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At the Game: Hurricane upends GW in final secondsLOS ANGELES (AP) — Londynn Jones scored 15 points, making all five of her 3-pointers, and fifth-ranked UCLA stunned No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * LOS ANGELES (AP) — Londynn Jones scored 15 points, making all five of her 3-pointers, and fifth-ranked UCLA stunned No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? LOS ANGELES (AP) — Londynn Jones scored 15 points, making all five of her 3-pointers, and fifth-ranked UCLA stunned No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. The Gamecocks (5-1) lost for the first time since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals. Te-Hina Paopao scored 18 points and Tessa Johnson scored 14 for the Gamecocks, whose road winning streak was third-longest in Division I history. It was the first time UCLA took down a No. 1 team in school history, having been 0-20 in such games. The program’s previous best wins were over a couple of No. 2s — Oregon in 2019 and Stanford in 2008. Elina Aarnisalo added 13 points as one of five Bruins in double figures. UCLA (5-0) dominated from start to finish, with the Bruins’ suffocating defense preventing the Gamecocks from making any sustained scoring runs. Takeaways South Carolina: The Gamecocks trailed by double-digits at halftime for the first time since Dec. 21, 2021, against Stanford, according to ESPN. Chloe Kitts, who averages a team-leading 14 points, finished the game with 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. UCLA: The Bruins led 43-22 at halftime. Eight different players scored and contributed to 11-0 and 7-0 runs in the first and second quarters as they shot 52% from the field. Key moment The first quarter set the tone for a game in which the Gamecocks never led. They missed their first nine shots and were 4 of 18 from the floor in the quarter. UCLA ran off 11 straight points to take a 20-10 lead into the second quarter. Key stats Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Bruins dominated the boards, 41-34, and held the Gamecocks well under their scoring average of 80.2 points. Up next South Carolina travels to Florida to meet Iowa State in the Fort Myers Tipoff on Thanksgiving. UCLA travels to the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Hawaii to play UT Martin on Friday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball Advertisement Advertisement
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‘Extraordinarily tough’: Cats coach opens up on travel issuesBy Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
PARIS (AP) — Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame Cathedral ’s heart from beating again. With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches. The ceremony, initially planned to begin on the forecourt, was moved entirely inside due to unusually fierce December winds sweeping across the Île de la Cité, flanked by the River Seine. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendor. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies. The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline — and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes . The evening’s celebration, attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, US first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, underscored Notre Dame’s enduring role as both a spiritual and cultural beacon. Observers see the event as Macron's, and his intention to pivot it into a fully fledged diplomatic gathering, while highlighting France’s ability to unite on the global stage despite internal political crises. As the cathedral’s largest bell, the 13-ton Emmanuel — which was not named after the French leader — tolled into the Paris night, signaling the start of the ceremony, the crowd inside Notre Dame fell into an expectant hush. Emmanuel, a legacy of King Louis XIV, had rung through centuries of French history, and its peal now resonated as a call to witness another epochal moment. Outside the cathedral’s monumental doors, Ulrich raised his fire-scarred crosier. “Brothers and sisters, let us enter now into Notre Dame,” he declared. “It is she who accompanies us on our path to peace.” With the congregation of over 2,500 people watching in silence, Ulrich struck the floodlit doors, the base of his crosier reverberating against the wood. Inside, the choir answered with soaring hymns, their voices filling the nave. Illuminations on the cathedral facade heightened the drama. On the final strike, the heavy doors swung open, revealing the glowing interior of restored blond Lutetian limestone. Adding to the ceremony’s visual splendor, Ulrich and the clergy wore vibrant liturgical garments designed by French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Known for his signature pop-art aesthetic, Castelbajac created 2,000 colorful pieces for 700 celebrants, blending modern elements with medieval touches. Flooded with light and song, the cathedral came alive in a moment