On October 16, Liam Payne, a former member of One Direction, fell from his third-floor hotel room and died. Within days, headlines in TMZ, ABC News, and the Guardian announced that he had “pink cocaine” in his system.On August 10, 24-year-old Instagram model Maecee Marie Lathers killed two people in a car crash in Miami. Topless, vomiting, and screaming, Lathers told police officers that she was under the influence of a drug called “tusi,” a pink powder that’s gaining popularity in the US. A toxicology report later found that while she hadn’t been drinking, there were several other drugs in her system — but nothing called tusi.“Tucibi” — also called tusi or pink cocaine — is a Spanish phonetic play on 2C-B, a California-born synthetic psychedelic originally popular amongst Gen X psychonauts and ravers seeking a euphoric, trippy high. However, despite either of its names, pink cocaine rarely contains 2C-B or cocaine at all.In the 2000s, 2C-B made its way from European nightclubs to Colombia, where it devolved into something else entirely: a pink powdered cocktail of every type of party drug you might find at Coachella. It’s essentially a Gen Z speedball: Rather than blending cocaine and heroin, pink cocaine mixes ketamine with stimulants like MDMA and even caffeine. It can also include a chaotic sprinkling of methamphetamine, DMT, and oxycodone, among other substances.Largely through artful cartel marketing portraying tusi as pretty, fun, and accessible, this blend of cheap drug leftovers has become the substance of choice for Colombian DJs and Mexican rappers, a wolf in sheep’s clothing for European ravers, and a source of confusion for everyone else. Tusi is making its way across the world, and it’s increasingly important that potential users know what it is. The global war on drugs was originally organized around the production and trafficking of plant-based drugs like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. But in recent years, drug manufacturers have turned to synthetic drugs like MDMA, ketamine, and fentanyl, which are easier to mass produce and smuggle across borders. Pink cocaine is everything new all at once — easy money for producers, a cheap Instagrammable high for users, and a massive headache for law enforcement. The biggest problem: like playing a game of Russian roulette, only luck decides whether you’ll have fun — or die.How 2C-B became tucibi 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine, or 2C-B, was first synthesized in the 1970s by Californian biochemist and psychonaut Alexander Shulgin, who is best known for introducing MDMA to the world of psychotherapy. Of the over 100 psychedelics Shulgin created, 2C-B was his favorite — in his words, “one of the most graceful, erotic, sensual, introspective compounds I have ever invented.”The effects of 2C-B are often described as an MDMA-LSD hybrid, giving users both a heightened, vibrant sensory experience and a feeling of euphoria and openness. In many ways, Shulgin viewed 2C-B as a counterpart to MDMA, which has been touted for its therapeutic potential for 40 years, well before it became popular as a club drug. Not only are the two drugs chemically similar, but their psychoactive effects complement each other. “Once the MDMA has shown you where your problems are,” Shulgin wrote, “the 2C-B opens up the emotional, intuitive, and archetypal area of your psyche to help you solve them.”Anecdotally, many people report that 2C-B’s psychedelic effects are relatively mild and short-lived. Trips last a few hours, unlike the full-day trip provided by LSD. Like other hallucinogens, 2C-B generally doesn’t cause a next-day hangover, according to users interviewed by Vice. It can also have less fun side effects like anxiety, nausea, headaches, or elevated heart rate, any of which can get dangerous in situations where users are dancing — and likely not drinking enough water — in crowded, hot spaces.In the 1980s and early 1990s, 2C-B was legally manufactured and sold in adult bookstores and dance clubs as a libido-enhancing drug. That changed when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) listed 2C-B as a Schedule I drug in 1995, pushing it underground, where it remained a relatively niche drug for rave-goers.But over the past decade, it’s become an increasingly popular party drug in Latin America, Europe, and the US. The 2019 Global Drug Survey of over 120,000 people from more than 30 countries reported that darknet purchases of 2C-B and other drugs have been on the rise since 2014.In the early 2000s, wealthy young people smuggled small amounts of 2C-B from Europe to Colombia, where it quickly became popular in Colombia’s elite club scene. By 2012, models, politicians, and actors were shelling out 130,000 pesos (about $71 at the time) for a gram of 2C-B — over 10 times the price