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Travis Hunter named AP player of the year
House passes bill limiting energy efficiency mandates on home laundry machinesTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — This isn’t a week when coach Todd Bowles feels he needs to find the right words to ensure his Tampa Bay Buccaneers are motivated to face the last-place Carolina Panthers. The Bucs (8-7) have won eight of the last nine meetings between the NFC South rivals, including the past three with Baker Mayfield at quarterback. It hasn’t exactly been smoothly sailing against the Panthers (4-11), though, for the three-time defending division champions. And, with at least a share of first place on the line Sunday, Bowles and his players say they are focused solely on rebounding from last week’s disappointing loss to the Dallas Cowboys. “We know it’s going to be a tough ballgame. It went overtime last time. They’re coached very well; they play very hard,” Bowles said, referencing Tampa Bay’s 26-23 win at Carolina on Dec. 1. “We know what’s at stake for us. It doesn’t need to be talked about. Everybody understands that,” Bowles added. “We’ve got to clean up our own mistakes, and we’ve got to play an error-free football game.” The Bucs are tied with Atlanta for the best record in the NFC South, however the Falcons (8-7) hold the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series between the teams. To claim a fourth straight division title, Tampa Bay needs to win remaining home games against the Panthers and New Orleans Saints while Atlanta loses at least once in the last two weeks of the regular season. If the Falcons hold on to win the South, the Bucs can earn a wild-card playoff berth if they win out and the Washington Commanders lose twice. Mayfield, who has resurrected his career since being released by Carolina two years ago, summed up the attitude in a resilient locker room. The Bucs have won four of five games following a four-game losing streak threatened their playoff hopes. “I keep saying it, this team has the mental makeup of a great team. We just have to continue to fight and find ways to win,” the quarterback said. “If we don’t take of business, we won’t be in the playoffs.” Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard cost his team the game four weeks ago against Tampa Bay when he fumbled on the second possession of overtime just after Carolina had reached field goal range. Mayfield responded by leading the Bucs back down the field for the winning field goal. The loss was devastating for Hubbard at the time, but he promised himself when the opportunity arose again he’d make the most of it. He did that this past Sunday, when he carried twice for 49 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown run in which he broke two tackles, in overtime to lift the Panthers to a 36-30 win over Arizona, knocking the Cardinals out of the playoff hunt. “I’d let it go, but it’s definitely been in the back of my head a little bit,” Hubbard said. “Like I said, when the next opportunity came, I told myself I’m going to get it back for them. To be able to have them trust me in that opportunity again, and to have it in that way is a blessing from God.” Bryce Young has shown solid progress in his decision making, particularly when the pocket begins to break down. Last week, the second-year QB ran for a career-best 68 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown. Young was benched after two games this season, but since returning to the lineup has played better, restoring some faith that perhaps the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 can be the team’s quarterback of the future. “Just time in the system and time as a team for us to come together,” Young said of why he has improved. “For me, being able to get reps, and get time with everyone. It’s just all of us being able to feed off of each other, and it’s been able to allow us to turn in the right direction.” The Panthers have been abysmal against the run, allowing nearly 200 yards per game on the ground over the last seven games. In the last meeting with Tampa Bay, Bucky Irving ran for a career-high 152 yards and a touchdown, so Carolina’s defense has a good idea of what's coming Sunday. Mayfield has beaten Carolina three times since joining the Bucs in 2023. All of the meetings have been close, though, with the Panthers losing twice by three points and Tampa Bay settling for three field goals in a 9-0 regular season-ending victory that clinched its third straight NFC South championship last January. “We know them well. They know us well,” Mayfield said. AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
President José Raúl Mulino of Panama brushed off U.S. President-elect Donald Trump ’s baseless claim that Chinese soldiers are “operating the Panama Canal, ” calling it “nonsense.” In a Christmas Day message on Truth Social , Trump sarcastically wished a merry Christmas to “the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal” and “making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ‘repair’ money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about anything.” He then claimed the Panamanian government is “ripping off” the United States at the Panama Canal. But Mulino put a stop to the accusation in a press conference on Thursday, saying there is no truth to the claim Chinese soldiers are operating the canal. “There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal. For the love of God, you are free, the whole world is free, to visit the canal if you please,” Mulinto