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Powerful weight-loss drugs are expanding use of U.S. health care as patients starting prescriptions are diagnosed with obesity-related conditions or take the drugs to become eligible for other services, health records and discussions with doctors show. An exclusive analysis of hundreds of thousands of electronic patient records by health data firm Truveta found slight, but measurable, increases in first-time diagnoses of sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes within 15 days of an initial prescription for a GLP-1 weight-loss drug between 2020 and 2024. In addition to obesity-related conditions, some patients are being prescribed the drugs to lose weight and become eligible for services, including organ transplants, fertility treatments or knee replacements, according to interviews with seven doctors and five other health experts. "This is a population that previously felt stigmatized by health care providers and often didn't return. But now that they're actually seeing themselves get healthier, asking clinicians questions and engaging more, I do think we're seeing new patients," said Dr. Rekha Kumar, a New York endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro have been shown to lead to average weight loss of at least 15%. Andrew Friedson, director of health economics at the Milken Institute and three other experts said the impact of the drugs on overall healthcare use is not yet clear. The new diagnoses could mean higher initial spending, but early detection could save costs down the line, he said. Dr. Courtney Younglove, an obesity medicine specialist and founder of Heartland Weight Loss clinic in Overland Park, Kansas, said she has referred obesity patients for long-delayed pap smears and other routine care, including colonoscopies. Many overweight patients avoid doctors and routine tests for years due to the stigma and bias they often encounter, she said. “A lot of people with obesity don't do a lot of preventive health maintenance." Phil, a 43-year-old Chicago technology executive who asked for his full name to be withheld for privacy reasons, generally avoided doctors before receiving a GLP-1 prescription from a telehealth provider in early 2023. He said he told his regular physician about the medication months later, after he had lost more than 30 lbs, and was taken aback by her supportive response. He decided then to advocate more for himself and ask for help with other conditions, including addiction and mental health. "It gave me the courage to ask," he said. The Truveta analysis found that for every 1,000 patients with a first-time GLP-1 prescription, 42 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within 15 days in 2024, up from 32 in 2020. Over the same period, the number of sleep apnea diagnoses per 1,000 patients rose to 11 from 8 and the number of cardiovascular disease diagnoses increased to 15 from 13. The most obese patients were twice as likely as people who were less overweight to receive a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and three times as likely to be diagnosed with sleep apnea, the Truveta data showed. The analysis was based on 33,630 first-time GLP-1 prescriptions for overweight or obese patients in 2020 and 224,496 in the first 10 months of 2024. Lilly declined to directly comment on the data, saying in an emailed statement "it is important that adults living with obesity receive appropriate diagnosis and access to evidence-based care." Novo Nordisk also declined to comment directly, noting its aim "to address unmet needs for a wider range of patients." QUALIFYING FOR SURGERIES ResMed, which sells sleep apnea devices, had revenue growth of 11% for its fiscal year ending in June - a trend the company attributed in part to the GLP-1 drugs. The medications are "bringing people into primary care like never before," ResMed CEO Michael Farrell said at the company's recent shareholder meeting. In addition to things like sleep apnea, the weight-loss drugs could lead to more joint replacements, said Sara Mallatt, director of healthcare research at market analysis firm AlphaSense. "As people's BMIs come down, they'll be eligible for surgeries they wouldn't otherwise," she said. "No one is saying this is happening in a meaningful way right now, but we think it will." University of Chicago Medicine last year launched a weight-loss clinic aimed at helping prospective organ transplant patients lose weight to qualify for surgery, with the GLP-1 drugs playing a key role. "Before they had a place to send these patients, which is our clinic, the scheduler would just say, 'hey, what's your weight, what's your height, what's your BMI,' and if they didn't fit their criteria, they would just tell them to lose weight on their own," said Anesia Reticker, the center's clinical pharmacist specialist. Retired Indiana steelworker Bensabio Guajardo, 68, was prescribed Ozempic at the clinic in 2023 when he was deemed too obese for a double lung transplant needed to keep him alive after pulmonary fibrosis made breathing increasingly difficult. "It helped me a lot. It took my cravings away," Guajardo said. After losing around 90 pounds and stopping the drug ahead of a successful surgery in May, his doctor put him back on it to control high blood sugar. Reticker said the program has received about 100 referrals over the past year from transplant centers in the Chicago area.Dozens of massive data centers humming at the outskirts of Dublin are consuming more electricity than all of the urban homes in Ireland and starting to wear out the warm welcome that brought them here. Now, a country