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Reigning champion Kansas City edged Carolina and Detroit ripped Indianapolis on Sunday to reach an NFL-best 10-1 while Dallas shocked arch-rival Washington to snap a five-game losing streak. Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns and Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal on the final play to lift Kansas City over the host Panthers 30-27. Chuba Hubbard's 1-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion run had put Carolina level with 1:46 remaining, setting the stage for the Chiefs' seven-play, 57-yard march to set up the winning kick. Joining the Chiefs with a 10th triumph to keep a conference lead was Detroit, with Jahmyr Gibbs rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns and David Montgomery running for another score in the Lions' 24-6 triumph at Indianapolis. A wild finish with 38 points in the last 5:16 marked the Dallas Cowboys' 34-26 victory at Washington, where the Commanders appeared to have lost, then made an amazing comeback only to fall in the end. Cooper Rush's second touchdown pass, a 22-yarder to Luke Schoonmaker with 5:16 remaining, gave Dallas a 20-9 edge, but Jayden Daniels threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz and ran for a 2-point conversion to pull Washington within 20-17. KaVontae Turpin answered with a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown on the ensuing play, but again the Commanders responded as Austin Seibert kicked a 51-yard field goal and Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds remaining. Seibert, however, shockingly missed the conversion kick to keep Dallas ahead 27-26 and the Cowboys added a Juanyeh Thomas 43-yard kickoff return touchdown on the next play to seal victory. At Miami, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns to spark the Miami Dolphins over New England 34-15. At Chicago, Minnesota's John Parker Romo kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2:10 remaining in overtime to lift the Vikings over the host Bears 30-27. Sam Darnold threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns as the Vikings improved to 9-2. At Houston, Chig Okonkwo caught a 70-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from Will Levis in the fourth quarter as Tennessee upset the host Texans 32-27. Levis threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns and Tony Pollard ran for 119 yards and a touchdown as the Titans reached 3-8 and Houston fell to 7-5. Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield threw for 294 yards to spark the Buccaneers over the host New York Giants 30-7. js/sev
Is the political and cultural tide turning? We certainly hope so, especially if it means bringing back sanity with regards to law enforcement and public safety. For years -- in the name of 'equity' and 'criminal justice reform' -- Lefties have let violent criminals with looooong records out of prison again and again. This turnstile brand of justice leads to more crime, more innocent victims, and a decline in quality of life because businesses leave, people move, and cities are left to the whims of criminals. Many times, those criminals are also mentally ill. That's not an excuse for their behavior, but it's another reason why government has an obligation -- one it's failed to fulfill -- to protect innocent citizens. But people are getting fed up and a lot of the country shifted to the Right this last election because of the Left's soft-on-crime policies. For all his faults, New York Mayor Eric Adams seems to finally be reading the political winds: Mayor Adams calls for the 'involuntary removal' of people who are 'a danger to others' on the streets https://t.co/1KHdwv6lEs More from Fox News: New York City Mayor Eric Adams stood by his calls for the involuntary commitment of mentally ill homeless people on CNN Thursday. "The Situation Room" host Wolf Blitzer asked Adams about a recent deadly stabbing in his city that killed three people. Adams said the news "shattered [his] heart" and was even more frustrated after learning the suspect was Ramon Rivera, a homeless man with a history of mental health issues and prior arrests. In response, Adams told Blitzer that he had called for efforts to perform the "involuntary removal" of homeless people with severe mental health illnesses. Reports show that a majority of crime in NYC is committed by a few hundred repeat offenders. This notion we can't take them off the streets is, and always has been, ludicrous. This revolving-door 'justice' also caused the deaths of three New Yorkers at the hands of one of those dangerous people (as Adams mentioned above). You mean like enforcing laws passed allowing involuntary removal for breaking laws? Novel idea😂 All we ask is for government to enforce the laws. Regardless of the racial background of the offenders. He’s going full MAGA! Will Trump pardon him? He's in some serious legal trouble, so maybe he's angling for a pardon. Or maybe he's fed up with the Democrats who threw him under the bus (this writer contends if he wasn't a vocal critic of the Biden-Harris immigration policy, he wouldn't be facing those criminal charges). I'm convinced Mayor Adams has been popping a couple of red pills on the side 😂 So are we. I think it’s about time Mayor Adams finally acknowledged the dangers on our streets, but let’s not ignore the