of breathtaking spectacle. What had been a silent, soot-blackened ruin five years ago now blazed with renewed vitality, marking the culmination of a nearly $1 billion global effort to resurrect it. Speaking inside the cathedral, Macron expressed “gratitude” Saturday to those who saved, helped, and rebuilt Notre Dame, his voice reverberating through the nave. “I stand before you ... to express the gratitude of the French nation,” he said, before voices flooded the space with song, harmonies not heard in over five years. “Tonight, the bells of Notre Dame are ringing again. And in a moment, the organ will awaken,” sending the “music of hope” cascading through the luminous interior to Parisians, France, and the world beyond, he said. The celebration is expected to give a much-needed boost to the embattled French leader, whose prime minister was ousted this week , plunging the nation’s politics into more turmoil. Macron has called Notre Dame’s reopening “a jolt of hope.” Observers say he hoped the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase France’s unity and resilience under his leadership — a rare moment of grace in a presidency now facing a grave crisis. Inside Notre Dame, 42,000 square meters of stonework—equivalent to six soccer pitches—gleamed anew, revealing intricate carvings and luminous limestone. Above, 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest,” restored the cathedral’s iconic spire and roof. The great organ, dormant for over five years, roared back to life like a slumbering giant. With its 7,952 pipes—ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide—and a renovated console featuring five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals, it responded to Archbishop Laurent Ulrich’s command: “Wake up, organ, sacred instrument.” The first low rumble grew into a triumphant symphony as four organists pulled out the stops, weaving improvised responses to the archbishop’s invocations. Eight times, Ulrich addressed the organ; eight times, its voice filled the nave with breathtaking sound. Guests marveled at the spectacle, many capturing the moment on their phones. “It’s a sense of perfection,” said François Le Page of the Notre Dame Foundation, who last saw the cathedral cloaked in scaffolding in 2021. “It was somber then. Now, it’s night and day.” The Rev. Andriy Morkvas, a Ukrainian priest who leads the Volodymyr Le Grand church in Paris, reflected on his first visit to Notre Dame in over a decade. “I didn’t recognize it,” he said. “God is very powerful; He can change things.” He expressed hope that the cathedral’s revival could inspire peace in his homeland, drawing strength from the presence of Ukraine’s president. “I think that will have a big impact,” he said. “I hope Notre Dame and Mary will help us resolve this conflict.” The reopening of Notre Dame comes at a time of profound global unrest, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ “It is a magnificent symbol of unity,” Olivier Ribadeau Dumas said. “Notre Dame is not just a French monument — it is a magnificent sign of hope.” The international range of dignitaries coming to Paris underline the cathedral’s significance as a symbol of shared heritage and peace. Canadian visitor Noelle Alexandria, who had traveled to Paris for the reopening, was struck by the cathedral’s ability to inspire. “She’s been nearly ruined before, but she always comes back,” Alexandria said. “Not many of us could say the same after such tragedy, but Notre Dame can.” Guests entered through Notre Dame’s iconic western façade, whose arched portals adorned with biblical carvings were once a visual guide for medieval believers. Above the central Portal of the Last Judgment, the Archangel Michael is depicted weighing souls, as demons attempt to tip the scales. These stone figures, designed to inspire both awe and fear, set the stage for a ceremony steeped in history. Inside, the hum of hundreds of guests awaiting the service filled the cathedral with human sounds once more — a stark contrast to the construction din that echoed there for years. Tuners restoring the great organ often worked through the night to find the silence needed to perfect its 7,952 pipes, ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide. Notre Dame echoed to the sound of a sustained standing ovation after the showing of a short movie that documented the gargantuan rebuilding effort. Outside, the word “MERCI” — thank you — was projected against the cathedral’s iconic western facade. The movie showed the terrible wounds left by the inferno — the gaping holes torn into its vaulted ceilings and the burned roof. But that was followed by images of all types of artisans, many using traditional handicraft techniques, who collectively restored Notre Dame to look better now than ever. "We went from night to light," said one of the workers in the movie. Security will be high through the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. The Île de la Cité — the small island in the River Seine that is home to Notre Dame and the historic heart of Paris— is closed to tourists and non-residents. Police vans and barriers blocked cobblestoned streets in a large perimeter around the island, while soldiers in thick body armor and sniffer dogs patrolled embankments. A special security detail is following Trump. Public viewing areas along the Seine’s southern bank will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who can follow the celebrations on large screens. For many, Notre Dame’s rebirth is not just a French achievement but a global one — after the reopening, the cathedral is set to welcome 15 million visitors annually, up from 12 million before the fire. Sylvie Corbet, Yesica Brumec, Marine Lesprit and Mark Carlson in Paris contributed. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through The AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
WASHINGTON — While Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer pushes to confirm many of Joe Biden’s judicial nominees through the lame-duck session, Republicans have employed a series of procedural tactics to slow down the process as much as possible. When Schumer attempted to file cloture on nominees Monday evening, a procedural step typically done in just a few minutes with unanimous consent, Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and John Thune, R-S.D., asked for the yeas and nays on each motion. That forced the chamber into a series of 18 roll call votes lasting more than four hours as it moved back and forth from legislative to executive session. By the end, shortly before midnight, cloture had been filed on nine district court judges. Then, when the first scheduled cloture vote was about to begin Tuesday morning, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, objected to a motion from Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., to waive the mandatory quorum call, another procedural step typically occurring without incident. It then took around 40 minutes for the Senate to move to the scheduled vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Mustafa Kasubhai to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Oregon. The delay tactics didn’t prevent Democrats from confirming any judges. But it leaves Democrats with just one option – play the waiting game. “They’re going by the rules, and the rules are the rules, but I think our persistence and determination will overcome their obstruction delays,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said the Democrats are not doing anything immoral when they try to push through Biden’s nominees before the end of the year. “It’s exactly what we do in the same circumstances, but it’s our job to try and slow it down,” Romney said. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Biden lost an election. “It takes unanimous consent on our part to speed up the process and to make it easy for him. Why would we do that?” Hawley said. Four years ago, when Donald Trump was a lame duck president, Republicans confirmed 18 of Trump’s judicial nominees between the presidential election and the end of the Congress, including one appeals court judge and 12 district court judges, according to Senate records. Among those was the confirmation of a consequential nominee: Aileen Cannon to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Cannon would go on to preside over the criminal case related to Trump’s retention of classified documents after his presidency, where he faced more than three dozen charges including false statements, concealing government records and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Cannon in 2022 initially ruled in Trump’s favor to prevent the Justice Department from using classified documents seized in this summer’s search of Mar-a-Lago in a criminal investigation. A panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reversed her ruling, and the Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal of that ruling. Then in 2024 Cannon dismissed the case against Trump, finding that the special counsel handling the case was appointed unconstitutionally. The Justice Department has appealed that ruling to the 11th Circuit as well, but Trump’s election means the charges against him will not go forward. Attendance has also become a flashpoint for some Republican senators as the clock winds down on the Senate’s work for the year. On Monday, the Senate voted 49-45 to confirm Embry Kidd to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Sen. Joe Manchin III, I-W.Va., voted against the confirmation, and five Republicans did not vote, including Sens. JD Vance of Ohio, the vice president-elect, and Marco Rubio of Florida, Trump’s pick to be secretary of State. Carrie Severino, the president of conservative advocacy group JCN, pointed Tuesday to the 49-45 vote to confirm Embry Kidd to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. “If all of the Republican Senators showed up, Kidd’s nomination would’ve been rejected 49-50 and President Trump may have had an opportunity to fill