of cocaine. “The media positioned it as an elite drug,” said Julian Quintero, a sociologist, drug researcher, and director of the Technical Social Action Corporation (ATS), a Colombian drug policy nonprofit. “Very few could access it.”While 2C-B was considered high-class, it wasn’t much to look at. It was usually sold as a plain-looking pill or an off-white, bitter powder that hurts to snort. To make the drug more appealing, narcos started mixing the powder with sweet pink food coloring. Soon, demand outpaced the supply of 2C-B available in Latin America, so Colombian dealers cut the powder with cheaper, longer-lasting, and more abundant European imports like MDMA and ketamine.People began calling the pink powder “tusi,” a Spanish spelling of the English pronunciation of “2C.” In the early 2010s, Quintero said, tusi still reliably contained about 10 percent 2C-B, mixed in with the MDMA and ketamine. But by the mid-2010s, the 2C-B component disappeared. Removing the priciest ingredient, Quintero told me, was the “magic formula.” Today, a gram of tusi costs $10, not $100, making it accessible to just about anyone who can afford a night out.Joseph Palamar, a drug use epidemiologist at New York University and deputy director of the National Drug Early Warning System, said that the homophones — “tusi” and “2C-B” — initially confused old school ’90s ravers, who only knew of the original 2C-B and likely thought that’s what they were taking. But, he said, “new school people probably don’t know the difference.”One surprising thingDespite the flurry of headlines announcing that, according to an anonymous tip, Liam Payne’s autopsy found pink cocaine in his system, there’s no chemical test for pink cocaine. You can only test for its common ingredients, like ketamine and MDMA. If both of those substances are found at once, it might be pink cocaine — but there’s no way to know for sure.“Those who use cocaine represent the old. Those who use tusi represent the new”Calling the powder “pink cocaine,” or polvo rosa, has even less to do with the drug’s contents. “The name ‘pink cocaine’ is one of many fantasies invented by the police to name things they don’t understand,” Quintero said.Much of polvo rosa’s rise in the club scene can be attributed to its Instagram-ready aesthetic. “The fact that it’s a pretty color draws a lot of people in,” Palamar said.It’s a brilliant marketing strategy: transform a bland-looking, expensive, exclusive synthetic drug into an Instagram-worthy accessory that almost any partygoer can afford — simply by changing just about everything in it. If tusi had a standard recipe — something potential users could make informed decisions about — this wouldn’t be as big a deal. But as tusi became more popular, the color told users increasingly little about what they were ingesting.“The thing is,” Palamar said, “anyone could dye any powder pink.”The initial rise of tusi in Latin America was part of a broader trend: Coca and opium production declined between 2007 and 2012 for a number of factors, including increased seizures of heroin exported to the US and evolving drug preferences. At the same time, the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs like 2C-B, MDMA, and ketamine grew. La Empreza, a street gang claiming to be the first to make and sell tusi in Colombia, told Vice in 2022 that in addition to MDMA, ketamine, and caffeine, their recipe for the drug includes synthetic methamphetamines, LSD, and fentanyl, among other chemicals.A batch of tusi is essentially made by tossing assorted drugs into a pan, adding a dash of pink food coloring, and stirring the mixture by hand. This isn’t even a great way to make a salad — the dressing won’t be evenly distributed across the greens, and some bites will wind up with more toppings than others. When mixing a powder and liquid drug salad, it’s nearly impossible to ensure that each dose of the final product will contain the same ratio of ingredients. When preparing non-toxic food, perfectly even distribution isn’t usually a concern, but a gram of powder that may contain a mystery dose of a powerful sedative like ketamine — or even the far deadlier fentanyl — is dangerous.The fact that tusi is so easy to make doesn’t just make it risky — it’s making it more popular. Because tusi is synthetic, lacks a standard recipe, and doesn’t require special equipment beyond kitchenware to make, nearly anyone can prepare it themselves. “Tusi not only emerged as a new drug for a new generation, but also popularized the idea that you can make your own drugs at home,” Quintero said.As of a couple years ago, tusi was the fifth most popular drug in Colombia. Pink cocaine has become synonymous with Colombian guaracha, a style of electronic house music often referencing the drug in the lyrics. In the song “Magia Rosa” by DJ Goozo, Massianello, and NesBunny, featured vocalist Paulette sings: “Quiero magia rosas que me ponga poderosa.” In English, this roughly translates to “I want pink magic to become powerful.” Quintero told me that the rise of tusi paralleled the rise of reggaeton, guaracha, small-scale drug dealers, and sexual tourism to Colombia, lending the drug a distinct cultural ethos for a younger generation. “Those who use cocaine represent the old,” he said. “Those who use tusi represent the new.”Perhaps nowhere outside Colombia is tusi more celebrated in pop culture than Mexico. While tusi isn’t often mentioned by the Mexican government or mainstream news media, it frequently appears in corridos tumbados — a genre of Mexican regional music blending the vibrant accordions, plucky bass lines, and quintessential trumpets of traditional corridos with hip-hop and reggaeton. Peso Pluma, a 25-year-old Mexican rapper, skyrocketed to global stardom last year with the love song “Ella Baila Sola,” a collaboration with regional group Eslabon Armado. But a large swath of corridos tumbados are considered narcocorridos, or songs centered around the plight of cartels or drugs. Three of his songs — “Lady Gaga,” “Rosa Pastel,” and “Las Morras” — mention using pink cocaine as part of a glamorous lifestyle, and music videos for those three songs alone have racked up over 500 million views combined. (Sometimes, the glamorous lifestyle isn’t so glamorous: Peso Pluma had to cancel and reschedule concerts last year because of death threats from a cartel.)[Media: https://youtu.be/3Wnso2A4PZE?feature=shared]Europe, home to hard-partying tourist destinations like Ibiza, isn’t a stranger to trippy, risky drugs. Combinations of ketamine and MDMA have been trending among festivalgoers across the world lately, priming the club scene for tusi’s arrival. The drug first arrived in Europe sometime within the last decade or so. Claudio Vidal, a director at Energy Control, a drug harm reduction nonprofit in Spain, told me that while the first big pink cocaine drug bust happened in 2016, Energy Control first analyzed samples of pink powder in 2011. In 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported tusi popping up at music festivals in Austria, Switzerland, and the UK, in addition to party scenes in Spain and Italy. That same year, a survey of nearly 1,500 recreational drug users at European EDM festivals found that about 20 percent had tried tusi in the last 12 months. And this summer, pink cocaine started to gain traction in US states like New York and California for many of the same reasons it blew up in Colombia: it’s relatively affordable, theoretically fun, and pink.But, Vidal said, we don’t know enough yet to tell exactly where tusi is most popular, or who exactly is using it. The biggest challenge in studying pink cocaine is that, despite its rising prevalence in pop culture, it’s hard to rigorously study a drug that’s largely defined by what it isn’t. “We do not have enough data,” Vidal said.How dangerous is it, really?Given the lack of research examining pink cocaine specifically, no one knows how many people are having bad reactions to it yet.Drugs like ketamine and MDMA are unlikely to cause physical dependence — people aren’t generally using these substances to relieve withdrawal symptoms, like one might if they were addicted to opiates. That doesn’t mean they can’t create a kind of psychological dependence — as Palamar said, “A lot of people become accustomed to their world on ketamine,” which can make it hard to stop using it.Vidal hasn’t seen a tusi-related spike in demand for treatment at addiction treatment centers in Spain — at least not yet. More research will be necessary to see whether tusi users aren’t checking into treatment centers because they don’t have a substance use disorder, or because they’re avoiding treatment out of fear, stigma, or something else.But that may change as tusi itself changes. In its 2023 report, Energy Control found that Colombian manufacturers were starting to add addictive substances like benzodiazepines to batches of tusi. Quintero suspects they are also adding opioids like heroin, morphine, and oxycodone “with the aim of creating dependency.”Cases of pink cocaine being contaminated with fentanyl have yet to be reported in the US, but that hasn’t stopped Palamar from worrying about it. Over the past several years, potentially fatal doses of fentanyl have been found in samples of fake prescription pills, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Given its rising popularity, it’s reasonable to think that pink cocaine could be next. But, at least for now, the biggest risks with pink cocaine don’t seem to be addiction or fatal overdose. Taking a mystery drug cocktail — especially if it’s mixed with alcohol on a night out — can get someone far