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Stuani is penalised for grabbing Gomez round the neck as they fought to head Asprilla’s cross. 07:33 PM GMT 90+2 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Frances jumps into the back of Gakpo with no hope of winning the ball. Having just been yellow-carded that was stupid. But the referee lets him off. 07:31 PM GMT 90 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Liverpool have hardly been mesmerising but they have been efficient, Alisson showed his class and they exploited a daft mistake form Van de Beek. We will have four minutes of stoppage time. 07:29 PM GMT 88 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Booking for Frances for wrestling Gakpo over as he tried to power past him. 07:28 PM GMT 86 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Alexander-Arnold bends the free-kick over the wall and Gazzaniga moves a yard to his right to tip it over. Then Gazzaniga starts going mad because there are now two balls on the pitch and makes out that Liverpool are timewasting by ignoring it and refusing to boot the interloper off. Girona defend the corner solidly. 07:26 PM GMT 84 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Elliott shimmies and gulls Juanpe who brings him down rather than let him go past. Free-kick 25 yards out, dead centre. Gazzaniga protested swearily that he couldn’t line up his wall because Alexander-Arnold would not place the ball. He was holding it in his arms. 07:24 PM GMT 82 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Shot from Martin after a cute lay-off from Stuani is blocked on the 18-yard line and then Van Dijk heads Asprilla’s resulting cross out. 07:22 PM GMT 80 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Liverpool are doing a fine containment job now. Taking off Gil and Danjuma has robbed Girona of pace. 07:21 PM GMT 78 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Salah floats a deep cross out. Booking for Gomez for standing on the veteran Stuani’s heel. His screams would make the dead shiver. 07:19 PM GMT 76 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Gakpo is playing down the left and Diaz in the middle. Elliott as a kind of inside-right. 07:18 PM GMT 74 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Van de Beek is penalised for a foul on his former Ajax team-mate Gravenberch. That’s the last contribution of Van de Beek who is hooked off along with another former Ajax man. More subs: Elliott → Jones and Solis → Van de Beek Martin → Blind 07:16 PM GMT 72 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Szoboszlai ‘wins’ a corner that should have been a goal-kick but the referee did not see the double rebound. Girona head it out to the right where Van de Beek is knocked off the ball much to his disgust and he protests when the referee waves play on. But Girona see off the second phase of Liverpool’s attack. 07:13 PM GMT 70 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Stuani → Gil Portu → Danjuma. Slot, who had Elliott and Gakpo stripped before the goal, opts for only the one change: Gakpo → Nunez. 07:09 PM GMT 67 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Diaz is fouled by Frances as he ran down the Liverpool left but the ref, inexplicably to these eyes, waves play on. Twenty of the last 23 Liverpool goals have come in the second half. Slot’s half-time team talks must be Churchillian. He certainly goes to the same barber, Chris. 07:08 PM GMT 65 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 1 Girona rally well from their disappointment twice to get in shooting distance without finding the guile or luck to beat Alisson. 07:03 PM GMT GOAL! Left corner about halfway up the post, having sent Gazzaniga the other way. Salah strikes again from the penalty spot! 💥 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) Not saying they took ages to review that penalty decision, but Salah could have signed two more contract extensions before the VAR finally advised the referee to take a look. 07:03 PM GMT Liverpool penalty Van de Beek throws up his arms. It was a daft decision to try to tackle him from that position. 07:02 PM GMT 59 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Diaz wants a penalty and there is a VAR check when he seems to slip in the box when shaping to shoot and Van de Beek steps on his heel with one foot and hooks the second around him. Lengthy delay. The ref is sent to the screen. 06:59 PM GMT 57 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Alexander-Arnold pings over a dipping cross from the right that seems to be arrowing towards Nunez but Krejci gets there first. Slot sends his subs out to warm up, Gakpo at their head. Can only be a matter of time before Cody Gakpo comes on. Reckon Nunez has ten minutes to make sure he isn’t the one hooked. 06:57 PM GMT 55 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Diaz is booked unjustly for slipping, his momentum taking him into Frances as he fell and clipping him at most. 06:55 PM GMT 53 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Nunez receives the ball, back-to-goal, on the right of the box after Diaz wriggles through on a diagonal run and hits a pass that Szoboszlai dummies. Nunez receives it and then tries to dink it over the centre-halves for Diaz, who had continued his run, but wafts it out for a goal-kick. 06:52 PM GMT 51 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Brilliant from Danjuma with his dribble down the left, bursting past Szoboszlai and then nutmegging Alexander-Arnold but when he goes one-on-one with Alisson, albeit at an angle, he pokes his foot too far under the ball and scoops it miles over the bar. From the sublime... 