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Marcos to veto certain provisions of 2025 budget; signing rescheduledBOSSCATTM Home Services and Technologies Wins IMN 2024 Contractor of the Year Award at Third Annual Industry Award Ceremony
Homebound seniors living alone often slip through health system’s cracksFLAGSTAR FINANCIAL, INC. NAMES LEE SMITH AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERABILENE, Texas (AP) — Sam Hicks scored on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 171 yards on the ground to lead Abilene Christian to a 24-0 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday in the first round of the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats (9-4), ranked No. 15 in the FCS coaches poll and seeded 15th, qualified for the playoffs for the first time and will travel to play No. 2 seed and nine-time champion North Dakota State (10-2) on Saturday at the Fargo Dome. The Bison had a first-round bye. Abilene Christian grabbed a 7-0 lead on its second possession when Carson Haggard connected with Trey Cleveland for a 37-yard touchdown that capped a 10-play 97-yard drive. Northern Arizona (8-5), ranked 17th but unseeded for the playoffs after winning five straight to get in, picked off Haggard on the Wildcats' next two possessions but could not turn them into points. NAU went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 9:30 left before halftime, but Jordan Mukes tackled Ty Pennington for a 4-yard loss. That led to a 46-yard field goal by Ritse Vaes and a 10-0 lead at halftime. The score remained the same until Hicks' big run with 10:16 left to play. Haggard passed 6 yards to Blayne Taylor for the final score with 2:16 to go. Haggard completed 23 of 29 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions. Abilene Christian's defense allowed at least 20 points in every game during the regular season and yielded at least 30 six times. The Wildcats lost their season opener to FBS member Texas Tech 52-51 in overtime. Abilene Christian's last shutout came in a 56-0 victory over Lamar on Sept. 25, 2021. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
COLLEGE FB NOTESPayroll/HR platform Remote says its clients can now pay contract workers using stablecoins. The new offering, launching initially for businesses in the U.S., allows companies to pay contractors in 69 countries with the USDC stablecoin, according to a Tuesday (Dec. 17) news release . “One of the biggest hurdles companies face when hiring on international talent is providing fast, flexible, and reliable payments around the world,” Remote CEO and Co-founder Job van der Voort said in the announcement. “With the introduction of stablecoin payouts via Stripe , we’re adding a feature that has been highly requested by our customers, enabling them to pay contractors how they prefer, while maintaining the compliance and simplicity Remote is known for.” According to the release, the new capability lets companies pay contract workers securely and near-instantaneously, whole Remote provides compliance at home and abroad. Contractor can pick a new withdrawal method and add their Base Network Wallet Address to get payments in USDC, while their employer will be billed in U.S. dollars. “Contractor management is one of the fastest-growing capabilities of the Remote platform as businesses shift toward tapping global talent pools and adopting more flexible workforce models,” the release said. “Stablecoin payments complement Remote’s powerful automation features for onboarding, invoicing, and paying contractors in minutes around the world, making it easy to manage and pay all their talent from a single dashboard.” The launch comes at a time when stablecoins appear to be gaining momentum as a cross-border payment method, as covered here last week. “Traditional cross-border payments are notorious for high fees, slow processing times and opaque intermediaries,” PYMNTS wrote. “Stablecoins offer a compelling alternative by allowing near-instantaneous transfers, significantly lower costs and enhanced transparency through blockchain technology.” Still, the utility of digital coins has been hampered by the difficulty in moving funds between stablecoins and fiat currencies — a gap that on-ramp and off-ramp services at some financial institutions hope to fill. “For banks, this functionality highlights the emergence of a potentially stark choice: adapt to a changing payments landscape or risk disintermediation,” PYMNTS wrote. Meanwhile, research by PYMNTS Intelligence has shown that using cryptocurrencies to make cross-border payments could be the winning use case that the industry has been searching for. The research found that blockchain-based cross-border solutions, stablecoins in particular, are being embraced by companies hoping for a better way to transact and expand internationally.TORONTO — Canada's main stock index ended Tuesday narrowly in the red, weighed down by losses in energy and base metals stocks, while U.S. markets moved higher. Investors digested the latest news from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who threatened sweeping new tariffs of 25 per cent on products from Canada and Mexico. The “sizable” tariff promise likely shocked markets somewhat right off the bat, said Mike Archibald, vice-president and portfolio manager with AGF Investments Inc. “But I think as people have kind of digested they've thought that this is probably a starting position from a bargaining standpoint,” he said. The announcement was in line with Trump’s tactics used during his first presidency, said Archibald. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 5.21 points at 25,405.14. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 123.74 points at 44,860.31. The S&P 500 index was up 34.26 points at 6,021.63, while the Nasdaq composite was up 119.46 points at 19,174.30. A few Canadian companies saw their share prices drop because of the outsized impact such a tariff could have on certain sectors, said Archibald. These included Bombardier, BRP, Linamar and Magna International. “You can see the biggest losers on the market today are generally those that manufacture in either Canada and/or Mexico,” he said. But higher tariffs could also be inflationary for the U.S., said Archibald. Markets have been paring back their bets for interest rate cuts in the U.S. in the wake of the election in anticipation of potentially higher inflation. “It’s a bit too early to know,” said Archibald. Despite the uncertainty, he said markets are still poised to do well in the coming months thanks to Trump’s overall pro-business bent. “I still think the market is in a very good position to rally ... into the end of the year,” he said. “The S&P 500 is still going to do fairly well relative to other markets around the world.” The loonie fell to a four-year low before clawing back some of its losses later in the day, he noted. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.01 cents US compared with 71.53 cents US on Monday. The January crude oil contract was down 17 cents at US$68.77 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up three cents at US$3.47 per mmBTU. The December gold contract was up US$2.80 at US$2,621.30 an ounce and the March copper contract was down four cents at US$4.12 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press
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No. 24 UCLA, Arizona have first reunion since Pac-12 daysAlmost seven decades to attain sainthood: The story of Francis Xavier’s delayed canonisationMANCHESTER CITY chiefs are tracking little-known Sierra Leone defender Juma Bah. Etihad scouts are keeping tabs on the teenage centre-back, who plays for Spanish side Real Valladolid — and could make a move in the January window. Advertisement 1 Juma Bah of Real Valladolid is a target for Man City Credit: Getty Bah, 18, has made a big impression during his debut LaLiga season after being signed on loan from AIK Freetong back home. Newcastle are also believed to be interested in the 6ft 5in youngster, with Everton and Crystal Palace watching him too. The giant defender has appeared seven times for Valladolid this campaign. He began his youth career with AIK Freetong in 2021, before starring on loan at Sierra Leone National Premier League side Freetonians SLIFA. Advertisement Read more football news RASHY SCORES Man Utd star Marcus Rashford dating Love Island beauty Grace Rosa Jackson FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Bah joined Valladolid this summer, and was originally expected to play for their B side. However, he has since been fast-tracked into the first team and has already seen plenty of action, despite his tender years. When he made his debut against Real Sociedad in a 0-0 home draw - Bah made history. Advertisement Most read in Football Gossip MONEY TALKS Ex-Rangers star yielding 'several concrete enquiries' from Premier League clubs IN THE HAT Full list of teams in Scottish Cup fourth round draw as Prem big guns enter Exclusive SOLD FIRM Scott Brown's stunning new £2m mansion used to belong to Rangers supremo FAB FINISH Rangers loan flop scores stunner as he and unsung Scotland star take down Barca He became the first Sierra Leone-born player to play in the Spanish top tier. Man City could be busy when the January transfer window opens. Moment Pep Guardiola launches furious F-word rant at 'unacceptable' Phil Foden captured in Man City documentary Boss Pep Guardiola will be keen to address his club's recent slump, which saw his team go six games without a win in all competitions. They have also been linked with a move to bolster their midfield. Advertisement As SunSport told you, the Premier League champions are planning a £50.3 million January swoop for Martin Zubimendi. The release clause in Zubimendi’s contract would not be a problem, although manager Guardiola was initially not keen on making any major moves in the January market. City’s injury pile-up and dismal form could signal a rethink, as Guardiola is equally reluctant to pile too much pressure on his younger players.
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss said Friday he is being treated for cancer in his bile duct between his pancreas and liver. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss said Friday he is being treated for cancer in his bile duct between his pancreas and liver. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss said Friday he is being treated for cancer in his bile duct between his pancreas and liver. In an appearance on Instagram Live, Moss, aided by a cane, introduced himself as a cancer survivor and thanked his “prayer warriors” for their support. He had a procedure to put a stent in his liver on Thanksgiving after experiencing urine discoloration. Moss said he was hospitalized for six days before being released on Friday. He said he’s being treated with radiation and chemotherapy. Moss stepped away from his role as an analyst on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” on Dec. 6. “As soon as I get healthy to get back out with guys, I will be on set. ... Hopefully I can be with you guys soon,” Moss said. “My goal is to get back on television with my team.” The 47-year-old Moss was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 after playing 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (1998-2004, 2010), Oakland Raiders (2005-06), New England Patriots (2007-10), Tennessee Titans (2010) and San Francisco 49ers (2012). Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Moss is second in NFL history with 156 touchdown catches and had an NFL-record 23 TD receptions in 2007 for the Patriots. ___ This story has been corrected. A previous version reported erroneously that the cancer was outside Moss’ bowel duct. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement
‘Gene & Gilda’ is a touching, tragic Hollywood love story on N.J. stage | ReviewWhat is it about a postal strike that leads to instant panic over the future of the post office? Although neither Canada Post or the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have made existential demands in the current labour dispute, it took only a matter of days for Canada’s broadcaster, the CBC, to ask if the post office will survive. And it did so in the most provocative manner possible, featuring Carleton Professor Ian Lee on two of its national flagship programs calling Canada Post a “Potemkin post office” requiring a complete re-engineering to end mail delivery in urban areas, franchise all post offices and eliminate more than 50,000 jobs. How anyone at CBC thought this was a useful contribution to coverage of the postal strike issues is mind boggling. Canada Post’s mandate to deliver mail to Canadians is not a strike issue and there are no proposals to change what we expect when we put something in the mail. Lee nevertheless ranted on about the costs of door to door mail deliveries as if it was a relevant matter. But hardly anything Lee had to say was about the strike issues and how they can be resolved. His intervention was designed to muddle opinion over the real issues and leave an impression that any measures sought by the union to improve services or protect good jobs will hasten an imminent disaster. The actual issues in the strike are practical choices, mostly over the parcel delivery business or the “Courier, Express and Parcel (CEP) sector.” Canada Post remains the single largest player in the sector despite losing market share during and after the Covid crisis. Pre-Covid Canada Post had 62 per cent of Canadians; that’s down to 29 per cent now. Both Canada Post and the CUPW want to build back that business, but the union is determined to secure wage increases that keep pace with their private sector competitors and to limit the use of part time workers. While Lee paints a picture that the entire mandate of Canada Post is unsustainable, the corporation has a more modest agenda to move closer to the business models of its private sector competitors like UPS and FedEx. They are unionized but in the case of UPS, over half of its workforce is part time. Canada Post’s mostly full time workforce is not the source of the problem in the parcel business. UPS and FedEx became the beneficiaries of the massive shift to online selling by leveraging their US and global logistics and state of art technologies and tracking systems, and most of all their relations with online sellers. Canada Post could have been more nimble by leveraging its advantages and national logistics, and it would have had a willing partner in the union. It was a management failure. A case in point at issue now is Canada Post’s limited capacity to make weekend deliveries which have been gobbled up by UPS and other competitors. A good part of that business can be brought back, and CUPW has proposed weekend deliveries that includes part time workers. The strike issue is that the limits and impacts on the existing workforce must be negotiated. Wages at UPS and FedEx are higher than at Canada Post, even with their part time workforce. The average wage for a Canada Post delivery driver is $28 per hour, compared to over $30 per hour at UPS, and UPS average wages will rise to about $38 an hour at the end of the current collective agreement with the Teamsters. CUPW’s wage demands will still leave them slightly behind unionized workers at UPS. Total labour costs at Canada Post are slightly higher than its parcel delivery competitors because of