fact that it took far too long to get here. For years, New Yorkers have been living in fear, dealing with rising crime, lawlessness, and streets overtaken by those who... People shouldn't have to live in fear because their government fails to jail criminals. About freaking time https://t.co/ER0nheFK2N Yep. New decision https://t.co/MFhgwHSLfR A welcome one. You need to remove @ManhattanDA https://t.co/VqJ79K7CdZ This would be a gutsy move. I totally agree with Mayor Adams for the “involuntary removal “of people who are a danger to others on the streets. I was just talking about this to my husband last month. https://t.co/aW6BDCe2Ut MAGA -- Make Asylums Great Again, too. He's starting to sound sensible. https://t.co/cU3OC3Z8uR Let's hope it sticks.NoneSAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Algoma Steel Group Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTL; TSX: ASTL) (“Algoma” or “the Company”), a leading Canadian producer of hot and cold rolled steel sheet and plate products, today announced that the Company will be participating in the B. Riley Securities Energy Convergence Conference on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at the Hotel Eventi in New York. Prior to Algoma’s attendance at this conference, the Company will post a copy of the presentation it will use in the Investors section of its website on ir.algoma.com. This news release contains “forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian securities legislation and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, “forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding, Algoma’s transition to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, Algoma’s future as a leading producer of green steel, Algoma’s modernization of its plate mill facilities, transformation journey, ability to deliver greater and long-term value, ability to offer North America a secure steel supply and a sustainable future, and investment in its people, and processes. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “design,” “pipeline,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document. Readers should also consider the other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information” in Algoma’s Annual Information Form, filed by Algoma with applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities (available under the company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com) and with the SEC, as part of Algoma’s Annual Report on Form 40-F (available at www.sec.gov), as well as in Algoma’s current reports with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Algoma assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, Algoma is a fully integrated producer of hot and cold rolled steel products including sheet and plate. Driven by a purpose to build better lives and a greener future, Algoma is positioned to deliver responsive, customer-driven product solutions to applications in the automotive, construction, energy, defense, and manufacturing sectors. Algoma is a key supplier of steel products to customers in North America and is the only producer of discrete plate products in Canada. Its state-of-the-art Direct Strip Production Complex (“DSPC”) is one of the lowest-cost producers of hot rolled sheet steel (HRC) in North America. Algoma is on a transformation journey, modernizing its plate mill and adopting electric arc technology that builds on the strong principles of recycling and environmental stewardship to significantly lower carbon emissions. Today Algoma is investing in its people and processes, working safely, as a team to become one of North America’s leading producers of green steel. As a founding industry in their community, Algoma is drawing on the best of its rich steelmaking tradition to deliver greater value, offering North America the comfort of a secure steel supply and a sustainable future as your partner in steel. For more information, please contact: Vice President – Corporate Development and Treasurer Algoma Steel Group Inc. Phone: 705.945-3300 E-mail:
Kagiso Rabada was sold to Gujarat Titans for Rs 10.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. The bidding war was between Royal Challengers Bengaluru Gujarat Titans till Rs 5 crore. It was then that RCB pulled out and Mumbai Indians entered the action. However, RCB re-entered at Rs 8.50 crore before MI and GT still in the battle. MI bid till Rs 9.25 crore, but it was the GT who won the battle against the other two franchises. The South African pacer had represented Punjab Kings in 2024 and had an average season. He picked 11 wickets in 11 matches. He has 117 wickets in 80 IPL matches. He recently touched 300 Test wickets and at only 29 years, can be a long term prospect for Gujarat Titans after having left Mohammed Shami. He could also be the lethal international pacer that GT lacked in the previous three seasons. Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science MySQL for Beginners: Learn Data Science and Analytics Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Java 21 Essentials for Beginners: Build Strong Programming Foundations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Django & PostgreSQL Mastery: Build Professional Web Applications By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Boosting Startup Revenue with 6 AI-Powered Sales Automation Techniques By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Marketing Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups: From Concept to Conversion By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program RECOMMENDED STORIES FOR YOU Rabada can be useful in the powerplay and through the middle overs and can also contribute an over at the death if needed. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Algoma Steel Group to Participate in the Inaugural B. Riley Securities Energy Convergence ConferenceJames Gunn Talks ‘Creature Commandos’ and ‘Superman’: “David Corenswet Is Going to Freak Everyone Out”