that made itself a computing factory for Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok is wondering whether it was all worth it as tech giants look around the world to build even more data centers to fuel the next wave of artificial intelligence. Fears of rolling blackouts led Ireland's grid operator to halt new data centers near Dublin until 2028. These huge buildings and their powerful computers last year consumed 21% of the nation’s electricity, according to official records. No other country has reported a higher burden to the International Energy Agency. Not only that, but Ireland is still heavily reliant on burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, despite a growing number of wind farms sprouting across the countryside. Further data center expansion threatens Ireland's goals to sharply cut planet-warming emissions. Ireland is a “microcosm of what many countries could be facing over the next decade, particularly with the growth of AI,” said energy researcher Paul Deane of University College Cork. Twenty-six-year-old activist Darragh Adelaide lives in a working-class Dublin suburb just across a busy motorway from Grange Castle Business Park, one of Ireland’s biggest data center clusters. It could get even bigger were Adelaide not a thorn in the side of Google’s expansion plans. “It’s kind of an outrageous number of data centers,” Adelaide said. “People have started to make the connection between the amount of electricity they’re using and electricity prices going up.” Ireland has attracted global tech companies since the “Celtic Tiger” boom at the turn of the 21st century. Tax incentives, a highly skilled, English-speaking workforce and the country’s membership in the European Union have all contributed to making the tech sector a central part of the Irish economy. The island is also a node for undersea cables that extend to the U.S., Britain, Iceland and mainland Europe. Nearly all of the data centers sit on the edge of Dublin, where their proximity to the capital city facilitates online financial transactions and other activities that require fast connections. Data center computers run hot, but compared to other parts of the world, Ireland's cool temperatures make it easier to keep them from overheating without drawing in as much water. Still, buildings that for years went mostly unnoticed have attracted unwanted attention as their power demands surged while Irish householders pay some of Europe’s highest electricity bills. Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency has also flagged concerns about nitrogen oxide pollution from data centers’ on-site generators — typically gas or diesel turbines — affecting areas near Dublin. A crackdown began in 2021, spurred by projections that data centers are on pace to take up one third of Ireland's electricity in this decade. Regulators declared that Dublin had hit its limits and could no longer plug more data centers into its grid. The government urged tech companies to look outside the capital and find ways to supply their own power. “What’s happening in Ireland is the politics of basically what happens when you build too many of these things,” said University College Dublin researcher Patrick Brodie. “Even though people have recognized for a while that data centers are energy hogs, there hasn’t really been so many of these moments where, effectively, Ireland issued a red alert.” Adelaide was a child when Microsoft opened Grange Castle's first data center in 2009, but enormous complexes built by Amazon, Google, Microsoft and other companies have since expanded around the ruined castle that anchors the business park. They have their own modern fortifications of high fences, surveillance cameras and guard houses, and don’t display their corporate logos. In June, Adelaide’s campaign against data centers helped get him elected to a seat on the South Dublin County Council for the leftist People Not Profits Party. The council soon after rejected Google’s plan to build another data center. Google appealed the decision in September. “It was only going to employ around 50 people,” Adelaide said. “It would have been a massive cost to the local area and to Ireland in general with very little benefit, which is kind of how the tax haven system works.” The backlash from Dublin-area local planning authorities — combined with stricter, if sometimes contradictory, guidance from the national government — has frustrated data center developers. One fully-built data center from Texas-based Digital Realty is sitting idle at Grange Castle while it awaits permission to connect to the electricity grid. The company sells space within its data centers for clients such as banks, email providers and social media platforms. It says it lacks a grid connection despite contracting for enough renewable energy to power all of its Irish data centers. “When we look at artificial intelligence, when we look at new technologies coming along the line, the basic requirement for all of those is power infrastructure,” said Dermot Lahey, who directs Digital Realty's data center implementation in Ireland, speaking inside a cavernous empty data hall. Ireland has all the elements to make it a “great home for AI expansion,” he said. “What’s preventing us from being able to leverage that is the fact that the power constraints that we have, or the power moratorium that we have, is greatly impacting our ability to provide space for customers,” Lahey said. Once colder weather sets in, the smoky fragrance of fireplaces burning briquettes of peat lingers over County Offaly, just over an hour’s drive west of Dublin in a region known as the Midlands. It’s