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-basketballAlameda musician Baumbusch reimagining the listening experience
Despite Spiralling Inflation Rate, Banks Maintain Modest Cost-to-Income RatioNoneDexter: Original Sin will take audiences back in time to find out how the man became the monster — er, the monster-slayer — in the Showtime thriller. The prequel series, which premieres on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, December 13, takes place 15 years before we first met Dexter (then played by Michael C. Hall , who still narrates the new series) in the original Dexter . Taking over the title role in this iteration is Patrick Gibson , who has the character’s steely-eyed stares and smug sauntering style down to a science. With new characters being introduced in some familiar settings, the new series will bring some new details about Dexter’s past to light, but it will also inevitably retread some familiar territory from the first show, which had ample flashbacks. Here’s what to remember about Dexter ‘s past before Dexter: Original Sin . Dexter didn’t find out until he was a fully grown serial murderer that he had a big brother who was also running around slaughtering people. The Ice Truck Killer who stalked Dexter was actually Brian Moser, his slightly older brother who was not adopted (or even mentioned) by Harry. Dexter only found out about Brian because the Ice Truck Killer left clues that were tailored to catch his attention — reminding him of scenes from his past as part of the Morgan family. Laura Moser was the single mother to Brian and Dexter and worked as a confidential informant for Harry and the Miami-Metro Police Department against the Colombian cartel. She was brutally dismembered right in front of Brian and Dexter, who were left wading in her blood inside a shipping container. Harry adopted Dexter as his own upon finding him in the container, but Brian was sent into the foster system. In flashbacks in Dexter , it became clear that he was not a normal teenager with typical feelings or tendencies. In fact, he had an innate bloodlust that his father recognized and tried to quell with hunting trips, to the exclusion of his daughter Debra. Harry wanted to protect Dexter from himself — particularly his self-destructive impulses. 'Dexter: Original Sin' Clip Reveals Dex's First Day on the Job Though Harry tried to find other ways for Dexter to quench his thirst for blood, so to speak, he soon gave in and encouraged him to kill someone when he discovered Nurse Mary was poisoning Harry and other patients in the hospital after his heart attack. Once Dexter began to kill, Harry worked hard to create a framework for his adoptive son to work within that, if he followed it to the letter, would keep his morality and freedom intact. The rules included being certain that the mark was worthy of being murdered and leaving no trace of evidence behind. Even after Harry’s death, Dexter worked to strictly adhere to this code in every kill. Randy Tepper/Showtime Dexter repeatedly revealed that he felt empty on the inside, and it was Harry who taught him to feign normal human feelings and social interactions around others — even if it meant faking a smile in his own family photos. Little by little throughout Dexter , we learn that Harry Morgan had several affairs while married to Doris, including with Laura Morgan and another confidential informant. Though Harry is definitely the most common star of Dexter’s flashback memories, his adoptive mother Doris is also a fixture of his past. She died when Deb was 16 and didn’t know about Dexter’s violent tendencies, even if she didn’t totally understand him at times. Dexter: Original Sin , Series Premiere, Streaming, Friday, December 13, Paramount+ with Showtime, Sunday, December 15, 10/9c, Paramount+ with Showtime More Headlines: 8 Things to Remember About Dexter’s Childhood Before ‘Original Sin’ Ryan Seacrest Reveals Dating Status to Shocked ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestants Your Chance to Win ‘Blue Bloods’ Collector’s Issue Signed by Bridget Moynahan Holly Robinson Peete Makes ‘Home Alone’ Confession in ‘LEGO Masters Holiday Bricktacular’ Sneak Peek (VIDEO) ‘Jeopardy!’ Boss Announces Solution to Big Tournament of Champions Problem
Would you pay $700 a night to sleep under the stars at this Colorado resort?
