Bismarck State College president to leave postThe long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here’s a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. What to watch Thursday — NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They’ll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. — College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. What to watch Friday — NFL: A rare showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. — College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children’s Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It’s the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. — College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. — NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA’s Western Conference. They’ll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. What to watch Saturday — College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. — NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league’s lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns’ Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. What to watch Sunday — NFL: It’s Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that’s 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league’s most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. — NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. — Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. — Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 — It’s the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship.
Amritsar: With the completion of the religious penance, the leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), including its president Sukhbir Singh Badal, now faces the formidable task of reorganisation of the party, a process that will require new enrolment and the appointment of delegates and to sink differences between the Akali leaders. In accordance with the directions issued by the Jathedar of Akal Takht on Dec 2, the SAD working committee was initially required to accept the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal within three days, by Dec 5. However, this deadline was later extended, granting a revised period until Dec 25 to complete this process. One of the most significant tasks ahead is to negotiate a truce with the dissident Akali leaders, who had initially approached the Akal Takht with a formal complaint against SAD president. To facilitate the truce, the Sikh high priests constituted a committee under the leadership of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami with former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Manpreet Singh Ayalee, Santa Singh Umedpuri and Bibi Satwant Kaur as its members. “There has been no meeting of the committee, nor any information regarding one, so far,” said Wadala, who was the chairman of the SAD Sudhar Lehar that was recently dissolved. The Sikh high priests had directed that the SAD leadership had lost its moral right to politically lead the Panth due to its past transgressions. They issued directives for a new enrollment process, incorporating both new and existing delegates and complete the process within six months. The Sikh high priests also mandated the election of office-bearers, including the president, within this timeframe and specifically cautioned against bogus enrollments, stipulating that only those members with valid Aadhaar cards should be included. While the Sikh high priests have directed the Akali leaders to unite, it seems to be a distant dream. “Sukhbir and other Akali leaders have not fully complied with the directives of the Akal Takht. The working committee was instructed to accept Sukhbir’s resignation within three days, but this has not been done. Media reports suggest that the timeframe has been extended to 20 days, however, it is unclear who authorised this extension, as no such letter from the Akal Takht has been issued. Furthermore, we have yet to hear of any meeting convened under the leadership of Dhami,” said Bibi Jagir Kaur. We also published the following articles recently SAD in Catch-22 situation after Akal Takht directives The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) faces challenges implementing Akal Takht directives regarding Sukhbir Badal's resignation and party membership. SAD leadership argues that complying with religious orders could jeopardize their political party registration. A seven-member committee for new enrollments remains inactive, with SGPC president Harjinder Dhami seeking legal counsel to avoid conflicts. Religious connotations are in line with law, follow Akal Takht directives: SAD gen secy Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) General Secretary Gurjeet Singh Talwandi asserts that political parties aligning with religious principles is legally permissible. Citing an Election Commission affidavit to the Supreme Court, Talwandi argues that no law prohibits such associations. He emphasizes that parties like SAD and Shiv Sena have strong religious roots, protected by the court. Baljit Singh Daduwal elected president of Shiromani Akali Dal Azad Sikh preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal was appointed president of the newly formed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Azad at a Kurukshetra gurdwara gathering. Chosen after a 15-day consultation period led by five HSGMC members, Daduwal's leadership aims to address Sikh issues and the upcoming HSGMC elections. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
Two teams with contrasting fortunes this season are set to clash on Sunday when AVS host giants Benfica at Estadio Clube Desportivo das Aves in Portugal's Primeira Liga . The home side are at risk of relegation this season and are on a lengthy winless streak, while the visitors are in the hunt to reclaim their Primeira Liga crown from Sporting Lisbon. © Imago Vitor Campelos 's AVS have earned 11 points from their 13 league games and are currently 15th, two points above Nacional, who occupy the relegation playoff spot in Portugal's top flight. Heading into Sunday's match, AVS have not won any of their last seven games, and the only win they have registered in their last 10 competitive fixtures was a 2-0 victory in October over Pro Nacional Serie 2 side Sandinenses in the Taca de Portugal. Last time out on December 8, Campelos's side drew 1-1 with Casa Pia in the league, a match in which AVS needed a 72nd-minute penalty from Gustavo Assuncao to cancel out the early goal they conceded to Joao Goulart . Most problematic for this weekend's hosts is the fact that they have won just twice this league season, the last of which came in mid-September when they beat Rio Ave 1-0, and since then they have have drawn four and lost four. On Sunday, Campelos will be desperate to stay above Nacional and the relegation places but will likely have to settle for trying to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing 5-0 home thrashing his side endured against Porto earlier this season. © Imago Meanwhile, Bruno Lage 's Benfica are second in the Primeira Liga table with 31 points from their 12 matches so far, two points behind defending champions Sporting Lisbon with a game in hand. Following Ruben Amorim 's move to Manchester United, Lage's side have gained ground on their title rivals and will be looking to keep the pressure up with another win on Sunday. In stark contrast to AVS, As Aguias have lost just once in the league this term and are currently on an eight-game winning streak in Portugal's top flight, a run that includes a dominant 4-1 win over Porto on November 10. To add to their impressive season, Benfica boast the best defensive record in the division having conceded just seven goals in 2024-25, and Lage will be looking to keep a third consecutive clean sheet in the league this weekend. On Sunday, the visitors will face a side that have only scored 10 goals this term, and will feel confident of not only securing all three points, but also keeping the opposition at bay. © Imago AVS will be without midfielder Gustavo Assuncao, who scored the equaliser in last week's draw, due to suspension after he accumulated enough yellow cards for a ban. However, Jaume Grau and centre-back Jorge Teixeira should be available for selection this weekend after serving their own suspensions last week, though Giorgi Aburjania is not expected to return from his thigh injury until late December at the earliest. With absentees in midfield, boss Campelos may line up with Luis Silva and Gustavo Mendonca in the middle of the park. Benfica have also been dealing with absentees due to yellow cards, and talismanic midfielder Orkun Kokcu is expected to return to the starting lineup this weekend after missing the last game, though Alvaro Carreras is suspended and will not be available. With this in mind, Lage may partner the Turkey international with Florentino Luis in midfield and move Fredrik Aursnes to left-back in place of Carreras. Elsewhere, forward Tiago Gouveia is still recovering from a shoulder injury, and is not expected back until the end of the month. AVS possible starting lineup: Simao; Rodriguez, Castro, Roux; Fonseca, Mendonca, Silva, Afonso; Mercado, Luis, Piazon Benfica possible starting lineup: Trubin; Bah, Otamendi, Araujo, Aursnes; Luis, Kokcu; Di Maria, Cabral, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu AVS and Benfica come into Sunday's match having had contrasting seasons so far, and the visitors are in drastically superior form. Campelos's side will try to avoid another heavy defeat but it is hard to see anything other than a comprehensive victory for Lage's title chasers. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. ___ AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.