said in a translated speech. “What [Trump] has said on this issue is nonsense, it does not exist,” he added. Trump last weekend threatened twice to take over the canal in a post on Truth Social and at a conference of the conservative Turning Point USA in Phoenix, where he told the crowd he is prepared to take control because he’s angry about “exorbitant’ use fees . Mulina said after those threats: “The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable .” The president-elect’s attack on the canal is the latest in his series of complaints about other countries and their relationship with America. Trump has attacked Mexico and Canada for what he believes are unfair trade practices and harmful border policies. He has mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and said he’d make Canada the 51st state. He has also lambasted the European Union for selling more products to the U.S. than buying from the nation. But in his latest, more threatening claims, Trump suggested the U.S. should not only take over the canal but Greenland, a territory of Denmark, as well. Trump floated the idea of buying Denmark – a country not for sale – during his first administration. In a Truth Social post last Sunday he insisted that American “ownership and control” of Greenland is an “absolute necessity” for world “security” and “freedom.” As for the Panama Canal, Mulino denied U.S. vessels are being overcharged to use the waterway and emphasized that China plays no role in the canal. A Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports at the Panama Canal’s entrances, but Panama owns and operates the entire canal. “Look, there are no Chinese on the canal. As simple as that. Neither the Chinese nor any other power are in the channel,” Mulino said. Any Chinese on the canal are aboard a cruise ship or visiting the canal like other tourists, he noted “I reiterate, there is absolutely no Chinese interference or participation in anything that has to do with the Panama Canal,” Mulino said.
Eleven members from two subsets of a Southeast Queens crime syndicate were indicted after a nearly four-year investigation into a gang turf war, in which five victims were identified, one of whom was left paralyzed from the waist down, announced the office of District Attorney Melinda Katz on Thursday. Five of the defendants in the “Deadliest Catch” investigation were apprehended and arraigned on a 57-count indictment for conspiracy in the first degree, attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and are expected back in court later this month or January, said prosecutors. If convicted on the first charge, three defendants could spend a maximum of 25 years in prison and two others face potential life sentences. The defendants are allegedly part of the 8 Trey Movin Crips street gang, which includes the Hollis subset, Whole Blocc Boys (Trevor Bailey, Isaiah Raymond, Raynaldo Lynch, Shawn Cole and Tavion Scott) and the South Jamaica subgroup, Score on Anything (Alphati Tanis, Seth Johnson, Hiswan Simmons, Amir Harris, Isaiah Garcia and Tajh Parker John), who are said to be involved in nine shootings from March 2021 to December 2022, said prosecutors. Tanis and Bailey are said to be the ringleaders of the group. Eleven guns were seized during the course of the investigation. WBB and SOA members were allegedly involved in crimes committed in parks, playgrounds, near a bodega and even by a daycare because they wanted to protect their territory from members of rival groups such as Folk Nation, Money World, Mac Ballers, Dream Team and others, said authorities. The DA’s Office did not have a breakdown as to where the competing gangs were located, but a spokesperson said the general gang activity took place in Southeast Queens in roughly the same areas. Katz said in a statement that she will not stand for the frenzied violence. “Violent gang activity places countless lives in danger and we cannot and will not surrender our streets to reckless gang warfare,” she said. “Seven of the defendants including two alleged ringleaders stand accused of conspiracy in the first degree, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.” The SOA gang was allegedly involved in a shooting on May 22, 2021, at approximately 8:30 p.m. at Sutphin Boulevard and 112th Avenue in South Jamaica, near the Afro-American Parents Day Care–Educational Center 2, said prosecutors. After a Dream Team member parked his Hyundai Accent on 112th Street, another member of that group allegedly exited the vehicle and fired in the direction of the SOA members. Surveillance video footage showed an alleged SOA member walk toward the Hyundai and shoot at it several times as it drove away. The vehicle hit several others at a stop sign on 148th Street and eventually rammed into a parked car at the corner of Linden Boulevard, causing all occupants to flee on foot. Investigators determined that the incident was retaliation for an earlier altercation that took place inside Roy Wilkins Park, where an SOA member allegedly robbed a Dream Team member at gunpoint. On June 27, 2021, a Dream Team member shot at several purported WBB gang members, who allegedly returned fire, inside Daniel M. O’Connell playground in St. Albans at 2:40 p.m., said prosecutors. Several children and families were at the playground at the time of the shooting. On Sept. 14, 2022, at approximately 8:40 p.m., police responded to a report about shots fired at Sutphin Boulevard and 123rd Avenue in South Jamaica near PS 233 and Sutphin Playground. Investigators determined that an SOA member who drove