Reilly scores 18 as Delaware downs Rider 72-66CVG Announces Election of Jeffrey S. Niew to Board of Directors
How Rosalynn Carter shaped Jimmy Carter's presidency, volunteerismDallas Cowboys star guard Zack Martin is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders due to ankle and shoulder injuries. Martin didn't practice at all this week. He also physically struggled during Monday night's loss to the Houston Texas. Martin, who turned 34 on Wednesday, has started all 162 games played in 11 seasons with the Cowboys. He's a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a seven-time first-team All-Pro. Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) and safety Markquese Bell (shoulder) have been ruled out. Neither player practiced this week after being hurt against the Texans. Cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) practiced in full this week and will make his season debut. He was injured in August. Star wideout CeeDee Lamb (back/foot) was a full practice participant on Friday and is good to go. Cornerback Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) are among six players listed as questionable. The others are offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (toe), guard Tyler Smith (ankle/knee), defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee) and linebacker Nick Vigil (foot). --Field Level Media
Ex-Broncos 1,000-yard receivers would welcome Courtland Sutton reaching milestone | NFL InsiderRob Pelinka (Image via Getty) The Los Angeles Lakers have carried out a significant trade with the Brooklyn Nets , acquiring forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, rookie Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round draft picks. NBA insider Shams Charania first reported the trade on December 29, 2024, marking a strategic move for both organizations. The deal represents a notable shift in the Lakers' roster construction while keeping funds for future transactions. For Russell, the trade meant that he would return to Brooklyn and this is where his NBA journey began. The former second-overall pick heads back to the Nets organization five years after being traded to the Golden State Warriors in the Kevin Durant deal. The main focus of the trade, Finney-Smith, brings his $14,924,167 contract to Los Angeles, while Milton joins the Los Angeles Lakers on a $2,875,000 deal. This financial structure allows the Lakers to maintain their two valuable tradeable first-round picks, preserving ammunition for potential future moves. Finney-Smith Dorian (Image via Getty) "The Lakers are sending D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith," Charania reported through his social media channels, confirming the trade package involved in the transaction. The trade significantly impacts both teams' depth charts for the 2024-25 NBA season. For the Lakers, the addition of Finney-Smith provides defensive versatility and three-point shooting capability, while Milton adds backcourt depth to their rotation. The departure of Russell, who had been a key playmaker for the Lakers, opens up new opportunities in their guard rotation. The inclusion of rookie Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks demonstrates the Los Angeles Lakers' commitment to acquiring proven talent while managing their future assets responsibly. This trade represents another bold move by the Lakers' front office as they continue to reshape their roster around their core players. The acquisition of Finney-Smith and Milton suggests a focus on defensive versatility and shooting, addressing specific needs within their rotation. Also read: Top 30 most valuable NBA teams of 2024 The transaction's timing, occurring midway through the season, shows that both teams felt the need to make significant moves to improve their respective positions. As the season progresses, we will get to see how well this trade was for both organizations as they integrate their new players into their systems.TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.
abrdn Asia Focus plc ( LON:AAS – Get Free Report ) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as GBX 297.01 ($3.74) and last traded at GBX 296 ($3.72), with a volume of 76156 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 294 ($3.70). abrdn Asia Focus Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.19, a quick ratio of 3.67 and a current ratio of 11.29. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is GBX 284.88 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 280.41. The company has a market capitalization of £454.51 million, a P/E ratio of 3,288.89 and a beta of 0.62. abrdn Asia Focus Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a dividend of GBX 1 ($0.01) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a yield of 0.36%. abrdn Asia Focus’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6,666.67%. Insider Transactions at abrdn Asia Focus abrdn Asia Focus Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Aberdeen Standard Asia Focus PLC operates as an investment trust that invests in a portfolio of smaller companies in Japan, Asia, and Australasia. The trust invests in companies operating in various sectors, including auto components; beverages; chemicals; commercial banks; containers and packaging; diversified financial services; food and staples retailing; hotels, restaurants, and leisure; industrial conglomerates; multiline retail; paper and forest products; real estate; and transportation infrastructure. See Also Receive News & Ratings for abrdn Asia Focus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for abrdn Asia Focus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Percentages: FG .448, FT .875. 3-Point Goals: 1-16, .063 (Dezonie 1-2, Berry 0-1, Brown 0-2, Stanford 0-2, Gray 0-3, Mashburn 0-3, Settle 0-3). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Berry 2, Durodola, Settle). Turnovers: 15 (Berry 5, Mashburn 4, Dezonie 2, Durodola, Gray, Settle, Stanford). Steals: 4 (Dezonie 2, Brown, Durodola). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .395, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 7-25, .280 (McKeithan 3-6, Lilley 2-4, Marrero 1-4, Shepherd 1-5, White 0-2, Vahlberg Fasasi 0-4). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 8 (Lilley 2, Jones, Marrero, McKeithan, Shepherd, Vahlberg Fasasi, White). Turnovers: 6 (White 2, Jones, Marrero, Shepherd, Vahlberg Fasasi). Steals: 12 (Marrero 3, Jones 2, McKeithan 2, White 2, Etienne, Lilley, Vahlberg Fasasi). Technical Fouls: None. A_3,001 (3,400).