Anti-fraud efforts meet real-world test during ACA enrollment periodCould Salesforce and Adobe Help Power the Low-Cost Vanguard Tech ETF to an All-Time High?NEW YORK — The Yankees beefed up their bullpen on Friday afternoon, agreeing to a trade that will bring Devin Williams to the Bronx. The Yankees are sending Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin to the Brewers in the trade for the closer. Milwaukee is also receiving cash considerations. While stress fractures in his back limited Williams to 22 games last season, the 30-year-old has been one of baseball’s best relievers since debuting with Milwaukee in 2019. Over that span, Williams ranks first in H/9 (4.9), second in ERA (1.83), fourth in K.9 (14.3) and sixth in HR/9 (0.6) among relievers with at least 200 innings pitched. A two-time All-Star and two-time National League Reliever of the Year, the right-handed Williams also saved 65 games over the last three seasons, including a career-high 36 in 2023. Armed with a unique change-up nicknamed “The Airbender,” he recorded sub-2.00 ERAs in each of those seasons. Williams, the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year, figures to be the Yankees’ new closer. While he worked as a set-up man earlier in his career, manager Aaron Boone was non-committal when asked if he considered Luke Weaver the Yankees’ closer in 2025 at the winter meetings. Weaver did admirable work in the role late in the 2024 season and playoffs after Clay Holmes lost the gig. “Depends where we go this offseason,” Boone said of Weaver, who worked as a versatile reliever for most of 2024 after being converted from a starter. “I think he was as dominant a reliever as there was in the game, especially in the second half with his emergence. I have a ton of confidence in Luke. Whatever role that ends up being, whether it is the traditional closer, we’ll just hopefully put him in the best position to be successful. And definitely have a lot of expectation and confidence that he’s going to be hopefully a part of another really strong bullpen.” The Yankees’ bullpen, while incomplete, is certainly mightier with the addition of Williams, who also joins the recently re-signed Jonathan Loáisiga, Ian Hamilton, Jake Cousins, Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross and Clayton Beeter. The team has also expressed interest in re-signing Tim Hill — the 40-man roster is missing a left-handed reliever — and Tommy Kahnle. The two have mutual interest in a reunion but have received intrigue from other suitors. As dominant as Williams has been in the regular season, he’s struggled over his limited experience in the playoffs. He has allowed six earned runs over 2 1/3 innings in the postseason. Like Cortes, Williams is scheduled to be a free agent after this season. Both pitchers are also scheduled to make $7.7 million in arbitration. Cortes became expendable after the Yankees agreed to an eight-year, $218 million deal with Max Fried during the winter meetings. Even with Cortes shipping out, the Bombers still have six starters (Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman) for five rotation spots. With the Yankees also interested in cost-effective Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki don’t be surprised if they trade another member of that group. On Wednesday, Brian Cashman noted that teams were actively asking the Yankees about their starting surplus. “If we find that there are matches that make sense, then you start to seriously consider it,” the general manager said. “So you just have to have those conversations, which we’re having. I don’t know where it’s gonna take us.” Friday’s trade marks the end of Cortes’ third stint with the Yankees. A 36th-round draft pick in 2013, Rule 5 Draft returnee in 2018, and mop-up reliever early in his career, the crafty southpaw matured into a valuable starter and tremendous success story in New York. Known for his trickery on the mound, the 30-year-old Cortes was an All-Star and finished eighth in Cy Young voting in 2022. He had a 2.61 ERA over 251 1/3 innings from 2021-2022, but injuries hindered his performance in 2023, as he finished with a 4.97 ERA after 12 starts. In 2024, Cortes recorded a 3.77 ERA over 31 games (30 starts), but he ended the regular season on the injured list with a flexor strain. However, he avoided surgery, went through an expedited rehab process and returned for the World Series. Pitching out of the bullpen, Cortes allowed a walk-off grand slam to the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman in his first game back. With Hill, a fellow lefty also warming, Boone was widely panned for the choice. Back in July, Cortes’ name surfaced in trade rumors, but he managed to survive the deadline. “I’m almost confident that the Yankees