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Montana State kicker Myles Sansted has provided 'really impressive' consistency for Bobcats
Confronting Armageddon Wargaming Nuclear Deterrence And Its Failures Us China Conflict Over
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden's commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden “has shown our country — and the rest of the world — that the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, on the other hand, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Liz Murrill, Louisiana's Republican attorney general, criticized the commuted sentence of Len Davis, a former New Orleans policeman convicted of orchestrating the killing of a woman who had filed a complaint against him. “We can’t trust the Feds to get justice for victims of heinous crimes, so it’s long past time for the state to get it done,” the tough-on-crime Republican said in a written statement to the AP. Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.
GENEVA (AP) — Netflix has secured the U.S. broadcasting rights to the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031 as the streaming giant continues its push into live sports. The deal announced Friday is the most significant FIFA has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. The value was not given, though international competitions in women’s soccer have struggled to draw high-value offers. “Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix isn’t just about streaming matches,” its chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in a statement. “It’s also about celebrating the players, the culture and the passion driving the global rise of women’s sport.” Netflix dipped into live sports last month with more than 60 million households watching a heavily hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul. Some viewers reported streaming problems , however. Netflix also will broadcast two NFL games on Christmas Day: the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. That’s part of a three-year deal announced in May. World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences, and the last women's edition in 2023 earned FIFA less than 10% of the men's 2022 World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had publicly criticized public broadcasters , especially in Europe, for undervaluing offers to broadcast the 2023 tournament that was played in Australia and New Zealand. That tournament was broadcast by Fox in the U.S. “This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game,” Infantino said. The World Cup rights mark another major step in Netflix’s push into live programming. It’s recipe that Netflix has cooked up to help sell more advertising, a top priority for the company since it introduced a low-priced version of its streaming service that includes commercials two years ago. The ad-supported version is now the fastest growing part of Netflix’s service, although most of its 283 million worldwide subscribers till pay for higher-priced options without commercial. But Netflix is still trying to sell more ads to boost its revenue, which is expected to be about $30 billion. Netflix executives have predicted it might take two or three years before its ad sales become a major part of its revenue. Netflix expects to spend about $17 billion on programming this year — a budget that the Los Gatos, California, company once funneled almost entirely into scripted TV series and movies. But Netflix is now allocating a significant chunk of that money to sports and live events, a shift that has made it a formidable competitor to traditional media bidding for the same rights. FIFA will likely use the Netflix deal to drive talks with European broadcasters that likely will be hardball negotiations. Soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire, a co-host of The Price of Football podcast, suggested the deal was “a bit of a gamble" for FIFA and “saber-rattling” by Infantino. “(Netflix) get experience of football broadcasting, FIFA can say, ‘we are now partnering with a blue chip organization, so watch out you nasty Europeans,’” Maguire, an academic at the University of Liverpool, said in a telephone interview. FIFA and Infantino also want to raise the price of broadcast deals to help fund increased prize money and close the gender pay gap on the men’s World Cup. At the men’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 32 team federations shared $440 million in prize money. For the women’s 2023 tournament , FIFA had a $152 million total fund for prize money, contributions to teams’ preparation costs and payments to players’ clubs. In FIFA’s financial accounts for 2023 , the soccer body reported total broadcasting revenue of $244 million. In the year of the men’s 2022 World Cup it was almost $2.9 billion. The next Women's World Cup will be a 32-team, 64-game tournament in 2027, played in Brazil from June 24-July 25. The U.S. originally bid jointly with Mexico. The 2031 host has not been decided, though the U.S. likely will bid for a tournament which FIFA is expected to try to expand to 48 teams. That would match the size of the 104-game format of the men's World Cup that debuts in 2026 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Spain won the 