06:50 PM GMT 48 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Danjuma sprays a left-foot shot wide after Van de Beek won the ball off Jones, made 35 yarsd and then laid it off to Asprilla to tee up the former Everton loanee. 06:48 PM GMT 46 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 No half-time changes and Girona pile forward from the kick-off down the left after a Liverpool error and Danjuma thunders a shot that Alisson bats away with his raised forearms. Liverpool break from the rebound and fly up the right but Szoboszlai, who has not had much impact, shanks a cross/shot that falls between both stools. 06:43 PM GMT Inspired Girona Raring to go 🔥 A look inside the Girona's changing room moments before kick off 👀 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) 06:34 PM GMT Half-time verdict Plenty of chances in a game which has shaped up how one might have anticipated last weekend’s Mersey derby had it gone ahead, Girona sitting back and waiting for counter-attacks while Liverpool try to break a low block defence. Nunez should have had a couple, but Alisson has been the visitors’ best player. 06:33 PM GMT Half-time: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Very enjoyable first half in terms of competitive balance, much better than a lot of the unbalanced dreck we have seen in some games in this bloated phase. Liverpool are crying out for Jota’s return given the erratic nature of Nunez’s finishing. he could have had a couple of goals but then again So could Girona but for Alisson’s sharpness. 06:31 PM GMT 45 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Chance for Liverpool at the death when the left-wing cross from Robertson is back-headed by Nunez but it won’t come down quick enough for Salah who has to have a swing at it instead. The block ends the half, bang on 45 minutes. 06:29 PM GMT 44 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Danjuma breaks into a broad smile when Romeu wins the ball in midfield and triggers a counter and he uses Blind’s decoy run down the left to come infield and shoot... towards the corner flag. 06:28 PM GMT 42 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Gil hits the deck when brushed off by Diaz and earns a free-kick. May have been a foul but he hammed that dive up disgracefully. 06:26 PM GMT 40 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Alisson catches the corner. He’s had a proper workout on his comeback. 06:24 PM GMT 38 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Fine save from Alisson, diving to his left to stop Asprilla’s pile-driver with his left from the left of the D. Liverpool are not managing the space between defence and midfield well, Jones at fault that time for losing the ball. 06:23 PM GMT 36 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Alisson backpedals to catch the cross and then bowls the ball out to Salah who storms up the right and feeds Nunez with the kind of cross that John Toshack would have devoured. Nunez looks to lay it off instead and it goes away. Back come Liverpool and they work it back to the No9 who smashes his shot into a pair of white-socked shins. If Liverpool had a No9 with a killer instinct, they might win the quadruple. Nunez remains hit and miss and miss and miss... 06:20 PM GMT 34 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Girona corner on the left after Miguel’s whippy cross hit the first defender. Alisson swat the corner out but Girona win the second ball and push forward. Diaz goes to sleep and lets Frances lurk alone at the edge of the box and when the ball falls to him Gravenberch has to put it behind for another corner. 06:18 PM GMT 32 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Nunez’s very high and quick press puts Krejici under a bit of pressure and his clearance loops up off Nunez’s leg and swirls across the six-yard box. Gazzaniga catches it at full stretch. 06:16 PM GMT 30 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Girona are giving Liverpool a proper battle now. I feared for them after 10 minutes. 06:15 PM GMT 28 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Alisson comes out of the area to the edge of the D to stop Alexander-Arnold’s softish header being stolen by Danjuma. Earlier Gazzaniga diddled Nunez in his own six-yard box with a drag-back and pass. Had it not come off, Nunez would have had an open goal. Cojones. 06:13 PM GMT 26 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Diaz scoots up the byline from the left with dazzling feet. He is pursued by Frances who cannot catch him but Juanpe gets over to effect a jammy double rebound that stops it going for a corner and gives Girona a goal-kick instead. After a submissive start, Girona are growing in confidence, although suspect a couple of their chances would have been ruled out for offside had they taken them. Left back Miguel Gutiérrez looks decent. One to watch. 06:10 PM GMT 24 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Good defending at the subsequent corner should have triggered another raiding party from Girona but Asprilla messes up the release pass, Liverpool intercept and send Salah down the line to whip a cross in that Nunez cannot turn in under heavy pressure from Juanpe. 06:08 PM GMT 22 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Liverpool with a short one-two at the corner to change the angle for Alexander-Arnold who whips a cross through the six-yard box from a spot about parallel with the 18-yard line. Miguel heads it behind for a corner. 06:06 PM GMT 20 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Liverpool corner earned by the underlapping Robertson. Impressive how Girona have managed their tempo and clicked into rapid counters when given the chance. 