There's been a long battle between the New York Knicks and the NBA league office over the last few years. Whether it's comments from head coach Tom Thibodeau, or memos sent out by Knicks governor James Dolan, the team has been under the eye of commissioner Adam Silver for years now. Brad Penner-Imagn Images And the latest investigation on the Knicks centers around one of their assistant coaches. Rick Brunson, Thibodeau's top assistant was promoted to the role this past offseason around the same time that his son Jalen took a pay cut to stay with the team and allow the organization to continue to build a championship roster around him. The league is looking into the reason for Brunson's promotion, though, and it's left Jalen wondering exactly why the league would try to hurt an assistant coach who's been in the league for the better part of two decades. Related: How Does Mickey Mouse Connect with Knicks? “He’s more than qualified for that position. He’s a person who has been around the NBA for a long time, who has been around [Tom Thibodeau] for longer than he’s been around the NBA," Brunson said. “I think he understands the business, I think he understands the game, I think he understands the head coach. So he’s more than qualified. "Look at the way he’s taught me and raised me and how I’ve seen him impact others in all different levels of basketball—high school, college, pros.” The elderly Brunson has been an assistant under Thibodeau for many years even dating back to their time together with the Chicago Bulls. It's why New York isn't thrilled with being under the microscope of another investigation by the league. And even New York's top playmaker isn't pleased. Related: Knicks Roll Past Banged-Up Suns, 138-122NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are drifting lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped by 0.2% in late trading, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . The index is on track for its first back-to-back losses in more than three weeks, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down by 7 points, or less than 0.1%, with roughly an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 7.8% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped nearly 81% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. C3.ai fell 2.1% despite reporting a smaller loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The AI software company increased its forecast for how big a loss it expects to take this fiscal year from its operations. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show roughly similar increases as the month before. That and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to lift the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 5.2% even though it beat analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.6% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 5.2% after saying it's resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.7% after the ski resort operator reported a narrower first-quarter loss than expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.If you're not already a Denton Record-Chronicle subscriber, you can subscribe now for just $1 a month over the next six months and read all of our stories throughout high school football season. Basketball season has been underway for a month or more on both the boys and girls sides as Denton-area teams continue finding their footing before district play. See some of the local players who stood out during last week's games. Guyer's Peyton Underwood gets a shot off during a game against Flower Mound last season. Underwood continued her strong start to the season with a team-high 12 points for the Lady Wildcats in their 49-42 win over former district foe Prosper. The sophomore's performance helped Guyer, which is now ranked No. 9 in Class 6A by the TABC, improve to 11-1 on the year. Green delivered some strong performances of her own for the Lady Eagles as they split a pair of games last week against Frisco Panther Creek and Arkansas squad Conway. The sophomore notched 15 points in a win over Panther Creek alongside 10 points during a narrow loss to Conway, making multiple 3-point shots in both contests to continue her impressive start to the season. Cagle poured in a team-leading 18 points for the Lady Chaps as they took their first win of the season under first-year coach Nicole Black with a 47-35 triumph over Cooper. The junior averaged nearly 10 points per game across Aubrey's four contests at the Texoma Showcase as she continues stepping into a feature role for the program this fall. Gilliam continued her strong start to the season with a high-scoring performance to help the Lady Falcons take a 44-25 win over Frisco Centennial. The senior guard notched a team-high 14 points on the day as Lake Dallas built a 20-8 lead by halftime and never looked back. Criss notched a team-high 10 points for the Lady Cats to help them take a dominant 43-16 victory over Irving Nimitz. The senior has established herself as one of Krum's go-to scorers this season as it works to replace some key senior losses from last year's squad. Galbreath remains a crucial part of the Lady Indians’ success this season and helped lead the way with a pair of strong performance in their two wins last week. The senior notched 14 points in a 68-17 win over Sadler S&S Consolidated before a 21-point performance during a 66-38 win over Era, helping Sanger improve to 8-5 on the year in the process. Simon has helped fuel Ponder's successes since beginning girls basketball season following her contributions to the school's state semifinal run in volleyball. The junior scored 14 points in a 48-42 win over Fort Worth Chisholm Trail, helping Ponder get out to a 7-1 start and No. 15 ranking in Class 3A. Hubbard had an impressive week for the Bengals after returning from injury, helping them post a 4-1 record across their five games on the slate and improve to 8-5 on the year. The senior averaged 12.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 60% from the field. Coleman was one of three players who scored in double figures with 12 points during Guyer's narrow 53-52 win over Arkansas team Springdale at Duncanville's Thanksgiving Hoopfest. The senior has helped the Wildcats get out to a 6-4 start and earn a No. 17 ranking in Class 6A despite being shorthanded for much of the slate thus far. Ryan's Nate Freeman prepares to shoot a free throw during a game against Lake Dallas last season. Freeman scored a team-high 15 points for the Raiders in their narrow 56-48 loss to Cedar Hill and tied for the team lead with 12 points during a defeat against Mansfield Summit. The senior has stepped up as a key contributor this year for Ryan, which is working to replace a sizable senior class that graduated from last year's playoff team. Loliwa posted a pair of solid outings in two tough losses for the Broncos last week with 10 points against Mount Pleasant and nine points against Frisco Liberty. The junior has stepped up as a solid contributor for Denton High this season and will look to continue making strides moving forward. McMoore has emerged as an impact player at times for the Chaps early this season and delivered a big-time performance to help fuel their bounce-back win over Anna last week. The senior poured in a team-high 30 points on the day as Aubrey beat Anna 71-59, rebounding from suffering its first loss of the year against Frisco Centennial and improving to 5-1 on the young season. Nelms has picked up where he left off from a stellar junior season with continued impressive performances thus far in 2024-25. The senior notched 21 points, six rebounds and three assists during a 58-52 win over Red River, helping Sanger continue its strong start to the season in improving to 6-0. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the scoop on all the thrilling victories, nail-biting games and standout performances — straight from the sidelines of Denton-area high schools. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Fresh off one of its best showings of the season, the Baltimore defense now has another problem to worry about. Roquan Smith missed practice again Friday because of a hamstring injury. Although the Ravens didn't officially rule him or anyone else out — they don't play until Monday night — the All-Pro linebacker's status seems dicey. “Definitely it will be a challenge if Roquan can’t go,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “We’re holding out hope and everything like that. I think it’ll just be by committee. Not one person is going to replace Roquan. Roquan’s an every-down linebacker.” Although the Ravens lost 18-16 last weekend, Baltimore didn't allow a touchdown. That was an encouraging sign for a team that ranks 26th in the league in total defense. Baltimore is on the road Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Ravens appear to have dodged one potential nightmare. Star safety Kyle Hamilton injured an ankle against Cincinnati on Nov. 7, but he was able to play almost every defensive snap the following week against Pittsburgh. But Smith was injured in that game and didn't practice Thursday or Friday. Linebacker Malik Harrison had a season high in tackles last weekend and figures to have a significant role if Smith can't go. “We tell these guys, ‘You’re one play away to going in there — you never know, so you got to stay ready.’ Malik — he was ready,” Orr said. “I thought he went in there and did a good job, especially after the first series, he settled down. That’s what we expect from him.” It's hard to tell whether last week can be a significant turning point for Baltimore's defense. The Ravens allowed only 10 points in a dominant win over Buffalo in Week 4, then yielded 38 against Cincinnati the following game. After allowing 10 against Denver, the Ravens were picked apart by the Bengals again a few days later. So they still haven't shown they can play a good game defensively and then build on it. “I think it’s easier said than done. It’s something that we kind of got caught up saying against Buffalo and then coming up the next week and not doing," Hamilton said. "We’re aware of it now and know that we played a good game, but I think we can get a lot better, and I think that’s kind of the mindset everybody on defense has right now.” Hamilton's ability to make a difference all over the field is part of what makes him valuable, but positioning him deep is one way the Ravens can try to guard against big passing plays. Pittsburgh's Russell Wilson threw for only 205 yards against Baltimore. That's after Joe Burrow passed for 428 and four touchdowns in the Ravens' previous game. “I’ve always seen myself as a safety. A versatile one, but at the end of the day, I think I play safety,” Hamilton said. “If I’m asked to go play safety, I feel like that’s not an issue for me to play safety if I’m a safety.” NOTES: In addition to Smith, WR Rashod Bateman (knee), DT Travis Jones (ankle), S Sanoussi Kane (ankle) C Tyler Linderbaum (back) and CB Arthur Maulet (calf) missed practice Friday. WR Nelson Agholor (illness) returned to full participation after missing Thursday's practice. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLST. PAUL — A planned lottery to give some would-be cannabis business owners a licensing head start won’t go forward early this week after a judge halted the process Monday. Ramsey County District Court Judge Stephen Smith sided with a group of applicants who had been denied access to the social equity pre-approval lottery. They sued over a process they argued had lacked clear criteria and that left no room for appeals. ADVERTISEMENT “There’s no lottery tomorrow,” Smith ruled toward the end of an hourlong online hearing. He said the state was free to file an appeal. Ahead of the hearing, officials with the Office of Cannabis Management warned that the lottery might not happen at all if it was postponed given the cost and logistics of putting it on. Attorney David Asp, who represented some of the applicants, told Smith that the lottery was rushed and that people who were denied entry deserved a chance to contest their disqualification. “The state doesn’t dispute that our client will suffer irreparable harm if this order isn’t entered. That’s usually one of the main issues in an injunction, but it’s not a dispute here. Our clients will be harmed. As I said, more than $1,000,” Asp said. “The harm on the OCM side is entirely of their own making.” The Office of Cannabis Management had defended its process, saying they were attempting to root out applicants who were looking for a quick profit instead of actually moving to set up legitimate businesses. Officials with the regulatory agency said that some applications appeared to have been put in on behalf of other entrepreneurs trying to get a foothold in Minnesota’s nascent market. “The Legislature chose for this pre-approval process to be an efficient and expedient one, and part of that is evidenced by the fact that there is no appeals provided for for the pre-approval process, whereas in the final license approval process, there is an availability for reconsideration,” said the agency’s attorney, Ryan Petty. “So a major factor of this is the Legislature’s decision to make this process efficient and expedient so that the social equity applicants can get that head start.” There were more than 1,500 applicants for this stage of the licensing process, the agency said. The lottery was to narrow that down to 282. ADVERTISEMENT When the judge asked Petty about the timeline, including the lottery being scheduled shortly after denial letters went out, Petty said the selection process involved several moving parts. “There wasn’t any hiding the ball here. There wasn’t any attempt to restrict the ability of applicants to challenge their denials,” he said. State lawmakers legalized cannabis for adult recreational use in 2023, but the setup of a retail marketplace has been slow. No licenses have been issued for commercial growers or sellers ahead of what is expected to be an early 2025 launch. People can grow their own marijuana and give away small quantities. American Indian tribes have also opened their own stores, but those sales are limited to reservation land. The social equity lottery is intended to give a leg up to people who live in high-poverty areas, those harmed by the war on drugs, and military veterans. This story was originally published on MPRNews.org ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .
NoneOak Ridge sweeps Vicksburg at Florida basketball tournament
What did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here's what search trends showDetroit-area library says Chicago man can keep overdue baseball book — 50 years later
What did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here's what search trends showNone