the defined benefit pension plan that provides retirement security for 55,000 CUPW members and 30,000 more Canada Post workers and managers. Canada Post wants a different and lesser pension plan for new hires – a non starter with the union membership. The pension plan they have is fully funded with a surplus, and the company is currently enjoying a contribution holiday. Who would want to mess with that? Moreover, unionized workers at UPS also have a defined benefit pension plan that was improved in their last round of bargaining. However Canadians listening to the CBC heard nothing about the industry standards in the unionized parcel industry. According to Lee, Canada Post should retreat from the national parcel business altogether because the upstart gig sector has a cost structure for deliveries well below Canada Post and UPS/FedEx. It is the case that almost half of the Canadian CEP sector is now diversified among smaller low cost companies like Intelcom/Dragon Fly where gig and contract work is common, wages hover at or just above minimum wage, and there is no pension plan. It is a convenient distraction for Canada Post to have Lee make good jobs at Canada Post the problem rather than the growth of precarious work in the gig sector. The solutions to precarious gig work require labour law reforms and union organizing – they won’t be found in Canada Post bargaining. There is one more smoke bomb that Ian Lee wants to throw into the middle of the Canada Post strike. The crown corporation is losing money and that can not stand. A postal apocalypse is in the mail, says Lee. Canada Post’s balance sheet has never determined its mandate or public support. For a century the post office was a direct government service until the Crown corporation was created in 1981. It wasn’t until 1987 when it began to make money. It lost money in 1994, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2016 and has every year since 2018. However, after all of that, 64 per cent of Canadians oppose privatization of the post office, and far higher numbers oppose service cuts, post office closings and even price increases for stamps. Not even the Canadian Federation of Independent Business supports privatization or a major downsizing of Canada Post, pointing out that eight in 10 small businesses rely on Canada Post. To the contrary there has been strong and steady public support for postal workers in successive rounds of bargaining. That’s why the government has not been keen so far to intervene in this dispute. Unless that changes, the strike will end when a contract is negotiated. It is not by accident that Ian Lee was trundled out with his neo-liberal apocalyptic declaration that the entire post office model is sinking like the Russian battleship Potemkin and it’s time to abandon ship. It is a sad comment on the CBC that it fell for the trick. Support rabble today! We’re so glad you stopped by! Thanks for consuming rabble content this year. rabble.ca is 100% reader and donor funded, so as an avid reader of our content, we hope you will consider gifting rabble with a donation during our summer fundraiser today. Nick Seebruch, editor Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you’ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet. Become a rabble rouser — donate to rabble.ca today. Nick Seebruch, editor Support rabble.ca
Siddaramaiah calls demand for hike in quota ‘unconstitutional’GEORGETOWN 100, ALBANY 68
Heisman Trophy finalist and two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter was named The Associated Press Big 12 defensive player of the year while also being a first-team selection at wide receiver on Thursday. Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the league's top offensive player. Kenny Dillingham, the 34-year-old in his second season at Arizona State, was the unanimous choice as Big 12 coach of the year after leading his alma mater to a championship and a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Sun Devils (11-2) went into their league debut as the preseason pick to finish last among the 16 teams. At cornerback, Hunter had 31 tackles, tied for the Big 12 lead with 11 pass breakups and was tied for second with four interceptions. On offense, he leads the Big 12 with 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns, and is second with 1,152 yards receiving. His 21 catches of at least 20 yards are the most nationally. He is also the AP's player of the year. Sanders is the Big 12 passing leader, completing 337 of 454 passes (74.2%) for 3,926 yards and a school-record 35 touchdowns with eight interceptions for the Buffaloes (10-2) Arizona State freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, who is 11-1 as a starter, is the league’s top newcomer. The Michigan State transfer has 2,663 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and only five picks in 304 attempts. LAS VEGAS — Former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has agreed to lead UNLV's 24th-ranked football program, two people with knowledge of the hire said Wednesday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made. The 52-year-old Mullen replaces Barry Odom, who left for Purdue on Sunday after going 19-8 and helping the Rebels receive back-to-back bowl invitations for the first time in program history. UNLV will play California in the LA Bowl on Wednesday. UNLV athletic director Erick