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Missed kicks. Poor tackling. Costly penalties. Week 12 was filled with sloppy play around the NFL, leading to some upsets and surprising outcomes. Jayden Daniels nearly led Washington to an improbable comeback down 10 in the final two minutes against Dallas only to fall short because Austin Seibert's extra point sailed wide left. After a field goal and successful onside kick, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the Commanders within one point with 21 seconds remaining. But Seibert's point-after attempt failed and the Cowboys returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown to seal a 34-26 victory. Special teams were atrocious for both teams. Seibert also missed his first extra point and Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score earlier in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys missed a field goal, had another blocked and had a punt blocked. "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals, just a number of things going to that spot," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. Washington (7-5) was a 10 1/2-point favorite over the undermanned Cowboys (4-7) but ended up losing a third straight game. The Houston Texans were 8-point favorites against the lowly Tennessee Titans and let the game come down to Ka'imi Fairbairn missing a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it with just under two minutes left. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, was sacked four times and the Texans (7-5) committed 11 penalties, including an illegal shift that negated a go-ahead 33-yard TD pass to Nico Collins on the drive that ended with Fairbairn's miss in the 32-27 loss. The Titans (3-8) averaged just 17 points per game before putting 32 on the scoreboard against Houston's defense that entered No. 4 in the league. "We didn't do anything well enough to win this game," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives. Too many negative plays. Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board." The San Francisco 49ers didn't have quarterback Brock Purdy, star edge rusher Nick Bosa and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams against Green Bay. That was no excuse for their undisciplined performance. The Niners committed nine penalties and their tackling was shoddy in a 38-10 loss to the Packers. The defending NFC champions are 5-6 with a trip to Buffalo (9-2) coming up. They're still only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West. "I'm really not concerned right now about how many guys were missing. We didn't play good enough, so that's not a factor. But, when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. When you have those penalties and we didn't stop the run like we did and we had those three turnovers in the second half, that's how you get embarrassed." Coming off their first loss of the season, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs needed Patrick Mahomes' heroics on the final drive to beat Carolina 30-27. Mahomes ran 33 yards to set up Spencer Schrader's 31-yard field goal as time expired. Kansas City had 10 penalties, including a pass interference that gave the Panthers (3-8) another chance to make the 2-point conversion that tied the game with 1:46 remaining. On defense, the Chiefs (10-1) suddenly shaky unit gave up 334 total yards against Bryce Young and an offense that entered last in the NFL. "We've got to do better. We're doing good in the red zone but that's only a third of the field," Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. "We will go back and look at the film to see what we're doing week to week, and see the tendencies that we're giving up, and just move forward from there. At the end of the day, we're all vets in the room for the most part. ... got to go back to the drawing board and see what we're doing and correct it from there." The Vikings allowed the Bears to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left and Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal. But Minnesota won in overtime, 30-27. The Chiefs and Vikings overcame their mistakes in narrow victories. The Commanders, Texans and 49ers couldn't. They have to be better down the stretch to make a playoff run. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Veterans at Wipro Ltd are steadily rising to the top in Srinivas Pallia's eight months in the corner office, at a time when India's fourth largest technology services firm is working to recover from a full-year revenue decline. Chief marketing officer Laura Langdon resigned earlier this week and will be succeeded by Asia business CMO Ranjita Ghosh. This makes it Wipro's eighth top-level change since Pallia took over as chief executive on 6 April. Also read | Langdon, who joined Wipro as CMO in March 2019, is expected to leave in February. Ghosh, who completes two decades in Wipro next year, will work from Bengaluru. Ghosh's elevation underscores the talent strategy of Pallia, himself a Wipro veteran with more than three decades at the Bengaluru-based company. In six of the eight top-level changes, Wipro promoted internal candidates to leadership roles. Four days after Pallia was named chief executive, Malay Joshi took over as CEO of Americas 1, Wipro's largest market unit that Pallia used to head earlier. In May, less than a month since Joshi’s promotion, Hari Shetty, another company veteran, was named Wipro's chief strategist and sales excellence officer. On 10 May, Anis Chenchah resigned as president of Wipro’s Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa region, citing personal reasons, and was replaced by Vinay Firake, a company veteran with more than 28 years of experience. In August, Sandhya Arun took over as company’s chief technology officer, replacing Subha Tatavarti, who put in her papers to explore other options outside Wipro. The last top-level change was of Srikumar Rao, who succeeded Harmeet Chauhan in October to head Engineering Edge, which is Wipro’s engineering business. Reliance not absolute However, Wipro’s reliance on internal talent was not absolute. Sanjeev Jain took over as chief operating officer of Wipro in May this year, replacing Amit Choudhary, who resigned to pursue opportunities outside Wipro. A month later, Bruno Schenk was appointed country head and manager of the company’s Switzerland business. Both were outside hires and have been in Wipro for less than five years. A query emailed