by allegedly shot at a Money World rival, who was walking home from a bodega. Officers found the Money World member with wounds to his leg inside a residential hallway two blocks from the crime scene, where five 9 mm bullet casings were discovered. The defendants were also accused of using social media platforms such as Snapchat to allegedly provoke and lure rival gang members to carry out more violent acts, said prosecutors. “The senseless violence described in this indictment has no place in our city, and we are committed to using all available resources to identify and dismantle gangs and crews wherever they operate,” said Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Bailey, 29, and Cole, 18, both from St. Albans, remain at large but once caught could face life and 10 years in prison, respectively, if convicted. Bailey was charged with conspiracy in the first degree and Cole with conspiracy in the second degree, said the DA’s Office. Tanis, 33, and Haris, 22, both of Jamaica, along with Raymond, 20 of Queens Village, are expected back in court on Jan. 2. Tanis was indicted on conspiracy in the first degree and could spend life in prison if convicted. Haris and Raymond were charged with conspiracy in the second degree and could spend 25 years in prison if convicted. Garcia, 24, of Yonkers, NY, was ordered to return to court on Jan. 7. If convicted on a conspiracy in the first degree charge, he could face life in prison. Johnson, 20, of Jamaica, was ordered to return to court on Dec. 20. If convicted on a conspiracy in the second degree charge, he could spend 25 years in prison. Parker-John, 23, of Cambria Heights, and Scott, 22, of Queens Village, are in state prison and will be arraigned at a later date. Lynch, 23, previously of Jamaica, is in a state prison in Massachusetts, and will be extradited at a later date. Simmons, 22, of Arverne, is currently hospitalized for an unrelated incident and his arraignment is pending. The DA’s Violent Crime Enterprise Bureau and the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division, along with members of the 103rd, 105th and 113th precincts under the supervision of the Police Department’s Specialty Enforcement Division, conducted the 44-month-long investigation.Too early to celebrate – Arne Slot keeps leaders Liverpool focused
Navy QB Blake Horvath's 95-yard TD run in Armed Forces Bowl win is longest play in school historyAston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state government agencies will have to conduct reviews and publish reports that detail how they're using artificial intelligence software, under a new law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul, a Democrat, signed the bill last week after it was passed by state lawmakers earlier this year. The law requires state agencies to perform assessments of any software that uses algorithms, computational models or AI techniques, and then submit those reviews to the governor and top legislative leaders along with posting them online. It also bars the use of AI in certain situations, such as an automated decision on whether someone receives unemployment benefits or child care assistance, unless the system is being consistently monitored by a human. State workers would also be shielded from having their hours or job duties limited because of AI under the law. State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, called the law an important step in setting up some guardrails in how the emerging technology is used in state government.A man has died after a fatal crash in on Thursday night. or signup to continue reading The 19-year-old man was driving when his car slid down an embankment and rolled on Bushbank Road at about 9.50pm on Boxing Day, December 26. He died at the scene and the passenger of the vehicle was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police are investigating, and the exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined. There have been 279 lives lost on roads this year in Victoria, and there were 293 lives lost on the road this time last year. Anyone who witnessed the crash or with footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at Journalist at The Border Mail.You can contact me at madilyn.mckinley@austcommunitymedia.com.au. Journalist at The Border Mail.You can contact me at madilyn.mckinley@austcommunitymedia.com.au. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement
Pune: The first edition of Cambodia-India Bilateral Army Exercise ( CINBAX-I ) successfully concluded on Friday, marking a significant milestone in strengthening military cooperation and interoperability between the two nations. The joint exercise saw active participation from both the Cambodian and Indian contingents, enhancing their operational synergy and exposing the Cambodian contingent to the functioning of staff officers during the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO). It also highlighted India's military training and defence technology expertise, fostering a shared understanding of modern military practices. A key component of it was a planning exercise aimed at wargaming the conduct of joint Counter-Terrorism (CT) operations under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The exercise focused on discussions related to establishment of a joint training task force for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). It also included the planning of operations in a CT environment, wargaming various contingencies, and exploring the employment of force multipliers in sub-conventional operations—combat