the vacancy instead,” Severino said on social media. Prior to Tuesday, Vance had not cast a vote in the Senate since being named Donald Trump’s running mate in July. He showed up to vote Wednesday, as criticism of Republican lack of attendance to block Biden nominees bubbled up in conservative commentary circles. On Wednesday morning, if all Republican senators had voted on two judicial nominations, it might have required Vice President Kamala Harris to vote to break a tie. The Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Rebecca L. Pennell to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and 50-48 to invoke cloture on the nomination of Amir H. Ali to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The two absences were Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Braun, R-Ind., who will leave the Senate in January to become governor of Indiana. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he was “very angry” over the attendance issues. “Ninety percent of success in life is showing up. We could have stopped those 18 votes after that first vote if we had shown up that day,” Tillis said. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to make damn sure we’re all there at the strike of the gavel. It’s that simple.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra relied on welfare-driven politics for securing the voter support, a tactic that the BJP has successfully implemented in other States. In Maharashtra, however, State-level welfare initiatives have performed unevenly, with the Central government schemes reaching slightly higher number of beneficiaries. The Lokniti-CSDS survey looked for the extent of penetration of these schemes and their impact. Except the PDS, even the Central schemes have a limited reach in Maharashtra compared to many other States. The State government tried to duplicate many of those schemes during the past three years. However, as indicated by the data here, most of these schemes have remained on paper. The only exception is the recently announced Mukhyamntri Ladki Bahin Yojana which guarantees monthly ₹1,500 to eligible women. In the Lokniti-CSDS survey, more than 80% women respondents said that they have applied for these benefits. Given the overall weak and uneven implementation of the welfare schemes, there is hardly any connection between welfare and vote in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Although the Mahayuti got a slight advantage among beneficiaries of schemes such as PM Awas and Ujjwala, those who did not benefit have also voted for the ruling alliance. Obviously, despite the official manifestos of parties promoting welfare schemes on a large scale and despite the material anxieties of several social sections, issues of welfare do not seem to have influenced the vote in Maharashtra this time. (Rajeshwari Deshpande teaches at Savitribai Phule Pune University and Krishangi Sinha is a researcher at Lokniti-CSDS) Published - November 25, 2024 01:19 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 / MaharashtraEddie Lampkin and Donnie Freeman both turned in double-double performances as Syracuse snapped a two-game losing streak with a 75-63 win over Bucknell Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. Lampkin scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Freeman finished with 15 points and 11 boards as the Orange (6-6) improved to 11-1 all-time against the Bison (4-9). Jaquan Carlos chipped in 11 for Syracuse. Josh Bascoe was impressive in defeat, knocking down six 3-pointers and scoring 22 in all. Noah Williamson added 12 for the Bison, who dropped their seventh in a row but didn't go away quietly. Trailing 43-31 at the half, the Bison pulled within 48-43 after a dunk by Pip Ajayi with 14:13 left. That was as close as Bucknell would get, however, as it fell short in its bid for its first win over a power conference team since beating Vanderbilt 75-72 victory during the 2016-17 campaign. In the final nonleague game for both teams, Syracuse shook off a slow start with a 9-0 run ignited by a Lucas Taylor 3-pointer and capped with a layup by Freeman that put the Orange up 12-6 with 14:30 to go. The Orange led 17-12 with 11:23 to go after a 3-pointer by Elijah Moore, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Jayden Williams and Bascoe put the Bison on top 21-19 with 8:04 remaining. With Bucknell up 26-22, momentum shifted in Syracuse's favor on the strength of a 16-2 run, highlighted by Freeman's 3-pointer that gave the Orange their first double-digit lead at 38-28 with 1:49 to play in the half. Freeman hit another shot from distance with seven seconds left, shooting over a defender from well beyond the line and extending the lead to 43-31. He high-fived teammates as he came off the court. His bucket was one of six 3-pointers Syracuse connected on in the opening half while shooting 57.6 percent (17-of-30) from the field. The Orange outscored the Bison 18-3 over the final 5:39, limiting Bucknell to only one field goal. --Field Level Media