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Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 takes centre stage in DohaBitcoin surged to a record high of US$106,000 following Donald Trump's US presidential election victory, reflecting a significant uptick in a cryptocurrency market long marked by volatility and recent downturns. The debate over Bitcoin resurfaced in Thailand after remarks made by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra at a Pheu Thai Party seminar last week. He proposed adopting Bitcoin in a restricted area first, such as utilising a sandbox pilot project in Phuket to encourage digital currency holders to spend their digital money in the country. The idea of creating a stablecoin backed by government bonds was raised at the same time. However, this proposal has sparked concerns, with the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) warning that the project could falter due to the inherent volatility of digital currencies. Additionally, the idea of a government-backed coin risks adding confusion to the economy, as it would potentially create a new unit that would compete with the baht. According to TDRI, the central banks of many countries are generally opposed to such steps, fearing they could undermine confidence in local currencies and complicate their usage. RISKS TO THE BAHT Investment strategists believe the possibility of Thailand using Bitcoin or other digital coins as a medium of exchange similar to the use of the baht is low, saying it would pose risks to the stability of the baht and confidence in the country's financial system. They believe Thailand must first await the results of experiments in leading economic nations before making a final decision. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched a regulatory sandbox in August allowing selected service providers to experiment with digital assets under relaxed regulatory scrutiny. Thanathat Srisawast, a strategist at Tisco Economic Strategy Unit (ESU), said if a policy were implemented that allowed for Bitcoin usage, Thailand would move ahead of the US by allowing the use of Bitcoin as a legitimate medium of exchange in the way that El Salvador does. He believes some shops in Thailand have already accepted Bitcoin in exchange for baht. "If we want to go ahead with it seriously, it is not necessary to use a sandbox only in Phuket. It should be open for testing everywhere. Some foreign tourists have already used Bitcoin in exchange for baht," said Mr Thanathat. "If Bitcoin could be used for payments, the process must not be complicated. Also, we might need to wait for the supply of digital currencies in the system to increase first before we carry out a test of using digital coins instead of the baht," he noted. To support that policy, Thailand must create a coin that resembles a central bank digital currency (CBDC), a form of digital currency issued by a country's central bank, he said. It resembles a cryptocurrency, but its value is fixed by the central bank and is equivalent to the country's fiat currency. It also needs to have a strong security system and needs a backup plan in case the internet system crashes, he added. "The former premier may have seen that many people are interested in Bitcoin, so he thinks this is the right time to push through such a policy," he said. In his view, Thailand might first need to examine the lessons learned in other countries because if the country were to make a mistake in rolling out such a policy, it would damage the credibility of the government and the Bank of Thailand. Therefore, the country must consider it carefully. "If we try to do it in a small project like a sandbox, if there is a mistake, it can still be controlled and if it doesn't work, we can just stop the project," said Mr Thanatat. Meanwhile, the reason behind the proposal for issuing a coin backed by government bonds has not yet become fully apparent. "Maybe the government want to encourage the use of Bitcoin and other digital currencies. It is very difficult to guess what form it would take. We will have to wait for further details." Mr Thanatat said he believes Bitcoin investments will continue to grow next year, thanks to President-elect Trump's policy to support it. But, according to a recent survey, some Bitcoins have been mislaid, or cannot be recovered. Several early adopters of Bitcoin say they do not collect them seriously and it is estimated that around 5 million Bitcoins have been "lost". It has been estimated that there are over 10 million Bitcoins currently in circulation. New mining each year accounts for around 100,000 coins each year. If the US seriously promotes Bitcoin, other countries may follow the trend adopted by the world's major economic power, he said. Asadej Kongsiri, president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), said the SET so far has no policy to support cryptocurrency trading. However, the bourse is studying the possibility of developing Thailand into a digital token trading centre. NO CLEAR BENEFITS Phuket has been put forward as a candidate for the pilot project, which would enable cryptocurrency holders to spend their digital coins for transactions carried out within the province. Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said the benefits of adding cryptocurrency as an alternative to fiat currencies such as the baht are still not clear enough to gain strong support from the business sector. In terms of convenience for both tourists and operators, he said transactions from foreign tourists via the existing financial system run smoothly without problems. There is no pain point that requires cryptocurrency to help fix it, he noted. Weighing the pros and cons, he said the business sector is more concerned about the grey area involving digital currencies as there are still many cases of criminals using this medium of exchange to commit fraud. There are also concerns about practices if Phuket were chosen as the sole pilot project destination, as there is no back up in place to help conduct such transactions, such as a distribution system from a notable global tech company, which might not be ready at this stage to accept digital currencies, said Mr Thanet. "The most critical concern is whether cryptocurrency might exacerbate unsolved problems in the industry. We now still have many foreign online travel agents that don't register in the country, resulting in a large sum of revenue flowing out from Thailand. We would like to be assured that the arrival of cryptocurrency would not make this situation worse," he said. In terms of tourist demand, Mr Thanet said tourism operators in the province have not received inquiries from foreign cryptocurrency holders who are tourists suggesting they would like to spend their digital assets on products and services during their time in the country. When the value of a digital asset surges, the holders of such assets would likely be keen on keeping them or using them for investment purposes rather than spending them on lesiure or travel pursuits, he said. Mr Thanet said if cryptocurrencies were adopted in the province, the business sector would prefer to have governmental agencies or banks as an intermediary during the early stage in order to verify and appoint a licensed exchange for tourists who would like to spend their digital coins, rather than allowing them to pay directly via a digital currency. He also agreed with the TDRI that the stability of the baht is the most important factor for businesses at the moment. If a new stablecoin issued by the government created an impact on a major currency, it would impact the whole economy eventually, he said. NO BACKUP While not against cryptocurrency, notably Bitcoin, Montri Mahaplerkpong, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, opposes the idea of using Bitcoin as a new alternative medium of exchange to facilitate business transactions because digital currencies have nothing to back their usage. Currencies were once tied to a certain quantity of gold under the gold standard. In the capital market, stocks are backed by the ownership of the listed companies. "But when it comes to Bitcoin, I see nothing in terms of back up," said Mr Montri. If the government further promotes Bitcoin, which may lead to wider usage through the purchase of goods and services, users, both businesses and households, will struggle to avoid some level of financial risk. "Even the trading of stocks on the Stock Exchange of Thailand encounters problems sometimes. Who knows what might happen with Bitcoin," he said. Bitcoin traders are currently the only participants taking a risk. They cannot lodge a complaint when they face a problem because digital currencies are not overseen or regulated by the government, he said. If the Bitcoin trading system collapses, users will be solely responsible for any unpleasant consequences, said Mr Montri. In Mr Montri's opinion, rather than being used like money to conduct everyday transactions, the storing and spending of cryptocurrency by users seems to just be a way of racking up profits from speculation on the value of the digital assets. "In fact, I am open-minded about cryptocurrencies, but I want to see their usage limited to individuals. I do not want to see the government promote crypto by granting it legal status," said Mr Montri. "Who will take responsibility if that were to lead to economic damage?"Ravens' running game was crucial in a big win over the Chargers, especially on 4th down
Russian journalist Nika Novak Sentenced to 4 years in Prison for Cooperation With Foreign MediaPublished 5:38 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2024 By Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Married couples across the U.S. have had access to no-fault divorce for more than 50 years, an option many call crucial to supporting domestic abuse victims and key to preventing already crowded family courts from drowning in complicated divorce proceedings. But some advocates for women worried as old comments from now Vice President-elect JD Vance circulated during the presidential campaign opposing no-fault divorce. And after President-elect Donald Trump and Vance won the election, warnings began popping up on social media urging women who might be considering divorce to “pull the trigger” while they still could. Some attorneys posted saying they were seeing a spike in calls from women seeking divorce consultations. Trump — who is twice-divorced — hasn’t championed overhauling the country’s divorce laws, but in 2021 Vance lamented that divorce is too easily accessible, as have conservative podcasters and others. “We’ve run this experiment in real time and what we have is a lot of very, very real family dysfunction that’s making our kids unhappy,” Vance said during a speech at a Christian high school in California, where he criticized people being able to “shift spouses like they change their underwear.” Despite concerns, even those who want to make divorces harder to get say they don’t expect big, swift changes. There is not a national coordinated effort underway. And states determine their own divorce