firing at battle range. A live firing exercise was also part of the exercise. "The exercise has successfully enhanced operational synergy and fostered deeper mutual understanding between Indian and Cambodian armies. The exercise served as a platform for sharing best practices and exploring avenues for future collaboration in peacekeeping and defence technology," said a senior army officer. The Cambodian contingent visited the College of Military Engineering (CME) where they were introduced to humanitarian mine action techniques employed during UN missions. They were also briefed on anti-IED and explosives actions, including the role of canine units (dog IEDs), and witnessed art equipment and new-generation equipment used by the Corps of Engineers. The exercise included a comprehensive display of equipment such as NEGEV light machine guns, SIG 716 rifles, mortar systems, thermal imaging instruments, and sniper rifles. In line with 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, major firms from India's defence technology sector, including MKU, Jatayu, Ikran Aerospace, and AI Innovations, showcased their indigenous products. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Thane Election Results 2024: Sanjay Kelkar vs Rajan Vichare vs Avinash Jadhav, who's winning?
Washington — Lawyers for TikTok urged the Supreme Court on Friday to find unconstitutional a new law that could lead to a ban of the widely popular app in the United States, arguing that shuttering TikTok will silence not only its speech, but also that of the platform's more than 170 million American users. President-elect Donald Trump also filed a separate brief in which he stated that he opposes the ban at the current moment and requests time to resolve the dispute via political negotiations. In an opening brief filed with the justices, which provides a first look at the arguments TikTok will make to the high court next month, lawyers for the platform urged them to reverse a decision from a three-judge appeals court panel that upheld the ban . Lawyers for TikTok said in their filing that they "do not contest Congress's compelling interest in protecting this nation's security, or the many weapons it has to do so. But that arsenal simply does not include suppressing the speech of Americans because other Americans may be persuaded." In its own filing laying out arguments for upholding the ban, the Justice Department argued the law is consistent with the First Amendment and said the government has a compelling interest in preventing threats to national security posed by control of TikTok by a foreign adversary, China. The law, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote, "addresses the serious threats to national security posed by the Chinese government's control of TikTok, a platform that harvests sensitive data about tens of millions of Americans and would be a potent tool for covert influence operations by a foreign adversary. And the Act mitigates those threats not by imposing any restriction on speech, but instead by prohibiting a foreign adversary from controlling the platform." The high court said last week that it would take up TikTok's challenge to the ban, which was passed by Congress as part of a foreign aid package in April. The company had asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block the law and urged it to intervene before Jan. 19, when the prohibition is set to take effect. The justices said they will consider whether the measure violates the First Amendment, and scheduled two hours of arguments for Jan. 10, an expedited timeline that could bring a ruling soon after. In addition to TikTok's challenge, the Supreme Court will consider a separate bid by a group of the platform's users to block the ban. The case will be argued in the final days of the Biden administration, but Trump, who will take office Jan. 20, has expressed support for TikTok. Trump tried to ban the app during his first term in office, but reversed his position during his campaign. The president-elect vowed to "save" the app, and told reporters earlier this month that he has "a warm spot in my heart for TikTok." In a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the Supreme Court, a lawyer for Trump, D. John Sauer, said he opposes banning the platform in the U.S. "at this juncture" and "seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office." Trump announced in November that he plans to nominate Sauer to serve as solicitor general in his second term. The president-elect asked the Supreme Court to pause the law's Jan. 19 effective date to allow his new administration to "pursue a negotiated resolution that could prevent a nationwide shutdown of TikTok, thus preserving the First Amendment rights of tens of millions of Americans, while also addressing the government's national security concerns." Citing the Jan. 19 deadline, Trump said it interferes with his "ability to manage the United States' foreign policy and to pursue a resolution to both protect national security and save a social-media platform that provides a popular vehicle for 170 million Americans to exercise their core First Amendment rights." Lawmakers sought to restrict access to TikTok in the U.S. amid concerns about its ties to China. The platform is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, and members from both parties, as well as intelligence agencies, have warned that the app could give the Chinese government access to data from the roughly 170 million Americans who use TikTok. They have also raised concerns