2023 Women's World Cup after the U.S. won the two previous titles — in France in 2019 and Canada in 2015. More than 25 million viewers in the U.S. watched the 2015 World Cup final, a 5-2 win over Japan, played in Vancouver, Canada, in a time zone similarly favorable to Brazil. FIFA tried to sign Apple+ to an exclusive global deal to broadcast the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup which is being played in 11 U.S. cities next June and July. Broadcast networks showed little interest in the FIFA club event that will now be broadcast for free on streaming service DAZN, which is building closer business ties to Saudi Arabia. Ahead of the next Women's World Cup, Netflix will "produce exclusive documentary series in the lead-up to both tournaments, spotlighting the world’s top players, their journeys and the global growth of women’s football,” FIFA said. AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.BOZEMAN — Myles Sansted’s excitement only grew as Montana was stopped on a fourth-and-3 with 25 seconds left in the first half. The turnover around midfield meant a field goal attempt was in play. Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott orchestrated a quick drive to the UM 32-yard line with four seconds remaining. As Sansted set up on the right hash, the Grizzlies called a timeout. MSU reserve QB and holder Patrick Duchien cracked jokes to ease the tension. Sansted — who took UM’s aggressiveness as a lack of belief in MSU’s placekicking operation — was fired up. He trusted his process, relying on the personal affirmations he repeats on the sideline. He trusted Tommy Sullivan on the snap, Duchien on the hold and his blockers up front. Sansted didn’t go for “a bigger swing” on the 49-yard attempt, he said, instead making contact as he had all season. Not only was it a new personal best for Sansted, but the make put the Bobcats up three scores at the break en route to . Myles Sansted connects from 4⃣9⃣! 🎯 | Sansted remembered being on the sideline for the 2023 edition of the Brawl of the Wild, a 37-7 MSU loss in Missoula. All the Alexandria, Minnesota, native could do at the time was watch. In 2024, Sansted made his own impact. “To do it for all the Montana guys on the team (was great), but also we’re all Montanans now. We’re all Bobcats,” Sansted said. “It was really just a dream come true.” Just a week before, Sansted had come up inches short on a 47-yard FG attempt at UC Davis, with the ball bouncing off the crossbar. A week later, Sansted nailed a 49-yarder with room to spare. Maybe it was the elevation, the wind or extra “juice,” said MSU special teams quality control coach Marcus Monaco. Regardless of external factors, Sansted didn’t change his approach. “Being able to execute at halftime, two-minute drill, that was really impressive in a really big moment,” Monaco said. Consistency was an issue for MSU’s placekicking unit throughout the 2023 season, with the Bobcats missing a combined nine FGs and six point-after attempts between Brendan Hall and Casey Kautzman. The season ended on a blocked PAT in to North Dakota State. After , along with an injury to Kautzman, MSU turned to Sansted. The Bobcats found that stability they were looking for in Sansted, a walk-on in his second stint with the team. He's made 62 of 64 PATs and 12 of 16 FGs, good for the second-most points of any player in the Big Sky Conference (98), only behind UC Davis running back Lan Larison (122). “He’s filled a void from a consistency perspective that we didn’t have last year and we’ll continue to need as these games get bigger and bigger,” said MSU head coach Brent Vigen. “So I’m very pleased with what he’s been able to do and I don’t know if I would have seen this coming when he chose to come to Montana State a few years back.” Montana State kicker Myles Sansted kicks an extra point attempt during a game against Sacramento State on Nov. 9 at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. Sansted, who is also Vigen’s nephew, was a four-sport athlete at Alexandria High School, competing in basketball, soccer, track and field and as a kicker on the football team. He got a taste of playing in big games, such as the boys basketball Class 3A state championship game as a junior in 2021. Alexandria lost 80-29 to Minnehaha Academy, which was led by future Gonzaga and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren. Sansted noted how tight-knit his team was, something he didn’t think he’d find again until he joined the Bobcats. Sansted didn’t make much of an effort to play sports at the next level. A few offers from Division III schools in Minnesota came in, but he narrowed it down to MSU and Kansas. He ultimately chose MSU after receiving some scholarship money and the chance to be close to family. Sansted — whose mother is the twin sister of Brent Vigen’s wife, Molly — said his family has been “super supportive” since day one in Bozeman. “(My cousins) Jake and Grant and Luke (Vigen), they’re also Bobcat fans and so they’re cheering for me,” Sansted added. “So it’s been super cool to kind of get to go through all that together.” Sansted also knew wherever he went to college he would try to walk on as a kicker. He first joined the Bobcats in spring 2023, shortly after then-starting kicker Blake Glessner