phmacao 777
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is cautioning his team not to overlook visiting Monmouth when they clash on Monday night, in what will be the Tigers' final nonconference game of the regular season. The No. 2 Tigers (11-1) have won four in a row following their lone setback against host Duke on Dec. 4. They open Southeastern Conference play on Jan. 4 against visiting Missouri. But Pearl is wary of the Hawks (2-10), who have won two of their past four games, including a victory at Seton Hall on Nov. 30. Monmouth is led by Abdi Bashir Jr., who ranks among the top 10 in the nation in scoring at 21.6 points per game. The Hawks are coming off an 88-74 win over Fairfield on Dec. 21 in what was their first home game of the season. "(Monmouth coach) King Rice's team has played a really tough schedule and played only one home game," Pearl said. "I think it says a lot and they have a great, great player in (Bashir). He's long and he can shoot it. They play an attractive style, and their record goes out the door." Auburn likely will be fine should forward Johni Broome continue his magnificent play of late. Broome, who leads the Tigers in scoring (18.5 points per game), rebounds (11.5), assists (3.3) and blocks (2.6), bounced back from a right shoulder injury scare and led his team to an 87-69 victory against then-No. 16 Purdue on Dec. 21. Broome scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Auburn to its fourth win this season over a ranked opponent. With more than a week to rest, Broome figures to be good to go against Monmouth and fit to begin the tough stretch that follows. In addition to Broome, Auburn has seen stellar guard play from Chad Baker-Mazara (12.8 points per game) as well as Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones, who each are averaging 11.3 points per game. Bashir, who is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range and 42.0 percent overall from the field, has showcased his skills as one of the most explosive scorers in the country against a solid schedule. Monmouth has faced Michigan State, Rutgers and Temple in addition to its 63-51 triumph over Seton Hall on the road. In addition to Bashir Jr., Madison Durr has provided offense with 10.3 points per game and the Hawks have been solid on the boards thanks to Jaret Valencia (6.0 rebounds per game) and Jack Collins (5.3). Valencia and Collins also have been effective scorers, helping take some of the defensive pressure off Bashir at times. But Rice would like to see more consistency from his team, especially on the defensive end. The victory over Seton Hall was the only time Monmouth has held a team below 70 points this season. "We have kids who can score the ball," Rice told reporters following a loss to Lehigh Dec 4. "Abdi can score, Jaret can score, Jack can score, everybody can score. But right now our defense is one of the worst in the country because we're not committed to guarding for each other." --Field Level MediaNone
SOCIAL MEDIA How do you remove children from the harms of social media? Politically the answer appears simple in Australia, but practically the solution could be far more difficult. The Australian government's plan to ban children from social media platforms including X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram until their 16th birthdays is politically popular. The leaders of all eight Australian states and mainland territories unanimously backed the plan, though Tasmania, the smallest state, would have preferred the threshold were set at 14. But vocal experts in the fields of technology and child welfare responded with alarm. More than 140 of them signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemning the 16-year age limit as "too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively." The Australian Parliament has now passed the ban, and the platforms have one year to work out how to implement it. Concerned teen Leo Puglisi, a 17-year-old Melbourne student who founded the online streaming service 6 News Australia at the age of 11, laments that lawmakers imposing the ban lack the youth's perspective on social media. "With respect to the government and prime minister, they didn't grow up in the social media age, they're not growing up in the social media age, and what a lot of people are failing to understand here is that, like it or not, social media is a part of people's daily lives," Puglisi said. "It's part of their communities, it's part of work, it's part of entertainment, it's where they watch content — young people aren't listening to the radio or reading newspapers or watching free-to-air TV — and so it can't be ignored. The reality is this ban, if implemented, is just kicking the can down the road for when a young person goes on social media," he added. Puglisi is applauded for his work online. He was a finalist in his home state Victoria's nomination for the Young Australian of the Year award, which will be announced in January. His nomination bid credits his platform with "fostering a new generation of informed, critical thinkers." Grieving mom-turnedactivist One of the proposal's supporters, cyber safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, knows how dangerous social media can be for children. Her 15-year-old daughter Carly was murdered in 2007 in South Australia state by a 50-year-old pedophile who pretended to be a teenager online. In a grim milestone of the digital age, Carly was the first person in Australia to be killed by an online predator. "Kids are being exposed to harmful pornography, they're being fed misinformation, there are body image issues, there's sextortion, online predators, bullying. There are so many different harms for them to try and manage and kids just don't have the skills or the life experience to be able to manage those well," Ryan said. "The result of that is we're losing our kids," she said. "Not only what happened to Carly, predatory behavior, but also we're seeing an alarming rise in suicide of young people." Ryan is part of a group advising the government on a national strategy to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in Australia. She wholeheartedly supports Australia setting the social media age limit at 16. "We're not going to get this perfect," she said. "We have to make sure that there are mechanisms in place