want me enough to stay here. Sometimes it’s just because they need to improve in other areas,” Cortes said, foreshadowing the circumstances surrounding his eventual departure. Durbin, meanwhile, had been mentioned as an option to replace Gleyber Torres, a free agent, at second base. The 24-year-old was well-liked throughout the Yankees’ organization thanks to his high contact rates and low strikeout numbers. Durbin set career highs with 25 doubles, 10 home runs and a .451 slugging percentage last season, adding some pop to a .275 average, .388 on-base percentage, 60 RBIs, 31 steals and a 9.9 K%. The short, versatile infielder then hit .312/.427/.548 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 24 Arizona Fall League games. His 29 stolen bases set the league’s record, and he won the AFL’s Breakout Prospect of the Year Award. In 2,392 plate appearances since the start of his college career, Durbin has struck out just 153 times. “He’s been gifted with a superpower of not ever swinging and missing, and with that power comes great responsibility, as they say,” former Yankees Triple-A hitting coach Trevor Amicone, who is now with the Twins, said while detailing Durbin’s focus on hitting for more power last year. “When he swings, he’s going to make contact, so he has got to be very selectively aggressive at the pitches that he swings at.” The Yankees originally acquired Durbin and Indigo Diaz from the Braves for Lucas Luetge in December 2022. With Durbin out of the picture, the Yankees could move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base, his most experienced position, if they add a third baseman via trade or free agency. Other internal candidates at second include Oswaldo Cabrera, Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza. “We were very surprised how he took to a very difficult position, and it certainly wasn’t perfect because it was new to him, but golly, he at least made you realize that it’s possible that you might already have your third baseman,” Cashman said of Chisholm, who learned the hot corner on the fly last season. “I think middle infield is probably easier, because it’s something that he’s done. Third still is something he’ll finish off, if that’s where he stays, but I don’t know, it just depends on the directions, the opportunities.” ©2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Building the current crop of artificial intelligence chatbots has relied on specialized computer chips pioneered by Nvidia, which dominates the market and made itself the poster child of the AI boom. But the same qualities that make those graphics processor chips, or GPUs, so effective at creating powerful AI systems from scratch make them less efficient at putting AI products to work. That’s opened up the AI chip industry to rivals who think they can compete with Nvidia in selling so-called AI inference chips that are more attuned to the day-to-day running of AI tools and designed to reduce some of the huge computing costs of generative AI. “These companies are seeing opportunity for that kind of specialized hardware,” said Jacob Feldgoise, an analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. “The broader the adoption of these models, the more compute will be needed for inference and the more demand there will be for inference chips.” It takes a lot of computing power to make an AI chatbot. It starts with a process called training or pretraining — the “P” in ChatGPT — that involves AI systems “learning” from the patterns of huge troves of data. GPUs are good at doing that work because they can run many calculations at a time on a network of devices in communication with each other. However, once trained, a generative AI tool still needs chips to do the work — such as when you ask a chatbot to compose a document or generate an image. That’s where inferencing comes in. A trained AI model must take in new information and make inferences from what it already knows to produce a response. GPUs can do that work, too. But it can be a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. “With training, you’re doing a lot heavier, a lot more work. With inferencing, that’s a lighter weight,” said Forrester analyst Alvin Nguyen. That’s led startups like Cerebras, Groq and d-Matrix as well as Nvidia’s traditional chipmaking rivals — such as AMD and Intel — to pitch more inference-friendly chips as Nvidia focuses on meeting the huge demand from bigger tech companies for its higher-end hardware. D-Matrix was founded in 2019 — a bit late to the AI chip game, as CEO Sid Sheth explained during a recent interview at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, the same Silicon Valley city that’s also home to AMD, Intel and Nvidia. “There were already 100-plus companies. So when we went out there, the first reaction we got was ‘you’re too late,’” he said. The pandemic’s arrival six months later didn’t help as the tech industry pivoted to focus on software to serve remote work. Now, however, Sheth sees a big market in AI inferencing, comparing that later stage of machine learning to how human beings apply the knowledge they acquired in school. “We spent the first 20 years of our lives going to school, educating ourselves. That’s training, right?” he said. “And then the next 40 years of your life, you kind of go out there and apply that knowledge — and then you get rewarded for being