transferred to UCLA. He worked through the summer and got two weeks in fall camp before being told he wouldn’t make that year’s roster. The Bobcats had added Hall through the transfer portal along with Kautzman as a walk-on. Sansted returned for one last shot in spring 2024. He injured his quad on the second day of spring ball, but got in three practices and appeared in the Sonny Holland Classic, making three PATs. He continued to compete for playing time alongside Kautzman, Hall and two kickers the Bobcats brought in during fall camp. Sansted said each kicker supported each other because “we all want what’s best for Montana State.” Monaco added that it was important to replicate game scenarios as much as possible and keep everyone healthy. Montana State’s Myles Sansted practices kicks on the sidelines during a game against Mercyhurst on Sept. 21 at Bobcat Stadium. “We needed to understand how we were going to be able to operate in stressful situations, knowing that we had a good shot to be pretty good this year and knowing that he’s going to be in some (high-pressure) situations,” Monaco said. Sansted got the starting job and Hall focused on punting and kickoffs. Duchien — who was also battling for reps at QB — was named the first-string holder. Sansted said Duchien has been “so money” all season and added that Sullivan, who has started 50-plus games at long snapper, has been a rock. “Tommy makes my job pretty easy,” Duchien added. “He gets to me every time, laces are usually already out by the time I’m catching the ball. It’s a pretty cool job and I enjoy working with those guys.” There was still a level of uncertainty heading into the season opener at New Mexico. Duchien remembered talking with Sansted on the sideline about a potential game-tying field goal and noticed how Sansted was “really nervous” about kicking in high winds. That didn’t come to pass, with MSU . In his first game, Sansted went 5 for 5 on PATs. That consistency carried throughout the regular season, with Sansted missing two PATs and four FGs. Monaco said those misses can partly be chalked up to Sansted being hyped up after a big play. One example was a blocked PAT after wide receiver Taco Dowler’s 79-yard punt return TD against Davis. “It could be a one-play drive,” Monaco said. “We’ve had multiple of those this year where it’s been a really big explosive, and we've got to be ready to go out there and (execute).” Sansted said he’s worked with counselor John Shirkey, as well as utilizing prayer and his personal affirmations to bounce back from a missed or blocked kick. He’s implemented a one kick-at-a-time mindset. “Also the guys are super supportive,” Sansted said, adding, “You know they got your back, and that’s a huge motivator to (be like), ‘Hey, I got the next one.’” Montana State kicker Myles Sansted lines up a field goal attempt in the second half against Idaho on Oct. 12 at Bobcat Stadium. Vigen said Sansted has only mis-hit a few balls this season and has otherwise been consistent in all 12 games. That’s been achieved through Sansted’s mentality and how the Bobcats approach practices. MSU hasn’t over-extended reps, Monaco said, because fatigue can play a role. The additions of the new scoreboard and the indoor practice facility have changed the direction of the wind in Bobcat Stadium. The group has also focused on executing in inclement weather and high-pressure situations. The most important thing, Monaco said, is sticking to the same process each time out. “That kick’s got no chance if we don’t give it a chance,” Monaco added. “So we got to be able to go out and give it the best opportunity to go that we can.” Sansted, who approaches each kick the same, has connected on long-range kicks several times. That includes a 44-yarder at Idaho State, a 45-yarder at Portland State and the 49-yarder at Cat-Griz. Since the season opener, Duchien has noticed Sansted growing in confidence. “Now I can kind of see on the sideline he’s ready to go,” Duchien said, adding, “He wants to go out there and kick these big kicks.” Montana State's Myles Sansted makes a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter against Idaho State on Sept. 28 at the ICCU Dome in Pocatello, Idaho. Around the time of the Eastern Washington game on Nov. 2, Sansted felt a shift in how much his coaches relied on him. He said the faith of Vigen, Monaco and special teams coordinator/WRs coach Justin Udy has propelled him in his first season. “That can’t just be built at one point,” Sansted added. “It’s built time over time again, rep over rep in practice and in games.” Monaco has seen Sansted mature all season, now “knowing that he belongs” on a national title contender. Vigen pointed to how MSU’s offense wants to be aggressive around midfield, but can rely on Sansted to come through in key situations as well. While it hasn’t been a linear journey, Sansted said he “wouldn’t trade it for the world.” “Not being on the team for two seasons and being able to do this with this group, I wouldn’t change anything,” Sansted said. “I think it made me stronger mentally, especially, and just going through it each and every day. It’s been super rewarding.” Braden Shaw can be reached at or 406-582-2690. Follow him on Twitter @ByBradenShaw Get local news delivered to your inbox!
