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Robert Braswell scores 19 to help Charlotte earn 77-63 victory over Georgia State
Lowe scores career-high 22, leads Pitt over LSU 74-63 in Greenbrier Tip-OffThe winner takes it all... even before the votes are counted
10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania TrumpSANTA CLARA, Calif. — At this point the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers were fighting for playoff positioning rather than their playoff lives. After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. People are also reading... While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka power Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." Deebo's struggles The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." Defense declining The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. Under pressure With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable. AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Banks scores 21, UNC Asheville beats Western Carolina 78-61The Acer Nitro 31.5-inch curved full HD gaming monitor is on sale for just $129 at Walmart today. It normally costs $250, but right now gamers on a budget can enjoy a $121 discount. It’s sure to make your gaming more immersive thanks to its great features and curved display. Here’s what you need to know. Why you should buy the Acer Nitro 31.5-inch curved full HD gaming monitor If you own one of the best gaming desktops , you really need to make sure that it has a great monitor to ensure you get the best from your hardware. The Acer Nitro 31.5-inch curved full HD gaming monitor is a good option for anyone who doesn’t need 4K gaming. It offers a vibrant image with the sharpest picture quality and a broader view than most. Its zero frame design means freed up screen space and more to look at from edge to edge. The Acer Nitro 31.5-inch curved full HD gaming monitor offers a 180Hz refresh rate so it can handle fast moving action without a problem. My gaming monitor has a refresh rate of 165Hz and it works well — obviously 180Hz is an even better option. It also has a speedy response time of 1ms, and there’s AMD FreeSync Premium , which means the monitor’s frames are synced with the graphics card’s frames, so there’s no risk of screen tearing. It’s also HDR ready so you can enjoy HDR10 support as you play. Adding to the experience, the curved display means that you can feel more wrapped up in the action than with a regular monitor. It’s also possible to tilt the screen -5 to 20 degrees for the most comfortable view. It all comes together to form one of the best gaming monitors for a lot of different situations. At this price, it’s also good for anyone seeking one of the best monitors thanks to its premium attention to detail. The Acer Nitro 31.5-inch curved full HD gaming monitor normally costs $250, but right now you can buy it from Walmart for just $129. That’s a fantastic price for such a large gaming monitor, especially as it’s curved. Check it out for yourself through the button below.The weight-loss drug boom has become one of the internet's biggest scams
Article content Canada is examining the use of export taxes on major commodities it exports to the U.S. — including uranium, oil and potash — if incoming President Donald Trump carries out his threat to impose broad tariffs. Recommended Videos Export levies would be a last resort for Canada, according to officials familiar with the discussions inside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. Retaliatory tariffs against U.S.-made goods, and export controls on certain Canadian products, would be more likely to come first, said the people. But commodity export taxes — which would drive up costs for U.S. consumers, farmers and businesses — are a real option if Trump decides to start a full-scale trade war, said the officials, speaking on condition they not be identified. Trudeau’s government may also propose giving itself expanded powers over export controls as part of a scheduled update on the country’s fiscal and economic situation to be released on Monday, they said. Canada is by far the largest external supplier of oil to the U.S.; some refineries depend on buying cheaper Canadian heavy crude and have few alternatives to it. The U.S. Midwest would be hit particularly hard by higher costs. Fuel makers in the region rely on Canada for almost half of the crude they turn into gasoline and diesel. Canadian uranium is also the biggest foreign source of fuel for U.S. nuclear power plants, and potash from the country’s western provinces is a huge source of fertilizer for American farms. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense has been investing in Canadian projects to secure sources of cobalt and graphite and reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains. For those reasons, some observers have said they expect Trump will exempt commodities from his threat to place 25% levies on goods from Mexico and Canada, and focus instead on using tariffs against their manufacturing industries. In Canada’s case, that includes the auto manufacturing, aerospace and aluminum sectors, which are centred in Ontario and Quebec, where about 60% of Canadians live. Trudeau’s government would have no choice but to respond if Trump simply exempted energy while hitting all other Canadian products, said the officials, adding that’s a scenario that could prompt the use of export taxes by Canada. ‘Terrible Idea’ But for the prime minister, going down this path would cause serious political divisions within Canada. Oil, uranium and potash production are concentrated in the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Those provinces are the strongest voter base for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and their provincial governments are staunch right-wing opponents of Trudeau. “It’s a terrible idea,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said when asked about the possible use of export taxes. “I don’t support tariffs on Canadian goods and I don’t support tariffs on U.S. goods because all it does is make life more expensive,” Smith said. “Instead, we’re taking a diplomatic approach and we’re meeting with our allies in the U.S.” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said export taxes “are the wrong approach and Saskatchewan will vehemently oppose the federal government imposing export taxes on our potash, uranium or oil.” In an emailed statement via a spokesperson, Moe said Trudeau has not brought up export taxes during his phone calls with premiers, so “if they are under consideration, that would be a complete betrayal by the Trudeau government of the team approach they have been advocating and a complete betrayal of Canadians.” The Canadian dollar extended losses after the Bloomberg News report, falling as low as C$1.4212 per U.S. dollar. Shares of some Canadian commodities producers, including uranium miner Cameco Corp. and potash producer Nutrien Ltd., intially dropped. A spokesperson for industry group Fertilizer Canada said export curbs are a bad idea. “Due to the significant role fertilizer plays in food security, we consider it a humanitarian product and as such should not be subject to trade restrictions,” spokesperson Kayla FitzPatrick said by email. High-Grade Uranium Although oil has received the most attention, uranium is also a critical source of imported energy for the U.S. Due to its civilian-military dual uses, the Canadian government can already apply export controls under existing authorities. Canada supplies the U.S. with about a quarter of its uranium needs for nuclear reactors, with the bulk of the material coming from ultra-high-grade mines in Saskatchewan. Cameco, the world’s second-largest uranium producer, sells its uranium and fuel services directly to nuclear utilities predominantly in the Americas. U.S. nuclear reactors rely heavily on uranium imports, as domestic production of the material is virtually non-existent. Trudeau has publicly said Canada’s economy would be devastated if Trump followed through with 25% tariffs on everything the U.S. imports from Canada. An export tax on commodities is a risky proposition for the Canadian economy, too — energy products alone make up about 30% of its exports to the U.S. Steve Verheul, who was Canada’s chief trade negotiator during Trump’s first term and is now a private consultant, raised the prospect of export taxes as a tool Canada might need to use in a negotiation over tariffs. Trump may decide to exempt oil, gas and food from his tariff plan, Verheul said at a Bank of Montreal event last week. Canadian officials are well aware of this, he said, and there is a discussion that it could “make sense for Canada to apply export taxes to those products in order to try to negotiate a broader exemption across all the sectors,” he said. “I think this fight could escalate in certain ways if that kind of action is taken,” Verheul said. Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s finance minister and deputy prime minister, has also suggested retaliation involving commodities. After a meeting with provincial premiers on Wednesday, she said some of them had proactively listed items — including critical minerals and metals — that could be part of a response. Trudeau has experience battling Trump on tariffs during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2017 and 2018. Trudeau’s primary goal is still to avoid a trade war with its No. 1 trading partner, and his government is planning major announcements on border security to show they are responsive to Trump’s goal of stemming the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the U.S. Canada is a much smaller source of both compared with Mexico, according to U.S. government data. —With assistance from Jacob Lorinc and Erik Hertzberg.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Jaland Lowe scored 19 of his career-high 22 points in the second half and collected eight rebounds and six assists in leading Pittsburgh to a 74-63 win over LSU at the Greenbrier Tip-Off on Friday. Pitt (6-0) will play the Wisconsin-UCF winner on Sunday for the tournament title. The Tigers (4-1) will take on the loser. This is Pitt's best start since 2018-19. Lowe made four 3-pointers while Ishmael Leggett added 21 points, six rebounds and five steals. Cameron Corhen scored 14 points and Zack Austin 10. The Panthers shot 64% in the second half after a 31% showing in the first. Jalen Reed had 14 points and seven rebounds, Vyctorius Miller came off the bench to score 14 points and Cam Carter added 11 for the Tigers, who shot 37%. LSU, which had trailed by as many as 12 in the second half, got within four on a four-point play by Miller with six minutes left but Lowe scored eight points, found Corhen for a pair of dunks and Leggett added seven points to help the Panthers pull away. Pitt stumbled at the end of the first half in surrendering the lead but came out in the second hot, hitting its first five shots and scoring the first 13 points. The Tigers missed their first 12 shots before finally getting a bucket and their first points from Carter nearly seven minutes into the second half. LSU had its only lead after Lowe was called for a technical foul with 4.9 seconds remaining in the first half and Carter hit a free throw to finish an 8-2 run to send the Tigers into the break ahead 28-27. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballRebels celebrate near the Damascene Sword Monument after taking over Damascus (Image: EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD) HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM SWEEPS DAMASCUS Russian state media has reported that ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has arrived in Moscow having fled as rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into the capital Damascus this weekend. The BBC says Russian media reports, citing sources in the Kremlin, have claimed Assad and his family have been granted asylum by Russia. Russia’s foreign ministry said earlier on Sunday Assad had resigned as president and left Syria, The New York Times reports, adding that his departure “after rebels opposed to his rule swept through the country in a lightning offensive was an earthshaking moment in the history of Syria ... it marked a dramatic breakthrough for rebel factions in Syria that have been trying to unseat him for more than a decade, much of which was marked by a devastating civil war”. The secretary general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres , is quoted congratulating the Syrian people, saying: “After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, today the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future.” The paper adds, however, that there is uncertainty over who will lead Syria next with fears of a power vacuum. The BBC reports rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani addressed crowds at Umayyad Mosque on Sunday and accused Assad’s regime of imprisoning “thousands of its own citizens unjustly and without any crime”. “Today, we are rewarded with this victory. This victory is for all Syrians,” he is quoted as saying. The Associated Press recalls how Assad’s fall has brought to a dramatic close his struggle to hold onto control “as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers”. The newswire flags the war, during which Assad received support from allies such as Iran and Russia, has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. The BBC’s Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab reported earlier on Sunday that the presidential palace in Damascus had been almost completely emptied by people storming the building. Her eyewitness account is worth flagging: “Members of