360 Stocks in the S&P 500 Underperformed the Benchmark's 2024 Gain of 24%. Here's 2 High-Yielding S&P 500 Stocks to Buy in 2025, According to Wall Street.
PLAINS, Georgia (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. The untimely death of his father, a farmer who went by “Mr. Earl,” brought the submariner and his wife, , back to a rural life they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant would never be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. And, years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The life of James Earl Carter Jr. ended Sunday where it began. Plains fueled the rise of the 39th U.S. president, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service as a global humanitarian. With an optimism rooted in Baptist faith and an engineer’s stubborn confidence, Carter showed a missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day,” 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.” Many Americans judged his presidency ineffective for failing to end an energy crisis, turn around the economy or quickly bring American hostages home from Tehran. He won widespread admiration instead for The Carter Center — which has advocated for , human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the many years he and Rosalynn swung hammers with . Carter’s allies relished that he and Rosalynn, who died Nov. 19, 2023, lived to see . “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a repeat visitor during his own White House bid. Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative.” Republicans cast him as a left-wing cartoon. He could be classified a centrist, Buttigieg told the AP, “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.” Carter’s vow to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate with a transparent, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who cast government as the problem. His efficiency mandate could put him at odds with Democrats. Still, he scored wins on the environment, education and ; expanded federally protected lands; began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking; ; and unlike later presidents, added a relative pittance to the national debt. Carter had , grinning enthusiastically and promising he would “never lie” to them. Once in Washington, he could seem like a joyless engineer, insisting that political rewards would follow facts and logic. Such tenacity worked well at Camp David as Carter brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, but it failed him as the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to get past a “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone, saying “there you go again” in response to a wonky debate answer. “The Great Communicator” won all but six states. Carter later acknowledged an incompatibility with Washington insiders who looked down on his team as “country come to town.” His closest adviser was Rosalynn Carter, who joined his Cabinet meetings. When she urged him to postpone relinquishing the Panama Canal, Carter said he was “going to do what’s right” even if meant he wouldn’t get re-elected, recalled her aide, Kathy Cade. “She’d remind him you have to win to govern,” Cade said. Carter won by navigating divides on race, class and ideology. He offered himself as an outsider to Atlanta and Washington, a peanut farmer with a nickname who carried his own luggage. in a home without running water or electricity, he was raised by a progressive mother and racist father. He and Rosalynn privately supported integration in the 1950s, but he didn’t push to desegregate schools, and there’s no record of him supporting the 1965 Voting Rights Act as a state senator. Carter ran to the right of his rival to then landed on the cover of Time magazine by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” He didn’t befriend civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s family until he ran for president. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southernness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor who wrote a book on Carter’s campaign. Carter was the last Democratic nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, as he did in Georgia, he used his power as president to appoint more nonwhites than all his predecessors had, combined. Many years later, Carter called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t consult Rosalynn before moving their family back to Plains or launching his state Senate bid. He called the mother of their four children in government and at The Carter Center as well as at home. “I just loved it,” she said of campaigning, despite the bitterness of defeat. True or not, the label of a failed presidency had for many years. Carter remained relevant as a freelance diplomat, writing more than 30 books and weighing in on societal challenges. Carter declared after Donald Trump’s presidential victory that But he also warned Democrats against moving too far left, lest they help re-elect him, and said many failed to understand Trump’s populist appeal. Pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again for would-be presidents in recent years, and well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ , where he and where his last funeral will be held. In his farewell presidential address, Carter urged citizens who had embraced or rejected him to do their