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In a historic first, underwater drones are being deployed to ensure the safety of pilgrims during the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Committed to making the Kumbh Mela the largest spiritual event in Sanatan Dharma, the Yogi government has prepared a comprehensive plan to handle any emergency. Advertisement To manage the massive gathering of over 450 million people at the world’s largest cultural event, a detailed security strategy has been put in place to ensure the safety of every individual during the sacred Sangam Snan (bathing at the confluence). Advertisement The newly introduced underwater drones will provide 24/7 surveillance beneath the waters, monitoring all activities. Notably, these drones are equipped with advanced technology that allows them to function effectively in low-light conditions, ensuring precise tracking of targets. With the ability to operate at depths of up to 100 metres, the drones are capable of providing accurate and timely information under any circumstances, enhancing the security measures at the Kumbh Mela. Inspector General of Police (Eastern Zone, Prayagraj) Dr Rajeev Narayan Mishra launched a high-speed underwater drone here on Wednesday. Dr Mishra detailed the drone’s features and its critical role in ensuring safety during the grand Mahakumbh. This state-of-the-art underwater drone can dive up to 100 metres and transmit real-time activity reports to the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). It can be operated over an unlimited distance and provides precise information about any suspicious underwater activity or incident, enabling immediate action to be taken. In addition to the drone, PAC, SDRF, and NDRF teams are working together to ensure the safety of all pilgrims. A comprehensive strategy has been developed to provide security to every individual. Over 700 boats equipped with flags will have PAC, NDRF, and SDRF personnel stationed 24/7. Furthermore, a large-scale deployment of remote-controlled life buoys has been introduced to enhance safety. These devices can rapidly reach any location and transport individuals to safety in case of emergencies, ensuring the well-being of pilgrims from around the world. AdvertisementPLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.
CreateAI Announces Results of 2024 Annual Meeting of StockholdersPublished 4:27 pm Saturday, November 30, 2024 By Data Skrive Take a look at Jamaal Williams’ stats on this page. In terms of season stats, Williams has rushed for 124 yards on 32 carries with one touchdown, averaging 3.9 yards per carry, and has four catches (six targets) for 21 yards. Don’t miss a touchdown this NFL season. Catch every score with NFL RedZone on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Start your risk free trial today and watch seven hours of commercial-free football from every NFL game every Sunday. BetMGM is one of the most trusted Sportsbooks in the nation. Start with as little as $1 and place your bets today . Catch NFL action all season long on Fubo. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .
Syracuse hosts Georgetown for milestone battle in longtime rivalryKANYE West's wife Bianca Censori flashed her bum in see-through catsuit as the couple enjoyed a shopping trip in Tokyo. The Australian model, 29, wore a skintight white catsuit for a day out with her man. She was snapped getting out of a car after driving the couple to venue as they explored the city's bustling nightlife. Bianca was seen strutting to the mall in a pair of white heels, as she put her toned figure on display in the figure-hugging one-piece. She was spotted chatting to Flashing Lights rapper Kanye while on an escalator. They appeared to be in good sprits as they were seen smiling. READ MORE ON KANYE WEST It comes just days after Bianca risked a major wardrobe malfunction once again. Enjoying an extended stay abroad with her husband of almost two years, Bianca , 29, was seen donning a risky outfit with Kanye West by her side. In a new snap circulating social media, Bianca and her husband, 47, can be seen looking more smitten than ever before. Looking all loved up while soaking up the sights in Tokyo , the happy couple gazed into each other's eyes while facing one another. Most read in Celebrity Bianca, who appears to be almost topless, can be seen with her arms wrapped around her man's neck as he looks down and gazes into her eyes. Both Bianca and Kanye can be seen grinning widely, with the married pair looking in love and content. "Kanye West & Bianca Censori in the city," one Ye fan penned on X . TENSE DINNER DATE This comes just days after Bianca was seen rocking a massive pink fur coat for a dinner date in the city with her husband. Dressed more modestly than usual, Bianca was seemingly staring at her phone for a lot of the night while showing little skin in a fluffy jacket. While Bianca scrolled on her phone, Kanye appeared to look rather tired. Looking down and not making eye contact with Bianca, Kanye looked at the menu and decided what he wanted to order. Bianca was bundled up for the outing, modestly dressed in a pink fluffy jacket. And while Bianca rocked a light ensemble, Ye stuck to his theme of dark clothes and rocked a black hoodie. The couple looked incredibly tense as they sat opposite each other at the venue, with them both keeping their heads down and not maintaining eye contact in the snaps. Bianca Censori was born on January 5, 1995, in