rebel group the HTS have arrived to control the situation — they have said this is not acceptable. “I’ve lived in Syria for 10 years and have never been into this street. I can see people rushing into this place in revenge and also with lots of happiness that they’ve managed to break in. “The scenes are very chaotic inside. There has been looting in other government buildings but this is a different situation. People are going in, posing for pictures while taking what they can. They are taking revenge for years of oppression and poverty because of Assad and his father.” She also said it was the first time she had crossed into the country “without fear of detention, without fear of arrest”. Her video report is here . MELBOURNE SYNAGOGUE FIRE In domestic news, federal and state counter-terrorism units are set to meet later today to discuss the investigation into the arson attack at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne on Friday. The AAP reports Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Victorian and federal police would also discuss whether or not it could be classified as a terrorism incident. Speaking to reporters in Perth on Sunday, Albanese said: “If you want my personal view, quite clearly, terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community. And the atrocities that occurred at the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community, and therefore, from my personal perspective, certainly fulfil that definition of terrorism.” The newswire said police confirmed they are also investigating reports of a bullet found on a footpath near the synagogue on Saturday. The ABC flags Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said yesterday the chief commissioner told her there had been “progress” in the investigation. Police are yet to make any arrests. The broadcaster also said more than 1,000 members of the Jewish community gathered at a vigil near the Adass Israel synagogue on Sunday. Synagogue board member Benjamin Klein is quoted by AAP as saying: “We’ll come back bigger and better. The building will be a beautiful jewel in the crown once again. There’ll be a huge rebuilding campaign, which we’re running at the moment.” The newswire also flags cabinet Minister Murray Watt accusing Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of politicising the incident. The workplace relations minister rejected the Coalition leader’s claims the prime minister had not done enough to address antisemitism and that the government had made Australia less safe for Jewish people, AAP said. Guardian Australia flags Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked the attack on Friday to Australia’s support for a UN resolution calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Gaza. Dutton has been making headlines for numerous reasons over the weekend with the Nine papers and many others flagging the CSIRO has declared nuclear power is around 50% more expensive than renewables. With Dutton apparently set to finally reveal his nuclear costings this week, The Sydney Morning Herald says “the report found the lowest cost projections for nuclear power would only match the highest projections for renewable energy, a major challenge to Dutton’s claim that nuclear is needed to cut electricity bills.” That conclusion came “even after the science organisation changed its modelling to accommodate criticism from the Peter Dutton -led Coalition that it had unfairly favoured wind and solar energy sources”, the paper said. Elsewhere, the ABC flags Dutton has said the Coalition will not set a target for net migration before the next election. The opposition leader refused to recommit to the target he previously set of 160,000 a year, telling Sky News on Sunday: “We’ll have a look at the economic settings when we come to government.” The Saturday Paper reports the New Zealand-founded advertising agency Topham Guerin, best known for its involvement with Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson’s election victories in 2019, has been hired to work on Dutton’s campaign. Finally, the latest Newspoll for The Australian continues the trend it has shown over the last few weeks and months, namely that voters aren’t that impressed with Albanese and Dutton’s popularity is growing. The paper declares: “Voters consider Anthony Albanese the weakest prime minister in decades, with Peter Dutton widening his lead as the stronger and more decisive leader, despite a two-party contest that has the Coalition and Labor back to a neck-and-neck race to the election.” The Australian says Dutton currently has the highest score for an opposition leader since Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull more than 10 years ago. The Sydney Morning Herald also has a survey which reports 56% of voters have rejected Albanese’s new slogan “We have your back”. The paper says 59% of voters believe they are worse off than when Labor came to power and only 13% feel better off. “Voters have slashed their core support for federal Labor to a new low of 27% amid a deepening dispute over the cost of living, backing the Coalition to deliver more help to households over the next three years,” the paper declares. ON A LIGHTER NOTE... Someone spent US$28 million (A$44 million) on a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz on Saturday. The BBC reports the slippers sold for significantly more than their expected sale price of US$3 million (A$4.7 million) and Heritage Auctions reckons they are now the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold at auction. The broadcaster says while Garland wore several pairs of the shoes during filming, only four pairs are known to have survived. This particular pair was stolen in 2005 while being loaned to the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota. Professional thief Terry Jon Martin pleaded guilty to stealing them in 2023, at which point he was in his 70s and was sentenced to time served. Say What? Good man, this one. Donald Trump The US President-elect had four words to sum up the British heir to the throne, Prince William . The pair caught up during the ceremonial reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris at the weekend. CRIKEY RECAP Who was Australia’s biggest shitstirrer in 2024? Help Crikey figure it out CAM WILSON Who is the biggest shitstirrer of the year? (Image: Private Media) There’s the Power List, the Top 100 Innovators, the Rich List, 30 under 30. The list(s) go on. Each one is more sycophantic than the last. For people unfamiliar with what it’s like to run a news outlet in 2024, we’ll let you in on a secret: these lists mostly exist to convince the elites who have shrinking reasons to deal with the mainstream media to please, please, please give us access through obsequious flattery. In return, the Fourth Estate is reduced to doing PR for the people it is supposed to hold