part as Americans. “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 as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” to where he had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” Bill Barrow, The Associated Press《TAIPEI TIMES》 US approves US$387m in arms salesThe circumstances around Swanson’s injury are unclear, namely when he sustained the hernia. The Cubs had been unaware he was playing through it, which Swanson revealed to the team after the season ended when he wanted to see a specialist and get it fixed in October. “We were surprised, candidly, which is fine,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Monday at the MLB winter meetings. “That’s his personality, he was going to play, but clearly he was feeling something he wanted to get fixed.” The Cubs’ middle infield tandem of Swanson and second baseman Nico Hoerner (right flexor tendon) are both coming off surgery, which has affected the start of their offseasons. Swanson, 30, takes pride in being in the lineup every day, at one point playing in every game in a three-year stretch (2020-22). There is always a balance for players trying to grind through an ailment, a tipping point when that choice hurts more than helps a team. That occurred with Swanson’s knee injury he sustained in late April, eventually going on the injured list one week into May when it became visually apparent with his on-field performance that he needed time off to heal. In Hoerner’s case, the Cubs understood he was playing with an injury for a majority of the season and wasn’t throwing as well as usual. This meant they couldn’t use him to fill in for Swanson at shortstop for more than one game at a time. “In (Nico’s) situation we knew, OK, at the end of the year, we’ll get this looked at but in Dansby’s case we weren’t aware,” Hoyer said. “He had a great second half, he played great defense, he was really good offensively. Yeah, it was unexpected.” Hoerner’s injury was more significant and leaves less wiggle room for being ready for the start of the season compared to Swanson, mitigating the level of concern of potentially being without their starting middle infielders to open the 2025 season. “I would say I’m grateful we have two guys who will go out there with things going on and still give really good efforts and still be productive players,” manager Craig Counsell said Monday. “I think every player goes into a season hoping this is the year I’m going to feel really, really good and not going to get bit by any of the injury stuff. I think in both cases they dealt with some stuff. It’s both things that they were able to stay on the field with. “But it affects you. I don’t have a prognosis that they’re going to be healthy 100% this year. I think both of them are going to go into camp knowing, ‘hey, I’m in a really good spot right now,’ and that’s always a good feeling.” Tauchman goes from North Side to South Side DALLAS — Mike Tauchman is going from the North Side to the South Side after agreeing to a major-league contract with the Chicago White Sox on Monday, a source confirmed to the Tribune. Tauchman slashed .248/.357/.366 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 109 games in 2024 for the Chicago Cubs. That included a walk-off home run leading off the ninth inning, giving the Cubs a 7-6 victory against the Sox on June 5 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs nontendered the Palatine native in November, making him a free agent. The 34-year-old has a .241/.344/.374 slash line with 60 doubles, 32 home runs and 155 RBIs in 474 career games during seven major-league seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2017-18), New York Yankees (2019-21), San Francisco Giants (2021) and Cubs (2023-24). He spent 2022 in the Korea Baseball Organization. MLB.com ’s Scott Merkin first reported Monday’s move. Terms of the deal are unknown. Tauchman is the second outfielder the Sox have signed to an MLB deal this offseason, joining Austin Slater — who agreed to a one-year, $1.75 million contract that was announced Nov. 20. The team’s starting outfield in 2024 featured Andrew Benintendi in left field, Luis Robert Jr. in center and Dominic Fletcher in right field. Robert has been mentioned in trade speculation. Slater, Zach DeLoach, Corey Julks and Oscar Colás are also currently on the 40-man roster. – LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune
Nearly 13 months after his beloved wife Rosalynn died in November 2023, former President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100, the Carter Center confirmed on Sunday. The former president made a rare public appearance at her memorial service. He sat in a wheelchair with a blanket that had a picture of him and Rosalynn together. He would also make a rare public appearance on October 1 as his hometown celebrated his 100th birthday. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Carter said after his wife passed away. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The couple was married for 77 years. They met as children, both growing up in Plains, Georgia. Their storied romance started when Jimmy was 17 years old. After their first date, he reportedly told his mom, “She’s the girl I want to marry.” The pair would marry not long after — in 1946. The couple moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where Jimmy was stationed after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. Like many military families, the Carters moved from city to city. Their three sons were born in three different states: Virginia, Hawaii and Connecticut. Their only daughter was born in their home state of Georgia. Jimmy left the military in 1953 and began a career in politics about 10 years later. RELATED STORY | Former President Jimmy Carter dies at age 100 Rosalynn was reportedly an important member of Jimmy’s campaign team when he ran for governor of Georgia, a race he won in 1970. After serving four years as governor, Jimmy decided to run for president. During the campaign, Rosalynn traveled the country independently, proving to be a strong advocate for her husband’s vision for the country. Jimmy Carter would go on to defeat President Gerald Ford and become the 39th president of the United States. Rosalynn was an active first lady. She attended cabinet meetings and frequently represented her husband at ceremonial events. Rosalynn shared in her husband’s efforts to work to make the U.S. government more “competent and compassionate,” the White House said. After leaving the White House in 1981, the couple returned to Georgia. They would go on to become some of the most notable philanthropists in the world. They founded The Carter Center, which is committed to protecting human rights around the world.The New York Knicks traveled to the nation’s capital to compete against the Washington Wizards. Determined to secure a victory on the road, the Knicks were led by a standout performance from Jalen Brunson. New York took a calculated risk defensively against the fast-paced Wizards, and it paid off in this game. Captain Brunson saves the Knicks The young players of Washington allowed Brunson to take 17 free throws, capitalizing on his clever footwork and skill to finish through contact, which makes him one of the toughest players to defend. He took advantage of their inexperience and refused to lose this time. Brunson finished the game with 55 points and nine assists, boasting an impressive 71 true shooting percentage. He is the fourth Knicks player this season to score over 40 points in a game. Last season, Brunson had moments where he was the entire offense for the Knicks, scoring at will and leading the team in points throughout the playoffs. As the captain, he welcomed new recruits during the offseason, which helped players like Towns and Bridges find their rhythm. Additionally, his significant improvement in playmaking showcases why Brunson is regarded as one of the best leaders in the NBA. Karl-Anthony Towns’ efficiency was through the roof Towns ‘ leading performance in rebounds per game is a testament to the tenacity he brings every night. With a stellar game totaling 30 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists on an impressive 68.4% shooting from the field, Towns has become a game-changer for New York. Previously, he was often labeled as “soft” and “unreliable.” However, he has transformed with a fresh start; as he stated about his time in Minnesota, “I was a boy then; I’m a man now.” December has marked a peak period of efficiency for Towns, as the Knicks have found their rhythm. This month, he has averaged 21.8 points and 14.8 rebounds per game, shooting an incredible 53% from the field and 41% from three-point range. This has been the best statistical stretch of Towns’ career in December. Mikal Bridges is the perfect third option The three-headed attack of Bridges, Brunson, and KAT played their roles to perfection in the win against Washington. Bridges kicked off the scoring and finished with 21 points on 57% shooting from the field, setting the tone for the Knicks and drawing the defense’s attention, which allowed Brunson to operate effectively. Over the last six games, Bridges has averaged 23 points on 58% shooting from the field and 48% from three-point range. When facing the Knicks, the defensive game plan must be based on probabilities, as the entire starting five commands respect from the defense and is capable of scoring over 40 points on any given night. With Bridges dropping 41 points on Christmas Day and Brunson following up with 55, there simply isn’t a viable defensive answer when the Knicks are firing on all cylinders. Duds- Gambling on defense Playing down to competition has been an issue for the New York Knicks early in the season, but as they enter the new year, they refused to lose against the Washington Wizards. It’s impressive to see New York’s offensive capabilities at their peak; however, allowing 132 points to the Wizards is concerning. Justin Champagnie , who had been receiving DNPs until earlier this month, just had the best game of his career. With a mix of rookies and sophomores alongside veterans like Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas, the Wizards almost managed to beat the Knicks, who boast All-NBA talent across the board. The NBA offers no easy nights, and teams like Washington are the ones against whom you need to impose your will. Thankfully, New York will face Washington again on Monday night, giving them a chance to silence any doubts about their defense. Takeaways It’s truly remarkable how the Knicks have turned things around just 32 games into the season. Earlier comparisons to the time when LeBron James joined the Miami Heat are not far-fetched, as the Knicks are now only one game behind where that Heat team stood after 32 games. Last season, they were referred to as the “January Knicks,” but with their star-studded roster and early success before the new year, it may be time to accept that this Knicks team is genuinely good and has the potential to remain competitive for the foreseeable future. This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland turned the ball over 25 times, blew a 17-point lead and was outrebounded in the second half. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland turned the ball over 25 times, blew a 17-point lead and was outrebounded in the second half. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland turned the ball over 25 times, blew a 17-point lead and was outrebounded in the second half. Coach Brenda Frese still had plenty to be happy about. “I thought it was a phenomenal game from two really competitive teams,” Frese said. “Credit Michigan State. We knew they were going to play hard for 40 minutes.” No. 8 Maryland faced its biggest test in a while Sunday, and the Terrapins held off the No. 19 Spartans 72-66. It wasn’t a pretty game from an offensive standpoint, but the Terps were able to execute when they needed to at the end. Up by two in the final minute, Shyanne Sellers found Christina Dalce on a pick-and-roll for an easy layup with 36.3 seconds left — her only points of the game. Michigan State didn’t score again, falling short in this matchup between two ranked Big Ten teams. This was nearly a clash of unbeatens, but the Spartans (11-2, 1-1 Big Ten) lost to Alabama in their last game before this one. Maryland (12-0, 2-0) has equaled the second-best start in team history. “It’s one of the most competitive groups I’ve ever coached,” Frese said. “It’s not really about being undefeated. Of course we love it. I think it shows just the work that they’re putting in. But for us, as long as we just continue to keep our head down and work hard through this process, I think that’s where you’re seeing the results pay off.” The Terrapins beat Duke last month, but this was their first ranked opponent since. It was a physical game in which rebounds were not for the faint of heart. “One thing I’ve loved about our team all year is our effort’s always been in a great space,” said Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick, whose team had a 10-1 edge in offensive rebounds in the second half. Maryland let a big lead get away, but with the score tied at 57, Saylor Poffenbarger and Bri McDaniel made 3-pointers to put the Terps up by six. McDaniel had to leave the game earlier in the fourth after falling to the ground with a thud, but she was able to return. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball AdvertisementUS auto giant General Motors announced Tuesday it will abandon its robotaxi development efforts after a highly publicized incident last year stymied its progress in the autonomous vehicle field. The Detroit-based manufacturer plans to merge the Cruise robotaxi vehicle unit with GM's technical teams to concentrate on developing advanced driver assistance systems for personal vehicles, a statement said. The company said it abandoned the Cruise project "given the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market." It marks a major turnaround for GM, which bought the Cruise startup in 2016 and has since spent billions of dollars to make the operation viable. "A robotaxi business is not General Motors' core business," said GM CEO Mary Barra in a call with analysts. But Barra said GM's commitment to autonomous technology "is unwavering." The halt of operations comes a year after Cruise was forced to suspend all operations in San Francisco after one of its self-driving cars dragged a woman who had first been hit by a hit-and-run driver in the city. Cruise lost its operating permits from regulators, paused expansions into other states and laid off 900 employees -- a quarter of its workforce. Shortly before the incident, California authorities had allowed for expanded driverless taxi services in San Francisco, giving the go-ahead for Alphabet-owned Waymo and Cruise. Cruise's exit confirms Waymo as the dominant player in the business, which was valued at $45 billion after a fundraising round in October, according to Bloomberg. The company has been expanding its reach and currently runs robotaxi fleets in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. And in a team-up with Uber, the company is planning to offer Waymo robotaxi rides in Atlanta and Austin. Amazon's Zoox meanwhile is conducting robotaxi testing in California and Las Vegas, while Elon Musk recently unveiled what he said was a robotaxi capable of self-driving, predicting it would be available by 2027. GM's strategic pivot comes as embattled automakers worldwide face mounting pressure to balance investments in emerging technologies with near-term profitability. The auto giant said that the restructuring is expected to generate annual savings exceeding $1 billion once completed in the first half of 2025. GM's share price was up by more than three percent in after hours trading on Wall Street.Nvidia ( NVDA -3.22% ) is firing on all cylinders, and management is forecasting that the good times will continue. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Nov. 20, 2024. The video was published on Nov. 22, 2024.
Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump didOutlander: Blood of My Blood - When will Season 2 release? Premiere window revealed
CHICAGO — In the days after the presidential election, Sadie Perez began carrying pepper spray with her around campus. Her mom also ordered her and her sister a self-defense kit that included keychain spikes, a hidden knife key and a personal alarm. It’s a response to an emboldened fringe of right-wing “manosphere” influencers who have seized on Republican Donald Trump ’s presidential win to justify and amplify misogynistic derision and threats online. Many have appropriated a 1960s abortion rights rallying cry, declaring “Your body, my choice” at women online and on college campuses. For many women, the words represent a worrying harbinger of what might lie ahead as some men perceive the election results as a rebuke of reproductive rights and women’s rights. “The fact that I feel like I have to carry around pepper spray like this is sad,” said Perez, a 19-year-old political science student in Wisconsin. “Women want and deserve to feel safe.” Isabelle Frances-Wright, director of technology and society at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a think tank focusing on polarization and extremism, said she had seen a “very large uptick in a number of types of misogynistic rhetoric immediately after the election,” including some “extremely violent misogyny.” “I think many progressive women have been shocked by how quickly and aggressively this rhetoric has gained traction,” she said. The phrase “Your body, my choice” has been largely attributed to a post on the social platform X from Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and far-right internet personality who dined at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida two years ago. In statements responding to criticism of that event, Trump said he had “never met and knew nothing about” Fuentes before he arrived. Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law, said the phrase transforms the iconic abortion rights slogan into an attack on women’s right to autonomy and a personal threat. “The implication is that men should have control over or access to sex with women,” said Ziegler, a reproductive rights expert. Fuentes' post had 35 million views on X within 24 hours, according to a report by Frances-Wright's think tank, and the phrase spread rapidly to other social media platforms. Women on TikTok have reported seeing it inundate their comment sections. The slogan also has made its way offline with boys chanting it in middle schools or men directing it at women on college campuses, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue report and social media reports. One mother said her daughter heard the phrase on her college campus three times, the report said . School districts in Wisconsin and Minnesota have sent notices about the language to parents. T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase were pulled off Amazon. Perez said she has seen men respond to shared Snapchat stories for their college class with “Your body, my choice.” “It makes me feel disgusted and infringed upon,” she said. “... It feels like going backwards.” Misogynistic attacks have been part of the social media landscape for years. But Frances-Wright and others who track online extremism and disinformation said language glorifying violence against women or celebrating the possibility of their rights being stripped away has spiked since the election. Online declarations for women to “Get back in the kitchen” or to “Repeal the 19th,” a reference to the constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote, have spread rapidly. In the days surrounding the election, the extremism think tank found that the top 10 posts on X calling for repeal of the 19th Amendment received more than 4 million views collectively. A man holding a sign with the words “Women Are Property” sparked an outcry at Texas State University . The man was not a student, faculty or staff, and was escorted off campus, according to the university’s president . The university is “exploring potential legal responses,” he said. Anonymous rape threats have been left on the TikTok videos of women denouncing the election results. And on the far-flung reaches of the web, 4chan forums have called for “rape squads” and the adoption of policies in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a dystopian book and TV series depicting the dehumanization and brutalization of women. “What was scary here was how quickly this also manifested in offline threats,” Frances-Wright said, emphasizing that online discourse can have real-world impacts. Previous violent rhetoric on 4chan has been connected to racially motivated and antisemitic attacks, including a 2022 shooting by a white supremacist in Buffalo that killed 10 people . Anti-Asian hate incidents also rose as politicians, including Trump , used words such as “Chinese virus” to describe the COVID-19 pandemic. And Trump’s language targeting Muslims and immigrants in his first campaign correlated with spikes in hate speech and attacks on these groups, Frances-Wright said. The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism reported similar rhetoric, with “numerous violent misogynistic trends” gaining traction on right-wing platforms such 4chan and spreading to more mainstream ones such as X since the election. Throughout the presidential race, Trump’s campaign leaned on conservative podcasts and tailored messaging toward disaffected young men . As Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention over the summer, the song “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown blared from the speakers. One of several factors to his success this election was modestly boosting his support among men , a shift concentrated among younger voters, according to AP VoteCast, survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. But