laws, so national leaders can’t change policy. “Even in some of the so-called red states, it hasn’t gotten anywhere,” said Beverly Willett, co-chair of the Coalition for Divorce Reform, whose group has unsuccessfully attempted to convince states to repeal their no-fault divorce laws. Mark A. Smith, a political science professor at the University of Washington, said that while many Americans have become accustomed to no-fault divorce being an option, Vance’s previous comments on making it more difficult to separate from a spouse could help jumpstart that effort. “Even though he’s not directly proposing a policy, it’s a topic that hasn’t gotten a ton of discussion in the last 15 years,” Smith said. “And so to have a national profile politician talk that way is noteworthy.” Meanwhile, Republican Party platforms in Texas and Nebraska were amended in 2022 to call for the removal of no-fault divorce. Louisiana’s Republican Party considered something similar earlier this year but ultimately declined to do so. A handful of proposals have been introduced in conservative-led statehouses over the years, but all immediately stalled after they were filed. In January, Oklahoma Republican Sen. Dusty Deevers introduced legislation that would have removed married couples from filing for divorce on the grounds of incompatibility. Deevers backed the bill after writing a piece declaring no-fault divorce was an “abolition of marital obligation.” Similarly, in South Carolina, two Republican lawmakers in 2023 filed a bill that would have required both spouses to file for a no-fault divorce application rather than just one. And in South Dakota, a Republican lawmaker has attempted to remove irreconcilable difference as grounds for divorce since 2020. None of the sponsors of these bills responded to interview requests from The Associated Press. All are members of their state’s conservative Freedom Caucus. Nevertheless, some Democratic lawmakers say they remain worried about the future of no-fault divorce. They point to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 as an example of a long-accepted option that was revoked through a decades-long effort. “When you choose to be silent, you allow for this to creep in,” said Democratic South Dakota Rep. Linda Duba. “These are the bills that gain a foothold because you choose to be silent.” Before California became the first state to adopt a no-fault divorce option in 1969, married couples had to prove their spouse had violated one of the approved “faults” outlined in their state’s divorce law or risk a judge denying their divorce, said Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Qualified reasons varied from state to state, but largely included infidelity, incarceration or abandonment. The system was a particular burden on domestic violence victims, often times women, who could be stuck in dangerous marriages while they try to prove their partner’s abuse in court through expensive and lengthy legal proceedings. “If there was any evidence that the couple both wanted to get divorced that was supposed to be denied because divorce was not something you got because you wanted it, it was something you got because you’ve been wronged in a way that the state thought was significant,” Grossman said. To date, every state in the U.S. has adopted a no-fault divorce option. However, 33 states still have a list of approved “faults” to file as grounds for divorce — ranging from adultery to felony conviction. In 17 states, married people only have the option of choosing no-fault divorce to end their marriages. Calls to reform no-fault divorce have remained fairly silent until the late 1990s, when concern pushed by former President George Bush’s administration over the country’s divorce rate sparked a brief movement for states to adopt “covenant marriages.” The option didn’t replace a state’s no-fault divorce law, but provided an option for couples that carried counseling requirements and strict exceptions for divorce. Louisiana was the first state to embrace covenant marriage options, but the effort largely stopped after Arizona and Arkansas followed suit. Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women, said she is “extremely worried” about the possibility of no-fault divorce being removed with the incoming Trump administration, Republican-controlled Congress and wide range of conservative state leaders. “With so many states focusing on a misogynistic legislative agenda, this will turn back the clocks on women’s rights even more,” Nunes said in a statement. “This is why removing ‘no fault’ divorce is another way for the government to control women, their bodies, and their lives. Eliminating no-fault divorce is also a backdoor way of eliminating gay marriage, since this implies that a marriage is only between a man and a woman.” With Trump’s reelection, Willett, whose group opposes no-fault divorce, said she’s cautiously optimistic that the political tide could change. “Was what he said an indication of things to come? I don’t know,” Willett said. “It’s a good thing but it’s certainly not anything that has been really discussed other than a few high profile conservatives who talk about it.”DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ian Schieffelin had 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in leading Clemson to a 75-67 win over Penn State on Tuesday and the championship of the Sunshine Slam Beach Division. Chase Hunter added 17 points, Chauncey Wiggins 14 and Del Jones 10 for the Tigers (6-1), who shot 44% and made 9 of 19 3-pointers led by Hunter's three.
