Amazing new images as 37-trillion-cell 'human atlas' nears first draft
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is committed to bringing him home after Bashar Assad’s ouster from power in Damascus . “We think we can get him back,” Biden told reporters at the White House, while acknowledging that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. “Assad should be held accountable.” Biden said officials must still identify exactly where Tice is after his disappearance in August 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus. “We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” he said. Tice, who is from Houston and whose work had been published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and other outlets. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men and saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He has not been heard from since. Syria has publicly denied that it was holding him. The United States has no new evidence that Tice is alive, but continues to operate under the assumption he is alive, according to a U.S. official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. will continue to work to identify where he is and to try to bring him home. RELATED COVERAGE Biden says Assad’s fall in Syria is a ‘fundamental act of justice,’ but ‘a moment of risk’ Global reaction to Assad’s sudden ouster from Syria ranges from jubilation to alarm How it happened: Two seismic weeks that toppled Syria’s government His mother, Debra, said at a news conference Friday in Washington that the family had information from a “significant source,” whom she did not identify, establishing that her son was alive. “He is being cared for and he is well — we do know that,” she said. The Tice family met this past week with officials at the State Department and the White House. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Debra Tice said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media Sunday. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!”Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet.
Gogo Inc. (Nasdaq: GOGO), a Broomfield-based provider of broadband connectivity services for the business aviation market, has completed its acquisition — a deal worth as much as $600 million — of Satcom Direct Inc., a Melbourne, Florida-based in-flight communications company, paving the way for a new class of executives to begin leading the combined company. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.As another frigid winter settles over Minnesota, with temperatures dipping into the teens, people like Ed Kranz are embracing the cold—and working up quite a sweat. Kranz and his wife, Colleen, are among the Minnesotans who believe the best way to endure winter is to heat up in saunas, then cool off in their state's icy weather. On a bone-chilling Sunday morning, they set up a mobile wood-fired sauna from their business, Saunable, near a frozen lake in the Minneapolis suburb of Eagan. After about 10 minutes of sweating in the 185-degree-Fahrenheit sauna, they moseyed outside into the 15-degree temps, lingering around a fire in bathing suits before repeating the process three or four more times. One brave soul dipped into a hole in the frozen lake for a post-sauna cold plunge. Their hot-and-cold venture is common in Minnesota, where plenty of residents embrace sauna culture for warmth and community, per the . Devotees say they're mingling Old World traditions with newfangled internet-based communities, and making social connections in a society that can feel isolating. More .
Wade Taylor IV racked up 19 points that included eight in the final 3:22 of the game as No. 22 Texas A&M outlasted Texas Tech 72-67 on Sunday afternoon in the USLBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. Texas A&M (8-2) led by as many as 11 points in the first half and by three at halftime before the Red Raiders surged to the front early in the second half. Down 52-49, the Aggies produced an 11-0 surge capped by a jumper by Zhuric Phelps to take a 60-52 advantage with 5:02 to play Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Scenes from Georgia's victory over Texas in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on December 7, 2024. (Photos: Jim Blackburn) Click for more. PHOTOS: Georgia Defeats Texas for SEC ChampionshipLOS ANGELES (AP) — Lynne Roberts wasn’t looking to leave the Utah women’s basketball team. Then she got a call from Los Angeles Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley that changed her thinking. Roberts was introduced Thursday as coach of the Sparks, becoming the second coach to make the leap from college to the WNBA this month. Karl Smesko of Florida Gulf Coast got the Atlanta Dream job last week. “I was 100 percent invested at Utah,” Roberts said. “It just kind of felt like this is a golden opportunity. As a competitor, the chance to coach the best in the world, it’s what I want.” She replaces Curt Miller , who was let go in September and now is general manager of the Dallas Wings. Roberts inherits a team that has a strong young nucleus of Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby. The Sparks have the No. 2 pick in next year’s WNBA draft. “We’ve got kind of a cool combination of some veteran leadership and then we’ve got a really dynamic young group,” Roberts said. “That’s a good roster right there and then we can keep working with it.” Los Angeles finished 8-32 last season for the league’s worst record and has missed the playoffs for four straight years. “I want to compete, I want to win now,” Roberts said. “I know that’s easier said than done, but I’m up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get started.” Roberts is friends with Southern California women’s coach Lindsay Gottlieb and UCLA coach Cori Close. “That was intentional,” Sparks general manager Reagan Pebley said. “That we were bringing somebody into this role that had existing relationships because again this is a community of women’s basketball that is exceptional.” Roberts added, “I want to be the top of that pyramid with the Sparks.” Roberts is returning to her native California. The 49-year-old coach grew up in the Northern California city of Redding. She played college ball at Seattle Pacific and then began coaching at Chico State before moving to Pacific and then Utah. Roberts was 165-116 in nine-plus seasons at Utah and recently signed a six-year extension. She led the team to three straight NCAA Tournament berths and was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2023. The Utes have started this season 3-1 and will be coached by Gavin Petersen, who was promoted from associate head coach. “I poured 10 years of my life into that place and I loved it. I loved every minute of it,” Roberts said. “Where we started wasn’t great, where it is now is great and I’m very proud of that.” Roberts said the current upheaval in college basketball including name, image and likeness, the transfer portal and Utah's move to the Big 12 this season had nothing to do with her leaving. “I'm sitting here because it's a chance to coach the best people in the world and win a championship in LA. That's it,” she said. “As a competitor and as someone that kind of thrives in pressure, being in this market, being in LA, it sounds like heaven to me." AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