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was on the verge of backing a 16-week federal abortion ban earlier this year when aides staged an intervention. According to Time magazine's cover story on his selection as its 2024 Person of the Year, Trump's aides first raised concerns in mid-March that the abortion cutoff being pushed by some allies would be stricter than existing law in numerous states. It was seen as a potential political liability amid ongoing fallout over the overturning of Roe v. Wade by a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that includes three justices nominated by Trump in his first term. Trump political director James Blair went to work assembling a slide deck — eventually titled “How a national abortion ban will cost Trump the election" — that argued a 16-week ban would hurt the Republican candidate in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, the magazine reported. “After flipping through Blair’s presentation" on a flight to a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in April, Trump dropped the idea, according to the report. "So we leave it to the states, right?" Trump was quoted as saying. He soon released a video articulating that position. At the time, Trump’s campaign denied that he was considering supporting the 16-week ban, calling it “fake news” and saying Trump planned to “negotiate a deal” on abortion if elected to the White House. Here are other highlights from the story and the president-elect's 65-minute interview with the magazine: Trump reaffirmed his plans to pardon most of those convicted for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. “It’s going to start in the first hour,” he said of the pardons. “Maybe the first nine minutes.” Trump said he would look at individuals on a “case-by-case" basis, but that “a vast majority of them should not be in jail.” More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they met to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory . More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial of charges, including misdemeanor trespassing offenses, assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. Trump insisted he has the authority to use the military to assist with his promised mass deportations , even though, as his interviewers noted, the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the use of the military in domestic law enforcement. “It doesn’t stop the military if it’s an invasion of our country, and I consider it an invasion of our country," he said. “I’ll only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows. And I think in many cases, the sheriffs and law enforcement is going to need help." Trump did not deny that camps would be needed to hold detained migrants as they are processed for deportation. “Whatever it takes to get them out. I don’t care," he said. “I hope we’re not going to need too many because I want to get them out and I don’t want them sitting in camp for the next 20 years.” Trump told Time he does not plan to restore the policy of separating children from their families to deter border crossings, but he did not rule it out. The practice led to thousands of children being separated from their parents and was condemned around the globe as inhumane. “I don’t believe we’ll have to because we will send the whole family back,” he said. “I would much rather deport them together, yes, than separate.” Trump dismissed the idea that Elon Musk will face conflicts of interest as he takes the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency , an advisory group that Trump has selected him to lead. The panel is supposed to find waste and cut regulations, including many that could affect Musk's wide-ranging interests , which include electric cars, rockets and telecommunications. “I don’t think so," Trump said. “I think that Elon puts the country long before his company. ... He considers this to be his most important project." Trump lowered expectations about his ability to drive down grocery prices. “I’d like to bring them down. It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up. You know, it’s very hard. But I think that they will,” he said. Trump said he is planning “a virtual closure" of the "Department of Education in Washington.” “You’re going to need some people just to make sure they’re teaching English in the schools," he said. “But we want to move education back to the states.” Yet Trump has proposed exerting enormous influence over schools. He has threatened to cut funding for schools with vaccine mandates while forcing them to “teach students to love their country" and promote “the nuclear family,” including “the roles of mothers and fathers” and the “things that make men and women different and unique.” Asked to clarify whether he was committed to preventing the Food and Drug Administration from stripping access to abortion pills , Trump replied, “It’s always been my commitment.” But Trump has offered numerous conflicting stances on the issue, including to Time. Earlier in the interview, he was asked whether he would promise that his FDA would not do anything to limit access to medication abortion or abortion pills. "We’re going to take a look at all of that,” he said, before calling the prospect “very unlikely.” “Look, I’ve stated it very clearly and I just stated it again very clearly. I think it would be highly unlikely. I can’t imagine, but with, you know, we’re looking at everything, but highly unlikely. I guess I could say probably as close to ruling it out as possible, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to do anything now.” Pressed on whether he would abandon Ukraine in its efforts to stave off Russia's invasion , Trump said he would use U.S. support for Kyiv as leverage against Moscow in negotiating an end to the war. “I want to reach an agreement,” he said, “and the only way you’re going to reach an agreement is not to abandon.” Trump would not commit to supporting a two-state solution, with a Palestinian state alongside Israel, as he had previously. “I support