Trump also won support from 44% of women age 18 to 44, according to AP VoteCast. To some men, Trump's return to the White House is seen as a vindication, gender and politics experts said. For many young women, the election felt like a referendum on women’s rights and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris ’ loss felt like a rejection of their own rights and autonomy. “For some of these men, Trump’s victory represents a chance to reclaim a place in society that they think they are losing around these traditional gender roles,” Frances-Wright said. None of the current online rhetoric is being amplified by Trump or anyone in his immediate orbit. But Trump has a long history of insulting women , and the spike in such language comes after he ran a campaign that was centered on masculinity and repeatedly attacked Harris over her race and gender . His allies and surrogates also used misogynistic language about Harris throughout the campaign. “With Trump’s victory, many of these men felt like they were heard, they were victorious. They feel that they have potentially a supporter in the White House,” said Dana Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics. Brown said some young men feel they’re victims of discrimination and have expressed mounting resentment for successes of the women’s rights movement, including #MeToo . The tension also has been influenced by socioeconomic struggles. As women become the majority on college campuses and many professional industries see increasing gender diversity, it has “led to young men scapegoating women and girls, falsely claiming it’s their fault they’re not getting into college anymore as opposed to looking inward,” Brown said. Perez, the political science student, said she and her sister have been leaning on each other, their mother and other women in their lives to feel safer amid the online vitriol. They text each other to make sure they got home safely. They have girls' nights to celebrate wins, including a female majority in student government at their campus in the University of Wisconsin system. “I want to encourage my friends and the women in my life to use their voices to call out this rhetoric and to not let fear take over,” she said.Man Can't Solve 'Impossible' Word Search for KidsBiden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did
By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.The first commercial batch of made-in-Canada low-carbon aviation fuel sourced from non-food grade canola and tallow has been produced and quickly purchased. Fuel retailer Parkland Corp. said Tuesday it has successfully produced about 100,000 litres of the fuel at its refinery in Burnaby, B.C. “using existing infrastructure.” Parkland senior vice-president Ferio Pugliese said it means production can easily be scaled up, but only if Canada provides the necessary conditions to create an ecosystem around the nascent commodity and its adoption across the country. “We need to do more to make low-carbon air travel a reality,” Pugliese said during the announcement in Vancouver on Tuesday. “We need a long-term Canadian solution for low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuel.” While the potential for emission reduction is massive with production in Canada is also significantly more expensive, Pugliese said. He notes that similar low-carbon fuels used in vehicles, buses and ferries have about one-eighth of the carbon content when compared to traditional fuels. Pugliese said other countries such as the United States incentivize production and use of low-carbon jet fuel, creating the necessary ecosystem to support a local industry. “Currently, the Canadian aviation industry purchases low-carbon aviation (fuel) from other countries and imports it from across the globe into Canada. That makes little sense.” Parkland began trying to develop the fuel in 2017, and the entire batch of the first production run has already been bought by Air Canada. Pugliese said the purchase of the fuel by Air Canada completes a value chain within the country that shows local development, production, sale and use of low-carbon jet fuel can be achieved to the benefit of everyone — but only if the support from government is there. “Airlines need very practical solutions, and today, right here in B.C., Parkland has created a made-in-Canada solution to a global challenge,” he said. The comments echoed that of WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech, who in 2023 said the global push for decarbonizing commercial aviation by 2050 will cause spikes in airfares unless governments intervene. Part of the challenge, von Hoensbroech said, is that alternative energy sources such as electric or hydrogen aircraft remains a long way from reality, making the sector difficult to decarbonize. In February, a pair of industry groups, including the National Airlines Council of Canada, said the country needed incentives matching that of the United States to spark production of sustainable aviation fuels. Commercial aviation giant Airbus has said that low-carbon jet fuel can reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by about 80 per cent, and development is ongoing for planes to be able to run completely on it instead of needing to mix it with conventional fuels. But Airbus also said the ecosystem for the fuel is still “in its infancy,” with just 600 million litres produced last year, making up 0.2 per cent of all aviation fuel for 2023. “Appropriate regulatory mechanisms and inventive structures still need to be put in place, and even then, there are challenges associated with the limited availability of land and biowaste,” Airbus said of the technology on its website. Airbus has said it is increasing its own use of low-carbon fuels with a goal of reaching 30 per cent of its total fuel mix by 2030.Sam Hicks, defense lead Abilene Christian over Northern Arizona 24-0 to extend 1st trip to playoffs