places like this where some data center developers, thwarted by Dublin’s constraints, now see opportunity. A report commissioned by County Offaly’s government pitches the bog-dotted region as a place to “create thousands of green jobs” and rival “Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris in being an anchor for data centres powered by renewable energy.” Farmer and conservationist Brian Sheridan, 83, is doubtful. He's seen this region transformed once before, from a vast wetland known as the Bog of Allen to barren pockets of brownfields as people cut away trenches of dense peat soil, or turf – first with spades and later with tractors at an industrial scale to create homegrown fuel. “The bog started disappearing and it wasn't being replaced,” said Sheridan, walking along a boardwalk over carpets of moss and sedges in the now-protected Clara Bog Nature Reserve. Decades of rapid extraction fostered Ireland's energy independence and employed scores of workers in turf-cutting, briquette factories and power plants. But it also polluted the air and devastated a delicate environment. Bogs that naturally trapped large amounts of carbon dioxide were stripped down to the bedrock, contributing to global warming. When burned, peat is dirtier than coal. Ireland has largely banned the sale of peat and shuttered the last remaining peat-fired power plants. But the state-supported company at the helm of peat extraction, Bord na Móna, still controls vast tracts of former bogland. It has refashioned itself as a renewable energy provider, laying down wind turbines and solar farms and partnering with Amazon to build a data center near the village of Rhode. Bord na Móna declined multiple interview requests about its plans, and some residents feel left in the dark. “Bord na Móna, as far as I’m concerned, are a law unto themselves,” Sheridan said. “Now that the turf-cutting is all finished, they should be gone. But it’s still the same Bord Na Móna and they won’t answer questions.” Amazon declined to talk about specific projects and has repeatedly signaled it may shift its new data center investments away from Ireland. But an executive said the company is still working closely with the Irish government and characterized Ireland’s challenges as mostly about transmission — building the infrastructure to get new clean energy where it needs to go. “Ireland has tremendous opportunity for additional renewable energy,” said Kevin Miller, Amazon Web Services’ vice president of global data centers. "However, they also need quite a bit more capacity on the grid to tap into that generation.” A tech-driven race is on to harness the region's wind. Backed by a power purchase agreement with Microsoft, the Norwegian wind energy company Statkraft is building nine towering wind turbines in remote former boglands along County Offaly’s eastern edge. Statkraft’s managing director for Ireland, Kevin O’Donovan, said data centers are actually helping to accelerate Ireland’s clean energy transition. “For a lot of the mainland European countries, demand is going down and that’s actually leading to a challenge to roll out renewables,” O’Donovan said. “Whereas in Ireland we have demand that’s increasing because the country is growing economically and obviously a part of that is the data center growth.” On the other side of Offaly, a group of residents who live along the Lemanaghan Bog near the site of a 7th-century monastery are skeptical of such claims. They are opposed to what a proposed Bord Na Móna wind farm will do to its cultural heritage and ecology. KK Kenny took his concerns to Dublin this fall in a meeting with the country’s taoiseach, or prime minister, Simon Harris. Kenny wants to see the bog preserved for biodiversity. He'd be happy to see data center developers follow through with their pledge to look to other European countries. “They say, oh, they’re going to pull out," Kenny said. "That would be a great thing. We can’t sustain them.” Some neighbors of Amazon's proposed data center in Rhode are more open to the idea. One village resident already commutes all the way to Dublin to work at a data center. Another is hoping it will employ people who’d want to buy new homes. “We’re all for change,” said Gerard Whelan. “I’ll get work because I build houses. It’s a domino effect.” At a village pub, the Rhode Inn, Whelan points to a photograph of the old peat-burning power plant where his father worked the control room. Its cooling towers loomed over the village before their demolition two decades ago. Another nearby plant only stopped burning peat a year ago. What happens next for Ireland's data centers could depend in part on the new national government coming into power early next year. Data centers were not a top issue for Irish voters who showed up to the polls on Nov. 29. But analysts expect the two center-right parties forming a new coalition government to face industry pressure to ease limits on data center expansion. Ossian Smyth, an outgoing minister of state for the Irish government whose Green Party lost nearly all its parliamentary seats, said it would be a mistake to slow down Ireland's climate commitments. But he also sees the limits on data center growth set by his outgoing government as having resolved most people's concerns. What other countries can learn from Ireland's experience, he added, is to carefully manage the effect of data centers on the stability of the electricity system — and make sure their benefits are much more than income or foreign investment. “Don’t see them as a necessary evil or something that you just have to put up with because it makes money and it gets taxes,” Smyth said.