New conflict in northeast Syria could bring 'dramatic consequences' --UN envoyATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Republicans recommended on Friday that the state write laws banning transgender girls and women from participating in high school and college sports, setting the stage for action in the 2025 legislative session. The vote by a committee that was studying the issue is hardly a surprise. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a possible Republican contender for governor in 2026 — announced almost identical goals at the panel's first meeting in August . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
LOS ANGELES , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sports and recreational injuries send more than 3.5 million Americans to the hospital emergency room each year according to the National Safety Council. The problem is much greater in collegiate sports, where NCAA injury incident reports reached 1.3 million in 2022. Beyond soft tissue damage, these injuries include life-altering Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears and Traumatic Brain Injuries. To reduce the occurrence and impact of sports-related injuries, CLR Neurosthenics today launched CLR Advantage TM , a groundbreaking solution that employs interactive software and a wearable, wireless sensor network to collect real-time neurophysiological data while athletes perform pre-programmed physical exercises, cognitive tests, reaction games and position drills. This data is then used to instantly generate reports that reveal hidden deficiencies, indicate player readiness, and guide training routines for injury prevention, performance optimization and rehabilitation. Designed by a team of leading sports neurophysiologists and biometric engineers, patent-pending CLR Advantage TM utilizes FDA-approved qEEG brain wave sensors and physiological monitors to capture a continuous stream of high-resolution data, including cortical power, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, trapezoidal tension, galvanic skin response and peripheral temperature. The solution then employs NASA technology to process biometric signals and report on neurophysiological capabilities, including brain connectivity, power, activation and symmetry during various physical tasks and mental exercises. CLR Advantage TM finally correlates event-marked physiologic data to reinforce neurologic observations. For example, data may indicate certain risk in an athlete that exhibits an elevated heart rate, neurologic asymmetry and qEEG inhibition during a single-leg balance exercise. CLR Advantage TM recently completed a two-year clinical trial with 177 NCAA Division I athletes at the University of Cincinnati . Performed in partnership with Select Medical at the University's Sports Medicine Department, the study compared the neurophysiological performance of healthy athletes with those suffering from ACL injuries. Results from the study, which continues to assess injured athletes through various stages of rehabilitation, were published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy . To supplement ongoing research, CLR Advantage TM is currently employed by the NFL Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) to study ACL injury propensity through assessments that include a variety of dynamic force exercises. "For the first time, we now have a better understanding of exactly how the brain is impacted by an acute injury," said Robert Mangine, Senior Athletic Director of Sports Medicine at the University of Cincinnati and Residency Director for NovaCare Rehabilitation. "CLR Advantage TM allows us to look at brain activity as athletes progress through the rehabilitation, then use that data and musculoskeletal measures to determine a safe return to play." The Microsoft Azure cloud-powered CLR Advantage TM platform provides an end-to-end, HIPAA-compliant solution for operators to organize teams, create athlete profiles, schedule appointments, conduct assessments, monitor live biometric data, and generate comprehensive analytic reports. Offered on a subscription basis, the solution is available for demonstration at CLR Neurosthenics' Los Angeles Assessment Center. https://clradvantage.com/ For additional information contact: Mark O'Bryan (424) 256-7264 mark.obryan@clradvantage.com 1 https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/144/5/e20192759/38190/Soccer-Injuries-in-Children-and-Adolescents 2 https://perma.cc/9EG6-6TBJ ; Robert L. Parisien et. al., Implementation of an Injury Prevention Program in NCAA Division I Athletics Reduces Injury-Related Health Care Costs. 9 Orthopedic J. of Sports Med. (2023). https://ijspt.org/task-driven-neurophysiological-qeeg-baseline-performance-capabilities-in-healthy-uninjured-division-i-college-athletes/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clr-neurosthenics-launches-neurophysiological-assessment-platform-to-help-prevent-sports-injuries-optimize-performance-and-improve-rehabilitation-302334112.html SOURCE CLR NeurosthenicsWASHINGTON (AP) — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers only have a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.