Melbourne, Australia Before her current full-time job, the 29-year-old started a jewelry company called Nylons after leaving high school. After working as a student architect for three years, she completed a master's degree between 2019 and 2020 ahead of moving to Los Angeles. In a radio interview, a childhood friend of Bianca's claimed that Kanye slid into her DMs on Instagram. The rapper reportedly said, "Come and work for me." At which point she says the designer moved to LA to join his company Yeezy as the "head of architecture" - and has been since November 2020. WEDDING BELLS On Friday, October 6, 2023, The Daily Mail reported Kanye and Bianca wed on December 20, 2022. The couple tied the knot under a "confidential marriage license" in the state of California. The two wed in Palo Alto, California, according to the document. The wedding came just one month after Kanye and Kim Kardashian finalized their divorce . DITCHING HUBBY FOR DISNEYLAND Last week, Bianca enjoyed a trip to Disneyland without her husband by her side. The Australian beauty is often seen with Ye on her arm, so it was a rare occurrence that the pair were not together. Dressed in an all-white ensemble, Bianca looked as though she was content to spend some time apart from her man. Looking happy and grinning from ear to ear, she went to the theme park in California and was snapped with a trio of her male friends. It is thought Bianca and her pals enjoyed a $700 VIP tour of the theme park, which is usually attended by celebrities who want to avoid queuing. READ MORE SUN STORIES According to information online, a private tour guide at Disney can cost around $700 for six hours. VIP tours range from $450 to $900 per hour, with a minimum of seven hours and a maximum of 10 hours for the customer looking to enjoy the theme park and all it has to offer.An icy bridge caused an eight-vehicle accident on Idaho 16 early Friday morning and closed all four lanes, but the highway reopened just before 10 a.m. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office said the two southbound lanes of the bridge over the Boise River just north of Idaho 26 (Chinden Boulevard) was where the collisions happened, as vehicles hit slick spots from overnight precipitation. Middleton Star firefighters worked the accident scene until the road was cleared. In a social media post, they advised drivers to “slow down and increase their following distance,” as conditions on roads could continue to be slick. A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said there were minor injuries, “but no one was transported to the hospital.” “It happened on the stretch of Highway 16 that is a bridge, which get icier when it’s freezing outside. We would like to remind people to drive cautiously over bridges when it’s below freezing.”
Exciting Developments for AMD Fans AMD is making waves as it prepares to launch a new lineup of CPUs and GPUs. The tech community is abuzz with anticipation for the release early next year, sending AMD’s stock up by 4.76%. The spotlight is on AMD’s rumored Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPUs, in addition to the highly anticipated RDNA 4 GPUs, specifically the RX 9070 XT. These innovations are expected to redefine performance standards in gaming and content creation. Unleashing the Power of Ryzen 9 9950X3D The upcoming Ryzen 9 9950X3D is designed to impress. It will feature enhanced clock speeds to handle demanding applications with ease, complemented by AI-boosted performance. Users can look forward to a turbo boost reaching up to 5.70 GHz, offering unprecedented speed. Its 16 cores and 32 threads ensure users can tackle gaming, content creation, and multitasking efficiently. Built using a 4 nm process, it promises energy efficiency with reduced heat output, a big plus for tech enthusiasts. Revolutionary RDNA 4 GPUs AMD’s unveiling of the RX 9000 series starts with the RX 9070 XT GPU, set to transform gaming graphics. With improved ray tracing capabilities, it aims to deliver stunningly realistic lighting and shadow effects. The graphics card is expected to have a clock speed up to 3.0 GHz and improved power efficiency, making it perfect for extended use in gaming systems or editing suites. These upcoming releases not only satisfy the growing demands of tech users but also signal promising financial prospects for AMD. AMD’s Next-Gen Breakthroughs: What You Need to Know Embracing Next-Gen Tech: AMD’s Upcoming Lineup AMD fans and tech enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating a new wave of cutting-edge CPUs and GPUs set for release early next year. This surge of innovation is fueling excitement in the tech community and driving AMD stock prices up by 4.76%. The anticipated Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPUs, along with the RDNA 4 GPUs like the RX 9070 XT, promise to set new performance benchmarks in gaming and content creation. Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Unmatched Performance and Energy Efficiency The Ryzen 9 9950X3D stands poised to redefine processing power. Boasting a turbo boost capability reaching up to 5.70 GHz, this CPU is tailored for demanding applications, aided by AI-boosted performance for enhanced efficiency. Featuring 16 cores and 32 threads, it is designed for high-intensity gaming and content creation, seamlessly handling multitasking. Manufactured with a 4 nm process, this CPU offers energy efficiency and reduced heat output, catering to the needs of sustainable tech solutions. RDNA 4 GPUs: Elevating Graphics to New Heights The forthcoming RX 9070 XT GPU from AMD’s RX 9000 series promises significant advancements in gaming graphics, with an emphasis on improved ray tracing capabilities. These enhancements intend to deliver hyper-realistic lighting and shadow effects, elevating the visual gaming experience. Clock speeds are expected to reach up to 3.0 GHz, with improved power efficiency perfect for prolonged gaming sessions or intensive editing tasks. AMD’s Path to Market Leadership: Insights and Predictions These anticipated releases not only aim to meet the growing expectations of tech users but also forecast a promising financial horizon for AMD. Market analysts predict these innovations will solidify AMD’s position as a leader in the CPU and GPU markets, potentially attracting a broader customer base and boosting the company’s market share. Sustainability and Innovation at AMD AMD’s commitment to sustainability is highlighted by the 4 nm process technology, which promises energy-efficient operations. This innovative manufacturing process reflects AMD’s dedication to reducing environmental impact while delivering high-performance technology. For more information about AMD and its product offerings, visit the official AMD website .
Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder and weapons charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO's death
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three African politicians seeking to head the African Union detailed their plans on Friday for regional security amid conflicts and political coups while strongly advocating for inter-Africa trade among other issues. Raila Odinga of Kenya, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar are seeking to be elected as chairperson for the 55-member state African Union. They participated in a two-hour debate Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in which they all advocated for two permanent seats for African countries in the U.N. Security Council to effectively represent the continent with the youngest population. Odinga said that two permanent seats with veto power were “a must for Africa” and that this was “only fair” since the continent has more than 50 countries. Randriamandrato urged member states to cease the opportunity and “speak with one voice on the choice of who will represent Africa in the UNSC.” The three are seeking to convince most African countries before the February election to succeed African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki, who has served for two terms. The African Union has faced several challenges that include conflict in member countries and political coups that have seen five member states expelled from the union, making regional security a major theme in Friday’s debate. Youssouf said that regional security could be enhanced if the resources for a regional standby force were increased to reduce the overreliance on foreign partnerships for resources. “When there is no unity of purpose among neighboring countries peace will be compromised,” Youseff said. Randriamandrato encouraged countries to take charge of their internal security while cautioning that foreign military bases should be “a thing of the past” because they “could be a source of conflict.” Despite the continent’s young population of 1.3 billion that is set to double by 2050, regional trade has faced challenges that were addressed in the Friday debate. Odinga said that Africa had a “huge domestic market” that it could leverage on for economic transformation by opening up opportunities for trade between African countries. Youssouf proposed a payment compensation system that would ensure countries don't lose out while trading in different currencies adding, “are we going to have a single currency, why not?” Randriamandrato said that regional economic blocs like the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa had a huge role to play in easing inter-Africa trade. The African Union has several proposed reforms on its structure and leadership aimed at achieving its purpose, and all candidates promised to implement the reforms if elected. Youssouf said that key reforms in the union were facing a funding bottleneck and that “it has to change,” adding that he wouldn't impose it on member states but would “advocate for it.”CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Kobe Knox's 13 points helped South Florida defeat Portland 74-68 on Thursday. Knox also had six rebounds for the Bulls (3-2). Brandon Stroud added 11 points while shooting 4 for 12 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line while he also had six rebounds. Jamille Reynolds shot 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points. The Pilots (2-3) were led in scoring by Max Mackinnon, who finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Vincent Delano added 14 points for Portland. A.Rapp also had 11 points and eight rebounds. South Florida went into the half ahead of Portland 38-33. Knox scored eight second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder and weapons charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO's death
Bill Clinton Hospitalized After Developing High Fever
NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism . Mangione's initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks , with the state charges expected to go to trial first. One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that the “warring jurisdictions" had turned Mangione into a “human ping-pong ball” and that New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other government officials had made him a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool. “I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood among a throng of heavily armed officers last Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania. Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle. She called out Adams' comment to a local TV station that he wanted to be there to look “him in the eye and say, ‘you carried out this terroristic act in my city.’” “He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest stage perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary,” she said. She also accused federal and state prosecutors of advancing conflicting legal theories, calling their approach confusing and highly unusual. In a statement, Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus wrote: “Critics can say all they want, but showing up to support our law enforcement and sending the message to New Yorkers that violence and vitriol have no place in our city is who Mayor Eric Adams is to his core.” “The cold-blooded assassination of Brian Thompson — a father of two — and the terror it infused on the streets of New York City for days has since been sickeningly glorified, shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of the internet,” Mamelak Altus said. State trial court Judge Gregory Carro said he has little control over what happens outside the courtroom, but can guarantee Mangione will receive a fair trial. Authorities say Mangione gunned down Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4. Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. He also was carrying a notebook expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives, according to federal prosecutors. At a news conference last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the severity of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.” “In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror,” he added. Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. During his court appearance Monday, he smiled at times when talking with his attorneys and stretched his right hand after an officer removed his cuffs. Outside the courthouse, a few dozen supporters chanted, “Free Luigi,” over the blare of a trumpet. Natalie Monarrez, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, said she joined the demonstration because she lost both her mother and her life savings as a result of denied insurance claims. “As extreme as it was, it jolted the conversation that we need to deal with this issue,” she said of the shooting. “Enough is enough, people are fed up.” An Ivy-league graduate from a prominent Maryland family, Mangione appeared to have cut himself off from family and friends in recent months. He posted frequently in online forums about his struggles with back pain. He was never a UnitedHealthcare client , according to the insurer. Thompson, a married father of two high-schoolers, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021. The killing has prompted some to voice their resentment at U.S. health insurers, with Mangione serving as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. It also has sent shockwaves through the corporate world , rattling executives who say they have received a spike in threats.
Live updates: High school football state championshipsUCF and Tulsa will test their mettle against each other on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Knights will make their first appearance in the event since recording a two-point loss to Missouri in 2022, while Tulsa's last trip to the Orange Bowl Classic was a loss to Florida State in 2012. UCF (7-2) may have something to prove being away from Addition Financial Arena. The Knights are 7-0 at home, whereas a November trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia produced an 86-70 loss to Wisconsin and a triple-overtime setback against LSU. The Knights relied heavily on their defense in Sunday's 66-51 win over Tarleton State. After a sluggish start offensively, UCF found its rhythm during a 37-point second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with a game-high 16 points and freshman center Moustapha Thiam collected 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. UCF's Big 12 opener draws closer (at Texas Tech, Dec. 31), but head coach Johnny Dawkins remains focused on daily improvement. "I feel a sense of urgency to get better, not with regards to Big 12 play to be quite frank, but every game," Dawkins said. "I don't look too far in the future. Pretty much I've always been in the moment as a player and as a person, and so for me it's about just getting better because it's our standards." Tulsa (4-6) looks to stop a three-game slide following a 70-66 home loss to Southern University last Saturday. Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, netting a season-high 23 points off the bench. But Isaiah Barnes, one of three Golden Hurricane players to start all 10 games, was injured in the first half and played only eight minutes. To complicate matters, head coach Eric Konkol's team is 0-6 when trailing at halftime. "We got to get some guys healthy that can be healthy for next Saturday (against UCF)," Konkol said. "We got a couple other guys dealing with some different things, but then (also) having some planning to figure out what's the best way going forward for this group." --Field Level Media