to account. It publishes fawning hagiographies that bear even less resemblance to reality than the glossy, edited images from the photoshoots that accompany them. Us? Crikey does not respect money or status. There is only one thing — a value, an essence, a vibe — that we value here at Crikey HQ. The highest, most noble honour that we can bestow on anyone is considering them a shitstirrer. Shitstirrer has a handful of slightly different definitions. Crikey ’s version is someone who is a nuisance to powerful people. But it has a few other elements, too. Vote now for Crikey’s prestigious Arsehat of the Year CHARLIE LEWIS What a year! We’re as tired as you dear reader, but using our last gasp of energy to list some of the people who might be responsible for that beaten-down feeling 2024 has left us with. Direct your disappointment! Vote now in Crikey’s prestigious Arsehat of the Year award and remember you can add your own nomination if none of these options float your boat. Who was your Person of the Year? It is time to vote! CHARLIE LEWIS As 2024 drifts to a close and we reflect on its many disappointments and outrages, it’s equally important to remember figures who offered, sometimes imperfectly, a genuine alternative to the general sense of degradation in public life. READ ALL ABOUT IT Ukrainian war dead reaches 43,000, Zelenskyy says in rare update (BBC) Trump calls for immediate Ukraine ceasefire (Reuters) Rough sleeping surges as homelessness crisis worsens (Australian Associated Press) NYPD releases two new photos of suspect in Brian Thompson killing (The Guardian ) Barry Keoghan deactivates Instagram account due to ‘lies’ and ‘disgusting commentary’ about his family: ‘Too many lines being crossed’ (Variety) For Taylor Swift, it’s the end of the ‘Eras’ ( The New York Times ) ($) THE COMMENTARIAT The ABC has lost its curiosity. Joe Rogan can help Kim Williams recover it — Parnell Palme McGuinness ( The Sydney Morning Herald ): The worst sin of the ABC is, therefore, not that it is biased. It is that it has become so dull it is no longer worth tuning into. Chairman Kim Williams is focused on the need for objectivity, but emphasising journalistic dispassion is only part of the solution. With the exception of a small number of programs, most relegated to minor time slots and barely promoted, the ABC has become incurious. Topics covered by the ABC’s flagship shows have been narrowing and perspectives on the remaining topics are predictable. Politicians deliver their talking points. A narrow range of experts delivers a narrow range of perspectives (somehow the ethnic and gender diversity emphasised by the ABC never seems to equate to a wider range of ideas). Advocates call for more government funding. The presenters sigh sympathetically. I sigh in frustration. The formula is tiresome. Australians, including this long-time loyal listener and viewer, switch off. Bland and fake: Why the electorate has given up listening to politicians — Annika Smethurst ( The Age ): This is not a dig at Allan. It’s part of a broader problem, where politicians have become trained not to say anything controversial, qualifying every point and sticking to the safety of engineered answers to the point the electorate has given up listening. This trend has coincided with a demonisation of political imagination. Where candidates and ministers are selected for being a “safe pair of hands” rather than inspiring or interesting. For Labor, this has resulted in a generation of politicians who have never spent any substantive time in blue-collar jobs but rather worked in offices for the right law firms, trade unions or ministers. The Liberals are no longer dominated by small-business owners and working professionals but by former political staffers who dutifully serve time working for MPs in between stints at a suitable think tank or lobby group. None of this should disqualify a candidate from being elected — it can be a great training ground — but nor should it be the only measure.In this article HIMS NVO NOVO.B-DK LLY Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A production line of Wegovy injection pens for the Asian market at the Novo Nordisk A/S pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Hillerod, Denmark, on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images One interpretation of the law of supply and demand is that when demand outstrips supply, scammers get busy. That's certainly the case with the super-popular weight-loss drugs from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. As millions of Americans are prescribed injectable Ozempic and Mounjaro to treat type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy and Zepbound for obesity — and countless more without prescriptions seek them as "vanity drugs" to shed unwanted pounds — the manufacturers can't keep up production. The GLP-1s, as they're known, are pricey, too , and insurance often doesn't cover them , provided consumers can find them. That confluence of factors has laid the groundwork not only for a confusing online marketplace for compounded versions of the drugs — allowed by the Food and Drug Administration when proprietary ingredients are determined to be in short supply — but a proliferation of nefarious scams offering to sell both brand-name and counterfeit GLP-1s on websites and social media platforms. Consumers have received Lilly- and Novo-branded GLP-1s from unauthorized sellers, counterfeit versions, completely different medications or nothing at all — other than an expensive rip-off. Most disturbing, Novo told CNBC that as of mid-November, it is aware of 14 deaths and 144 hospitalizations of people who had taken compounded semaglutide, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. It recently asked the FDA to ban the copycat drugs . Within the past year, cybersecurity experts, consumer advocates, pharma researchers and media investigators have uncovered scores of accounts and content on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, as well as numerous websites, where bad actors have been doing business, much of it illegal or at least unethical. In May, a joint investigation by the nonprofits Digital Citizens Alliance and Coalition for a Safer Web revealed how consumers are flocking to TikTok — which faces an uncertain future after a federal court on Friday upheld a law that would seek to ban the company in the U.S. on Jan. 19 — and other social media platforms and websites to purchase branded and illicit GLP-1s, often without a prescription. According to the report, scammers create accounts promising to sell the drugs for between $200 and $400 for a month's supply — far below market prices — paid through Zelle, Venmo and PayPal rather than traditional credit cards so as to avoid tracking. "Scammers take advantage of human emotion and human want, and the emotion and want now is that everybody