whatever solution we can do to get peace," he said. "There are other ideas other than two state, but I support whatever, whatever is necessary to get not just peace, a lasting peace. It can’t go on where every five years you end up in tragedy. There are other alternatives.” Asked whether he trusted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , he told Time: “I don’t trust anybody.” Trump would not rule out the possibility of war with Iran during his second term. “Anything can happen. It’s a very volatile situation," he said. Asked if he has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since the Nov. 5 election, Trump continued to play coy: "I can’t tell you. It’s just inappropriate.” Trump insisted that his bid to install Matt Gaetz as attorney general ”wasn’t blocked. I had the votes (in the Senate) if I needed them, but I had to work very hard.” When the scope of resistance to the former Republican congressman from Florida became clear, Trump said, “I talked to him, and I said, ‘You know, Matt, I don’t think this is worth the fight.'" Gaetz pulled out amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations, and Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the Cabinet post. Trump, who has named anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, did not rule out the possibility of eliminating some childhood vaccinations even though they have been proved safe in extensive studies and real world use in hundreds of millions of people over decades and are considered among the most effective public health measures in modern history. Pressed on whether “getting rid of some vaccinations” — neither Trump nor the interviewers specified which ones — might be part of the plan to improve the health of the country, Trump responded: “It could if I think it’s dangerous, if I think they are not beneficial, but I don’t think it’s going to be very controversial in the end.” “I think there could be, yeah," Trump said of the prospect of others in his family continuing in his footsteps. He pointed to daughter-in-law Lara Trump , who served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and is now being talked about as a potential replacement for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump has chosen for secretary of state. Trump said the former and soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump will be joining him at the White House during second term and will "be active, when she needs to be.” “Oh yes,” he said. “She’s very beloved by the people, Melania. And they like the fact that she’s not out there in your face all the time for many reasons.”WIMBERLEY, Texas — A wounded warrior and his family received a life-changing gift in Wimberley on Tuesday. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation presented Army Cpl. Dustin Weber with a specially designed smart home. After losing his leg due to injuries in Afghanistan, Weber, his wife Monica and their eight daughters have been struggling in a home in Illinois that wasn't built for his needs. Now, that all changed. The mortgage-free smart home includes wide doorways, automated features and technology that can be controlled from a smartphone. It's one of many homes the foundation has built for injured veterans across the country. "The way the house is built and the way that everything works, I'll be able to do everything like normal, and that's life-changing. It really is life-changing," said Weber. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created after 9/11 and has been providing specially adapted homes to injured veterans and first responders ever since.
Would you pay $700 a night to sleep under the stars at this Colorado resort?Key B2B Legal Services Market Trend 2024-2033: The Launch Of Lz Books
The much-anticipated grand finale of the 59th TAGS Awards 2024, organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), celebrated excellence in corporate reporting, with a diverse range of organisations – from multinationals and conglomerates to SMEs and NGOs – showcasing their commitment to high standards in financial and non-financial reporting by embracing the principles of transparency, accountability, governance, and sustainability while also leading the way in raising the standards of corporate reporting. Held amidst much celebration at the Shangri-La Colombo on 12 December in the presence of the country’s corporate elite, the event highlighted the transformative role of enriching corporate reporting practices, complemented by a digital edge. Shining at the pinnacle was conglomerate Hayleys PLC, which clinched the coveted Gold award for ‘Overall Excellence in Corporate Reporting,’ while Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC secured the Silver, and both Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC and Softlogic Life Insurance PLC shared the spotlight by jointly taking home the Bronze. The grand finale was graced by Sri Lanka Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Tetsuya Yamada as Chief Guest and Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) Chairman Senior Prof. D.B.P.H. Dissabandara as Guest of Honour. Also in attendance were CA Sri Lanka President Heshana Kuruppu, Vice President Tishan Subasinghe, Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) Chairman Dilshan Wirasekara, TAGS Awards Chairperson Chamila Cooray, CA Sri Lanka CEO Lakmali Priyangika, and CSE CEO Rajeeva Bandaranaike. During the grand finale, a total of 10 organisations were recognised as the ‘Top 10’ for their outstanding corporate reporting. The companies were Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Ceylinco Life Insurance Ltd., Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, Hayleys PLC, Hatton National Bank PLC, John Keells Holdings PLC, LB Finance PLC, People’s Leasing & Finance PLC, Sampath Bank PLC, and Softlogic Life Insurance PLC. In the special awards segment, outstanding achievements in corporate reporting were also celebrated across multiple categories. Under the ‘Corporate Governance Disclosure – Financial Services’ category, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC secured the Gold, Hatton National Bank PLC won the Silver, while Softlogic Life Insurance PLC and Ceylinco Life Insurance Ltd. shared the Bronze. In the ‘Corporate Governance Disclosure – Non-Financial Services’ category, Hayleys PLC won Gold, Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC bagged the Silver, and John Keells Holdings PLC earned the Bronze. Hayleys PLC also excelled in the ‘Integrated Reporting’ category, winning Gold, with Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC and Softlogic Life Insurance PLC taking Silver and Bronze, respectively. Similarly, Hayleys PLC also clinched Gold in the ‘Sustainability Reporting’ category, followed by Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC winning the Silver and John Keells Holdings PLC taking the Bronze. The ‘Digitally Transformative Reporting’ category saw Softlogic Life Insurance PLC win the Gold, while Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC and Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC were joint Silver winners, and Hayleys PLC walked away with the Bronze. Meanwhile, for the first time in the 59-year history of the competition, CA Sri Lanka also integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its evaluation process, underscoring its commitment to innovation and staying at the forefront of global trends. Addressing the gathering, Kuruppu emphasised that numerous technological advancements have been implemented by organisations this year to enhance user-friendly access to information, leveraging artificial intelligence and natural language processing for analysis and interpretation. “While technology drives efficiency, sustainability shapes purpose. The global emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations has elevated the importance of sustainability in corporate reporting. Although many large-scale corporations and export-oriented businesses have prioritised these efforts, there is still potential for further improvements,” he said, adding that embracing sustainability is not merely a response to global trends but it is a commitment to creating long-term value for all stakeholders. In her speech, Cooray highlighted that, at their best, annual reports excel in disclosure, clarity, and consistency, as they serve as powerful narratives, reflecting an organisation’s values, societal contributions, and roadmap for future growth. She said that these reports are the cornerstone of stakeholder communication, fostering trust, inspiring confidence, and setting benchmarks for responsible corporate conduct. “The TAGS Awards stand as a testament to the importance of these core principles. Since its inception in 1964 under its original banner as the Annual Report Awards, this initiative has inspired organisations for nearly 60 years to achieve the highest standards in reporting,” Cooray said. In addition to the main and special awards, organisations were also honoured across 34 different sectors, showcasing the diversity of corporate reporting excellence across industries.DoorDash will require its drivers to verify their identities more often as part of a larger effort to crack down on unauthorized account sharing. DoorDash has been under pressure to ensure its drivers are operating legally. Over the summer, for example, it pledged to do a better job identifying and removing dangerous drivers after a flood of complaints of dangerous driving from cities. Officials in Boston, New York and other cities have said that in many cases, people with multiple traffic violations continue to make deliveries using accounts registered to others. The San Francisco delivery company said Thursday it was requiring some drivers to complete real-time identity checks immediately after they complete a delivery. Previously, drivers were occasionally asked to re-verify their identities before or after a shift. DoorDash has introduced the new system in Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle and other cities, and said it planned a wider rollout next year. DoorDash said it also has developed an advanced machine learning system that can flag potential unauthorized account access, including login anomalies and suspicious activity. If the company detects a problem, it will require drivers to re-verify their identity before they can make more deliveries . U.S. drivers must verify their identities with a driver’s license or other government-issued identification, and upload a selfie that matches their identification photo before they can do work for DoorDash. They also must submit to background checks, which require a Social Security number. The company said it found that some drivers were getting around the requirements by sharing accounts with authorized users. In some cases, drivers who were not authorized to drive for DoorDash paid authorized users for access to their accounts. Some federal lawmakers have demanded that DoorDash and other delivery apps do a better job of keeping people who are in the U.S. illegally off the platforms. Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana and Ted Budd of North Carolina sent letters to delivery companies in April asking them to crack down on account sharing. “These illegal immigrants are delivering food directly to consumers’ doors without ever having undergone a background check and often without even using their real names,” the letter said. It added that working illegally can also be dangerous for migrants, creating the potential for exploitation and abuse. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment Thursday with Gig Workers Rising and Justice for App Workers, which both represent delivery drivers. DoorDash won’t estimate how many drivers are using shared accounts, but said its safeguards are effective. Last year, it began asking drivers to re-verify their identities monthly by submitting a selfie. The company said it is now asking more than 150,000 drivers to complete selfie checks each week, and it’s removing them from the platform if they don’t comply.
NoneJoe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion
HEALWELL AI Announces Upsize in Bought Deal Offering to $55 MillionThere is absolutely no doubt that there are a few people getting smart glasses for the holidays. If you think you might be receiving a pair or are gifting one of our current favorite pieces of technology, you’ll be intrigued to learn about the following new features. Meta announced this week that via the Early Access Program, new features are becoming available. The two big ones are Live AI and Live Translation. With , Meta AI has access to a continuous stream of video from your glasses, allowing it to have more natural conversations with the user, as well as do a variety of tasks. You can now get, “real-time help and inspiration with everyday activities like meal prep, gardening, or exploring a new neighborhood.” For , users can utilize AI to translate in real time a conversation taking place in another language. This is obviously helpful if you’re attempting to communicate with someone speaking a language you don’t know. Could it also be useful for listening in on someone else’s conversations? Possibly, but we’ll have to test that out. Shazam integration is also live, meaning that if you’re out in the wild and hear a sweet tune but aren’t sure about the title or artist, simply say, “Hey Meta, what is this song?” and it’s taken care of. If your glasses aren’t yet enrolled in the Early Access Program, click the link below. All you’ll need is your serial number. If you want to check out an alternative to Meta and Ray-Ban, we actually just last week that are currently on Kickstarter. There are different options out there. //US authorities on Tuesday charged the man suspected of gunning down a health insurance CEO in New York earlier this month with murder, including a charge of second-degree murder "as an act of terrorism." Mangione, 26, is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street on December 4, triggering a nationwide manhunt that ended last week when he was spotted at a Pennsylvania McDonald's. The former data engineer remains jailed in that state as he fights efforts to extradite him to New York to face charges there over the killing, which brought into focus widespread public anger against the US health care system. Mangione "is charged with one count of murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree, including one count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism," said Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg said the terrorism charge was included because the shooting met the prerequisites for such a determination under New York law. "In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we've seen that reaction," he said. "This was not an ordinary killing." The maximum penalty for the murder charges Mangione faces is life in prison without parole, Bragg said. The suspect was also charged with several crimes related to his possession of a weapon, which authorities said was a 3D-printed "ghost gun." "We allege he... took out a nine-millimeter 3D-printed ghost gun equipped with a 3D-printed suppressor and shot (Thompson) once in the back and once in the leg," said Bragg. "These weapons are increasingly proliferating throughout New York City and the entire country. Evolving technology will only make this problem worse," he said. "Last year, over 80 ghost guns and ghost gun parts were recovered in Manhattan alone." In the wake of Thompson's killing, many social media users have lionized Mangione, with some even calling for further killings of other CEOs. Jessica Tisch, the New York City police commissioner, criticized members of the public who had praised the murder. "In the nearly two weeks since Mr Thompson's killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder," said Tisch. Mangione is due in Pennsylvania court on Thursday for a hearing on his extradition to New York. Police say a "life-changing, life-altering" back injury may have motivated Mangione, although they added that there was "no indication" that he was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare. When he was arrested, Mangione had a three-page handwritten text criticizing the US health care system. Police have said that Mangione's fingerprints matched those found near the crime scene, and that shell casings match the gun found on him when he was arrested. Bragg said that the suspect traveled to New York on November 24 with the intention of murdering Thompson. On December 4, he is alleged to have waited "for nearly an hour" outside the hotel where Thompson was shot early that morning. "This was a frightening, well planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation," said district attorney Bragg. bur-aha/md
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