In the waning days of President Joe Biden 's administration, the government's highway safety agency is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles. But a rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration putting the plan in place won't be approved before the end of Biden's term in January and likely will be left to whoever runs the agency under Republican Donald Trump . Tesla CEO Elon Musk , whom Trump has named to co-lead a “Department of Government Efficiency” to cut costs and regulations, has floated the idea of him helping to develop safety standards for self-driving vehicles — even though the standards would affect Tesla's automated driving systems. At present there are no federal regulations that specifically govern autonomous vehicles, and any regulation is left to states. However, self-driving vehicles must meet broad federal safety standards that cover all passenger vehicles. Under the agency's proposal, released on Friday, automakers and autonomous vehicle companies could enroll in a program that would require safety plans and some data reporting for autonomous vehicles operating on public roads. To apply companies would have to have independent assessments of their automated vehicle safety processes, and there would be requirements to report crashes and other problems with the vehicles. Companies would have to give NHTSA information and data on the safety of the design, development and operations of the vehicles. The agency would decide whether to accept companies into the program. But auto safety advocates say the plan falls short of needed regulation for self-driving vehicles. For instance, it doesn't set specific performance standards set for the vehicles such as numbers and types of of sensors or whether the vehicles can see objects in low-visibility conditions, they said. “This is a big bunch of nothing,” said Missy Cummings, director of the autonomy and robotics center at George Mason University and a former safety adviser to NHTSA. “It’ll be more of a completely useless paperwork drill where the companies swear they’re doing the right thing.” Michael Brooks , executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said one of the few good things about the plan is that companies will have to report data on crashes and other problems. There have been reports that the Trump administration may want to scrap a NHTSA order that now requires autonomous vehicle companies to report crashes to the agency so it can collect data. A message was left Friday seeking comment from the Trump transition team on crash reporting requirements. Brooks said the incoming administration probably will want to put out its own version of the guidelines. NHTSA will seek public comment on the plan for about 60 days, then the plan would have to wind its way through the federal regulatory process, which can take months or even years. “It is important that ADS (Automated Driving System) technology be deployed in a manner that protects the public from unreasonable safety risk while at the same time allowing for responsible development of this technology, which has the potential to advance safety,” the proposed rule says. The agency concedes that in the future, there may be a need for NHTSA to set minimum standards for self driving vehicle performance that are similar to mandatory safety standards that govern human-driven cars. But the agency says it now doesn't have data and metrics to support those standards. The voluntary plan would help gather those, the proposal said.Netflix signs US broadcast deal with FIFA for the Women's World Cup in 2027 and 2031
Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, giving the market its fifth gain in a row and notching another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The Dow added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tacked on 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts’ estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company’s Dish Network unit. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks rose on Wall Street in afternoon trading Friday, keeping the market on track for its fifth straight gain. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% and was solidly on track for a weekly gain that will erase most of last week's loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 333 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat with a gain of less than 0.1% as of 3:07 p.m. Eastern. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 10.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 1.5% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.4% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 were gaining ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.3%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.6%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.8% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, Bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December. Damian J. Troise And Alex Veiga, The Associated PressNone
Wireless antennas harness light to decode cellular communication signalsMontana State kicker Myles Sansted has provided 'really impressive' consistency for Bobcats