to a Wipro spokesperson remained unanswered. Internal promotions may have higher chances of success, a hiring industry expert said. "If a company promotes people internally, they know the company better than an outside hire, and the chances of them succeeding in their role are higher. This is a tried-and-tested method, and is always good for building morale within the company," said Navnit Singh, chairman and regional managing director of Korn Ferry, an executive search firm. Amid revival efforts The changes come at a time Wipro is trying to revive its fortunes. The company's FY24 revenue of $10.8 billion was 3.8% below the previous year's. "The only risk is that internal candidates have extra pressure to perform because they know the company better than an external hire and do not need time like an outside hire to get familiar with the company," said Singh. The top-level changes are part of a larger leadership churn at Wipro. At least 30 leaders ranked senior vice-president and above have left the company in the last two years, either for better opportunities elsewhere, or because of lack of growth at the company under Delaporte. Also read | The company, however, was unfazed by the leadership exits. "There is a living organization. There will be some people who would move one kind of stuff. But there is no major disruption in the way we are going to work, organize ourselves. So, I don't see that much of a challenge as we move forward," chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil said at a post-earnings interaction with analysts on 19 April, responding to a question on senior management churn. Expected to stabilize At least one analyst said that churn was expected to stabilize. “Most of the senior replacements appear to be internal hires/promotions and old-timers in the company. We reckon that Wipro’s leadership churn could stabilize ahead as the new organization under Srini’s leadership settles down," said Axis Capital analysts Manik Taneja, Saksham Savernya, and Rohit Thorat in a note dated 29 October. Also read | The software services company, once bigger than Infosys Ltd, India's second-largest IT services company now, faces an uphill task after a full-year revenue decline and exits at the top. The company is trying to turn the tide under Pallia’s leadership by focussing on cost-saving measures rather than big-bang changes. Expensive offsite meetings are being shifted to virtual mode and the company is prioritizing its operating margins in conversations with clients.AREA ROUNDUP: B’wood competes in Classic, ’Necks beat Sealy
Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker, who is overseeing Luigi Mangione’s pre-trial hearings, is facing criticism for her financial ties to the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Reports indicate that Parker is wed to Bret Parker, a past executive at Pfizer, who departed from the company in 2010. Parker, who has managed the proceedings in Mangione’s case, possesses substantial investments in various healthcare and technology companies. Records show she possesses Pfizer stock worth between $50,000 and $100,000. Her portfolio comprises stocks in Abbott Laboratories, Viatris, and CRISPR Therapeutics. Further disclosures emphasized Parker's investments in leading technology firms, such as Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla, and Apple. Her spouse still obtains a pension from his time at Pfizer. Journalist Ken Klippenstein, who covered Parker's financial assets, mentioned that she possesses assets valued in the hundreds of thousands. These holdings have raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest in cases linked to the pharmaceutical or healthcare industries. Mangione is alleged to have murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a crime that has garnered national attention. His purported manifesto, sections of which are still vague, reportedly referred to UnitedHealthcare’s substantial market presence. Luigi Mangione, charged with the deadly shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, showed up in court on Monday dressed in an outfit that coordinated with his lawyer’s. Mangione pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges, which comprise first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism. Speaking into the courtroom microphone, he assertively declared, "Not guilty." The claims stem from the shooting of Thompson on December 4 near a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The occurrence happened during an investor conference held by UnitedHealth Group. Prosecutors allege that the murder was premeditated and associated with terrorism. If convicted, Mangione might receive a life sentence in prison with no possibility of parole. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.
Supreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry's rise JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia’s decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different. And the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. Both the award and the glitzy festival itself are signs of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to shaping a new film industry. The reopening of cinemas in 2018 after 35 years marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Unique among 'Person of the Year' designees, Donald Trump gets a fact-check from Time magazine Donald Trump got something this year that no other person designed Time magazine's Person of the Year had ever received. He got a fact-check of claims that the president-elect made in the interview accompanying the magazine's piece. Trump earned the recognition of the year's biggest newsmaker for the second time, also winning it in 2016 the first time he was elected president. But in a piece described as a “12-minute” read, Time called into question more than a dozen statements Trump made when speaking to the magazine's reporters, on issues like border size, autism and crowd size at a rally. Time said it has fact-checked other interviews in the past, but not for this annual feature. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge. The development comes as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk was an early OpenAI investor and board member. But he sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. He has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI filed its response in court Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications.