NoneOp-Ed: Naivete, greed, unpreparedness + stupidity = 30% job losses? THAT dumb.
Cases of 5 charged in Cumberland Detective Sgt. Mosley's murder to be heard in Atlantic CountyOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Phillip Schofield shared a selfie with broadcasting royalty as he joined the industry in celebrating the life of the late, great BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright. The 62-year-old TV star found a moment to reflect and remember Steve with fondness and laughter. Steve, who passed away in February at the age of 69 due to a ruptured stomach ulcer , was a beloved figure on the BBC for over four decades. His departure from his afternoon show in 2002, when Scott Mills took over, marked the end of an era and Steve's voice had been a comforting presence in the afternoon slot for 23 years . Following his tragic passing, his radio comrades turned out in force to honour him, nearly nine months after his death. Among the attendees was 'whispering' Bob Harris, 78, known for his distinctive soft-spoken style on the airwaves. Bob beamed as he snapped a selfie with Phillip, which the former This Morning presenter then proudly posted on his Instagram Story. "Wonderful day remembering our friend and broadcast icon, Steve Wright," he captioned the snap. He humbly added another note to the photo, saying: "There were many legends present (me excluded! ) none more so than @whisperingbob," reports the Mirror . Phillip then shared another selfie with Bob and added a snap of the late Steve, which was taken during his time as a BBC Radio 1 presenter. He captioned it: "Steve would have hated it... but been quietly thrilled that so many people who loved him, came together for him." This follows his recent appearance on Channel 5's new show Cast Away, which received mixed reactions from viewers . It's been a challenging time for Phillip, who recently announced the sad passing of his mother, Patricia Schofield in October . Announcing the sad news, the TV personality posted a series of touching photos with his mum on social media alongside a heartfelt caption. "Today, at 3pm and after a heartbreaking weekend, my magnificent mum decided it was time to go to her beloved Brian," he wrote. He continued: "Over three days, we held her, loved her, hugged her and said everything that needed to be said. She was calm, peaceful, beautiful and dignified. I will forever be proud and privileged that she was my mum." He added: "Our eternal thanks to the paramedics, Treliske AandE and Critical Care team who have been, in the past and this weekend, my mum's and our angels. Your love and care has been our saviour."
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WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. —— Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.
Prospera Financial Services Inc Has $590,000 Stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)ROY KEANE was caught up a heated confrontation with an Ipswich supporter moments after Ruben Amorim's first Manchester United match. The incident happened at Portman Road following Sunday's 1-1 draw between the Red Devils and the Tractor Boys. The game marked Ruben Amorim's debut in England after replacing Erik ten Hag. But despite taking an early lead through Marcus Rashford, United were unable to clinch victory after being pegged back through Omari Hutchinson's wonder strike. And with both teams sharing the points, things got heated at full-time between pundit Keane and a home supporter. The Irish United legend spent two years as Ipswich manager between 2009 and 2011. He won just 28 of his 81 matches and was sacked midway through the 2010/11 campaign with Ipswich in 21st place in the Championship. Video from the Mail showed Keane leaving his Sky Sports desk before walking over to the sideline where a fan was waiting. Keane could be see leaning in and speaking to the man while gesturing with his hand. The fan looked equally animated as Keane continued to deliver a tongue-lashing. FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS At the same time, other Ipswich supporters poured forward to confront their former boss. And one could be heard shouting: "F**k you Keane." MANCHESTER UNITED began the Ruben Amorim era with a 1-1 draw away at Ipswich. Marcus Rashford needed just 81 seconds to put the Red Devils in front at Portman Road, tapping home an Amad Diallo cross. But Ipswich hit back when Omari Hutchinson's strike flew in via a deflection off Noussair Mazraoui. And it was the newly-promoted side who looked likelier to get a winner in the second half. Here is how SunSport's Charlie Wyett saw the performances of the Man Utd players... ANDRE ONANA - 7/10 United’s best player. Two key stops to deny Liam Delap but no chance for the deflected Omari Hutchinson goal. Then delivered an 87th minute save to keep out an effort from Conor Chaplin. NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI - 5 Slotted in on the right of the three-man defence but unfortunate with the deflection for the goal. MATTHIJS DE LIGT - 5 Has been suspect this season and will probably be better suited to a back three although still given a tough time by Delap. JONNY EVANS - 5 The 36-year-old was targeted by Ipswich for his lack of pace and no surprise he was replaced. AMAD DIALLO - 6 Did incredibly well to bomb past Jens Cajuste and deliver the cross for Rashford’s early goal but offered little else. CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN - 5 Some nice touches going forward but too lightweight in this position in front of the back three. CASEMIRO - 4 Lucky to start ahead of Manuel Ugarte and was really poor. Struggled throughout before being subbed and could maybe have got a block to the Hutchinson shot. DIOGO DALOT - 5 Not suited to left wing-back although stayed there when Luke Shaw arrived because the English international replaced Evans in the back three. BRUNO FERNANDES - 5 Some of his link-up play was fine but United need a captain who can inspire this team and Fernandes is not the man. Sent a free-kick flashing past the post with 12 minutes left. ALEJANDRO GARNACHO - 5 Twice called over by Ruben Amorim in the first half for instructions. Denied by a decent save from Aro Muric 50 seconds into the second half. MARCUS RASHFORD - 6 Criticised for his basketball trip to New York so to score after 80 seconds was two fingers up at his critics - but did not offer much after that. Subs Ugarte (for Casemiro 56 mins) - 6 Shaw (for Evans 56 mins) - 6 Hojlund (for Rashford 67 mins) - 5 Zirkzee ( for Eriksen 67 mins) - 5 Mount (for Garnacho 87 mins) - 5 Fans responded with mixed feelings to the clip on social media, with one saying: “Worst manager in Town’s history. He set us back a lot of years.” Another declared: “The fan needs to grow up.” THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video . Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball .he Juan Soto novel is behind us and now the New York Mets face a big dilemma in which slugger Pete Alonso is the main protagonist, and everything indicates that the slugger is about to leave the Metropolitans In his six years as a professional, Alonso has a track record of 226 home runs, with a .249 batting average and 586 RBIs, which has earned him four All-Star Game nominations, a Rookie of the Year award and two Home Run Derby victories. Steve Cohen's motto as owner of the Mets is to , a feat they have not achieved since 1986. And while the team shelled out more than $765 million for Juan Soto, it seems that other positions are not essential for the Orange and Blue. A matter of millions In this story, a new front of war opened between and , Pete Alonso's agent, in a battle where the Mets made it clear that they will not open the wallet like crazy. Dan Bartels, an analyst for the revealed the Mets' offer to Alonso. " ." If the Mets do not agree to Pete Alonso's requests, the hitter would be on the radar of two fierce National League rivals, the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies. If the Mets agree to pay the $200 million that Alonso is asking for, the New York club should consider the possibility of making trades, as the slugger is one of the most valuable assets in the offense. Alonso is no longer on the radar of major American League teams. The Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal and the Astros reached an agreement with Christian Walker on a three-year contract.
NoneMutual of America Capital Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Avnet, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AVT – Free Report ) by 8.0% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 47,621 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,127 shares during the quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Avnet were worth $2,586,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Avnet by 35.2% during the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 822 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in shares of Avnet by 4.2% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 5,448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $280,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Avnet by 3.3% during the second quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 7,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Avnet by 4.4% in the first quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 6,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $325,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Avnet by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 7,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $367,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.78% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have commented on AVT. Truist Financial increased their target price on Avnet from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Avnet from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Avnet from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Avnet Stock Performance Shares of Avnet stock opened at $54.45 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.25, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $54.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.29. The firm has a market cap of $4.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.16. Avnet, Inc. has a 12 month low of $43.62 and a 12 month high of $59.24. Avnet ( NASDAQ:AVT – Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.06. Avnet had a net margin of 1.51% and a return on equity of 8.46%. The business had revenue of $5.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.43 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Avnet, Inc. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Avnet Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 4th will be given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 4th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.42%. Avnet’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.55%. About Avnet ( Free Report ) Avnet, Inc, distributes electronic component technology. The company operates through two segments, Electronic Components and Farnell. The Electronic Components segment markets, sells, and distributes semiconductors; interconnect, passive, and electromechanical components; and other integrated components from electronic component manufacturers. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AVT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Avnet, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AVT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Avnet Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Avnet and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save BRIDGETON — The cases of five people charged in the murder of Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office Detective Sgt. Monica Mosley will now be heard in Atlantic County after Cumberland County Assignment Judge Benjamin Telsey granted a change-of-venue motion during a hearing Friday. Jarred D. Brown, 31, of Bridgeton; Richard B. Hawkins Willis, 32, of Gloucester City, Camden County; Nyshawn Mutcherson, 29, of Vineland; and Byron Thomas, 35, of Paulsboro, Gloucester County, are each charged with murder, murder during the commission of a crime, burglary, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, certain person not to possess a weapon, hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice. Cyndia Pimentel, 38, of Paulsboro, is charged with hindering apprehension, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. Willis and Thomas both appeared in person at the hearing, while Brown, Mutcherson and Pimentel appeared via Zoom. Jersey Shore restaurants shift gears to survive in offseason Friday’s New Jersey high school football playoff scores Not too late! Voting closes at noon for The Press Football Player of the Week Galloway Township gymnastics center co-owner charged with sexually assaulting minor Galloway man gets 3 years in Ocean City fatal crash Offshore wind company to buy vacant 1.5-acre Atlantic City lot for $1 million Atlantic City International Airport's 1 carrier, Spirit Airlines, files for bankruptcy Which players did the Cape-Atlantic League coaches pick as the best of the best in fall sports? Prosecutor still determined to find whoever is responsible for West Atlantic City killings What does Spirit Airlines' bankruptcy mean for Atlantic City International Airport? Upper Township employees disagree on morale 2 Galloway men arrested after spraying workers with rocks in Nature Preserve Ocean City introduces new fees on rentals $23 million apartment complex promises to bring new vitality to quaint Swedesboro UPDATED NHL referee taken away on stretcher at Flyers game A change of venue was sought after the attorneys for the defendants claimed their clients wouldn't get a fair trial in the county due to judiciary conflicts. Andrew Imperiale represents Mutcherson, Ron Thompson represents Pimentel, Jeffrey Hark represents Brown and public defender Alex Varghese represents Thomas. Willis was being represented by a public defender but has since retained attorney Richard Robinson. Detention hearings for Mutcherson, Brown, Willis and Thomas will be held once the cases get transferred to Atlantic County. Pimentel had her detention hearing Nov. 7 and was released from jail with conditions that she must check in with the courts weekly and have no contact with her co-defendants. The new judge will also have to determine whether Cape May County First Assistant Prosecutor Saverio Carroccia can remain on the case. In the motion, the attorneys say Carroccia worked at the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office at the same time as Mosley. New Jersey has codified two new crimes that will come with harsher penalties for individuals breaking into homes, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Thursday. Carroccia was a senior trial attorney in the office’s homicide unit from 2012 to 2017, his biography shows. His office is handling the case since Mosley worked in Cumberland County. Carroccia didn't object to the change of venue but opposed the motion to remove him from the case. Police responded to a home in the 600 block of Buckshutem Road in Bridgeton at 10:30 p.m. Oct. 15 for a report of multiple people kicking in the front door, police said. Officers found Mosley, 51, suffering from gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. On the night of the incident, staff at Inspira Health Center Bridgeton reported to police that an individual, later identified as Mutcherson, had arrived at the facility suffering from a gunshot wound. He falsely told detectives he was wounded in Millville, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The investigation found Brown and Willis picked up Mutcherson prior to the killing, and the three drove to a building on South Avenue to change into dark clothing before heading to Mosley’s home in a black 2012 Chevrolet Equinox registered to Pimentel. The three then entered the home and shot Mosley, who defended herself by shooting Mutcherson in the chest before dying from her injuries, court documents show. Mutcherson was driven to the hospital following the shooting, while Brown and Willis went back to South Avenue and changed into different clothes. Carroccia said during Pimentel’s detention hearing that Mosley was shot in her right knee and left wrist before being shot in the back of the head. In the days that followed, Brown, Willis and Pimentel worked to discard, destroy and conceal evidence of the home invasion and Mosley’s murder, the affidavit states. A change-of-venue motion in the cases of five people charged in the murder of Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office Detective Sgt. Monica Mosley is scheduled to be heard next week. Pieces from inside the vehicle along with gloves and a bloody boot were found at a property on Middlesex Avenue in Gloucester City. Pimentel then allegedly drove the vehicle with Willis from her home in Paulsboro to a garage in Philadelphia in an attempt to prevent law enforcement from finding it, Carroccia said. Detectives used cellphone data, license plate readers, surveillance video, DNA analysis, ballistics analysis and recorded statements during the investigation. Mutcherson Brown Pimentel Hawkins Willis Thomas Contact John O'Connor: 609-272-7261 joconnor@pressofac.com Twitter @acpressoconnor Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Author email {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Senate NASA bill focuses on commercial space stations, science mission overrunsNone
GDP, durable goods orders, and jobless claims top Wednesday's economic calendar
NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.
Emboldened by the view from the top of the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are out to eliminate nightmare holiday gatherings when the Chicago Bears come to town Thursday for a lunchtime division duel. The Lions (10-1) are streaking one direction, the Bears (4-7) the other in the first matchup of the season between teams on opposite ends of the division. Riding a nine-game winning streak, their longest since a 10-game streak during their first season in Detroit in 1934, the Lions are burdened by losses in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game the past seven seasons. Three of the defeats are courtesy of Chicago. The Bears and Lions get together for the 20th time on Thanksgiving -- the Bears have 11 wins -- this week in the first of two meetings between the teams in a 25-day span. Detroit goes to Soldier Field on Dec. 22. "I think there's two things," Campbell said of the Thanksgiving losing streak. "Number one -- Get a W. And it's a division win that's why this huge. Number two is because the players are going to get a couple of days off. So, they have family, friends in, it'd be nice to feel good about it when you're with everybody because it's just not real fun. It's not real fun to be around." Detroit (10-1) owns the best record in the NFC but the Lions aren't even assured of a division title. Minnesota sits one game behind them and Green Bay is two games back. The Bears (4-7) sit in last place and would likely need to run the table to have any chance of making the playoffs. The Lions have been dominant in all phases and haven't allowed a touchdown in the past 10 consecutive quarters. Detroit's offense ranks first in points per game (32.7) and second in total yardage (394.3) The Lions defense has not given up a touchdown in the last 10 quarters. Rookie placekicker Jake Bates has made all 16 of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards over the past three games. Chicago shows up in a foul mood. The Bears are saddled with a five-game losing streak and Chicago's defense has been destroyed for nearly 2,000 total yards in the last four games. The Bears failed to reach the 20-point mark four times in five outings since they last won a game. In their latest defeat, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense perked up but they lost to Minnesota in overtime, 30-27. "We have to play complementary football for us to be able to win these games," coach Matt Eberflus said. "The games we have won, we have done that. The games we have been close we've missed the mark a little bit. Over the course of the year, it's been one side or the other, this side or that side. In this league you have to be good on all sides to win. That's what we are searching for." Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. The wide receiver trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Romeo Odunze combined for 21 receptions and two touchdowns while tight end Cole Kmet caught seven passes. "What I've been impressed with is just how he has grown," Campbell said. "He has grown every game but these last two I really feel like he's taken off and what they're doing with him has been really good for him and he just looks very composed. He doesn't get frazzled, plays pretty fast, and he's an accurate passer, big arm, and he's got some guys that can get open for him." Detroit's banged-up secondary could be susceptible against the Bears' veteran receivers in their bid to pull off an upset on Thursday. The Lions put two defensive backs on injured reserve in the past week and top cornerback Carlton Davis isn't expected to play due to knee and thumb injuries. Detroit offensive tackle Taylor Decker (knee) and top returner Kalif Raymond (foot) are also expected to miss the game, though Campbell expressed optimism that running back David Montgomery (shoulder), formerly of the Bears, would play. Bears safety Elijah Hicks was listed as a DNP for Tuesday's walkthrough. --Field Level MediaVAT refund limit for tourists ‘just right,’ to benefit MSMEs — analysts
After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is garble that can't be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won't be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here's a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you're an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there's a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption to all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal's encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp, so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels" but contrary to popular perception, it doesn't turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France. Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding an IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
KyKy Tandy scored a season-high 21 points that included a key 3-pointer in a late second-half surge as Florida Atlantic roared back to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the opening round of the Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. Florida Atlantic (4-2) advances to play Drake in the semifinal round on Friday while the Cowboys square off against Miami in the consolation semifinal contest, also Friday. Oklahoma State led by as many as 10 points in the first half before securing a five-point advantage at halftime. The Owls surged back and moved in front with four and a half minutes to play. It was part of an 11-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Tandy that made it 75-68 with 2:41 remaining. Ken Evans added 14 points for Florida Atlantic, with Leland Walker hitting for 13 and Tre Carroll scoring 11. The Owls went 35-of-49 from the free throw line as the teams combined for 56 fouls in the game, 33 by Oklahoma State. Khalil Brantley led Oklahoma State (3-1) with 16 points while Robert Jennings added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Cowboys, who hit one field goal over a 10-minute stretch of the second half while having three players foul out. The Owls were up by as many as seven points in the early minutes and by 13-10 after a layup by Carroll at the 11:32 mark of the first half. Oklahoma State leapfrogged to the front on Abou Ousmane's layup off a Brantley steal, fell behind again on a 3-pointer by Evans and then responded on a 3-pointer by Jennings to take a 17-16 lead. From there, the Cowboys stoked their advantage to double digits when Jamyron Keller canned a shot from beyond the arc with five minutes to play in the half. Florida Atlantic got a layup and a monster dunk from Matas Vokietaitis and a pair of free throws from Walker in a 6-2 run to end the half to pull within 39-34 at the break. Jennings and Ousmane tallied seven points apiece for Oklahoma State over the first 20 minutes, as the Cowboys led despite shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor in the half. Carroll and Vokietaitis scored seven points apiece to pace the Owls, who committed 11 turnovers that translated to seven points for Oklahoma State before halftime. --Field Level MediaLowell Hawthorne foundation raises funds for Caribbean and US students in need