Caves of Qud isn’t a new game by any means. Over 15 years of development, Freehold Games has built a community of passionate players over a long period of early access. But on Wednesday, Caves of Qud finally enjoyed a 1.0 launch, and is available for sale on Steam , Itch.io , and GOG . It’s not easy to categorize Caves of Qud , because it covers so much ground — quite literally, since it’s generating an entire world full of ancient ruins, toxic jungles, scattered settlements, mutants, beasts, clones, sentient bears, and mysterious robots. It’s advertised as a “science fantasy roguelike epic” and a “deep simulation” that allows the players to do basically anything. Thanks to all the technology and magic of the setting, that can be anything from arguing with a sentient plant to becoming a spider and trapping your enemies in webs. The 1.0 update adds a tutorial to teach the basics of the game, which was sorely needed, and adds a final quest to the main questline that initiates the end of the game. There are several new music tracks, as well as sound effects. Players can also earn 40 new achievements, find new items, and enjoy lots of minor bug fixes and quality of life changes. The obvious comparison to draw here is to Dwarf Fortress , another visually simple but stunningly complex game that simulates every aspect of the environment. Much like Dwarf Fortress , a run-through of Caves of Qud is similarly spicy and unique. The game originally only had permadeath, but the Roleplay and Wander modes are much more casual and allow for exploration of this strange new world. Gaming PCWASHINGTON (AP) — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers only have a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison. ___ Farnoush Amiri, The Associated PressPeople invited by the National Science and Technology Council to attend next month’s CES in Las Vegas hold placards at an event in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Hsu Tze-lin, Taipei Times By Hsu Tze-lin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer Seventy-two inventions have been selected to showcase the nation’s technological innovation at next year’s CES — formerly an initialism for the Consumer Electronics Show — the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) said yesterday. 請繼續往下閱讀... The CES is to take place in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 to 10. Those selected were mainly related to artificial intelligence (AI), digital medicine, smart city, sustainability and vehicle technology, NSTC Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said. Smart city technology, AI and digital medicine accounted for 37 percent, 25 percent and 24 percent of the chosen entries respectively, he added. Taiwanese inventors’ participation in CES 2025 is a boon for the nation’s efforts to build international markets, supply chains and sovereign AI technology, Wu said, adding that the event helps connect innovators with investors. The council’s vision is for the nation to use innovative technology in the service industry to supplement the high-tech manufacturing sector’s contributions to the economy, he said. On Jan. 3, officials are to unveil a project to facilitate development and manufacture of general utility technology that can be applied across the economy, Wu said. The National Laboratory Animal Center, FaceHeart Corp and R2C2 Limited clinched a CES innovation award, the NSTC said in a statement. The National Laboratory Animal Center’s invention — an integrated system to simulate blood clot formation to replace animal testing — was also its first, it said, adding that the platform can model clotting and pharmaceutical effects in multiple species. FaceHeart’s creation was an AI-based imagery system that can derive a 90 percent accurate measurement of a person’s cardiovascular health index from a 45-second scan, the NSTC said. The R2C2 Arc system is a mobile platform that can manage industrial robot fleets, featuring large language model AI and block-chain enabled information security measures, it said. Ministry of Digital Affairs Chief Secretary Betty Hu (胡貝蒂) said the ministry has obtained a NT$10 billion (US$305.89 million) budget from the council to fund Taiwanese AI and other digital technology developers whose products are not monetized yet. The selected inventors are welcome to apply for government funding, as they are presumed to be eligible under the ministry’s guidelines, she said. Additional reporting by CNA 新聞來源: TAIPEI TIMES 不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎 點我下載APP 按我看活動辦法