If there’s a beauty brand we’re constantly obsessed with, it’s Anastasia Beverly Hills . Not only did we review the makeup line in its entirety but it’s consistently dropping new products — including limited-time seasonal sets. So, it’s time to talk about the Gingerbread Collection that’s the epitome of sugar, spice and everything nice. It makes a lovely beauty gift for the holidays this year and is complete with everything the lover of glam needs to look and feel their glowy best. Featuring premium makeup essentials, this exclusive set is designed to elevate your beauty routine and bring a little extra sparkle to your holiday season. Each product is expertly crafted to capture the essence of the season, offering high-quality formulas and festive packaging that will make your holiday moments even more magical. What’s more, the Gingerbread house-inspired packaging gives it a truly unique and festive touch, adding even more charm to this already special set. Anastasia Beverly Hills Holiday Collection Set This must-have collection is valued at $362 and is now available for only $151. You can say it’s the perfect way to treat yourself to new beauty stock-ups before the new year. And, hurry — this limited-edition set is only available through December while supplies last. Here’s an overview of what’s included: Better yet, all Anastasia Beverly Hills products are cruelty-free, so you’ll feel good about your purchase. While it’s a leader in all things brows, its eyeshadows, eyeliners and lip products are equally as glamorous. So, grab this limited-edition bundle while you still can. It’ll look ravishing underneath your tree, and it’s a gift we want to unwrap, too. Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post This article was written by Victoria Giardina , New York Post Commerce Journalist & Content Strategist, who has spent countless hours researching, testing hundreds of products and comparing the latest and greatest makeup, skincare, hair and beauty items and trends to determine what’s truly worth your hard-earned cash. She evaluates formulas, textures, ingredients and more, in addition to consulting medical and industry experts. Some of Victoria’s latest conquests include reviewing the viral Korean beauty brand, Cosrx , and testing dermatologist-recommended acne cleansers . Victoria has been creating shopping guides for the New York Post since 2021 and previously held positions at Insider Reviews and CNN Underscored.
Tennessee House Republicans today held their biennial organizational meeting to elect leaders for the 114th General Assembly. Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, was elected by unanimous vote by his GOP colleagues to lead the House of Representatives for a fourth term. “I truly appreciate the support and confidence my colleagues have placed in me to continue in my role as speaker,” Sexton said. “Tennessee continues to grow and thrive because of our conservative philosophies and our dedication to preserving Tennesseans’ freedom and liberty. We will continue fighting for solutions that strengthen and protect Tennessee families and communities.” Republican House members voted unanimously to reelect for a fourth term State Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, as majority leader, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, as caucus chairman, and State Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, as majority whip. “I am thrilled to congratulate Representative Jeremy Faison on being elected Caucus Chair,” said House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. “Jeremy has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, unwavering commitment to conservative values, and a deep dedication to serving the people of Tennessee. I look forward to partnering with him in the months and years ahead to advance our shared priorities and deliver results for Tennesseans.” As Republican caucus chairman, Faison will preside over meetings and is the second ranking officer of the caucus. His duties include calling meetings as requested by the Republican majority leader, presiding and maintaining order at such meetings as well as providing a forum in which the will of the majority prevails while protecting the rights of those whose views are in the minority. He is responsible for maintaining communications with members regarding legislative matters and coordinating with the Senate Republican caucus chairman to facilitate joint opportunities for activities, events, and meetings. “It is an honor and a privilege to be able to continue to serve the 75 members of the House Republican Caucus as chairman,” Faison said. “We must ensure Tennessee remains a place that protects individual liberties, keeps taxes low and is fiscally responsible. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to ensure the future of our state remains bright and prosperous.” The House GOP maintains its 75-24 supermajority following historic national victories in which Republicans captured the White House and majorities in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. “It is uplifting to witness the political shift across our nation this year, with Americans overwhelmingly voting to defend conservative values at every level of government,” Lamberth said. “Our caucus is unified in our commitment to pursue the extraordinary vision of Tennesseans who put their faith in us to lead. Tennessee is stronger than ever. I’m thankful for the opportunity to build on our tradition of good governance for the 114th General Assembly.” State Rep. Pat Marsh, R-Shelbyville, was unanimously chosen to serve his third term as speaker pro tempore. State Rep. Mark Cochran, R-Englewood, was elected to his second term as assistant majority leader. “I am deeply grateful to our caucus for continuing to put their trust in me,” Faison said. “Together, with the leadership of Speaker Sexton, Lt. Gov. McNally and Gov. Bill Lee, the Senate and House supermajorities will continue to advance the priorities of Tennesseans who have firmly and decisively said they want leaders who will stand up for conservative values and protect freedom.” Others elected to caucus leadership positions include State Rep. Paul Sherrell, R-Sparta as floor leader; State Rep. Tim Hicks, R-Gray, as caucus vice chair; State Rep. Kip Capley, R-Summertown as Secretary; State Rep. Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough, as Treasurer. Freshman State Rep. Fred Atchley, R-Sevierville, was elected Freshman Floor Leader. The 114th General Assembly is scheduled to convene on Jan. 14, 2024.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Londynn Jones scored 15 points, making all five of her 3-pointers, and fifth-ranked UCLA stunned No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. The Gamecocks (5-1) lost for the first time since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest sports news delivered right to your inbox six days a week.UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down outside of a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Luigi Mangione, 26, has since been arrested and charged in the killing . In the days after Thompson’s death, UnitedHealthcare came under fire on social media over its alleged high rate of health insurance claim denials. A chart shared in many viral posts across social media shows claim denial rates for major insurance companies. UnitedHealthcare’s denial rate is highest at 32%, according to the posts. VERIFY investigated available data to determine whether the viral chart is accurate. THE QUESTION Does UnitedHealthcare deny patients’ claims at the highest rate of any major insurer, like the viral chart claims? THE SOURCES THE ANSWER The claim that UnitedHealthcare denies patients’ claims at the highest rate of any major insurer is inconclusive. The federal government and private health insurers don’t make data on claim denials for all types of insurance plans available to the public. WHAT WE FOUND We can’t VERIFY that UnitedHealthcare denies claims at the highest rate of any major health insurer. That’s because the federal government and private health insurers, like UnitedHealthcare, don’t make data on claim denials for all types of insurance plans available to the public. Former President Barack Obama signed a comprehensive health care reform law called The Affordable Care Act (ACA) , which is also known as Obamacare, into law in 2010. That law tasked the federal government’s Department of Health and Human Services with “monitoring denials both by health plans on the Obamacare marketplace and those offered through employers and insurers,” Elisabeth Rosenthal reported for KFF Health News , which is part of the nonprofit health policy research and news organization KFF, in May 2023. But HHS “hasn’t fulfilled that assignment,” Rosenthal said. Data the federal government has collected and shared so far isn’t comprehensive and it isn’t audited to ensure it’s accurate, a ProPublica investigation and KFF found. VERIFY reviewed the ACA and found it also tasked the head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) with conducting a “study on the incidence of denials of coverage for medical services and denials of applications to enroll in health insurance plans.” That GAO report was published in March 2011 but it doesn’t break down denial rates by individual insurers. Where the data in the viral chart comes from VERIFY traced the viral chart back to an article published by ValuePenguin, a consumer research website owned by LendingTree, in May 2024. ValuePenguin has since removed the chart from its article, though the alleged denial rates are still included in the article. The website said on Dec. 6 that it “removed certain data elements” from the piece “at the request of law enforcement.” The chart published by ValuePenguin, which is shown in an archived version of the article here , alleges that UnitedHealthcare denies nearly one-third of claims it receives – or 32% to be exact – the highest rate of any major insurer. It’s followed by Medica at 27% and Anthem at 23%. These rates were based on available data on insurers’ claim denials and appeals from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) public use files, which are available online, ValuePenguin said. ValuePenguin says the CMS data the website used is from the calendar year 2022 and doesn’t include any other years. Medicare and Medicaid data doesn’t include information about employer-sponsored private health plans, which cover the majority of working-age Americans . VERIFY conducted our own analysis of the most recent data from CMS comparing the total number of the in-network claims that health insurers received to their in-network denials. We did not factor in appeals. Our analysis found that UnitedHealthcare did deny claims at a rate of around 33% – the highest rate of any major insurer. This closely mirrors what ValuePenguin found. But there are a handful of caveats to the CMS data that make it impossible to draw conclusions about how often health insurers actually deny patients’ claims. Why it’s impossible to know exactly how many claims health insurers deny The data-gathering on health insurers’ denials is “haphazard and limited to a small subset of plans,” and it “isn’t audited to ensure it is complete,” Karen Pollitz, a retired senior fellow at KFF, said in the 2023 KFF Health News article . When it comes to information that the federal government has collected, it is not standardized or audited, and therefore is “not really meaningful,” Peter Lee, the founding executive director of California’s state marketplace, also told ProPublica. Data “should be actionable” and “this is not by any means right now,” he added. VERIFY reached out to CMS and UnitedHealthcare for comment, but did not receive responses by the time of publication. The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808
Lehigh holds off Long Island U late, earn a 60-59 win
OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Chance Moore scored 16 points as Saint Bonaventure defeated Buffalo 65-55 on Saturday night. Moore shot 5 of 11 from the field, including 0 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 8 from the line for the Bonnies (9-1). Melvin Council Jr. scored 12 points while shooting 5 for 11, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc and added three steals. Jonah Hinton had 12 points and shot 3 of 5 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line. Ryan Sabol led the way for the Bulls (5-5) with 14 points. Buffalo also got 14 points from Bryson Wilson. Brayden Jackson had 11 points. Saint Bonaventure took the lead with 19:26 remaining in the first half and did not give it up. Hinton led their team in scoring with 10 points in the first half to help put them ahead 32-22 at the break. Saint Bonaventure closed out the victory in the final half, while Moore led the way with a team-high 10 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Florida St. 92, UMass 59
NEW YORK (AP) — Keith Higgins Jr. had 16 points in Lehigh's 60-59 win over LIU on Saturday. Higgins also contributed three steals for the Mountain Hawks (4-6). Tyler Whitney-Sidney shot 4 for 12, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc to add 11 points. Ben Knostman had 10 points and shot 3 of 4 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Jamal Fuller finished with 20 points and eight rebounds for the Sharks (4-11). LIU also got 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks from Shadrak Lasu. Blake Lander finished with 10 points. Higgins scored eight points in the first half and Lehigh went into the break trailing 35-28. Knostman led Lehigh with nine points in the second half as their team outscored LIU by eight points over the final half. Lehigh plays Neumann at home on Sunday, and LIU hosts Le Moyne on Friday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
C an you select a profession of good status from among the following? Doctor, engineer, lawyer, civil servant, banker, teacher, scientist, entrepreneur. Now select the noblest of them. Invariably, most of us would choose teacher, as this profession lays the groundwork for all other professions. How many of us chose this a noble profession and one of high social status? The figure would be very less. The reason for this would be that many of us equate a profession of good status as a lucrative profession. Unfortunately, the noblest teacher profession of the past, now does not have a high status in a money-driven society. The respect and value for teachers’ profession faded away when money came into play, leading to teachers becoming service providers and students becoming customers. Before we continue, let’s answer this. Who is a good teacher? Simply put, teachers impart knowledge, shape students’ character, and helps to create responsible citizens. While we celebrate film actors, sports personalities, politicians, entrepreneurs, social activists, and influencers, why don’t we also celebrate and appreciate teachers, who act as an important pillar for the betterment of society? A question may arise that in today’s society, not all teachers are noble. Many focus mainly on earning their salaries and limit their efforts to improving students’ grades. The reasons for this shift in teachers’ attitudes toward their responsibilities are a separate topic. Nevertheless, there are some teachers in society who go the extra mile to improve the lives of their students. They do not work solely for their salary but strive to enhance students’ lives academically, socially, economically, and even spiritually. These teachers deserve to be celebrated every day, as the world needs examples to inspire others to do what is right, which is crucial in today’s times. Celebrating teachers isn’t just about holding an event once a year and ignoring them the rest of the time. True celebration means that as a society, we should show lasting respect, love, and gratitude for teachers throughout our lives. However, these values are meaningless unless put into action. What the government, organisations, and institutions can do comes later. As the saying goes, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Even the biggest revolutions have always begun with a single individual. No individual can achieve success or grow without the contribution of teachers. Unfortunately, as we grow older, we often forget their sacrifices. So, what can we do as individuals? The first way to honour teachers is by living the values and ideals they taught us. Additionally, we can use the knowledge they imparted in a righteous manner to help others within our ability. From primary school to graduation or even a doctorate, all of us have learned under many teachers. However, as we move forward in life, how many of us have reconnected with those teachers? Individually, we can each try to improve the lives of at least two teachers in any way we can. If that’s not possible, we can help others in need, even if they weren’t our teachers. The number of people we help can always be adjusted to fit our means. In today’s society, parents don’t usually encourage their children to become teachers, as many prefer other careers. This mindset needs to change. First, we must be convinced of the value of teaching and then inspire the younger generation to pursue this profession. Moreover, there is currently a shortage of teachers. If we do not produce quality teachers, the entire education system will collapse, as teachers play a crucial role. Despite the rise of AI in this technology-driven world, the need for teachers is even greater, as they are the ones who instil culture, tradition, and, most important, humanity in the younger generation. Ultimately, if someone becomes a dedicated teacher out of passion, contributing to a better society, it is the best way to honour teachers every day. In this way, the former student has now taken on the responsibility of following in their teachers’ footsteps, inspiring many others, and shaping good citizens for society. vithyamari.ms@gmail.com Published - December 22, 2024 02:16 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — Trey Robinson had 20 points in Northern Kentucky’s 58-47 win over South Carolina State on Saturday. Robinson added five rebounds for the Norse (7-6). Sam Vinson scored 12 points and added five rebounds. Randall Pettus II shot 3 for 9, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with eight points. Colin McKenzie led the Bulldogs (6-8) in scoring, finishing with 13 points. Omar Croskey added eight points for South Carolina State. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Octave scores 24 as Stony Brook takes down Maine 74-72