wants to lose weight," said Eric Feinberg, vice president of content moderation for the Coalition for a Safer Web. "It's a perfect audience to use online to take advantage of people psychologically and emotionally." A common ruse the investigation exposed was sellers saying the drugs were coming from overseas and then claiming that the order was held up in customs, requiring an additional $300 to $500 payment to release it. The scammers were devious, said Tom Galvin, executive director of Digital Citizens Alliance. "They send a tracking number from a delivery service that shows you where your package is, but the tracking number is BS." Digital Citizens shelled out just over $3,000 to purchase GLP-1s, and yet the money yielded no deliveries of the drugs. No-delivery ploys can exact a serious financial toll on victims, but "the more scary ones are where you do get a product and don't even know whether you can trust [it] or if it's a valid company," said Abhishek Karnik, director for threat research and response for cybersecurity firm McAfee. Phishing for weight-loss drug victims Tracking activity over the first four months of this year, McAfee's Threat Research Team uncovered just how prolific weight-loss scams have become across malicious websites, scam emails and texts, posts on social media and online marketplace listings. From January through April, McAfee researchers discovered 449 risky website URLs and 176,871 dangerous phishing attempts centered around Ozempic, Wegovy and semaglutide, an increase of 183% compared to October through December 2023. Karnik's team has continued to monitor these criminal activities. "We've identified [a total of] 367,000-plus phishing attempts, and between May and August, the number of [risky] URLs we found increased by 135%," he said. JAMA Network Open in August published the results of a study by an international group of researchers who searched the global internet to ferret out websites for online pharmacies advertising semaglutide for sale. Among the 317 operations found, more than 42% were illegal, operating without a valid license, selling medications without prescriptions and shipping unregistered and falsified products. Six purchases were made, but only three were delivered. A recent CNBC investigation explored the murky international world of counterfeit weight-loss drugs. Among its findings, investigators recounted the seizure in the UK last year of hundreds of what appeared to be Ozempic pens, but were in fact insulin pens relabeled as Ozempic. They also discovered from Lilly that its retatrutide, a novel GLP-1 drug still in clinical trials and not FDA-approved, was being marketed to the public. watch now VIDEO 18:50 18:50 CNBC investigates the black market of obesity drugs CNBC Investigations Counterfeits and diverted drugs — branded GLP-1s sold on the black market — originate from many countries, including India, China, the UK, Mexico and Turkey. One of the destinations where they make their way to the U.S. was New York's JFK International Airport. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, since January 1, the agency had made more than 198 seizures of products labeled as Ozempic. In response to this glut of fraudulent activity, social media companies and web operators have employed human monitors and machine technology to identify and shut down online scammers. A TikTok spokesperson, without detailing its various monitoring efforts, referred to the company's community guidelines. "We strictly prohibit the trade of drugs, and we do not allow attempts to defraud or scam members of our community," the spokesperson said. "Our advertising policies also prohibit the advertising of weight-loss products, including weight-loss injections and fat-burning pills." Despite official policies, however, undeterred violators find workarounds when their accounts are shuttered. They might set up another account with the drug names misspelled, spaces between letters or mash-ups of semaglutide and terzepitide. Many instruct interested buyers to direct message them or send links to Telegram and other dark websites that encrypt content and provide anonymity. "The social media platforms are the new street corners for drug dealers, and they move from place to place," Galvin said. "It's a game of whack-a-mole." Bags of counterfeit Novo Nordisk A/S Ozempic and Wegovy, foreground, and other fake drugs at a warehouse operated by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in London, UK, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2024. The UK task force tracks down illegal websites, monitors social media and even carries out raids to stamp out sales of fake "skinny jabs" as both organized crime and unscrupulous lone entrepreneurs look to capitalize on the weight-loss frenzy. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images For this article, CNBC found more than a dozen TikTok accounts that appeared to be selling GLP-1s in violation of its policies, including @ozempic_weightloss, @sema.irel and @semaglutideandtr. Soon after relaying the information to TikTok, we were told that all had been removed, except one, which was not in violation. The widespread compounding of GLP-1s is another contributor to the dodgy marketplace for the drugs. In April and December of 2022, respectively, the FDA determined that semaglutide and tirzepatide were in short supply, opening the floodgates for compounding pharmacies and outsourcing facilities to manufacture, distribute and market copies, typically sold through telehealth companies, medical spas and wellness centers. Compounded GLP-1s, unlike Lilly's and Novo's brands, are not FDA-approved , which means they do not undergo the agency's review for safety, effectiveness and quality before they're marketed. Instead, the FDA and state boards of pharmacy register, license and inspect compounding facilities and ingredients. And while some compounders meet regulatory requirements, such as Henry Meds, Noom Med, Ro and Hims & Hers Health , many others don't. Publicly traded Hims & Hers launched its gender-focused telehealth platform in 2017, adding compounded semaglutide to its weight-loss program this past May. "We waited until we were able to find the right compounding partner," said Dr. Patrick Carroll, the company's chief medial officer. Besides that partner, BPI Labs, Hims & Hers acquired another, MetasourceRx, in September. The company also sells branded Ozempic and next year will offer liraglutide, the first generic GLP-1. FDA scrutiny In the meantime, the FDA is investigating the bad actors in the compounding world. "Purchasing prescription drugs from unregulated, unlicensed sources without a prescription is risky," a spokesperson for the agency told CNBC. "We urge consumers to be vigilant and to utilize tips tools from the FDA's BeSafeRx campaign to help them safely buy drugs online." In May, the KFF