06:05 PM GMT 18 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Girona have been troubling Liverpool in the inside-left channel and Miguel is flourishing there, striding between Gomez and Alexander-Arnold to blast a shot on goal. Alisoon slaps it away with one hand and Gil blazes over having trapped the ball nicely to set up a left-foot shot from 18 yards. 06:02 PM GMT 16 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Gil’s tenacity after running on to a pass from Asprilla gets him up off the floor having slipped 18 yards out to stab a shot into teh scrambling and horizontal Alisson’s chest. 06:00 PM GMT 14 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Liverpool break like lightning themselves from Alisson’s throw and Salah bombs down the right, two v two but opts for the shot rather than playing in Nunez who was peeling towards the far post, but slices it wide. 05:59 PM GMT 12 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 But now Girona do break and fly into the counter-attack with Miguel down the left after exchanging passes with Danjuma and beating Alexander-Arnold’s attempt to catch him offside. He fizzes a left-foot cross that Blind swings and misses at in the centre and then Gil mis-hits his shot, scuffing it and Alisson grabs it at the second attempt. 05:57 PM GMT 10 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 It’s all Liverpool who are encamped 40 yards out and Girona simply can’t hold on to the ball when they win it back, so snappy is Liverpool’s press. Joe Gomez’s shot to goal ratio in his Liverpool career is probably 100 to 0. He’s getting closer though... 05:54 PM GMT 8 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Darwin Nunez has a very good opportunity down the inside left of the box when played in by Gravenberch but he puts his laces through it, opting for sheer power rather than placement, and fires it straight at Gazzaniga. 05:52 PM GMT 7 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Blind hooks a pass up the left for Miguel to chase but he loses control by the touchline and though he claims a throw-in, he had the last touch. 05:50 PM GMT 5 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 A delay while Blind is told not to manhandle Gravenberch and/or block Van Dijk. Then Robertson whips the corner to the near post. Gomez gets on his pogo stick to meet it with a towering header that Gazzaniga bats over. From the second corner Gazzaniga runs through the six-yard box to slap it away, not entirely convincingly. 05:48 PM GMT 3 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Miguel Gutierrez makes a mess of his attempt to play out from the back and concedes a corner on the right to Liverpool. 05:48 PM GMT 2 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Gravenberch looks for Nunez with a long, aerial pass down the inside-left that floats down Gazzaniga’s throat. 05:47 PM GMT 1 min: Girona 0 Liverpool 0 Apologies – it’s not checks. It’s some kind of pattern I cannot name. Liverpool kick off and give Alisson an immediate touch and the returning keeper chips it long up the left. Girona give it straight back and Liverpool sweep the ball across defence then across midfield, Alexander-Arnold joining both lines. 05:44 PM GMT Out come the teams Girona are wearing their home kit of red and white checks, Liverpool in what the club, I kid you not, says is ‘Night Forest green and Anthracite with flashes of Washed Teal and Sail’ 05:35 PM GMT Arne Slot speaks to TNT Sports It feels really good to have Alisson back, firstly for him but also for us. We didn’t want to take any risk with him but we believe he’s absolutely ready. They have all these flags here so it’s a special occasion for Girona. It’s always a special occasion when Liverpool come. Our players are so experienced, they’ve played in so many different environments, so many stadiums. They know what it’s like to play Champions League. Some of them have won it, some have been in finals, some have been at the club when they haven’t qualified. The stadium is not so big but the style of play of Girona is something to be aware of. 05:20 PM GMT Small ground, big wages Girona’s owners have clearly invested more on players’ salaries than the infrastructure of their stadium. This is comfortably the smallest Champions League venue I can remember watching Liverpool play in. Around 10,000 fans expected this evening as some of the temporary stands are closed. Liverpool were allocated about 500 tickets. 05:12 PM GMT Girona’s tactic Michel generally prefers 4-2-3-1 so I presume Miguel will play alongside Romeu in the central two with Van de Beek in the 10 role and the three ostensibly wide forwards, Gil, Asprilla and Danjuma rotating or leaving Danjuma to play through the middle mainly. Danjuma scored two goals in the opening two games of the season starting as a central striker for Villarreal this season before being sent out on loan for the third season in succession. 04:58 PM GMT Looks familiar Girona resemble an ex-Premier League journeyman XI. Donny van de Beek probably has the most to prove as you can be sure many viewers will be watching the coverage tonight and asking: ‘Didn’t he used to play for Manchester United?’ To which the right answers will, of course, be ‘yes’ and ‘well, sort of’. 04:56 PM GMT And now for those of you watching in black and white... Gazzaniga; Frances, Juanpe, Krejci, Blind, Miguel; Van de Beek, Romeu; Asprilla, Gil, Danjuma. Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez. Benoit Bastien (France). 04:46 PM GMT Girona’s team news LINE-UP! ❤️🤍 — Girona FC (@GironaFC_Engl) 04:43 PM GMT Kelleher’s misfortune Is Caoimhin Kelleher the unluckiest keeper in the world? The Irish No 1 has been outstanding since deputising for Allison – the late equaliser for Newcastle in his last match his only blemish. But it’s back to deputising for the Brazilian. It speaks volumes for Kelleher that Arne Slot has had no need to rush Alisson back. Slot has picked a strong line-up, which is no doubt a response to last weekend’s derby cancellation. Win tonight and Liverpool are sure of being in the knockout stages. 