Qatar PM sees 'momentum' on Gaza talks after US electionBy HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time to read books. U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up Taylor Swift’s tie-in book to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: digital screens that have drawn kids away from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. Bob Woodward books have been an election tradition for decades. “War,” the latest of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. Former (and future) first lady Melania Trump, who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, unexpectedly announced she was publishing a memoir: “Melania.” The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond posting a video expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. Taylor Swift was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to her global tour isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo.” The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir at the time of her death , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. “From Here to the Great Unknown” is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of son Benjamin Keough. To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, during an interview with Winfrey, said of her mother. Meanwhile, Cher released the first of two planned memoirs titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. “James,” winner of the National Book Award, is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. In “Knife,” he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” he told The Associated Press last spring. “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”
Innovations In Restaurant Hood Systems Are Transforming Commercial KitchensGeorgescu’s victory would lead to power shifting to the adherents of Romania’s sovereignty who are regarded by the powers that be as radicals and anti-system elements, he explains. “Therefore, these pillars of Romania’s current political elite – social democrats and national liberals first and foremost, and President Iohannis represents national liberals – they could make such decision and force the Constitutional Court to approve it,” Ciurea remarks. Georgescu never declared himself as a pro-Russian politician, Ciurea noted, he merely wants peace in the region, which in turn would mean resolving the Ukrainian conflict – something that Romania’s political elite does not want. These views of his led to Georgescu being automatically branded as pro-Russian, which is unacceptable in Romania and by default pushes them to the political fringe, Ciurea explains. This, he says, allows the Romanian political elite to regard Georgescu as an extremist. Yesterday, 10:40 GMT Tatiana Bitkova, senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences (INION RAN), offers a similar take on the subject, adding that foreign powers – namely, the “Euro-Atlantic institutions” – were interested in seeing Georgescu fail. She points out that the Romanian Constitutional Court the entire election process was definitely abnormal. Ciurea, too, concurs that Georgescu’s victory in Romania, a country where the US normally maintains “complete political control,” would have been an inconvenience to the United States. Therefore, he believes that the fact that Georgescu was a step away from winning the election drove the current US elites to “take certain measures.” “I think that this decision to annul the election results is, in principle, a ban on Georgescu’s victory,” Ciurea says. He compares this development to the situation in Georgia where the US and the EU are trying to influence the recent election results, adding that tensions there are rising.
BTC Mainnet, RGB++ Protocol, and CKB: A Comprehensive View of Crypto Asset Issuance 11-26-2024 09:26 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: LianPR The BTC mainnet, as the leader in crypto asset issuance, is driving an unprecedented boom in the BTC ecosystem through a powerful spillover effect. As the leader of BTC ecosystem protocols, the RGB++ protocol, with its technical advantages and rapid development capabilities, has become a strategic focus for CKB in this cycle. The RGB++ protocol excels in the development of BTCFi infrastructure and is highly compatible with meme and AI sectors. With the addition of the long-term deployed Lightning Network Fiber by CKB, the protocol shows immense growth potential. As the leader in BTC ecosystem targets, CKB naturally captures the value of RGB++, further reinforcing its scarcity and leadership position. So why is the BTC mainnet the leader in crypto asset issuance, the RGB++ Layer the leader in BTC ecosystem protocols, and CKB the leader in BTC ecosystem targets? BTC Mainnet: The Leader in Crypto Asset Issuance BTC is the most consensus-backed asset, and protocols that cannot support BTCFi will lose their core competitiveness. Technical Advantages of RGB++ Layer The RGB++ Layer has been highly recognized by @BinanceResearch for its BTC-native technologies like isomorphic binding and bridgeless cross-chain functionality. The protocol offers Turing-complete programmability while also providing high privacy, transaction efficiency, security, and