Health Tracking Poll found that about one in eight adults (12%) said they had taken a GLP-1 drug, with about half, or 21 million, actively using the medications. Nearly 80% purchased the drugs or a prescription for them — at a cost between $936 to $1,349 per month before insurance coverage, rebates or coupons — from a primary care doctor or a specialist, according to the survey. Fewer reported getting them from an online provider or website (11%), a medical spa or aesthetic medical center (10%), or from somewhere else (2%). But that doesn't count the inestimable number of individuals who have obtained GLP-1s without prescriptions through unregulated online channels and illicit online compounding pharmacies, many operating overseas. While social media companies police illegal sellers of GLP-1s, hundreds of influencers are touting the drugs and their journeys using them across the platforms with impunity, according to a Fast Company report. Many influencers are recruited and paid by telehealth companies. Meanwhile, household names have been increasingly speaking out about their personal use of these drugs, which increases familiarity and curiosity among the public. In October, People profiled 64 celebrities — including Kathy Bates, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Andy Cohen, Billie Jean King and Rob Lowe — who have talked about their weight-loss drug experiences, mostly on social media. Currently, Lilly's and Novo's GLP-1s are prescribed only for type 2 diabetes and obesity. But as researchers find additional conditions that can be treated with the drugs — including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, dementia and addiction, and most recently even knee pain — prescriptions will increase exponentially. In September, an article in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy warned against manufacturers that use a legal loophole to sell vials containing semaglutide and tirzepatide to consumers without a prescription by stating that the drugs are for "research purposes only" and/or "not for human consumption." The authors conducted an internet search for such scofflaws, uncovering 40 websites selling what were labeled as "peptides" to consumers. The FDA has sent warning letters to a handful, including Miami-based US Chem Labs in February, citing several violations and requesting action within 15 days. As of Dec. 6, CNBC found that the company still listed compounded semaglutide as available on its website. US Chem Labs could not be reached by phone and an email request for comment was not returned by press time. The authors of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy article also identified three companies that were advertising GLP-1s on Facebook, owned by Meta . "Our policies prohibit content that defrauds people by promoting false or misleading health claims, including those related to weight loss, and we remove this kind of content when we become aware of it," a Meta spokesperson told CNBC. CNBC subsequently sent Meta the names of the three companies, and several days later their Facebook pages were removed. Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk battle with copycat drugs Workers walk past manufacturing equipment at Eli Lilly & Co. manufacturing plant in Kinsale, Ireland, on Sept. 12, 2024. Lilly has been bulking up its production capacity since 2020, investing more than $17 billion into developing new plants and expanding existing facilities for the weight-loss and diabetes drugs that are expected to become some of the best-selling medicines of all time. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Lilly and Novo are in a quandary regarding compounders. The copycats have filled a void while the branded GLP-1s are in shortage, attracting patients who can't access or afford them. But now the manufacturers want their domains to themselves. Lilly has sent cease-and-desist letters to numerous compounding sellers, and both companies have filed lawsuits against numerous compounding pharmacies, alleging trademark infringement and deceptive marketing. On October 2, the FDA declared that Lilly's tirzepatide was no longer in short supply, ostensibly putting compounders of that ingredient out of business. Two weeks later, though, after a public outcry from compounders' patients and a federal lawsuit brought by compounding pharmacies, the FDA backtracked, saying it would reevaluate whether the drug is available and make a decision in mid-November. Yet, on November 22, the FDA said it was still assessing the situation and agreed to not take action against compounders of tirzepatide until December 19, unless the agency makes an earlier decision. Novo's semaglutide is still listed as "currently in shortage" by the FDA, although the agency also lists Ozempic and Wegovy as "available." A Novo Nordisk spokesperson told CNBC, "It's important to note that availability doesn't always mean immediate accessibility at every pharmacy. Patients may experience variability at specific locations, regardless of whether a drug is in shortage." Lilly and Novo have advocated for broadening insurance coverage for the drugs, and the Biden administration recently proposed that Medicare and Medicaid extend their coverage for obesity medications. Although that plan could be scuttled by the incoming Trump administration. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, has suggested that obesity should be tackled through healthy eating, not drugs. The obesity drug market volatility has shown up in recent earnings. In its third-quarter report on October 30, Lilly fell short of profit and revenue expectations , partly due to disappointing sales of its GLP-1s, even as demand for them continued to soar. A week later, Novo reported third-quarter earnings in line with expectations, strengthened by robust sales of Ozempic and Wegovy. Nonetheless, the Danish company narrowed its 2024 full-year growth guidance, reflecting, according to a statement from the company, "expected continued periodic supply constraints and related drug shortage notifications." Both pharma giants continue to invest billions to increase production facilities and capacity. This week, Lilly said it was investing $3 billion to increase obesity drug production at a Wisconsin plant. Regardless, demand for GLP-1s — no matter if they're branded, compounded or counterfeit or where they're purchased from — is certain to keep growing. That will put more pressure on social media platforms and web operators to guard against scams. Galvin suggested that the companies need to work together to identify scammers as they navigate between platforms to avoid detection. "Too many platforms look at this as a PR problem and not an internet safety problem," he said. "If they were collaborating with each other to identify the bad actors and shared that information, people would find a lot less of them."