Milestone deal for DAZN's position as the global home of sport. This acquisition establishes DAZN's sports platform in Australia , one of the world's most attractive sports markets. Foxtel Group will leverage DAZN's global reach, industry-leading technology and extensive content portfolio to further enhance the viewing experience for Australian sports fans. LONDON , NEW YORK , and SYDNEY , Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DAZN , a world-leading sports entertainment platform, has today announced an agreement to acquire Foxtel Group (' Foxtel ') from its majority shareholder News Corp and minority shareholder Telstra at an enterprise value of US$2.2 billion , subject to regulatory approval. The acquisition establishes DAZN as a leader in sports entertainment in Australia – a highly attractive sports market – while also expanding DAZN's global footprint and enhancing the group's standing as the global home of sport. The addition of Foxtel to DAZN brings the Group's pro-forma revenues towards US$6 billion and provides the additional content, expertise, and expansion opportunities to accelerate DAZN's growth trajectory. Foxtel is one of Australia's leading media companies, with 4.7 million subscribers, who will benefit from DAZN's extensive portfolio of sports content, platform technology, and global reach. From its beginnings as Australia's original pay-TV innovator, Foxtel has evolved to become a digital and streaming leader in sports and entertainment and the proposed transaction positions Foxtel for continued expansion as a digital-first, streaming-focused business. Foxtel will maintain its local character, led by the CEO, Patrick Delany , and his world-class management team. DAZN, a sports streaming platform with a truly global reach, is committed to growing the global audience for domestic Australian sports across the 200 territories in which it is available. Under the terms of the transaction, News Corp and Telstra will become minority shareholders in DAZN, enabling them to retain an interest in Foxtel. Shay Segev , Chief Executive Officer of DAZN, said: "Australians watch more sport than any other country in the world, which makes this deal an incredibly exciting opportunity for DAZN to enter a key market, marking another step in our long-term strategy to become the global home of sport. Foxtel is a successful business that has undergone a remarkable digital transformation in recent years, and we are confident that our global reach and relentless pursuit of innovation will continue to drive the business forward and ensure long-term success. "We are committed to supporting and investing in Foxtel's television and streaming services, across both sports and entertainment, using our world-leading technology to further enhance the viewing experience for customers. We are also committed to using our global reach to export Australia's most popular sports to new markets around the world, and we will continue to promote women's and under-represented sports. "We're looking forward to working closely with Patrick Delany and his team, as well as News Corp and Telstra as shareholders in DAZN, to realise our ambitious vision for the future of sport entertainment." Siobhan McKenna , the Chairman of Foxtel , said the agreement with DAZN was international recognition of the transformation of Foxtel from an incumbent pay TV operator to a sports and entertainment digital and streaming leader. "Over the last seven years the Foxtel team, with the strong support of News, have achieved an extraordinary turnaround in an intensely competitive environment." Foxtel Group CEO, Patrick Delany , said: "Today's announcement is a natural evolution for the Foxtel Group, having reinvented the company over the past five years as Australia's most dynamic technology-led streaming company. "Kayo and Foxtel provide Australian sports fans with access to the best Australian and international sport and shows, including AFL, NRL and Cricket with 4.7 million subscribers. "We are excited by DAZN's commitment to the Australian market. They are experts in the sports media business and can play a significant role in supporting Foxtel as the business grows its streaming capabilities, bringing a bigger and better service to customers across entertainment, news and sport. They are a perfect match for us as we look toward this next era of growth. "We have been grateful for the support of News Corp while we reimagined the future of Foxtel. In 2019, when we merged Foxtel and Fox Sports we had many people questioning our future. "After launching Kayo later in 2019 and BINGE in 2020, today we are the largest Australian-based streamer of sport and entertainment, we have stabilised our Foxtel base and launched Hubbl to help consumers find all the streamed content they love all in one place. This wouldn't have been possible without the support and encouragement of News Corp." NOTES TO EDITORS About DAZN As a world-leading sports entertainment platform, DAZN streams over 90,000 live events annually and is available in more than 200 markets worldwide. DAZN is the home of European football, women's football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL internationally. The platform features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world – Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and many more including the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. DAZN is transforming the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, play, buy, and connect. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. DAZN partners with leading pay-TV operators, ISPs and Telcos worldwide to maximise sports exposure to a broad audience. Its partners include Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Sky, Movistar, Telenet, Vodafone, and many more. DAZN is a global, privately-owned company, founded in 2016, with more than 3,000 employees. The Group generated $3.2bn in revenue in 2023, having grown its annual revenues by over 50% on average from 2020 to 2023, through diverse revenue streams comprising subscriptions, advertising, sponsorship, and transactional. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com . About Foxtel The Foxtel Group is one of Australia's leading media companies with 4.7 million subscribers. Its businesses include subscription television, streaming, sports production and advertising. The Foxtel Group is owned 65% by News Corp and 35% by Telstra. The Foxtel Group's diversified business includes Fox Sports, Australia's leading sports production company, famous for live sports and shows with the best commentators and personalities. It is also the home of local and global entertainment content and continues to be the partner of choice for the widest range of sports and international content providers based on established, long-term relationships, growing streaming audiences, and position as the largest Australian-based subscription television company. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dazn-advances-global-expansion-with-acquisition-of-foxtel-a-leading-australian-sports-and-entertainment-media-group-302337994.html SOURCE DAZN
NoneRams can take huge step toward NFC West title by avenging 31-point loss to Cardinals
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Payton Sparks scored 20 points off of the bench to lead Ball State past Evansville 80-43 on Saturday. Sparks had five rebounds for the Cardinals (5-6). Jermahri Hill added 13 points while going 5 of 14 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) while he also had eight rebounds and four steals. Jeremiah Hernandez had 12 points and shot 3 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 5 from the line. Michael Day led the Purple Aces (3-9) in scoring, finishing with 13 points. Evansville also got 11 points and seven rebounds from Tanner Cuff. Gui Tesch also recorded five points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Nvidia has dominated the AI narrative in the stock market, captivating investors and the media after soaring 2,190% over the past five years and becoming the most valuable company in the world for a brief period (it's currently No. 2). However, Nvidia is far from the only opportunity in the AI or semiconductor space. In fact, one chipmaker just reported 400%-plus year-over-year data center revenue growth and overall revenue growth of 84% to $8.7 billion in its latest earnings report (for the quarter ending Nov. 28). I'm talking about Micron Technology ( MU 3.48% ) , the memory-chip specialist that is surprisingly down 44% from its recent peak, despite that blowout growth. That discount and its potential in AI make the stock an appealing buy right now. Let's review the company's recent results first and then get into the buy case. What is Micron? Micron is a leader in memory chips, including DRAM, NAND, and high bandwidth memory (HBM). The company is also an integrated device manufacturer, meaning it both designs and manufactures its own chips like Intel and Samsung do. Memory chips are a highly cyclical business, prone to price fluctuations and industry gluts, and owning its own foundries makes Micron more exposed to the boom and bust cycle in semiconductors. Running foundries requires a high level of capital, but the integrated business model allows the company to better capture margins when the business is performing well. The chart below, which shows Micron's price compared to its previous high, gives a sense of how volatile the stock has been. As you can see, over the last decade, the stock has fallen by 40% or more on four occasions before hitting a new all-time high. Data by YCharts. Cyclicality and volatility are part of the risk in investing in Micron, but there's no question the semiconductor sector is in a boom right now, driven by the explosive growth of AI, though some subsectors like PCs and smartphones are weaker. In addition to Nvidia's blowout growth, industry bellwether Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing recently reported revenue growth of 36% in the third quarter to $23.5 billion, showing strong growth in the sector. Noting strong AI demand, management said that data center revenue topped 50% of total revenue for the first time in the quarter, following a trail first blazed by Nvidia in the chip sector. That now makes the vast majority of Micron's revenue from the data center, where AI computing is taking place. Why Micron stock tumbled on the report After reporting fiscal first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, Micron stock plunged as much as 19% on Thursday on its weak second-quarter guidance. However, the company has a history of being conservative with its guidance, and the weakness was due to consumer markets like smartphones, whereas the AI business remains strong. HBM, the part of the business closely tied to AI, is seeing impressive growth. The company said it's on track to achieve its HBM target for the fiscal year and reach a "substantial record" in HBM revenue, including "significantly improved profitability, and free cash flow" in the fiscal year. Micron expects a sequential decline in revenue and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in the second quarter, falling from $8.7 billion to $7.9 billion and for adjusted EPS to slip from $1.79 to $1.43. However, management's explanation for the weak outlook should reassure investors. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said the company had warned previously that seasonality and customer inventory reductions in consumer-facing segments like smartphones would affect Q2 results. He added, "We are now seeing a more pronounced impact of customer inventory reductions," and continued, "We expect this adjustment period to be relatively brief and anticipate customer inventories reaching healthier levels by spring, enabling stronger bit shipments in the second half of fiscal and calendar 2025." In other words, the issues causing the weak second-quarter guidance look like just a speed bump for the company rather than a sustained headwind, and management expects to return to sequential growth in the second half of the year. For a stock to fall 17% on a one-time guidance cut feels like a misread by the market and a buying opportunity for investors. Why Micron is a no-brainer buy A sell-off driven by short-term news often presents a good buying opportunity, but there's more to Micron's buy case than that. Micron is clearly capitalizing on the AI boom with the surge in data center revenue, and with its largest customer, which is believed to be Nvidia, now making up 13% of its revenue. A close relationship with Nvidia is clearly a tailwind at this stage of the AI boom as Nvidia just reported 94% growth in year-over-year revenue in its Q3 report. Micron's results are notoriously lumpy and cyclical, but it has the ability to generate huge profits under the right circumstances -- and those seem to be shaping up as the AI boom plays out. For example, Micron expects the addressable market for HBM to jump from $16 billion in 2024 to $64 billion in 2028 and to $100 billion in 2030. Even if it just maintains its market share in that segment, its HBM revenue will be up 4x in four years and 6x and six years. Finally, Micron stock is also much cheaper than its AI and chip stock peers, trading at a forward P/E of just 10 based on this year's estimates. While those estimates are likely to come down after its guidance, Micron still looks like a bargain at any price near that. Micron investors should monitor the chip and AI cycle closely, but there's a lot of upside potential in the stock. Getting back to its peak this summer would mean a 75% jump for the stock, and shares could continue to rally further over the next year or two, especially if it continues to see strong growth in the data center. Micron is the rare AI stock that offers rapid growth and a good value right now.
By Funto Omojola, NerdWallet Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a “state of credit card report” for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it’s not just about the rewards. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don’t use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders’ status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted “token” that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn’t require you to have your physical cards present, there’s less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse. More From NerdWallet Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com. The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet .
Dubai Hosts Groundbreaking Conference: "Content Creator Legends and AI" at Palazzo VersaceHoliday stress can lead Alzheimer’s patients and those with dementia to go missingSriram Krishnan: Pioneering AI at the White Houseadidas AG ( OTCMKTS:ADDDF – Get Free Report ) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 349,200 shares, a decline of 31.0% from the November 30th total of 506,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 698.4 days. adidas Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS ADDDF opened at $247.63 on Friday. adidas has a fifty-two week low of $175.25 and a fifty-two week high of $270.25. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $239.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $242.90. About adidas ( Get Free Report ) Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for adidas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for adidas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-12-18T21:44:45+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-12-18T21:44:45+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-12-18T21:44:42+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22696/sports/basketball/ferwaba-boss-mugwiza-talks-obstacles-triumphs-as-he-eyes-fourth-term-in-office", "headline": "FERWABA boss Mugwiza talks obstacles, triumphs as he eyes fourth term in office", "description": "Basketball executive Desire Mugwiza’s tenure as president of Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) has witnessed ups and downs. After 11 years in...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22696/sports/basketball/ferwaba-boss-mugwiza-talks-obstacles-triumphs-as-he-eyes-fourth-term-in-office" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/18/66715.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/18/66715.jpg" }, "articleBody": "Basketball executive Desire Mugwiza’s tenure as president of Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) has witnessed ups and downs. After 11 years in office, Mugwiza feels that he has unfinished business with Rwandan basketball, which is why he is running for yet a new four-year term, but this time unopposed, ahead of the December 21 polls. The basketball executive sat with Times Sport’s Damas Sikubwabo for an exclusive interview and discussed the sport’s development in the country, persisting challenges and what he would bring on table once elected FERWABA president again. Excerpts: In brief, what major milestones do you celebrate from the past four years in office? This term has seen a transformative period for basketball, demonstrating remarkable progress in both competitive performance and the organisational capacity to host world-class tournaments. On the competitive front, national teams registered notable rises in global rankings. The senior women’s squad climbed 12 places to 62nd