censorship resistance. The RGB++ Layer integrates a full suite of DeFi facilities, making it the only protocol currently capable of supporting BTCFi. The comprehensive support from Bitcoin's Lightning Network and CKB's Fiber Network greatly expands the development space of the protocol. Advantages of CKB CKB serves as the decentralized indexer, smart contract engine, and DA layer for the RGB++ Layer. Issuing RGB++ assets naturally stakes CKB, allowing CKB to capture BTCFi value. Since the inception of RGB++, the CKB mainnet's Unique Address has grown by approximately 2 million, and the overall network hashrate has increased by around 46%. Over 500 projects have issued assets on the RGB++ Layer, with over 24 million CKBs naturally staked. With just 10,000 projects, all CKB will be occupied, supporting the scarcity and leading position of CKB through natural staking. Integration of Top Projects into the RGB++ Layer Ecosystem More than 500 projects have issued assets on the RGB++ Layer, with over 24 million CKB naturally staked. Top projects like Gate Web3 Wallet, CoinEx Exchange, Element NFT Marketplace, and Wizz Wallet have already integrated the RGB++ protocol, further promoting the ecosystem's development. -Bitcoin L2 Solutions Bitcoin L2 solution UTXO Stack is continuously advancing, with plans to launch the high-performance Bitcoin L2 solution Branch Chain. Its first AppChain will serve Bitcoin financial businesses. Additionally, UTXO Stack will launch a Bitcoin Lightning Network staking layer to address channel liquidity management issues, accelerating large-scale adoption of the Lightning Network. -Innovation and Development of RGB++ Layer The leading RGB++ asset SEAL community has developed and operates the first Launchpad platform in the Bitcoin ecosystem, SealtoEarn, adopting a unique IBO model. The first IBO project, Stable++ protocol token $SBT, has a total issuance of 21 million, with 20% of the shares airdropped to $Seal stakers. Two rounds of staking attracted a total of 28.97 million $Seal, receiving analysis and promotion from top KOLs like 0xWizard, He Bi, and Crypto Philanthropist, gaining nearly 1 million online attention. -Development of Stablecoins and Payment Networks Over-collateralized stablecoin protocol Stable++ has received strategic financing from CKB Eco Fund, benchmarking RGB++ Layer against Omni Layer. It supports BTC, CKB, and RGB++ asset collateral and has issued the first RGB++ stablecoin $RUSD. The team consists of members from Google, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and top 100 public chains in CMC, with a cumulative TVL exceeding $50M. Interpaystellar will use the RGB++ protocol to build a native payment network on the BTC mainnet and launch the first programmable stablecoin #USDI to promote large-scale adoption of BTCFi and the Lightning Network. -Decentralized Exchanges and Multi-chain Ecosystems UTXOSwap, the first decentralized exchange based on the RGB++ Layer, provides liquidity for all UTXO chain assets through bridgeless cross-chain and smart contract functions, making it an important part of BTCFi. Meanwhile, CKB, in collaboration with Matrixport's subsidiary CactusCustody and Meson Finance, has issued ccBTC, backed 1:1 by Bitcoin reserves, on the CKB mainnet. Bool Network has also deployed BRC20 and Runes assets with CKB's bidirectional cross-chain and plans to further expand to multi-chain ecosystems including ETH-CKB, SOL-CKB, and TON-CKB. -Innovative Projects The full-chain AI gaming ecosystem Cellula has completed a $2 million Pre-Seed round of financing from BinanceLabs, co-led by SevenX Ventures and OKX Ventures. The project uses the RGB++ protocol to issue 511*6 sets of BitCell NFTs on Bitcoin Layer1, providing a new gaming experience. The Bitcoin autonomous world WORLD3I, based on the RGB++ Layer and DOB protocol, has completed $6 million in financing, co-led by Animoca Brands, Dapper Labs, EVG, and Com2uS. Since its launch, the project has attracted over 100,000 users and minted 3,327 SOUL Dragons on August 7. The multi-chain composable DOBs project Nervape, built on Bitcoin, has partnered with WeirdoGhostGang to issue DOBs assets and develop games. Supported by NFTGo's strategic incubation, dobhub is the first DOB issuance platform on CKB, allowing users to easily create and issue DOBs through its innovative Launchpad while tracking minting progress in real-time and conveniently browsing existing, upcoming, and historical series of DOBs. Element has fully integrated RGB++ and launched trading activities, while GameBuild develops SDKs supporting Bitcoin native assets and the RGB++ protocol. Summary Therefore, on the world's best crypto asset issuance platform BTC, the RGB++ Layer stands out among numerous protocols with its technical advantages, attracting numerous high-quality projects to join, while CKB captures the tremendous value it brings. This highlights the crucial role of RGB++ Layer and CKB in driving innovation and development in the crypto world. Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Media Contact Company Name: Nervos Network Contact Person: HZ Chen Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=btc-mainnet-rgb-protocol-and-ckb-a-comprehensive-view-of-crypto-asset-issuance ] Country: Singapore Website: https://www.nervos.org/ This release was published on openPR.The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Lajae Jones and Chance Moore scored 16 points each in Saint Bonaventure’s 71-52 victory over Niagara on Saturday. Jones had eight rebounds for the Bonnies (12-1) and Moore five. Melvin Council Jr. shot 5 for 11, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points. The Bonnies picked up their sixth straight victory. Olumide Adelodun finished with 19 points for the Purple Eagles (5-7). Zion Russell added 11 points for Niagara. Jaeden Marshall finished with 10 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania Trump
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