more intoxicated than they planned for.Unlike opioids, which can cause severe, potentially deadly respiratory depression, “pink cocaine and the things that are in it generally don’t stop people from breathing, which is good,” said Maryann Amirshahi, a DC-based ER doctor and co-medical director of the National Capital Poison Center. The most risky thing, Quintero said, “is that young people making it at home don’t know chemistry, and are adding any substances or medications they find in their houses.” Imagine going to a rave for your friend’s birthday. (For the sake of this thought experiment, you’re in your mid-20s, you’ve all been drinking, and you’ve vowed to dance until the sun comes up.) While waiting in line for the bathroom, a kind stranger offers your friend a pink powder, saying it’ll be fun. She goes for it, assuming it’s an upper. Before too long, she’s throwing up and struggling to stand — and she winds up spending the rest of her birthday spaced out on a couch.If someone uses a stimulant like cocaine or MDMA (which, despite being commonly labeled as a psychedelic, is an amphetamine derivative), it can cause side effects ranging from mild nausea to something as potentially deadly as heart failure. Still, people generally remain tethered to reality.Palamar cautioned that being exposed to ketamine, a powerful drug that numbs pain and warps perception, after drinking is nothing like trying a little cocaine.“It’s not a happy drug,” he said. “If you do enough of it, you feel like you’re on another planet.” While it doesn’t stop breathing, it does dramatically reduce one’s awareness of their surroundings, especially when mixed with alcohol — which increases the risk of doing something embarrassing, getting injured, or being sexually assaulted.Of course, as we probably all learned in high school drug education, the best way to minimize these risks is to not do drugs. But if you’re going to use drugs, Palamar urges users to act with intention: Know what your drugs are made of, and dose with caution. All of the experts I spoke with strongly discourage people from trying unknown blends like pink cocaine, because intentional, risk-minimizing use is basically impossible.The biggest thing to worry about with pink cocaine is accidentally taking too much ketamine. If you think you might be exposed to ketamine, don’t drink, and don’t place yourself in unfamiliar social situations without support. “You’ve got to be around people you trust,” Palamar said, “because you could become very vulnerable.”One common misconception is that mixing uppers and downers, like MDMA and ketamine, will balance each other out. “The problem is, you can’t always time that,” Amirshahi said. If the downer lasts longer than the upper, “you may end up on the floor in a coma,” she said. Vice versa, and you risk experiencing an “emergence reaction” — a psychotic break upon leaving the “k-hole,” an intense out-of-body experience brought on by high doses of ketamine. “You don’t know how much or what you’re getting, so it’s really hard to titrate, or make that balance.”Although according to experts, the risk of accidental fentanyl exposure appears relatively low in the US, it’s potentially deadly and worth taking seriously. You don’t have to be a professional chemist to run basic drug safety tests — harm reduction organizations like FentCheck and DanceSafe work with bars, nightclubs, and festivals to distribute relatively low-cost drug tests to potential users. Low-cost paper fentanyl test strips can detect fentanyl in drug samples. They work like at-home Covid-19 antigen tests, where you place a nasal swab on a strip of paper and wait for a line to appear if the virus is detected. For a fentanyl test, instead of a nasal swab, you’d add a few milligrams of your drug of choice. While these tests are relatively effective, they don’t work as well when MDMA is present, and can report false positives when testing an MDMA-containing drug blend like pink cocaine.Liquid reagent kits, like those provided by DanceSafe, contain chemicals that change colors in the presence of a range of different drugs. However, Vidal cautions that these tests also don’t work very well on tusi. Because the reagent usually provided for ketamine also reacts to MDMA, if both drugs are present (as they usually are), it’s hard to interpret the results. And as a general rule, Amirshahi recommends always having naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversing nasal spray, on hand — and being prepared to administer it.In Spain, Vidal said the drug is continuing to evolve — not just chemically, but aesthetically. Powders with other colors and flavorings — not just pink — made of the same general stuff are also being marketed as “tusi.” Pink cocaine appears to be riding on the back of ketamine’s meteoric rise in popularity, mostly because it’s cheap and easy to make. But it may also be the case that pink cocaine offers both social capital and a means of escape. With this powder, anyone can project an image of enviable glamour on social media, and take an affordable trip to another planet, if only for a couple hours — at least, that’s the image cartels are projecting. In reality, it’s a bottom-of-the-barrel powder that’s not that special. It’s just pink.