to deal with what we already have, which is an anxious generation and an addicted generation of children to social media." Skeptical internet expert Tama Leaver, professor of internet studies at Curtin University, fears the government will make the platforms hold the users' identification data instead. The government already said the onus will be on the platforms, rather than on children or their parents, to ensure everyone meets the age limit. "The worst possible outcome seems to be the one that the government may be inadvertently pushing towards, which would be that the social media platforms themselves would end up being the identity arbiter," Leaver said. "They would be the holder of identity documents which would be absolutely terrible because they have a fairly poor track record so far of holding on to personal data well," he added. The platforms will have a year once the legislation becomes law to work out how the ban can be implemented. Ryan, who divides her time between Adelaide in South Australia and Fort Worth, Texas, said privacy concerns should not stand in the way of removing children from social media. "What is the cost if we don't? If we don't put the safety of our children ahead of profit and privacy?" she asked. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Andy Cohen revealed what it’s really like co-hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve celebration alongside Anderson Cooper. The Bravo executive said that the “most annoying” part of hosting the event from New York City’s Time Square is that Cooper can get the “giggles” toward the end of the night. “Well, [it’s] that I have to be the straight guy,” Cohen recently told People . “Literally, he’s in a puddle of giggles for the last 90 minutes of the broadcast, and I’m the one that’s hitting all the commercial breaks.” Cooper — who has been a part of CNN since 2001 — will return with Cohen to co-host the special for their eighth consecutive year. “I kind of turn into Mr. CNN for the last 90 minutes, and he turns into Mr. Bravo,” Cohen, 56, said of his longtime pal. Cohen — who has been with Bravo since 2004 — went on to call the end of their NYE bash a “very funny role reversal.” A few days before, Cooper appeared on “Watch What Happens Live” and revealed his pet peeve when it comes to co-hosting the NYE broadcast. “Just who he’s gonna insult and what the clean up on aisle 3 is gonna be in the morning,” the journalist, 57, said on the Dec. 16 episode . “Fair!” Cohen replied to Cooper’s comment. The duo has been promoting their return as co-hosts to CNN’s extravaganza via social media with several comedic skits. In mid-December, Cohen roasted Cooper for previously being hit with debris while covering a hurricane for CNN. Cohen joked that he and Cooper need to be “ready” for New Year’s Eve and any possible weather conditions. Last year, Cohen went viral for reacting to Nicki Minaj’s New Year’s resolution during the live event. “My New Year’s resolution is to keep my foot on the bitches’ necks!” the “Anaconda” rapper said, to which Cohen replied, “Wow. Who is she referring to?” CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.By LARRY NEUMEISTER NEW YORK (AP) — The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network could face decades in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to federal fraud charges, admitting that he misled customers about the business. Alexander Mashinsky , 58, of Manhattan, entered the plea in New York federal court to commodities and securities fraud. He admitted illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’s proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices to pocket about $48 million before Celsius collapsed into bankruptcy in 2022. In court, he admitted that in 2021 he publicly suggested there was regulatory consent for the company’s moves because he knew that customers “would find false comfort” with that. And he said that in 2019, he was selling the crypto tokens even though he told the public that he was not. He said he knew customers would draw false comfort from that too. “I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Mashinsky said of crimes that stretched from 2018 to 2022 as the company pitched itself to customers as a modern-day bank where they could safely deposit crypto assets and earn interest. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release that Mashinsky “orchestrated one of the biggest frauds in the crypto industry” as his company’s assets purportedly grew to about $25 billion at its peak, making it one of the largest crypto platforms in the world. He said Mashinsky used catchy slogans like “Unbank Yourself” to entice prospective customers with a pledge that their money would be as safe in crypto accounts as money would be in a bank. Meanwhile, prosecutors said, Mashinsky and co-conspirators used customer deposits to fund market purchases of the Celsius token to prop up its value. Machinsky made tens of millions of dollars selling his own CEL tokens at artificially high prices, leaving his customers “holding the bag when the company went bankrupt,” Williams said. Related Articles National News | FACT FOCUS: Vermont ruling does not say schools can vaccinate children without parental consent National News | Judge weighs whether to order Fani Willis to comply with lawmakers’ subpoenas over Trump case National News | Are you a former SmileDirectClub customer? You might be eligible for a refund National News | Justice Department announces sweeping reforms to curb suicides in federal prisons and jails National News | Defense makes closing argument in murder trial of Cash App founder Bob Lee An indictment alleged that Mashinsky promoted Celsius through media interviews, his social media accounts and Celsius’ website, along with a weekly “Ask Mashinsky Anything” session broadcast that was posted to Celsius’ website and a YouTube channel. Celsius employees from multiple departments who noticed false and misleading statements in the sessions warned Mashinsky, but they were ignored, the indictment said. A plea agreement Mashinsky made with prosecutors calls for him to be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison and to forfeit over $48 million, which is the amount of money he allegedly made by selling his company’s token. Sentencing was scheduled for April 8.