Texas Jews Are ‘Deeply Concerned’ About Christian Material in Proposed Public School Curriculum
On the first day of the new legislative session, Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim, introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 (ACA 1). The proposal would double the amount of state funds that could be placed in the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA) from 10% to 20% of the annual budget. The ostensible reason for the increase is to address the very real problem of revenue volatility. Because California is overly reliant on high income earners who generate massive amounts of capital gains and stock option funds in boom years, it is vulnerable to big drop-offs in revenue during the bust years. Indeed, revenue volatility has been such a large problem that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger created the California Commission for the 21st Century Economy to come up with solutions. Regrettably, while there was a broad consensus that something should be done about the boom and bust cycle, the commissioners could not agree on what to do about it. The goal of placing more funds in reserve because of volatility makes sense, if it can be accomplished without violating the letter and the spirit of Gann spending limit. Unfortunately, ACA 1, in its current form does just that. Here’s how. Just a year after Proposition 13’s passage in 1978, California voters approved the Gann spending limit which, like Prop. 13, sought to restrain the size and growth of government. But unlike Proposition 13, which was a direct limit on taxation, Gann attempted to limit government spending. It limited the growth of state and local government expenditures to a base-year level adjusted annually to reflect increases in population and inflation. Initially, the Gann limit performed as designed and resulted in a modest rebate to taxpayers in 1987. But subsequent measures backed by special interests weakened the Gann limit by creating exceptions for education and transportation spending as well as substituting a far more generous inflation factor. Ironically, after these changes, most public finance observers – including yours truly – wrongfully assumed that California would never again bump up against the limit. But a big surplus in fiscal year 2022-23 put the state on the brink of reaching that limit. While that collision was briefly avoided due to COVID-19, California once again is confronted with a Gann issue that can no longer be ignored. For taxpayers, the best outcome would be to let the Gann limit run its course and return money to taxpayers “by a revision of tax rates or fee schedules within the next two subsequent fiscal years.” Cal.Const., Art. XIIIB, Section 2(a)(2). This is consistent with the plain language of Gann and is more than warranted given California’s heavy tax burden. Related Articles Opinion Columnists | End the IRS’s worldwide tax grab Opinion Columnists | Mass deportations are bad for everyone’s liberties Opinion Columnists | The draconian penalties that Hunter Biden escaped affect people whose fathers can’t save them Opinion Columnists | California politicians suddenly discover inflation in aftermath of election Opinion Columnists | How California ranks as the most active political state But ACA 1 might prevent taxpayer refunds due to the change in treatment of transfers into the budget stabilization account. Under Gann, the state and local governments may create reserve accounts, like the BSA, but those transfers are subject to Gann’s spending limits. On the other hand, spending out of a reserve account is not so limited. As currently drafted, it appears that ACA 1 would exempt transfers out of the reserve account – currently permissible under Gann – but would also exempt appropriations into the BSA: Section (i) provides, “Transfers to the Budget Stabilization Account pursuant to this section do not constitute appropriations subject to limitation as defined in Article XIII B.” This appears to create a fund into which unlimited funds can be appropriated, guaranteeing that taxpayers will never get a refund of their tax dollars. There are better ways to address revenue volatility without injury to the goal of the Gann Spending Limit, which was enacted to provide a modicum of spending restraint in a state that doesn’t have any. California taxpayers need something more than a rainy day fund that’s all slush. Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.ATLANTA (AP) — Robert Braswell's 19 points helped Charlotte defeat Georgia State 77-63 on Saturday. Braswell also contributed three steals for the 49ers (5-4). Nik Graves scored 15 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 5 for 9 from the line. Jaehshon Thomas totaled 13 points and seven rebounds. Zarigue Nutter led the Panthers (4-6) with 19 points. Nicholas McMullen and Toneari Lane both finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Charlotte took the lead with 8:06 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The score was 32-25 at halftime, with Braswell racking up seven points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Happy Kikky If you're looking for a high-yield income vehicle at a discount, the universe of closed-end funds, “CEFs,” can often fill that bill. They frequently sell discounted to their daily NAV/share, which can be to your advantage when deciding when to buy. This article Looking for solid high yield income? The Hidden Dividend Stocks Plus portfolio yields over 9%. It features a variety of overlooked high yield income vehicles, all with good dividend coverage - Common and Preferred stocks, Bonds, and CEF's. One of our Preferred stock picks being called in 2024 has delivered a 27%-plus return, and there's more where that came from. There's currently a 2-week Free Trial, and a 20% discount for new members. Click here to start earning high yield income today. Robert Hauver, MBA, aka “Double Dividend Stocks” was VP of Finance for an industry-leading corporation for 18 years and has been investing for more than 30 years. He focuses on undercovered and undervalued income vehicles and he leads the investing group Hidden Dividend Stocks Plus . With Hidden Dividend Stocks Plus he scours the world's markets to find solid income opportunities with dividend yields ranging from 5% to 10% or more, backed by strong earnings. Features include: a portfolio with up to 40 holdings at a time including links to associated articles, a dividend calendar, weekly research articles, exclusive ideas, and trade alerts. Learn More . Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ECAT either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Disclaimer: This article was written for informational purposes only, and is not intended as personal investment advice. Please practice due diligence before investing in any investment vehicle mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.GOLFZON Tour's Team New York defeats Team London in Match 3
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A top US official sought to quell growing concern Sunday over reported drone sightings in the country's northeast, reiterating there was no known security threat as authorities monitor the situation. President Joe Biden's administration has faced mounting criticism for not clearly identifying origins of the objects seen hovering over parts of New York and New Jersey. The criticism has come even from Biden's own party, with top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer calling Sunday for action to make it easier for federal, state and local authorities to work together to detect and if need be "bring down" any drone seen to pose a threat. Video footage of mysterious airborne phenomena recently has clogged social media, with spottings also reported in Maryland and Virginia. "Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones. Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program. "But there's no question that drones are being sighted," he said, noting there are more than one million registered across the United States. "I want to assure the American public that we are on it," he said. "If we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now, we are not aware of any." Even as Mayorkas sought to reassure the public, Boston police announced Sunday that two Massachusetts men had been arrested the previous night for allegedly conducting a "hazardous drone operation" near the city's Logan International Airport. State police were conducting a search for a third suspect, who authorities said fled the scene. Schumer, in a letter to Mayorkas Sunday, urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special drone-detection technology across New York and New Jersey, since traditional radar struggles to detect such small objects. He also called for passage of legislation to explicitly authorize state and local law enforcement to work with federal agencies to detect and "bring down drones that threaten critical facilities or mass gatherings." Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, meanwhile expressed frustration at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over its communications around the issue. "The answer 'we don't know' is not a good enough answer," he told "Fox News Sunday." "When people are anxious... people will fill a vacuum with, you know, their fears and anxieties and conspiracy theories," he said, calling for the FAA to hold public briefings. White House national security spokesman John Kirby had previously said the aircraft could be lawfully operated planes or helicopters mistaken for drones. "While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authorities," he said Thursday, calling for Congress to pass new legislation to "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities." New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that authorities had agreed to send a drone detection system to her state. "I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones," she said on X. On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump urged federal authorities to clearly identify the drones' origins. "Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!" he posted on social media. As the price of drones has fallen -- small quadcopter models with Wi-Fi camera capability can be purchased for as little as $40 -- their numbers and popularity have soared, making their presence in American skies a greater concern. acb/des/bbk/mlm
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — At this point the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers were fighting for playoff positioning rather than their playoff lives. After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka power Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." Deebo's struggles The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." Defense declining The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. Under pressure With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable.CLEVLEAND — Shane Bieber's comeback with Cleveland has double meaning. The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians on Wednesday, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent. However, the 29-year-old Bieber decided to stay with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Bieber agreed last week to a one-year, $14 million contract. The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026. It seemed like a long shot that Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts, would return to Cleveland. He had turned down long-term offers in the past from the club, and it was expected he would sign with another contender, likely one on the West Coast. But the California native has a special connection with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. People are also reading... Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw only 12 innings last season before lingering issues with his elbow forced him to have surgery. He is expected to join Cleveland's rotation at some point in 2025. A two-time All-Star, Bieber was named MVP of the midsummer event in 2019 when it was held in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout ratio per nine innings (10.2) and third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise's 124-year history. Bieber is one of just three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19). While Bieber had some elbow issues in the past, he didn't show any issues before being shut down. He struck out 11 in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that up with six more shutout innings at Seattle on April 2. Pitchers dominate Rule 5 draft DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. Hamilton wins Frick Award DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. Marlins send Burger to Rangers DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks. He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series. Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. BRIEFLY WHITE SOX: Mike Tauchman is switching sides in Chicago. The White Sox announced a $1.95 million, one-year contract for the outfielder. Tauchman, 34, grew up in Palatine, Illinois, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, and played college ball for Bradley in Peoria, Illinois. He spent the previous two seasons with the Cubs. TRADE: All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects. Catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery are headed to Chicago. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Amy Rogers reports on the latest surrounding Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepping down as LPGA Tour commissioner, where she hears from Mel Reid and Megan Khang about what they'd like to see in the next commissioner. Brentley Romine and Jim Gallagher Jr. join Golf Central to highlight notable golfers making waves at PGA Tour Q-School action in Florida and the pressure of trying to earn a PGA Tour card. Amy Rogers catches up with several new teams ahead of this year's Grant Thornton Invitational, including Tom Kim-Jeeno Thitikul and Allisen Corpuz-Sahith Theegala. The Golf Central crew reflects on the wild storylines that came out of the 2024 men's major golf events and looks forward to 2025. Justin Thomas had a brutal day around the greens to end the Hero World Challenge, but Golf Central thinks he's trending in the right direction after a solid tournament as a whole. Todd Lewis and Brandel Chamblee analyze Scottie Scheffler's game at the Hero World Challenge and how he flexed his incredible overall skillset to cap a successful 2024 with a win. Tom Kim took a big leap on moving day at the Hero World Challenge, knocking in a dozen birdies and putting himself in contention for a win in the Bahamas. Todd Lewis and Brandel Chamblee look at the birdie-filled scorecard of Tom Kim's third round at the Hero World Challenge and how he was able to put himself in position to win on the final day. Scottie Scheffler is firmly in the mix at the Hero World Challenge, just one shot off the lead, but Golf Central says he'll have to capitalize more on scoring opportunities in the final round. Golf Central breaks down what went right for Justin Thomas in Round 3 of the PGA Tour's Hero World Challenge, in which putting -- typically a weakness for him -- carried him atop the leaderboard. Brandel Chamblee and Todd Lewis discuss Scottie Scheffler's impressive showing during Round 2 of the Hero World Challenge, breaking down what has worked for the world No. 1 in The Bahamas.