Major retailers in UK and Ireland pull products associated with Conor McGregor
Plain Talk: 'The good, the bad, the ugly' of artificial intelligence
LeBron James and Bill Russell are the only players in NBA league history that has won four regular season MVP awards in five years. Nikola Jokic can potentially join them at the end of this season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won four in six years. And Michael Jordan won four in eight years during his dominant run. Will Jokic do it at the end of the season? It is not out of the realm of possibility. Of course, we are not having a LeBron James vs. Nikola Jokic discussion. But the Serbian player is close to achieving a rare feat. Nikola Jokic Could Replicate LeBron James’ Success Speaking on the latest Hoop Collective podcast , Brian Windhorst mentioned a stat that shows just how valuable Jokic is to the Denver Nuggets. Yes, if you watch the team play it is evident that everything revolves around Jokic, but this stat is incredible. Here is what Brian said, “When he is on the court. the Nuggets are 31 points per 100 possessions better on offense than when he’s off. For every hundred times they bring up the ball without him, they score 31 points fewer. I went and looked up because the last player to win four out of five MVPs was LeBron James. I went and looked at what the biggest differential was for him, and it was one year with the Cavs, it was ‘15. So when LeBron was at the peak of his powers winning four MVPs in five years, he was half as impactful on his team offensively as Jokic.” Winning four out of five regular season MVP awards will put Jokic in special company. With his fourth MVP award, he will join Russell, Kareem, Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain , and LeBron as players with four MVP awards. Are the Nuggets too Dependent on Jokic? Nikola Jokic leads the NBA in touches per game with 115.8 according to NBA stats . The fun part is that out of the top nine players on that list, only Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo , and Jalen Johnson are not point guards. In fact, Johnson is second with 96 touches per game. The stat that Windhorst mentioned perfectly paints the picture of the Denver Nuggets. They lack offensive fluidity without their MVP player and miss his production. They do not have a clear backup center and cannot get enough rebounds. Who Can Challenge Jokic for the MVP? We have to go through the usual suspects, Giannis, Jayson Tatum , Luka Doncic , and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander . Out of those four, Tatum and Shai seemingly have the most realistic chance to beat out Jokic for MVP. Giannis also averages impressive numbers, leading the league in points with 32.1. Yet, his team was among the worst in the East just a week ago. The Bucks have been in too big of a hole to get out and challenge the top two spots in the East. The Nuggets are fifth currently in the West, but they do have a winning record. Shai can make a case for the MVP with his averages of 28.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. The Thunder are the favorites to win the West, and if they do it for a second year in a row, it will be hard to ignore Shai and his contributions. Luka was among the preseason favorites, but his production has fallen. He averages 28.1 points per game, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists on 43.5% shooting. Will Jokic Win his Fourth MVP? This year, Jokic is doing something even more impressive. As of November 22th, he averages more points than Shaquille O’Neal in his prime (29.7), more rebounds than Tim Duncan in his prime (13.7), and more assists than Chris Paul in his prime (11.7) according to Fadeaway World. Nobody has ever done that. It just speaks volumes to the sheer dominance of the Nuggets big man. We will not have a Nikola Jokic vs. LeBron James discussion even with a fourth MVP for the Serbian player. But he will replicate one of LeBron’s most impressive achievements, four MVPs in five seasons. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.Five research projects will focus on the difficult issue of weeds in pulses. Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) will provide over $3.67 million for weed science research. SPG Chair Winston van Staveren said growers have consistently identified weed control as one of the top issues facing pulse production. “SPG’s funding keeps weed control at the forefront of research investments and aims to provide growers with more options,” he said. The program will run for six years starting in 2025. It will build on the work of previous SPG-funded weed programs, including Weed Science and Herbicide Technology for Pulse Crops (2011–2016) and Enhancing Weed Science in Pulse Crops: Towards a robust strategy for long-term weed management (2016–2022). The research will address developing and adopting effective weed control strategies, building information to support herbicide label expansions, and creating recommendations on new herbicide options in pulses, including tank mixes and layering strategies. Work will also investigate cultural methods to reduce the impact of weeds in pulses, including managing kochia in saline areas, cultural weed control under varying levels of pre-emergence weed control, and strategies to reduce the weed seed bank. Also to be studied will be the potential for direct energy to destroy the viability of seeds of common weed species for future use as a combine attachment. The research program will also work towards identifying weeds or rotational cover crops that can serve as alternative hosts to disease including Aphanomyces and Fusarium. The adverse impacts of excluding glyphosate in cropping systems will be explored, including the economic costs and long-term implications for weed management strategies. There will also be evaluation and development of tools to manage weed escapes. The complete list of projects, including researchers and SPG’s investment: Framework for a collaborative Kochia management program in pulses , Dr. Steve Shirtliffe, University of Saskatchewan – $2,470,285 Investigating the potential of directed energy (blue light and mid-wave infrared light) as a method of harvest weed seed control on Canadian weeds , Dr. Breanne Tidemann, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lacombe – $92,000 Investigating weeds as alternative hosts to root rot disease complex in pulses , Dr. Breanne Tidemann, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lacombe – $276,075 Developing robust weed management strategies for pulse and soybean crops by integrating herbicides, cultural strategies, and drone spot spraying , Dr. Dilshan Benaragama, University of Manitoba – $686,000 Utilization of crop life cycle diversity and crop diversity to manage herbicide-resistant kochia in pulses , Jessica Enns, Western Applied Research Corporation, Scott – $146,503 – alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com On X: @farmnewsNOWUS: Republicans condemn ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, Democrats keep quietBeacon Healthcare Systems Expands Leadership Team with Addition of Ayman Mohamed as Chief Technology Officer
TGM MOURNS DEATH OF CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING PRINCIPAL STEVEN C. MACYJuve deepen Man City crisis, Barcelona into Champions League knockouts
UPDATED WELLNESSNone
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With Penn State's strong push for a spot in the College Football Playoff still a couple of wins from completion, the biggest roadblock to a bid for the Nittany Lions in this favorable final third of their schedule has appeared with a trip to Minnesota . That's why this week, naturally, is too early for them to talk about making the inaugural 12-team tournament — as enticing as their prospects might be. “I think the quality of teams that we go in and play each week speaks for itself,” quarterback Drew Allar said. "But as far as rankings, it doesn’t really matter until it matters.” Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) is fourth in both the AP poll and the CFP rankings this week, needing help for a long-shot hope of reaching the Big Ten title game because of a loss to now-No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 2. In this new era of playoff expansion, the Nittany Lions are on firm footing for an at-large bid. Lose to the unranked Gophers (6-4, 4-3), however, and that ground could become shaky given the current collection of standout two-loss teams in the SEC. In case the Nittany Lions needed proof of the danger of letting focus diverge, coach James Franklin and his staff can call up the tape from Nov. 9, 2019. That's when an undefeated Penn State team came to Minnesota and lost 31-26 . The Nittany Lions lost again at Ohio State two weeks later and finished 11-2, one of several not-quite performances for this storied program that last went unbeaten in 1994 and hasn't been recognized as national champions since 1986. The Gophers were undefeated themselves after that game before losses to rivals Iowa and Wisconsin ended their Rose Bowl quest. This team isn't on that level of talent and success from five years ago, but the