that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to covertly manipulate content on the platform and influence public dialogue. Under the law, TikTok had nine months to divest from ByteDance or lose access to all app stores and web-hosting services in the U.S. The measure allows the president to grant a one-time, 90-day delay if a sale is in progress by Jan. 19. Lawyers for TikTok have argued that divesture is not possible , and the Chinese government has vowed to block the sale of the platform's powerful algorithm, which tailors content recommendations to users. Brought in May, TikTok argued in its challenge to the law that it violates the First Amendment rights of the platform and its users. The company also said Congress targeted it with its ban, which would bar every American from participating in its "unique online community." But a panel of three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit disagreed, and found that the government's national security justification for the law is consistent with the First Amendment. "The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States," Senior Judge Douglas Ginsburg, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, wrote for the unanimous court. "Here the government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary's ability to gather data on people in the United States." Ginsburg, joined by Judge Neomi Rao, tapped by Trump, and Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, appointed by President Barack Obama, said that while the decision will have significant implications for TikTok and its users, "that burden is attributable to [China's] hybrid commercial threat to U.S. national security, not to the U.S. government." The dispute has attracted a range of friend-of-the-court briefs from members of Congress, civil liberties groups, former national security officials and TikTok users.is gaining on in the lucrative online search market, according to new data released this week. In a recent survey of 1,000 people, 's chatbot was the top search provider for 5% of respondents, up from 1% in June, according to brokerage firm Evercore ISI. drove the most adoption, the firm added in a research note sent to investors. Google still dominates the , but its share slipped. According to the survey results, 78% of respondents said their first choice was Google, down from 80% in June. It's a good business to be a gatekeeper A few percentage points may not seem like much, but controlling how people access the world's online information is a big deal. It's what fuels , which produces the bulk of its revenue and huge profits. Microsoft Bing only has 4% of the search market, per the Evercore report, yet it generates billions of dollars in revenue each year. ChatGPT's gains, however slight, are another sign that Google's status as the internet's gatekeeper may be under threat from generative AI. This new technology is changing how millions of people access digital information, sparking a rare debate about the sustainability of Google's search dominance. OpenAI launched a full for ChatGPT at the end of October. It's also got a this year that puts ChatGPT in a prominent position on many iPhones. Both moves are a direct challenge to Google. (Axel Springer, the owner of Business Insider, has a commercial relationship with OpenAI). ChatGPT user satisfaction vs Google When the Evercore analysts drilled down on the "usefulness" of Google's AI tools, ChatGPT, and Copilot, Microsoft's consumer AI helper, across 10 different scenarios, they found intriguing results. There were a few situations where ChatGPT beat Google on satisfaction by a pretty wide margin: people learning specific skills or tasks, wanting help with writing and coding, and looking to be more productive at work. It even had a 4% lead in a category that suggests Google shouldn't sleep too easy: people researching products and pricing online. Google is benefiting from generative AI Still, Google remains far ahead, and there were positive findings for the internet giant from Evercore's latest survey. Earlier this year, Google released Gemini, a ChatGPT-like helper, and rolled out AI Overviews, a feature that uses generative AI to summarize many search results. In the Evercore survey, 71% of Google users said these tools were more effective than the previous search experience. In another survey finding, among people using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, 53% said they're searching more. That helps Google as well as OpenAI. What's more, the tech giant's dominance hasn't dipped when it comes to : people looking to buy stuff like iPhones and insurance. This suggests Google's market share slippage is probably more about queries for general information, meaning Google's revenue growth from search is probably safe for now. So in terms of gobbling up more search revenue, ChatGPT has its work cut out. Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney told BI that even a 1% share of the search market is worth roughly $2 billion a year in revenue. But that only works if you can make money from search queries as well as Google does. "That's 1% share of commercial searches and assuming you can monetize as well as Google — and the latter is highly unlikely in the near or medium term," he said. Read the original article on
Prue Leith believes Gregg Wallace shouldn't be sacked as he's 'no idea what he's done'Too early to celebrate – Arne Slot keeps leaders Liverpool focused
Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. An uneasy calm settles over Syrian city of Homs after outbreak of sectarian violence HOMS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country’s fragile peace could break down. A tense calm prevailed Thursday after checkpoints were set up throughout the country’s third-largest city, which has a mixed population of Sunni and Shia Muslims, Alawites and Christians. The security forces are controlled by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the charge that unseated former President Bashar Assad. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Powerful thunderstorms rumble across Texas, delaying holiday travel DALLAS (AP) — Severe thunderstorms are firing up in parts of Texas and could trigger high winds, hail and potential tornadoes. More than 100 flights were delayed and dozens more were canceled Thursday at airports in Dallas and Houston. The National Weather Service says the greatest weather risk stretched from just east of Dallas, and between Houston and portions of southern Arkansas and western Louisiana. The risk includes the possibility of tornadoes, wind gusts between 60 and 80 miles per hour and large hail. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for several counties in southeast Texas, including the Houston area. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez, citing 'emotional toll,' seeks sentencing delay in wake of wife's trial NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is asking a federal judge to delay his end-of-January sentencing on bribery charges, saying his family would suffer a “tremendous emotional toll” if the New Jersey Democrat was sentenced during his wife's trial. His lawyers told Judge Sidney H. Stein in a letter that Nadine Menendez would face a jury that might find it impossible not to hear about her husband's sentencing if it occurred eight days into her trial. The 70-year-old Menendez was convicted in July of 16 charges, including bribery. His wife, whose trial was postponed when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, faces much of the same evidence as her husband. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze.SMU feeling good heading into ACC opener against VirginiaMiddle East latest: Israeli strikes in Gaza kill more than 50 people, including kids
Of all the hallowed American institutions that have experienced a loss in public esteem over the last few years, perhaps none has suffered a bigger drop than higher education. Whether the explanation is sky-high tuition, grade inflation, moral confusion or, lately, the milk and cookies for students anxious about the election, the most egregious examples always seem to be from the most elite institutions. There is a way to restore trust, but it will require buy-in from both universities and employers: Focus more on what people study rather than where they study. And one of the most valuable courses of study is a curriculum developed a century ago, commonly known as Philosophy, Politics and Economics, or PPE. A college degree is supposed to signal qualities employers value, such as intelligence, judgment and an ability to work with others. A degree from an elite university is supposed to signal these qualities in abundance. It was never an accurate signal — lots of people who don’t go to college possess these qualities, and lots of people who do go don’t — but in a noisy labor market, employers need some sort of screening mechanism, and for a century or more, higher education provided it. Over the past few decades, however, elite schools have undermined the value of their signal. At first, going to such a school just meant you were from an elite family; it said little about your ability. Then elite universities decided that they should curate the nations’ elite and began selecting on the basis of ability. Employers collaborated by paying a premium for an elite degree. As the value of an elite degree increased, so did demand for it — and that, in turn, increased the power of admissions committees. They saw themselves as engaged in a kind of social engineering project, filtering out the best and the brightest for the nation. The problem was that, because they began to filter not just for ability but for all sorts of other qualities, admissions committees undermined both the principle of meritocracy and the definition of elite. Admissions criteria have always been subjective and idiosyncratic, of course, and should stay that way. The solution to the plight of U.S. universities is for employers (and Americans in general) to put less of an emphasis on elite schools and judge students on their actual achievements. To some extent, this is already happening. But the diffusion of talent provides an opportunity for colleges and employers to build a new system for identifying intellect and ability. The PPE program is a course of study — in American terms, a major — that has been offered at Oxford since the 1920s. Several U.K. prime ministers, many world leaders and at least one Bloomberg Opinion colleague have PPE degrees. Over the last few decades it has caught on at other universities, including dozens in the U.S.; Yale and Harvard have their own versions, as do upstarts such as the University of Florida’s Hamilton Center. A PPE degree can be the new signal, no matter which school it comes from, that a graduate has all the skills an employer might need. If taught well, a PPE degree indicates that a person knows how to think critically, is well-read and understands how power and economics work in the modern world. This is exactly the kind of perspective that will be valuable in an increasingly AI-dominated world. No