04:37 PM GMT Liverpool team news Alisson returns: How we line up to take on Girona 💫🟢 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) 03:29 PM GMT Betting on the match today? Take a look at for free bets and betting offers 03:26 PM GMT Preview: Liverpool eye six in a row Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the Champions League match between Girona and Liverpool from Estadi Montilivi. This match is the sixth round of bloated group-stage fixtures and features the teams who were third in their national leagues last season but their fortunes so far could scarcely be more contrasting: Liverpool, who have won five out of five, sit top of the 36-team group and have already qualified for the knockout stage following victories over Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid; Girona are 30th with one won – over Slovan Bratislava – and defeats by Paris Saint-Germain, Feyenoord, PSV and Sturm Graz. The Catalans are ninth in La Liga and it’s not hard to see why they have struggled compared with last year. One should note that historically, they are punching well above their weight even if their profile and clout have been transformed since the City Football Group’s takeover in 2017. But the driving forces of last year’s standout season – Artem Dovbyk, who scored 24 goals, Savinho, who bagged 11 and Aleix García, their ‘Rodri’ – have all been sold and their replacements, the returning Oriol Romeu, Bryan Gil and Abel Ruiz, are yet to click. Their squad is rammed with familiar names from England’s top two tiers – Daley Blind, Donny van de Beek, Paulo Gazzaniga, Arnaut Danjuna, Christhian Stuani, Romeu, Gil and Yáser Asprilla – and Michel is such a terrific coach it is not inconceivable that he could succeed Pep Guardiola if they are willing to hire on reputation rather than name. Victory for Liverpool, who play Lille and PSV in their final two matches after Christmas, would put them one point away from an automatic bye into the last 16 which will save them two matches as they plot their charge for a Premier League and European double. Alisson is available again after 66 days out but the loss of Ibrahima Konaté‘s aerial power is not easily covered and ought to be something to consider in the January window. Yes, they are flying but the squad still looks thin to me with Konstantinos Tsimikas, Conor Bradley, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa – as cursed as Arthur a couple of years ago – continuing to recover from injuries and Alexis Mac Allister suspended.
The committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football’s national title was only worried about one thing — ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the College Football Playoff bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings — there are some big gaps, for instance, between where a team is seeded and where it’s ranked — and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. “I think the process to rank the best 25 teams is a great process,” said selection committee chairman Warde Manuel. “I’ve heard debates and discussions about how the seeding of the tournament should go. I will leave that up to the commissioners.” Among the choices the commissioners made months ago that set the template for the bracket released Sunday: There was also the issue of the 12-team bracket, which could very well be expanded in the next year or two. All those choices led to a field full of possibilities, but also one containing head-scratching matchups. The choices could, in some eyes, undermine the College Football Playoff’s main mission, which is ( making more money while) providing more “access” — in other words, a fair shake to more than four deserving teams. For instance, top-seeded and undefeated Oregon could play its first game against Big Ten foe Ohio State, which was ranked No. 2 for much of the season and lost to the Ducks by a point earlier this year. And Boise State, from the non-power Mountain West Conference, is the third seed, even though the committee ranked the Broncos ninth. Here is how things might have looked if certain rules that could come into play in the future were already in place: Conference champions First things first — there’s not a single tweak that would’ve placed Oregon at anything other than the No. 1 seed. The Ducks are the only undefeated team in major college football and winning a title this year would leave them a jaw-dropping 16-0. Had the rules called for simply slotting in the top 12 teams, though, Alabama would be in the bracket and Oregon’s path would be wildly different. A look at the coulda-been matchups: The third and fourth byes would have gone to Texas and Penn State, both losers in their conference title Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Library Book Sale continues through SaturdayMumbai: The University of Mumbai on Sunday conducted the rescheduled PET and LLM entrance exams for students who were affected by technical glitches at the Surekha Infotech centre in Dombivli on November 17th. As many as 1,071 registered students had suffered due to the technical glitches at the Dombivli centres out of them, 824 candidates appeared for the retests, while 247 students were absent for the examination that has been marred by delays and technical glitches. On November 17, the university had conducted the PhD Entrance Test (PET) and LLM Entrance Exam at 21 different centres. The exams on last Sunday, in which 3,462 students had appeared out of a total of 5,028 registered candidates, were held after the university had delayed the examinations