' incredible success with Team USA at the has seen her nominated as one of the finalists in the 2024 Texan of the Year award as she prepares to be honored by her home state. The artistic gymnast claimed gold in the team, all-around and vault events in Paris, as well as adding a silver on the floor to bring her career haul to 11 medals in the Summer Games and to leave no doubters to her greatness after her turbulent 2020 campaign in Tokyo. The 27-year-old then embarked on her Gold Over America Tour (GOAT) across the to continue to perform her skills and to promote her sport too, as she bathes in the shine of her glory. Despite the medal haul from Europe and adoration across the nation, the nomination for Texan of the Year might be her favorite one through her staunch patriotism and passion for the Lone Star State that she grew up in and is building a home in. Biles honored by Associated Press The successes continue to come pouring Biles' way after her determined 2024 too, as the star finds herself honored as the AP Female Athlete of the Year runner-up behind the . Biles earned 25 votes to finish 10 behind the WNBA icon, and a long way ahead of in third-place, who won just four. The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani won the AP Male Athlete of the Year too. The 4ft 8in gymnast earned recognition for her performances, and also for her awareness regarding mental health after she backed out of the Olympics in Japan after suffering the twisties before staging her fightback in 2024. "Everybody's mental health journey is unique," Biles told CNN's Coy Wire. "I'm not the poster child for it, but I'll support (anyone's) mental health journey. "Now people come up to me and they're like, 'I've been in therapy for the first time in my life, and thank you so much'. There's power in that. And I just know I'm helping people out there."Strange tales from a unique Port Stephens road trip
STOCK MARKET SNAPSHOT FOR 23/11/2024AI version of late mystic Baba Vanga makes startling 2025 predictions - and it's bad news for Trump and StarmerBy MICHELLE L. PRICE NEW YORK (AP) — Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person selected by the president-elect to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation. Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, said in a post on X that he was backing away from the opportunity, which he called “the honor of a lifetime.” “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote. He did not elaborate, and Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Chronister follows former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz , Trump’s first pick to serve as attorney general, in withdrawing his name for a post in the administration. Gaetz withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. Trump’s pick of Chronister for the DEA job drew backlash from conservatives, who raised concerns over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his saying that his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.” In March 2020, Chronister arrested the pastor of a megachurch who held services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place aimed at limiting the spread of the Covid virus. “Shame on this pastor, their legal staff and the leaders of this staff for forcing us to do our job. That’s not what we wanted to do during a declared state of emergency,” Chronister said at the time. “We are hopeful that this will be a wakeup call.” U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, was among those airing public complaints, saying Chronister should be “disqualified” for the arrest. Others flagged comments Chronister made in a video about Florida’s immigration laws that he released in 2023 that circulated again online after Trump named him last weekend. Related Articles National Politics | Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staff National Politics | President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction National Politics | Democrats stick with Schumer as leader, their strategy for countering Trump is far less certain National Politics | Trump vows to block Japanese steelmaker from buying US Steel, pledges tax incentives and tariffs National Politics | Democrats’ outgoing chair says Trump’s win forces party to reassess how it reaches voters In the video, Chronister praised the “rich diversity” of his community and called it “a place where people from all walks of life come together.” He said it was important to note his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. We do not target individuals based on their immigration status. That’s the authority of federal agencies.” Trump has made a sweeping crackdown on immigration a central focus of his campaign and his aims for his coming administration. Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida contributed to this report.