Home for the holidays? Show relatives you care with some tech supportWhen Inter Miami were dumped out of Major League Soccer's playoffs in the first round, their former Spain international full-back Jordi Alba questioned the fairness of the post-season format. Miami had topped the Eastern Conference and the overall regular season standings with a record points tally a performance which earned them the 'Supporters' Shield'. But there would be no title battle against the best in the West for Lionel Messi and Company after they contrived to lose two matches in their best-of-three series against an Atlanta United team which finished ninth in the East and 20th in the overall standings. "I think this format is a bit unfair. It has been done for many years but I think it should be the champion of one conference against the champion of the other, to make it as fair as possible," Alba said. Alba's comments prompted much debate among MLS fans and plenty of accusations of sour grapes but they did serve to highlight that this year's playoffs, if not MLS's playoffs in general, would certainly not be a battle of the best versus best. Defending champions Columbus Crew, who finished second in the Supporters' Shield race, were also eliminated in the first round, adding to the sense that the knockout phase of the season is very much a competition of its own. So on Saturday, after the international break disrupted the flow of the post-season, the Conference semi-finals, will see a "Hudson River Derby" between two New York teams who couldn't finish in the top 10 in the regular season. New York City, Manchester City's sister club, have home-field advantage after finishing in 13th spot while the New York Red Bulls travel from New Jersey, having ended up in 16th place. The 'home field' isn't actually NYCFC's usual home of Yankee Stadium, which is being used for a college football game, but Citi Field, home of New York's other baseball club, the Mets. Later on Saturday, in the Western Conference, 2022 MLS Cup winners and last year's beaten finalists, Los Angeles FC, are at home to the Seattle Sounders. That fixture feels much more like the kind of playoff game that was expected -- LAFC finished top of the West while Seattle were fourth. LAFC faces the Sounders for the fourth time in an elimination match over the last 13 months, having defeated Seattle in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals, the 2024 Leagues Cup quarterfinal and the 2024 US Open Cup semifinal. Each of those matches was hosted by Seattle. LAFC, with former France stars in goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and striker Olivier Giroud, enter the encounter unbeaten in their last 10 meetings with the Sounders, with their last loss to Seattle coming in a 2-0 defeat in 2021. On Sunday, surprise package Atlanta, with their 40-year-old goalkeeper Brad Guzan having impressed so many with his heroics against Miami, will return to Florida to take on Orlando City, who finished fourth in the East. Atlanta won at Orlando on the last day of the regular campaign, a victory that allowed them to sneak into the wildcard round but which also completed a home and away double for the Georgia side. "Obviously, in Major League Soccer, anything can happen," said Orlando coach Oscar Pareja. "Our responsibility is to play one game at a time. This one, we're going to be ready for sure," he added. The weekend rounds off with Los Angeles Galaxy hosting Minnesota United who, under former Manchester United assistant coach Eric Ramsay, came through a best-of-three series against higher-ranked Real Salt Lake. The Galaxy start as favourites but, as this season has shown in abundance, that counts for little. "We know they are a top team at this level with top individual players who are very difficult to beat at home but...I feel that if we are a good version of what we have been over the last 10-12 games... I certainly won't be painting it as a one sided game," said Ramsay. sev/js
MCKINNEY, Texas , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hartwater Aesthetics ® , a leading medical aesthetic brand, announced an expansion of its clinical and leadership team with the addition of a new aesthetic provider and a new practice manager at its location in McKinney, TX. The Hartwater Clinical team is joined by Tiffany Byres , LMA, a licensed Medical Aesthetician, Certified Laser Technician, and Laser Safety Officer with 13 years of experience in the plastic surgery and medical aesthetics space. Byres brings to Hartwater an extensive knowledge of skin care techniques and protocols as well as expertise with numerous laser technologies and other treatments to provide top-quality care to patients. Joining the leadership team as Practice Manager is Lauren Parker , an experienced operational and sales leader in the beauty industry. Parker will oversee daily operations at the practice and ensure the continued delivery of a seamless, patient-focused experience. This growth reflects Hartwater's ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional care and innovative services to its patients. The team expansion marks an exciting new chapter for Hartwater Aesthetics ® as it continues to set the standard for medical aesthetic care. About Hartwater Aesthetics ® Hartwater Aesthetics ® is a premier medical aesthetic practice offering industry-leading treatments for the face, body, and skin. It is home to a team of world-class aesthetic providers and uses the most state-of-the-art technology to offer patients the highest quality of care available. Media Contact: pr@h artwatera esthetics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hartwater-aesthetics-expands-team-302337620.html SOURCE Hartwater AestheticsGeorgia Republicans recommend further law to restrict transgender women's participation in sports