Competition Bureau sues Rogers over advertising ‘unlimited’ wireless data plansNEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. People are also reading... "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. After the leaders’ hastily arranged dinner Friday night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trudeau spoke of “an excellent conversation" and said in a post later Saturday on X, accompanied by a photo of the two men seated a table and smiling, that he looked forward to “the work we can do together, again.” Trump said earlier on Truth Social that they discussed “many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address.” For issues in need of such cooperation, Trump cited fentanyl and the “Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration," fair trade deals "that do not jeopardize American Workers” and the U.S. trade deficit with its ally to the north. Trump asserted that the prime minister had made “a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation” of American families from fentanyl from China reaching the United States through its neighbors. The U.S., he said, “will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic.” The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Canadian officials say they are ready to make new investments in border security. Trudeau called Trump after the Republican's social media posts about the tariffs last Monday and they agreed to meet, according to a official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss detail of the private talks. The official said other countries are calling Canadian officials to hear how about how the meeting was arranged and to ask for advice. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after speaking with Trump on the telephone, said Thursday she was confident a tariff war with Washington would be averted. At the dinner that was said to last three hours, Trump said he and Trudeau also discussed energy, trade and the Arctic. A second official cited defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast, pipelines and the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year as other issues that arose. Trudeau's office said in a statement that the leaders “shared a productive wide-ranging discussion” centering on “collaboration and strengthening our relationship,” adding, "As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans.” Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Story continues below video Trudeau had said before leaving from Friday that Trump was elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now was talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. The threatened tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. When Trump imposed higher tariffs as president, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto.
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Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join GuardiansAs one of the world's premier superstar athletes, LeBron James often finds himself on the receiving end of criticism over his views on basketball, life, and the world of politics. MMA star Colby Covington became the most recent public figure to call him out and even went viral for calling James a "f***ing scumbag." “I wanna ask LeBron, what does he mean by ‘There’s no party like a Diddy party’? Not only that, but I wanna ask how many Diddy parties he's been to," said Covington on media day . "LeBron you’re a f***ing scumbag and I hope you get locked up in the same cell with Diddy." LeBron James has managed to avoid any serious controversies after 21 years in the NBA but his political views often incite anger in some of his biggest critics -- even if it wasn't meant to be controversial. In the case of Colby Covington, he's been a longtime hater of LeBron James and has gone to great lengths to try and smear his legacy. In the past, Colby has called LeBron a coward, a communist, and even a " Chinese finger puppet ." He's been vocal about his hatred for the King and about how he uses tricks to enhance his reputation. In this latest quote, Colby is seemingly exposing LeBron for his apparent (and unconfirmed) connection to Diddy, who was recently arrested on sex trafficking charges. Diddy's infamous parties have become legendary in the community and anyone associated with them has been branded as partially complicit in his behavior. LeBron doesn't have any personal connection to Diddy but he may have admitted to going to one of his parties in a resurfaced video that has gone viral online. Seemingly, many stars have attended the "Diddy" parties over the years, which may or may not have included illegal sex acts. If James were ever caught participating in something like that, his entire reputation would essentially be shot and the image he's worked so hard to build over the past 20 years will almost immediately be washed away. Fortunately for James, that comment is the only connection he has to Diddy but it's still enough for some (like Colby Covington) to use it against LeBron's legacy. As arguably LeBron's biggest hater, this won't be the last we hear from Covington on this subject but he shouldn't expect to get any response from LeBron. At this stage of his career, James has accomplished far too much to let one man's petty hatred get under his skin. Instead, this season, LeBron is keeping his head down and taking care of business one game at a time. For those he can't win over with his superior work ethic, he'll win over with his sheer dominance on the court. But James doesn't really care either way because the only validation he needs is from himself. With averages of 23.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game this season, LeBron is defying Father Time with every game and he's setting a new standard for individual greatness in the modern era. In the meantime, he's also giving back to his community, supporting his family by helping them achieve their dreams and growing his empire in business and entertainment. At this point, it's no wonder why LeBron is unphased by all the hate and why he lets people like Colby Covington go off on his name with no response. This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.
The Senate was swiftly moving its way through 31 government bills late on Thursday night after the Greens agreed to support a vote on 27 bills in return for $500m for social housing energy upgrades and commitments against fossil fuel investment. While the Albanese government relied on the Greens and crossbench to pass its Future Made in Australia agenda and a range of treasury and attorney general's portfolio bills, it worked with the Coalition to pass three controversial migration bills and the under-16s social media ban. Labor attempted to guillotine debate in the Senate at 9.45am but fell short by one vote, with independent David Pocock siding with the Coalition. But after a flurry of negotiations, the Senate agreed shortly after noon to reorder its business with the Greens, Pocock and Tammy Tyrrell voting with Labor to guillotine debate on 27 bills, meaning they will receive a final vote on Thursday. It was a dramatic day all round as Coalition Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, announced his retirement from politics, hinting at his next steps as colleagues paid tribute to his parliamentary service. The opposition foreign affairs spokesman will leave at the 2025 federal election to take on a "new, commercially oriented direction". The Greens revealed they had secured $500m to expand the social housing energy performance initiative to upgrade public and community homes to lower power bills for tenants. The measure could help 50,000 social homes be retrofitted with energy efficient upgrades such as air conditioning and insulation; electric hot water systems, cooktops and ovens; and solar panels and batteries. The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said that "Greens pressure works", helping tenants "save approximately $1,800 a year on power bills". The Greens also won amendments to the Future Made in Australia bill to ensure that no support will be provided to coal, oil and gas under that program and the commercial investments and programs of Export Finance... Paul KarpMickey, Minnie, Goffy and Wemby
Round Hill Villas Welcomes the New Year with Caribbean Warmth and Flair in Montego Bay
A win in Week 14 would have given Clemson quite a case for inclusion in the College Football Playoff. Instead, South Carolina played spoiler and improved its playoff chances in the process. The Tigers entered Saturday with a 9-2 record and while they were not likely going to make the ACC Championship, a win over a strong Gamecocks team would have made their resume pretty solid for the committee's consideration. Clemson produced 419 offensive yards and forced three Gamecock turnovers. Quarterback Cade Klubnik went 24-of-36 for 280 yards but tossed a costly interception in the final minute to seal the loss. South Carolina produced 431 total yards and forced two Tigers turnovers. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers went 13-of-21 for 164 yards and an interception but his dominance came from his rushing game. Sellers had 16 carries for 166 yards with two touchdowns. While the victory was a strong one for the Gamecocks, the Tigers' failure to close things out crept up on them again and figures to relegate them to bowl game status. Fans took to social media to rip into Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and debate his job security. The Tigers have lost three games for the fourth consecutive season and it looks like the glory days of the late 2010s may have officially passed the program by. While a change at head coach could be intriguing, the price may be too high. Swinney has a $60 million buyout after 2024 and is under contract through 2031. While the school could look to pay it, the likely scenario is that Swinney returns for next season and beyond.
Mickey, Minnie, Goffy and WembyBBC Strictly viewers air frustration at judges' 'unfair' marks for contestants
Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen recently took to social media to reveal his engagement with actress Hailee Steinfeld. Allen has been one of the biggest stars of the 2024 NFL season, putting together an MVP campaign with 2,543 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, along with 316 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Khloe Kardashian reveals ‘embarrassing’ cut-out of cheating ex Tristan Thompson in kitchen and fans are bewildered