worldwide (10th in Africa), becoming the biggest global movers in that period, while the U18 girls advanced 22 places to reach 45th globally (10th in Africa). At the same time, the senior men’s team rose to 90th globally and 15th in Africa, recognized as the second-biggest climbers. Beyond the traditional 5-on-5 format, there were significant accomplishments in Afro-CAN and 3x3 basketball. At the 2023 FIBA Afro-CAN, the national men’s team strong performance reinforced their reputation as an emerging force in African competitions with a bronze medal. Ranking improvements extended to the FIBA 3x3 Africa Cup 2024, where the Men’s team stands second in Africa with 108 points—just behind Madagascar’s 122 points—while the Women’s team holds a commendable fifth position with 46 points. The federation also demonstrated its capability as a world-class tournament host. After successfully organizing the FIBA AfroBasket Men 2021 and FIBA AfroBasket Women 2023, the federation witnessed a new milestone in hosting the FIBA Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifiers, the first world level FIBA hosted in Africa for the first time. Off the court, development initiatives ensured a pipeline of emerging talent and coaching excellence. Training camps and mentorship sessions with NBA Africa, Giants of Africa and other partners ensured that young athletes learned technical skills alongside values like teamwork and leadership. Moreover, for the first time in history, a Rwandan official, Pascale Mugwaneza, was elected to the FIBA Central Board, representing Africa and serving as the first woman appointed as a FIBA Africa Executive Member. This historic development not only underscores Rwanda’s growing role in international sports governance and diplomacy, but also paves the way for more inclusive, forward-looking decision-making in basketball’s continental and global spheres. Locally we continue to witness the growing love for the sport. Fan engagement grew accordingly, with a 49 percent increase in game attendance. In 2020, you said that your office would, among other targets, work to improve basketball infrastructure. Are you satisfied with the progress made? Working closely with NBA Africa, we upgraded the court at Lycée de Kigali, now offering a venue suitable for competitive matches. Meanwhile, our collaboration with Giants of Africa led to the construction of several courts including in Huye, Rusizi and Rubavu regions that previously lacked sufficient infrastructure. Additionally, a new court in Kimironko was built with the support of the Imbuto Foundation, and this facility now hosts youth camps regularly especially during school holidays providing young players with year-round opportunities to develop their skills. We are committed to sustaining this momentum. Together with NBA Africa, we plan to construct 10 new courts by 2025, ensuring that every district in Rwanda has standard basketball facilities. FERWABA has recently introduced the Instant Replay System (IRS) in league games. What is the rationale, and the likely impact? The introduction of the IRS was inspired by the zeal to align domestic competitions with international best practices, reassuring players and coaches that results are determined by performance rather than human error. It is also our commitment to ensure fairness, accuracy, and credibility in officiating. By providing referees with the means to carefully review pivotal decisions, the system has minimized disputes and improved the integrity of match outcomes. More training clinics for U13 children are organised in holidays as part of efforts to grow basketball from grassroots. How would you describe the progress? Together with our partners, we have organized camps that attracted over 500 participants. These camps focus on the foundational skills of basketball such as shooting, dribbling, and passing, as well as teamwork and leadership. We have partnered with organisations like NBA Africa and Giants of Africa to offer mentorship and leadership workshops for our young athletes. While the camps have been successful in urban areas, we plan to expand to rural regions in the next term. In short, by running annual Jr. NBA programs, conducting local and international camps, engaging the diaspora, and leveraging global partnerships, the federation has established a robust, recurring system to cultivate young talent. This sustained approach ensures that each new generation of players receives the guidance, resources, and exposure they need to grow, succeed, and ultimately strengthen the future of Rwandan basketball. What happened to the ambitious plan of setting up a basketball academy? Establishing a basketball academy involves securing the right infrastructure, partnerships, and educational components, and this process has taken longer than we initially anticipated. Logistical challenges, ranging from funding shortages and developing the curriculum development, have slowed our progress. However, we have not been idle. We’ve formed strategic alliances with the Ministry of Sports. We are now in the final stages of planning and expect to launch the academy as soon as the budget allows. The Rwanda Cup is one of the new things introduced in 2024. Why is it important? We introduced the Rwanda Cup to broaden competitive opportunities and introduce new energy into our basketball ecosystem. The idea was born from our desire to see more teams—especially those that are not in the topflight category compete on the same stage as the powerhouses. By doing so, we create a platform that encourages under the radar talent to emerge and thrive. Over time, we envision the Rwanda Cup becoming an annual highlight on the national sports calendar, a celebration of basketball that scouts, coaches, and communities eagerly anticipate. On the digital front, how is FERWABA leveraging technology to introduce new solutions? We implemented an online player registration system, the ‘FERWABA MAP platform’, making administrative tasks more efficient and transparent. Additionally, the adoption of a digital scoresheet used for the first time in Africa by Rwanda streamlined the record keeping process, providing accurate, real-time game data. How far have you gone in building the domestic coaching capacity? Multiple coaching clinics and workshops were organized in partnership with key basketball stakeholders, such as FIBA, NBA Africa and Athletes in Action. These sessions provided local coaches with hands on training led by experienced mentors from the NBA and NBA Academy, as well as international experts. By exposing coaches to advanced techniques, tactical philosophies, and player development methodologies, FERWABA ensured that they gained new insights and best practices. This professional growth at the coaching level has positively influenced the quality of training offered to players, ultimately elevating the overall standard of Rwandan basketball. What challenges have you faced down the road? One of the major challenges faced this term was the logistical and financial support delays in establishing a dedicated basketball academy. While strides were made in player identification, coaching development, and infrastructure expansion, the academy envisioned as a central hub for nurturing young talent and providing athletic and academic support did not materialize within the initially anticipated timeframe. These delays were largely due to complexities in securing the right location, facilities, and partnerships that align with the academy’s long term goals. Another ongoing challenge has been ensuring equal access to quality basketball facilities in every district. Although significant progress was made by constructing new courts, the goal of more court constructions with standard FIBA specifications remains a work in progress. Addressing these shortcomings will require continued collaboration, strategic planning, and resource allocation. Rwandans are still more appealed with football than other sports. Are you considering any measures to grow the basketball fan base? To broaden basketball’s appeal in a nation where football traditionally dominates, we have focused on creating a more engaging and enjoyable fan experience. Hosting major events like the FIBA AfroBasket and the Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifiers exposed local fans to elite level basketball and contributed to a 49 percent increase in game attendance. Beyond the court, we are also investing in efforts to enhance the game atmosphere with entertainment elements featuring youth artists and music performances, making match days more vibrant and appealing to a wider audience. Looking ahead, we plan to bring important matches to other districts, extending the live basketball experience beyond Kigali and offering communities throughout Rwanda a chance to engage with the sport directly. Given you are declared the winner of the upcoming elections, what is hot on your table? Key among these priorities is the establishment of a fully professional league, providing a structured, career oriented platform for athletes, coaches, and support staff. Infrastructure development will continue to be a cornerstone of our efforts. Maintaining the goal of constructing 10 new courts annually, we will also prioritize quality and innovation. Currently, we are in discussions with NBA Africa to cover the Kimironko court, transforming it into an indoor facility that can host activities all year round. This upgrade will protect training sessions, events, and competitions from weather related disruptions, thereby fostering consistent player development and fan engagement. Parting shot? Rwanda has been selected for the FIBA Plus program, joining a select group of African countries chosen to enhance their federations’ capacities across all operational areas. By leveraging the support and guidance provided through this initiative, we aim to strengthen our organizational structures, improve technical competencies, and maximize resources. We are optimistic that this approach of professionalising the league, the office, and infrastructure, while benefiting from FIBA Plus support will ensure that all stakeholders, from players and coaches to fans and partners, reap the rewards of a more robust, forward thinking basketball ecosystem.", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Damas Sikubwabo" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }Organogenesis Expands Manufacturing Capacity to Support Future Growth
PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Amarion Dickerson had 27 points and 15 rebounds to help Robert Morris hold off Northern Kentucky 97-93 in triple overtime on Sunday. Dickerson blocked five shots and had three steals for the Colonials (9-5, 1-2 Horizon League). Sophomore Alvaro Folgueiras scored 21 points and added a career-high 19 rebounds and six assists. DJ Smith had 13 points. The Norse (7-7, 2-1) were led by LJ Wells, who finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and two steals. Northern Kentucky also got 17 points and six rebounds from Trey Robinson. Randall Pettus II had 17 points. The Norse saw a five-game win streak come to an end. Dickerson's dunk gave Robert Morris a 94-92 lead with 26 seconds left in the third OT. Dilen Miller made two free throws with 3 seconds left to wrap up the victory. Josh Dilling made the second of two free throws with 8 seconds left for the Norse, forcing a second OT tied at 80. Wells hit a 3-pointer with 2:05 left and neither team scored after that, forcing the third OT tied at 86. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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