one knows what the jobs of the future will be. (Or won’t be: Computer programming once seemed like a safe bet, for example.) If the future is anything like the past, then the ability to rethink, retrain and re-invent will become only more critical. PPE is not for everyone, nor is it ideal for every kind of job. Many people may well be better off studying accounting or engineering. A STEM degree also offers a powerful signal, as does a vocational degree. But for students more interested in the liberal arts, a PPE degree can be what an Ivy League degree used to be: a signal that gives prospective employers confidence. It is not perfect, but it is more meritocratic and egalitarian than the current system. Instead of leaving power in the hands of admissions offices at a few elite schools, it gives applicants and students greater agency. And if U.S. universities appreciate the value of a PPE degree, then they should also strongly consider another well-established British educational practice: double-blind marking. In the U.K. — where, by the way, I got my undergraduate degree (I got one-third of a PPE degree, majoring in economics at the University of Edinburgh.) — exams are graded twice, once by the professor teaching the class (or their teaching assistant), and again by a professor at another university. Adopting this practice among PPE programs in the U.S. would ensure consistent standards across universities. Adopting it even more broadly would give employers more confidence about grades and curricula in U.S. higher education overall. Despite everything, the best universities in the world are still in America. They engage in more groundbreaking research, have the most talented professors and attract the best students. But they’ve lost sight of their original mission, which is to train America’s best minds to thrive in a changing world. To regain their sense of purpose — and some of the public trust they’ve lost — they need only look to an ancient university abroad. Allison Schrager is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering economics. A senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, she is author of “An Economist Walks Into a Brothel: And Other Unexpected Places to Understand Risk.”Aston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle
Company experts offer predictions across key sectors to help businesses navigate the unexpected MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sedgwick , a leading global provider of claims management, loss adjusting and technology-enabled business solutions, has published its Forecasting 2025 thought leadership report . In preparing the report, Sedgwick's experts conducted research and engaged with clients for notable insights to forecast trends across key sectors and topics. The content focuses on ensuring organizations are aware of new risks and evolving trends and helping them navigate the unexpected in the year ahead. The Forecasting 2025 thought leadership report highlights trends related to: "2024 was a seismic year across industry sectors as companies navigated the unexpected, and 2025 will be no different," said Kimberly George, Sedgwick's Global Chief Brand Officer . "These predictions serve as a barometer for what's to come, so leaders around the world can prepare accordingly." The trends and predictions in the Forecasting 2025 report will be monitored by Sedgwick's experts throughout the year and serve as part of a larger thought leadership strategy to keep clients and partners informed. With this, Sedgwick will launch a new podcast featuring in-depth conversations with its experts and client partners on a new topic each month. For more on the report insights, visit sedgwick.com . About Sedgwick Sedgwick is a leading global provider of claims management, loss adjusting and technology-enabled business solutions. The company provides a broad range of resources tailored to clients' specific needs in casualty, property, marine, benefits, brand protection and other lines. At Sedgwick, caring counts; through the dedication and expertise of over 33,000 colleagues across 80 countries, the company takes care of people and organizations by mitigating and reducing risks and losses, promoting health and productivity, protecting brand reputations, and containing costs that can impact performance. Sedgwick's majority shareholder is The Carlyle Group; Stone Point Capital LLC, Altas Partners, CDPQ, Onex and other management investors are minority shareholders. For more, see sedgwick.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sedgwick-shares-major-trends-in-forecasting-2025-report-302330767.html SOURCE Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc.
SMU feeling good heading into ACC opener against VirginiaFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Navy quarterback Blake Horvath had a 95-yard touchdown run, the longest in school history, in the Armed Forces Bowl against Oklahoma on Friday. Horvath's score with 3:49 left in the third quarter tied the game at 14-14. The previous record for the Midshipmen came during the Roger Staubach era, when Johnny Sai had a 93-yard run against Duke in 1963. After faking a handoff, Horvath ran straight up the middle into the open field. Brandon Chatman cut off a pursing defender around the Sooners 20 and by time cornerback Woodi Washington was able to catch up, Horvath stretched the ball over the goal line while going down — though he was initially ruled short before a replay review resulted in the touchdown. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football