Harper wasted little time in finding Odom's replacement. Mullen, most recently an ESPN college football analyst, went 103-61 at Florida and Mississippi State. Rich Rodriguez is returning to West Virginia for a second stint as head coach at his alma mater. Athletic director Wren Baker announced the hiring on Thursday, 17 years after Rodriguez made a hasty exit for what became a disastrous three-year experiment at Michigan. “We are thrilled to welcome Coach Rich Rodriguez and his family back home,” Baker said in a statement. “Coach Rodriguez understands what it takes to win at West Virginia, and I believe he will pour his heart, soul and every ounce of his energy into our program. I am convinced Coach Rodriguez wants what is best for West Virginia, WVU and West Virginia football, and I am excited about the future of our program.” Rodriguez, who is the current coach at Jacksonville State, an architect of the spread offense and a polarizing figure in his home state, replaces Neal Brown, who was fired on Dec. 1 after going 37-35 in six seasons, including 6-6 this year. BRIEFLY FCS: The NCAA is taking its Football Championship Subdivision title game back to Tennessee. The FCS championship games at the end of the 2025 and 2026 seasons will be played in Nashville on the Vanderbilt campus. This season’s game will be played Jan. 6 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, which will host the game for a record 15th season in a row and was set for at least two more. OC: UCLA announced Tino Sunseri’s hiring as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Sunseri replaces Eric Bieniemy, who was fired on Dec. 5 after fielding one of the nation’s worst offenses this season. Sunseri spent one season as Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after following Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
No. 24 UCLA is seeking its eighth straight win on Saturday against an Arizona team that is trying to right the ship after dropping four of its last six games. The game is being played in Phoenix, billed as part of the Hall of Fame Series. It's the first meeting between the storied ex-Pac-12 rivals since the conference's collapse last year and will be the first time the teams have met in a nonconference matchup since 1977. UCLA (8-1) is off to a surprisingly hot start after a nightmarish last season. The Bruins have won seven in a row after falling to New Mexico on Nov. 8. They're coming directly off a 73-71 victory over No. 12 Oregon on Sunday on a game-winning 3-pointer by Dylan Andrews with 0.3 seconds remaining. Eric Dailey Jr. led the way with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. The Bruins sit at 2-0 in conference play in their first season as a member of the Big Ten. "My analysis early of the Big Ten is that it's so deep," UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. "I know it probably always was that way, but now it's deeper. You've just got to get better. "I also coach at UCLA where we get the most titles and (have been to) the second-most finals. I didn't come to UCLA to win regular-season games. For us, it's about progression and getting better. "We were able to win (against Oregon) but I thought we got a lot better. We came together. We got more cohesive. The guys played with confidence." Tyler Bilodeau leads UCLA in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Bilodeau played his first two collegiate seasons at Oregon State, although his maiden voyage at UCLA is only his second season as a regular starter. Dailey, a transfer from Oklahoma State, doesn't trail too far behind in either category, averaging 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. USC transfer Kobe Johnson leads the Bruins with 3.2 assists while also tallying 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The Wildcats (4-4) are in the midst of a dreadful start, needing a 102-66 win over Southern Utah to nurse themselves back to .500. Before that, Arizona was just one for its last five. The Wildcats are winless against fellow power-conference opponents, suffering double-digit losses to Wisconsin and Duke. Arizona also absorbed a five-point loss to Oklahoma and a seven-point overtime loss to West Virginia at the Battle 4 Atlantis. "Great programs are going to stumble once in a while," Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. "The response is the key. Learning from it and coming back stronger is the objective and that's the challenge. We obviously have been challenged early in the season. "(The emphasis needs to be on) Arizona basketball, because here's the deal: UCLA is a good program. If we go in and all we're worried about is UCLA and we assume that we're going to show up and play well, we're going to get our ass kicked." The Wildcats are led by Caleb Love, who returned for a second season at Arizona and a fifth in college overall after he played his first three seasons at North Carolina. Love is averaging 14.1 points per game on 37.2 percent shooting, down from 18 points per game a season ago. Aside from Love, Arizona has four more players averaging in double figures for the season: Jaden Bradley (12.0 ppg), Trey Townsend (11.3), KJ Lewis (10.3) and Anthony Dell'Orso (10.0). --Field Level MediaSlim-Llama is an LLM ASIC processor that can tackle 3-bllion parameters while sipping only 4.69mW - and we'll find out more on this potential AI game changer very soon