efficient.” The product, called Corsair, consists of two chips with four chiplets each, made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. — the same manufacturer of most of Nvidia’s chips — and packaged together in a way that helps to keep them cool. The chips are designed in Santa Clara, assembled in Taiwan and then tested back in California. Testing is a long process and can take six months — if anything is off, it can be sent back to Taiwan. D-Matrix workers were doing final testing on the chips during a recent visit to a laboratory with blue metal desks covered with cables, motherboards and computers, with a cold server room next door. While tech giants like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft have been gobbling up the supply of costly GPUs in a race to outdo each other in AI development, makers of AI inference chips are aiming for a broader clientele. Forrester’s Nguyen said that could include Fortune 500 companies that want to make use of new generative AI technology without having to build their own AI infrastructure. Sheth said he expects a strong interest in AI video generation. “The dream of AI for a lot of these enterprise companies is you can use your own enterprise data,” Nguyen said. “Buying (AI inference chips) should be cheaper than buying the ultimate GPUs from Nvidia and others. But I think there’s going to be a learning curve in terms of integrating it.” Feldgoise said that, unlike training-focused chips, AI inference work prioritizes how fast a person will get a chatbot’s response. He said another whole set of companies is developing AI hardware for inference that can run not just in big data centers but locally on desktop computers, laptops and phones. Better-designed chips could bring down the huge costs of running AI to businesses. That could also affect the environmental and energy costs for everyone else. Sheth says the big concern right now is, “are we going to burn the planet down in our quest for what people call AGI — human-like intelligence?” It’s still fuzzy when AI might get to the point of artificial general intelligence — predictions range from a few years to decades. But, Sheth notes, only a handful of tech giants are on that quest. “But then what about the rest?” he said. “They cannot be put on the same path.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!Undefeated Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M will collide Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas in the second game of the new Players Era Festival. Both teams are in the "Power" group of the eight-team event. All eight teams are receiving $1 million for their name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives, but placing fourth or higher in the tourney in order will net them anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. The Aggies (4-1) opened the season with a three-point loss at UCF, but since then have won four straight, all in convincing fashion. Texas A&M upset then-No. 21 Ohio State 78-64 on Nov. 15 at home in College Station, Texas. Then the Aggies crushed Southern 71-54 last Wednesday, when Wade Taylor IV led the way with 17 points and six assists. All of Texas A&M's wins have been by double digits. The Aggies and Ducks (5-0) have split the two previous meetings against each other. Until March 2022 in an NIT second-round game, they had not met since the 1970-71 season. Texas A&M tied the overall series with a 75-60 win at home in 2022. The only player on the Ducks' current roster who played in that game was 7-foot senior Nate Bittle, who has been one of Oregon's best players so far this season. Bittle's 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Ducks so far this season, and the big man also averages two blocked shots per game. Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps, a transfer from SMU, leads the Aggies in scoring at 16 points per game. Taylor adds 14 points per game. The Aggies could be the best defensive team the Ducks will have seen this season. A&M is allowing teams to shoot only 36.6 percent in games. Head coach Buzz Williams and his staff are hoping the team gets better at taking charges on defense, as the Aggies have just one so far this season. "I guess the thing that you work on most is verticality around the rim," Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Roccaforte told KBTX television. "‘Hey, once you get there, if you try and take a charge, it's going to be a block. Just jump as high as you can, stay vertical, try to go chest-to-chest. Make it a hard shot.'" Oregon is coming off a 78-75 win at Oregon State, the Ducks' first road game of the season. The Ducks trailed by 10 points at halftime but, as they have in several games this season, they found a rhythm on offense in the second half and came up with a comeback win. Bittle's 23 points and 14 rebounds led the way. Jackson Shelstad had 15 points and Jadrian Tracey and Keeshawn Barthelemy both added 10. "We started rebounding the ball a little better. Nate really got it going inside and our guys got him the ball," Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the school's athletics website. "He had a heck of a game." --Field Level MediaAs Melton talks U.S. Steel deal, local environmental groups question if Nippon is best