which were originally scheduled for November 10, citing clash with the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF) CO/PO exams which were scheduled for November 7 to 14. It is worth noting that this year’s entrance exams to PET and LLM courses were already delayed as MU announced the dates of the entrance exams almost after five months of the academic year start, leaving many candidates in distress. The rescheduled exams on Sunday were conducted at alternative centres — Father C. Rodrigues Institute of Technology in Vashi and Shah and Anchor Engineering College in Chembur — and the university said it took necessary measures to provide a conducive environment for the students. “To maintain strict supervision and prevent any further disruptions, the university deployed a dedicated team of examiners at both centres,” the University said. Dr. Pooja Raundal, Director of the Examination and Evaluation Board, confirmed the smooth conduct of the exams. “I commended the university's efforts in addressing the technical issues and ensuring a fair and efficient exam process for all the students,” she said. Some candidates, however, expressed anxiety due to the “delays” in the conduct of the entrance examinations. “The academic session was supposed to commence in November, but due to delays and this technical glitch, now the entrance exams have only finally concluded in November. I don’t know when the results will be declared, there is no clarity on that. Are the sessions for the 2024 batch students going to commence in 2025 now,” asked a candidate. As candidates eagerly await for the results of these exams eagerly, they hope for the university to release the official notification regarding the declaration of results in the coming days.
The Sydney business turning Fiji’s beach litter into power polesCam Carter put LSU ahead for good with a jumper 1:08 into the third overtime and the Tigers came away with a wild 109-102 win over UCF on Sunday in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Carter's make sparked a 5-0 spurt for LSU (5-1), which mounted a ferocious second-half rally that began after Darius Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to put the Knights up 52-34 with 12:57 to play in regulation. UCF (4-2) got back within two in the third overtime, but it never found a way to draw even. Vyctorius Miller and Jordan Sears sealed the victory, combining for three buckets down low that gave the Tigers a 106-99 cushion with 17 seconds remaining. Carter was the late-game hero for LSU, scoring the final four points of regulation to forge a 70-70 tie. He also knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first extra session to give the Tigers a 76-75 advantage. Sears gave LSU a four-point edge with a triple of his own with 2:10 to go, but the Tigers failed to stay in front, and UCF's Keyshawn Hall kept the game going by sinking two free throws with six seconds remaining to make it 82-82. Neither team led by more than three in the second overtime, with Hall again coming to the Knights' rescue. He made two layups in the final 52 seconds of the frame to knot things at 93 and send the teams to a third OT. Few could have predicted 15 minutes of extra basketball after UCF put together a 25-3 first-half run that lifted it to a 38-18 advantage with 2:12 left until the break. LSU responded with seven unanswered points, but the Knights still led comfortably, 40-25, at intermission. Sears finished with a game-high-tying 25 points to go along with nine boards, while Jalen Reed recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Tigers. Carter netted 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey chipped in 14. Johnson collected 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals for UCF. Hall totaled 21 points and 10 boards, and Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 20 points. LSU outshot UCF 43.2 percent to 40.7 percent and had narrow advantages from behind the arc (12 made shots to 10) and the free-throw line (21-18). --Field Level Media
A false AI-powered headline indicating accused murderer Luigi Mangione had committed suicide is causing a row overseas. According to the BBC, Apple Intelligence, which launched in the U.K. on Wednesday , produced a misleading tease to a story that “made it appear BBC News had published an article claiming Luigi Mangione, the man arrested following the murder of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson in New York, had shot himself.” The headline appeared in a news summary blasted to iPhones across Great Britain. The BBC responded by sending a complaint to Apple asking the tech giant to “fix the problem.” “BBC News is the most trusted news media in the world,” a spokesperson said. “It is essential to us that our audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications.” Apple reportedly declined to comment. As the BBC notes, Mangione has not killed himself. He was arrested Monday in Pennsylvania , which is where he remains while awaiting extradition to New York. He’s being held in a jail cell by himself but is not under suicide watch , according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. There have been no reports of self-harm nor any violence toward prison staff. According to the BBC, the outlet is not the only news site to be the victim of misrepresentation at the hands of Apple AI. Late last month, the company’s technology also appeared to flub a notification for a New York Times story about an arrest warrant being issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The summary headline read: “Netanyahu arrested.” Apple AI notification summaries continue to be so so so bad — Ken Schwencke (@schwanksta.com) 2024-11-21T19:22:27.650Z The Israeli leader is not under arrest . A screenshot of the headline seeming to indicate otherwise was posted to social media by a ProPublica editor.Portfolio Change: One Stock To Buy, November 22Get TECNO’s latest AI-powered PHANTOM V Flip 2 5G on its first sale for only P27,999Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia
Public Urged to Use Encryption for Mobile Phone Messaging and CallsWEST JORDAN, Utah, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings, Inc. (“Sportsman's Warehouse” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SPWH) today announced third quarter financial results for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended November 2, 2024. “Despite a pressured consumer and complex macroeconomic environment, we focused our efforts on driving sales and achieved growth in our fishing, camping and gift bar categories during the quarter,” said Paul Stone, Sportsman’s Warehouse President and Chief Executive Officer. “We continue to make progress on our business reset initiatives with a focus on improved in-stocks, in-store and online customer experience and our Great Gear | Great Service program.” “To improve our holiday relevancy and drive traffic during the season, we introduced an omni-channel marketing campaign highlighting gear perfect for gifting or for treating yourself, primarily centered around value,” continued Stone. “This is a new approach to engaging our customers, which we coupled with an upgraded store experience creating a fully integrated customer experience. As we move through the balance of the holiday season and navigate a pressured consumer environment, we’ll continue to prioritize traffic-driving marketing and product pricing initiatives, exceptional customer service and prudent inventory management. Emphasizing the balance sheet and ending the year with positive free cash flow remain our primary objectives.” For the thirteen weeks ended November 2, 2024: Net sales were $324.3 million, a decrease of 4.8%, compared to $340.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. The net sales decrease was primarily due to the continued impact of consumer inflationary pressures on discretionary spending, resulting in a decline in store traffic and lower demand across most product categories, particularly in ammunition, apparel and footwear. This decrease, however, was partially offset by year-over-year sales growth in our fishing, camping and optics and accessories departments. Same store sales decreased 5.7% during the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, compared to the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, primarily as a result of the impact of consumer inflationary pressures and recessionary concerns on discretionary spending. Gross profit was $103.1 million, or 31.8% of net sales, compared to $103.2 million or 30.3% of net sales in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. This 150 basis-point increase, as a percentage of net sales, was primarily driven by improved product margins in our apparel and footwear departments, partially offset by increased freight and shrink. Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $100.0 million, or 30.8% of net sales, compared to $100.1 million, or 29.4% of net sales in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. Net loss was $(0.4) million, compared to a net loss of $(1.3) million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. Adjusted net income was $1.4 million, compared to adjusted net loss of $(0.2) million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 (see “GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures”). Adjusted EBITDA was $16.4 million, compared to $16.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 (see "GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures"). Diluted loss per share was $(0.01), compared to diluted loss per share of $(0.04) in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $0.04, compared to adjusted diluted loss per share of $(0.01) for the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 (see "GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures"). For the thirty-nine weeks ended November 2, 2024: Net sales were $857.2 million, a decrease of 6.6%, compared to $917.6 million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023. This net sales decrease was primarily driven by lower demand across most product categories due to current consumer inflationary pressures on discretionary spending. This decrease was partially offset by same store sales growth in our fishing department and the opening of 1 new store since October 28, 2023. Stores that have been open for less than 12 months and were not included in our same store sales, contributed $30.8 million to net sales. Same store sales decreased 9.4% compared to the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, primarily as a result of the same factors noted above that impacted net sales. Gross profit was $266.9 million or 31.1% of net sales, compared to $284.0 million or 31.0% of net sales for the first nine months of fiscal year 2023. This increase, as a percentage of net sales, was primarily due to higher overall product margins, versus last years apparel and footwear clearance events which put pressure on our gross margin, partially offset by increased shrink. SG&A expenses decreased to $288.7 million or 33.6% of net sales, compared with $301.5 million or 32.9% of net sales for the first nine months of fiscal year 2023. This absolute dollar decrease primarily related to our ongoing cost reduction efforts and decision to not open new stores during fiscal year 2024, partially offset by increases in rent and depreciation expenses. The increase as a percentage of net sales was largely due to lower net sales. Net loss was $(24.3) million, compared to net loss of $(20.3) million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023. Adjusted net loss was $(21.7) million, compared to adjusted net loss of $(16.6) million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 (see “GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures”). Adjusted EBITDA was $15.1 million, compared to $19.3 million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 (see "GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures"). Diluted loss per share was $(0.65), compared to diluted loss per share of $(0.54) in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023. Adjusted diluted loss per share was $(0.58), compared to adjusted diluted loss per share of $(0.44) in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 (see "GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures"). Balance sheet and capital allocation highlights as of November 2, 2024: The Company ended the third quarter with net debt of $151.3 million, comprised of $130.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the Company’s revolving credit facility, $24.0 million of net borrowings outstanding under the Company’s term loan facility, and $2.7 million of cash and cash equivalents. Inventory at the end of the third quarter was $438.1 million. Total liquidity was $150.8 million as of the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, comprised of $148.1 million of availability under the Company’s revolving credit facility and term loan facility and $2.7 million of cash and cash equivalents. Company Outlook: “Given the current consumer environment and the shift towards value and promotion-driven shopping, we intensified our marketing and advertising campaigns to drive sales, which placed additional pressure on our margins this quarter,” said Jeff White, Chief Financial Officer of Sportsman’s Warehouse “To ensure strong core product in-stocks and to bring fresh offerings to our stores, we made strategic inventory investments aimed at improving sales during the hunting and holiday seasons. As we progress through the remainder of the year, we will remain disciplined in managing our expenses, and will reduce total inventory levels to generate positive free cash flow. Our mid and long-term objectives will be centered on improving our topline with a focus on margins and profitability.” The Company is adjusting its guidance for fiscal year 2024 and expects net sales to be in the range of $1.18 billion to $1.20 billion, adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $23 million to $29 million and total inventory to be below $350 million. The low end of the adjusted EBITDA range still assumes positive free cash flow for the full year. The Company now expects capital expenditures for 2024 to be in the range of $17 million to $20 million, primarily consisting of technology investments relating to merchandising and store productivity. No new store openings for the remainder of fiscal year 2024 are currently anticipated and we plan to open one new store in fiscal year 2025. The Company has not reconciled expected adjusted EBITDA for fiscal year 2024 to GAAP net income because the Company does not provide guidance for net (loss) income and is not able to provide a reconciliation to net (loss) income without unreasonable effort. The Company is not able to estimate net (loss) income on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable efforts due to the variability and complexity with respect to the charges excluded from Adjusted EBITDA, including stock-based compensation expense. Conference Call Information A conference call to discuss third quarter 2024 financial results is scheduled for December 10, 2024, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The conference call will be held via webcast and may be accessed via the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.sportsmans.com. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release includes the following financial measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and that are not calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”): adjusted net (loss) income, adjusted diluted (loss) earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA. The Company defines adjusted net (loss) income as net (loss) income plus expenses incurred relating to director and officer transition costs, costs related to the implementation of our cost reduction plan, costs related to legal settlements and related fees and expenses, and fees and expenses related to a settlement in the cancellation of a contract related to our information technology systems. Net (loss) income is the most comparable GAAP financial measure to adjusted net (loss) income. The Company defines adjusted diluted (loss) earnings per share as adjusted net (loss) income divided by diluted weighted average shares outstanding. Diluted (loss) earnings per share is the most comparable GAAP financial measure to adjusted diluted (loss) earnings per share. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net (loss) income plus interest expense, income tax (benefit) expense, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, director and officer transition costs, costs related to the implementation of our cost reduction plan, a legal settlement and related fees and expenses, and fees and expenses related to a settlement in the cancellation of a contract related to our information technology systems. Net (loss) income is the most comparable GAAP financial measure to adjusted EBITDA. The Company has reconciled these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures under “GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in this release. As noted above, the Company has not provided a reconciliation of fiscal year 2024 guidance for Adjusted EBITDA, in reliance on the unreasonable efforts exception provided under Item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures not only provide its management with comparable financial data for internal financial analysis but also provide meaningful supplemental information to investors and are frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in the Company’s industry. Specifically, these non-GAAP financial measures allow investors to better understand the performance of the Company’s business and facilitate a more meaningful comparison of its diluted (loss) earnings per share and actual results on a period-over-period basis. The Company has provided this information as a means to evaluate the results of its ongoing operations. Management uses this information as additional measurement tools for purposes of business decision-making, including evaluating store performance, developing budgets and managing expenditures. Other companies in the Company’s industry may calculate these items differently than the Company does. Each of these measures is not a measure of performance under GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and investors should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP. The Company’s management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures allow investors to evaluate the Company’s operating performance and compare its results of operations from period to period on a consistent basis by excluding items that management does not believe are indicative of the Company’s core operating performance. The presentation of such measures, which may include adjustments to exclude unusual or non-recurring items, should not be construed as an inference that the Company’s future results, cash flows or leverage will be unaffected by other unusual or non-recurring items. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our progress on our business reset initiatives; our prioritization of traffic-driving marketing and product pricing initiatives, exceptional customer service and prudent inventory management; our emphasis on the balance sheet and ending the year with positive free cash flow; our ability to manage expenses, reduce total inventory levels to generate positive free cash flow; and our guidance for net sales and Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal year 2024. Investors can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “can have,” “could,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar terms and phrases. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and our management’s beliefs and assumptions. We derive many of our forward-looking statements from our own operating budgets and forecasts, which are based upon many detailed assumptions. While we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, we caution that predicting the impact of known factors is very difficult, and we cannot anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results. The Company cannot assure investors that future developments affecting the Company will be those that it has anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to many factors including, but not limited to: current and future government regulations, in particular regulations relating to the sale of firearms and ammunition, which may impact the supply and demand for the Company’s products and ability to conduct its business; the Company’s retail-based business model which is impacted by general economic and market conditions and economic, market and financial uncertainties that may cause a decline in consumer spending; the Company’s concentration of stores in the Western United States which makes the Company susceptible to adverse conditions in this region, and could affect the Company’s sales and cause the Company’s operating results to suffer; the highly fragmented and competitive industry in which the Company operates and the potential for increased competition; changes in consumer demands, including regional preferences, which we may not be able to identify and respond to in a timely manner; the Company’s entrance into new markets or operations in existing markets, including the Company’s plans to open additional stores in future periods, which may not be successful; the Company’s implementation of a plan to reduce expenses in response to adverse macroeconomic conditions, including an increased focus on financial discipline and rigor throughout the Company’s organization; impact of general macroeconomic conditions, such as labor shortages, inflation, elevated interest rates, economic slowdowns, and recessions or market corrections; and other factors that are set forth in the Company's filings with the SEC, including under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on April 4, 2024, and the Company’s other public filings made with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the Company’s assumptions prove incorrect, the Company’s actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this release speaks only as of the date on which the Company makes it. Factors or events that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. About Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings, Inc. Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings, Inc. is an outdoor specialty retailer focused on meeting the needs of the seasoned outdoor veteran, the first-time participant, and everyone in between. We provide outstanding gear and exceptional service to inspire outdoor memories. For press releases and certain additional information about the Company, visit the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.sportsmans.com. Investor Contact: Riley Timmer Vice President, Investor Relations Sportsman’s Warehouse (801) 304-2816 investors@sportsmans.com