DALLAS, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beneficient (NASDAQ: BENF) (“Ben” or the “Company”), a technology-enabled platform providing exit opportunities and primary capital solutions and related trust and custody services to holders of alternative assets through its proprietary online platform AltAccess, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Mercantile Bank International Corp. (“Mercantile Bank”), a Puerto Rico-based International Financial Entity (“IFE”), in exchange for an aggregate purchase price of $1.5 million, which is payable in up to approximately 2.1 million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock and cash. “We are very excited about the potential avenues for revenue growth that would be facilitated through this acquisition,” said Beneficient. “Acquiring Mercantile Bank would enable the Company to offer an expanded range of companion custody and other fee-based services that complement our existing businesses on a broader scale with the potential to generate additional cash flow in the near term. Our objective is to deliver additional alternative asset custody services to customers with the potential to generate higher fee rates than are generally available for traditional custody services. We also believe the acquisition has the potential to enhance and broaden our current offerings in ways that may open new international opportunities, allowing us to further democratize the market for illiquid alternative assets.” IFEs are licensed and regulated by the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (the “OCIF”) and may provide specific banking and other financial activity from Puerto Rico for persons, entities, and organizations around the globe that are non-residents of Puerto Rico. An IFE’s authorized activities may include custody, clearing, and payments and related traditional and digital products and services and, as approved by the OCIF, traditional banking services, such as deposits, lending, investments, and trusts. Upon closing of the acquisition, the Company, which has primarily focused on meeting the needs of individual investors and small-to-midsized institutions, expects to expand its offering of custody services to also address the current needs of large institutional investors and the growing needs of third-party alternative trading systems and foreign securities exchanges. The acquisition would position Ben to offer alternative asset custody services that include, among other potential items, a companion line of business focused on issuing depositary receipts to assist holders of foreign investments gain access to the capital markets of additional international jurisdictions. The Company believes these alternative asset custody services may yield higher fee assessments than more traditional custody offerings. The Company expects this companion business line to begin generating custody and depositary receipt issuance fee-based revenue and cash flow during calendar year 2025 that it would deploy to fund Ben’s ongoing operations and ultimately our core alternative asset liquidity product offerings. The acquisition reflects Beneficient’s execution on its objective of expanding its alternative asset custody fee-based service offerings to third parties and institutional investors. Closing of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including, among other things, approval by OCIF, and is anticipated to be completed in the second calendar quarter of 2025. About Beneficient Beneficient (Nasdaq: BENF) – Ben, for short – is on a mission to democratize the global alternative asset investment market by providing traditionally underserved investors − mid-to-high net worth individuals, small-to-midsized institutions and General Partners seeking exit options, anchor commitments and valued-added services for their funds− with solutions that could help them unlock the value in their alternative assets. Ben’s AltQuoteTM tool provides customers with a range of potential exit options within minutes, while customers can log on to the AltAccess ® portal to explore opportunities and receive proposals in a secure online environment. Its subsidiary, Beneficient Fiduciary Financial, L.L.C., received its charter under the State of Kansas’ Technology-Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institution (TEFFI) Act and is subject to regulatory oversight by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner. For more information, visit www.trustben.com or follow us on LinkedIn. Contacts Matt Kreps: 214-597-8200, mkreps@darrowir.com Michael Wetherington: 214-284-1199, mwetherington@darrowir.com Investor Relations: investors@beneficient.com Disclaimer and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements can be generally identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements relating to the anticipated timing of closing the acquisition, benefits of the acquisition and the Company’s anticipated product and service offerings following the closing of the acquisition. These forward-looking statements reflect our views with respect to future events as of the date of this document and are based on our management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections, assumptions, beliefs and information. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control, and could cause future events or results to be materially different from those stated or implied in this document. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, the ultimate outcome of the acquisition; the Company’s ability to consummate the acquisition in a timely manner or at all; the ability of the parties to satisfy the closing conditions to the acquisition; the possibility that the Company may be unable to successfully integrate Mercantile Bank’s operations with those of the Company or realize the expected benefits of the acquisition; the possibility that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming, or costly than expected; the risk that operating costs, customer loss, and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, contractors, and customers) may be greater than expected following the acquisition or the public announcement of the acquisition; the Company’s ability to retain certain key employees of Mercantile Bank; the ability to launch and receive market acceptance for new products and services; and risks related to the entry into a new line of business; the risk factors that are described under the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this document and in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan gave athletic director Warde Manuel a five-year contract extension Thursday on the heels of the Wolverines' upset over rival Ohio State and a strong start to the basketball season. Manuel, who has held the position since 2016, signed through June 30, 2030, the school announced. Manuel is also chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. “During Warde’s tenure as director, Athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” university President Santa J. Ono said in the announcement. Michigan had a disappointing football season, finishing 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten), but a 13-10 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State took some pressure off of the program. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for the rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Wolverines won the national championship last year in their final season led by coach Jim Harbaugh, whose tenure at the school involved multiple NCAA investigations for recruiting and sign-stealing allegations. Manuel supported Harbaugh through those processes. In basketball, the women's team made its season debut (No. 23) in the AP Top 25 this week. The men are 7-1 a season after firing coach Juwan Howard, who lost a school-record 24 games in 2023-24 as Michigan plummeted to a last-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1967. Michigan has won 52 Big Ten championships since 2020. “Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics," Manuel said in a statement. "I especially want to thank the student-athletes, coaches and staff who compete for each of our teams and who have helped us achieve unparalleled success athletically and academically. I am excited to continue giving back to a university that has provided me with so much over my career.” 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