Tom Brady has thoughts on , and they might arrive as a surprise, considering the source. Brady thinks quarterbacks should shoulder more of the blame when it comes to hits deemed late on quarterback slides. The former Patriots and Bucs quarterback spoke about the topic during an appearance with "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on Tuesday. Brady told Cowherd that he has "mixed emotions" on the topic, then told the story of a lesson his teammates taught him early in his career when he got his helmet knocked off after sliding late. "If you're gonna slide, you better get down," Brady said his teammates told him. "These guys are coming to get you." He then expressed sympathy with defensive players when they're in a position of making split-second decisions on whether to hit a quarterback. "Defensive players have to be aggressive," Brady said. "That's their nature." Brady continued matter of factly that quarterbacks are responsible for their own safety, which shouldn't be strictly up to defenders tasked with stopping them. . discusses late hit on Trevor Lawrence: "If we don't want these hits to take place, we've got to penalize both the offense and the defense." — Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) "The quarterbacks need to take better care of themselves," Brady said. ... "When you run, you put yourself in a lot of danger. And when you do that, I don't think the onus of protecting an offensive quarterback who's running should be on a defensive player. I don't think that's really fair to the defense." Brady didn't make that comment directly about Lawrence and Al-Shaair, nor did he directly declare that Lawrence slid late. But he reached his conclusion in a conversation about and sparked a brawl between the Jaguars and Texans. Al-Shaair , but hedged on whether his hit was actually late. His coach, DeMeco Ryans, in a message similar to Brady's that put the onus on Lawrence to protect himself. The NFL has since issued its ruling. It deemed Al-Shaair's hit illegal and . The suspension, which cited by Al-Shaair, came with a stark message from NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan. "Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL," Runyan's statement reads. "Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.” So there's plenty of disagreement here. But Brady's stance was clear. A traditional pocket passer who became one of the game's all-time greats despite limited mobility, Brady also has thoughts on who's responsible for protecting quarterbacks who do frequently run. "Are we really trying to protect quarterbacks?" Brady continued. "Because if you are trying to do it through the rules, then why are the offensive coordinators not protecting their quarterbacks by keeping them in the pocket and not designing as many quarterback runs?" As for how to fix things? Brady suggested penalizing quarterbacks when they don't get down in time for a defender to pull back. "Maybe they fine or penalize a quarterback for sliding late, and say, 'Look, if we don't want these hits to take place, we've got to penalize the offense and the defense rather than just penalize a defensive player for every single play that happens when there's a hit on a quarterback.'"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — When Kenyan police arrived in Haiti as part of a U.N.-backed mission earlier this year to tackle gang violence, hopes were high. Coordinated gang attacks on prisons, police stations and the main international airport had crippled the country’s capital and forced the prime minister to resign , plunging Haiti into an unprecedented crisis. But the crisis has only deepened since the international policing contingent arrived. The main international airport closed for the second time this year after gangs opened fire on commercial flights in mid-November, striking a flight attendant. Gunmen also are attacking once-peaceful communities to try and seize control of the entire capital, taking advantage of political infighting that led to the abrupt dismissal of the prime minister earlier this month. Now, a new prime minister is tasked with turning around a nation that sees no escape from its troubles as Haitians wonder: How did the country reach this point? Bloody coups, brutal dictatorships and gangs created by Haiti's political and economic elite have long defined the country's history, but experts say the current crisis is the worst they’ve seen. “I’m very bleak about the future,” said Robert Fatton, a Haitian politics expert at the University of Virginia. “The whole situation is really collapsing.” The government is anemic, the U.N.-backed mission that supports Haiti's understaffed police department lacks funding and personnel, and gangs now control 85% of the capital. Then, on Wednesday, another blow. Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending critical care in Port-au-Prince as it accused police of targeting its staff and patients, including threats of rape and death. It’s the first time the aid group has stopped working with new patients since it began operating in Haiti more than 30 years ago. “Every day that we cannot resume activities is a tragedy, as we are one of the few providers of a wide range of medical services that have remained open during this extremely difficult year,” said Christophe Garnier, mission director in Haiti. Lionel Lazarre, deputy spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, did not return messages for comment. Neither did officials with Kenya’s mission when asked about the surge in gang violence. In a recent statement, the Kenyan-led mission said it was “cognizant of the road ahead that is fraught with challenges." But it noted that ongoing joint patrols and operations have secured certain communities and forced gangs to change the way they operate. André François Giroux, Canada’s ambassador to Haiti, told The Associated Press on Saturday that his country and others have been trying to bolster the Kenyan-led mission. “They’ve done miracles, I think, considering all the challenges that we’ve been facing," he said. “What we have to keep in mind is that it’s still very much in deployment mode,” Giroux said. “There are not even 400 on the ground right now.” A spokesman for Haiti’s new prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, did not return messages for comment. In a statement Thursday, his administration said authorities were strengthening security along the capital's main roads and had formed a special security council. “The prime minister renews his commitment to find lasting solutions to current problems,” it said. The statement was issued just days after gangs launched a pre-dawn attack Tuesday around an upper-class community in Haiti’s capital, forcing residents armed with machetes and guns to fight side-by-side with police to repel gunmen. At least 28 gang members were killed, but not before some reached an area near an upscale hotel long considered safe. “It tells you that there is no functioning authority in Haiti," Fatton said. A main concern in the ongoing crisis is the temporary closure of the main international airport in Port-au-Prince. It means critical aid is not reaching those who need it the most in a country where nearly 6,000 people are starving and nearly half of the more than 11 million inhabitants are experiencing crisis levels of hunger or worse. Gang violence also has left more than 700,000 people homeless in recent years . “We are deeply concerned about the isolation of Port-au-Prince from the rest of Haiti and the world,” said Laurent Uwumuremyi, Mercy Corps’ country director for Haiti. The aid group helps people including more than 15,000 living in makeshift shelters, but persistent gang violence has prevented workers from reaching a growing number of them in the capital and beyond. Basic goods also are dwindling as the suspension of flights has delayed imports of critical supplies. “Before, there were some neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince that we considered safe that the gangs had never reached, but now they are threatening to take over the control of the entire capital,” Uwumuremyi said. At least 150 people were reported killed in the capital and 20,000 forced to flee their homes in the second week of November alone. Overall, more than 4,500 people were reported killed in Haiti so far this year, the U.N. said. Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer who became a gang leader known as Barbecue, warned that a gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm will keep attacking as they demand the resignation of a transitional presidential council tasked with leading the country along with the new prime minister. The council also is supposed to organize general elections for the first time in nearly a decade so voters can choose a president, a position left empty since President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021. The U.S. and other countries pushed for a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti at a U.N. Security Council meeting this week. Only about 400 officers from Kenya have arrived, along with a handful of police and soldiers from other countries — way short of the 2,500 personnel slated for the mission. “This is not just another wave of insecurity; it is a dramatic escalation that shows no signs of abating,” Miroslav Jenča, U.N. assistant secretary general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, said Wednesday at the meeting. But Russia and China oppose a U.N. peacekeeping mission , leaving many to wonder what other options are left for Haiti. Giroux, the Canadian ambassador, said his country supports a peacekeeping operation “when the time is right.” “Everybody is looking at a peacekeeping mission as a silver bullet,” he said, adding that even if that were to happen, it wouldn’t be able to deploy for another six to 12 months. “We need to be realistic.” Giroux said he is hopeful that some 600 Kenyans will arrive in Haiti in upcoming weeks, but added that "none of this matters if the political elite doesn’t get its act together.” The nine-member transitional presidential council has been marred by accusations of corruption and infighting and was criticized for firing the previous prime minister. “I’m at a loss for any short-term solution for Haiti, let alone any long-term solutions,” Fatton said. “The gangs have seen that they shouldn’t be afraid of the Kenyan mission.” He said one option may be for the government to negotiate with the gangs. “At the moment, it is perceived as utterly unacceptable," he said. "But if the situation deteriorates even more, what else are you left with?”
Chiefs edge Panthers, Lions rip Colts as Dallas stuns WashingtonNatixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SPDR S&P Dividend ETF ( NYSEARCA:SDY – Free Report ) by 23.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 28,194 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 5,324 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in SPDR S&P Dividend ETF were worth $4,005,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of SDY. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC lifted its position in SPDR S&P Dividend ETF by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC now owns 2,461,997 shares of the company’s stock worth $349,702,000 after acquiring an additional 30,381 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SPDR S&P Dividend ETF by 13,497.7% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,174,296 shares of the company’s stock worth $166,797,000 after purchasing an additional 1,165,660 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in SPDR S&P Dividend ETF by 283.2% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 688,750 shares of the company’s stock valued at $90,392,000 after buying an additional 509,007 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning grew its position in SPDR S&P Dividend ETF by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 461,739 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,724,000 after buying an additional 4,963 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elk River Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in SPDR S&P Dividend ETF by 2.2% during the third quarter. Elk River Wealth Management LLC now owns 385,024 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,690,000 after acquiring an additional 8,194 shares during the period. SPDR S&P Dividend ETF Stock Up 0.7 % NYSEARCA:SDY opened at $142.31 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $140.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.19. The stock has a market cap of $22.51 billion, a PE ratio of 19.72 and a beta of 0.68. SPDR S&P Dividend ETF has a fifty-two week low of $118.33 and a fifty-two week high of $144.06. SPDR S&P Dividend ETF Company Profile The SPDR S&P Dividend ETF seeks to closely match the returns and characteristics of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index (the Index). The Index is designed to measure the performance of the 60 highest dividend yielding S&P Composite 1500 Index constituents that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing dividends every year for at least 25 consecutive years. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SDY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR S&P Dividend ETF ( NYSEARCA:SDY – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR S&P Dividend ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR S&P Dividend ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
PETALING JAYA: The oil and gas (O&G) sector, weighed down by geopolitical uncertainties, is likely to experience a market correction rather than a prolonged downcycle, according to BIMB Securities Research. “The geopolitical conundrum has dragged the sentiment over a potential slowdown in offshore activity. Notwithstanding, we see it as a market correction rather than a full-blown downcycle, given our oil price scenario outlook remains intact,” the research house said in its latest report on the sector. The research firm maintained its oil price assumption of US$75 per barrel for 2025, anticipating that it will support ongoing investments in offshore projects despite current headwinds. The research house said the sector’s outlook is clouded by unresolved geopolitical issues, including a conflict between Petroleum Sarawak Bhd and Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) over the role of sole gas aggregator in Sarawak, as well as potential incentives from the United States to boost shale drilling “may weigh on oil prices”. “While there may be some slowing in the near term, we see it as a correction rather than a full-blown downcycle – the offshore service rate will cool to allow for a more sustainable pipeline of projects,” it said. Despite current challenges, BIMB Securities Research sees the recent weakness in oil and gas stock prices as a buying opportunity. “We think the recent stock price weakness is an opportunity to accumulate at a lower level,” the research house said. Key factors that could drive a re-rating of the sector include fresh contract awards, order book replenishments and increased dividend payouts, it added. The research house has maintained its “overweight” stance on the sector, particularly for upstream players. For the third quarter ended Sept 30, (3Q24), BIMB Research said the financial performance of companies under its coverage were largely within expectation. “ Dayang Enterprise Holdings Bhd and Velesto Energy Bhd outperformed while MISC Bhd and Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd lagged our earnings estimates, though the latter are expected to make a strong come back in 4Q24,” it noted It said both Dayang and Velesto’s earnings beat its full-year estimates thanks to better-than-expected profit margins amid stronger daily charter rates for offshore rigs and vessels. “ Sapura Energy Bhd also staged a greater showing but the sustainability is at risk given that the outperformance is likely to be aided by reversal of contingency cost provisions. Similarly, Petronas Dagangan Bhd also temporarily benefited from favourable jet fuel prices that lagged lower product costs,” it noted.None