chemistry has been off the charts. Coach P.J. Fleck drew attention to some of the individual standout performances that fueled the signature victory in 2019 in meetings with players this week. “We need our best playmakers to play their best. Penn State’s going to need their playmakers to be their best. That’s what happens in November,” Fleck said. Tyler Warren has already shattered nearly every record for Penn State tight ends. The do-it-all senior become such a force his teammates insist he’s worthy of the Heisman Trophy, tracking toward the top of the NFL draft board for his position next spring. “He’s the best tight end in America, but he’s also the most complete tight end in America," Allar said. Warren is coming off a 190-yard performance at Purdue that included 63 yards on three rushes and 127 yards on eight receptions. “He has the ability to take a play that should be 2 or 3 yards and turn it into 30 or 40,” Gophers defensive end Danny Striggow said. Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter has 171⁄2 tackles for loss, the second-most in the FBS, and eight sacks to match the third-most in the Big Ten. He has a challenging matchup this week with Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery across from him in a battle of projected first-round NFL draft picks. Gophers coaches told Striggow and his fellow defensive linemen a couple of seasons ago to relish the opportunity to face Ersery in practice. “That’s one of the best looks in the country that you’re going to get,” Striggow said. Carter has successfully made the transition from linebacker this season. “He is impacting the game in a number of ways, which creates opportunities for other guys on our defensive line and within our defense and causes a lot of headaches,” Franklin said. “He is becoming more and more of a leader every single day.” Allar and the Nittany Lions have paid particular attention to protecting the ball this week, given the Gophers have 16 interceptions, one short of the national lead. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar feels he’ll need to be especially accurate this weekend considering Minnesota has 16 interceptions on the season. “We’re just going to have to be disciplined and stick to our game plan,” Allar said. The Gophers have a strong group of departing players who will take the field at Huntington Bank Stadium for the final time, including Ersery, quarterback Max Brosmer, wide receiver Daniel Jackson, right guard Quinn Carroll, cornerback Justin Walley, kicker Dragan Kesich and Striggow. “It’s been good to reflect, but it’s not over yet," Striggow said. "Those short windows of reflection, I cut ’em out and then say, ‘We’ve got some more memories to make.’” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football .None
Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a “state of credit card report” for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it’s not just about the rewards. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don’t use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders’ status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted “token” that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn’t require you to have your physical cards present, there’s less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse.
Dasani removes key ingredient to ‘nation‘s most disgusting water’ – but shoppers say ‘we’re still not drinking that’Robert Lewandowski scored his 100th Champions League goal as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0 to climb provisionally second in the Champions League group standings on Tuesday. The veteran striker slotted home from the spot in the 10th minute to fire the Catalans ahead and reach his milestone, adding a second late on after Dani Olmo’s goal to inflict the French side’s first defeat. After dropping points in their last two outings in La Liga, Coach Hansi Flick had urged his players to “eliminate” mistakes in their game and Barca produced a solid display. They got off the mark quickly when Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot clumsily clattered into the back of Lewandowski after the forward controlled Pedri’s cross on his chest. The striker dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty clinically to open the scoring after 10 minutes and bring up his century. It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140. Under Flick, the forward’s form has improved significantly this season, reaching 22 goals in 19 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League. The 36-year-old has made 125 Champions League appearances with Barcelona and before that German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. “I am very happy, many years ago I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League,” Lewandowski told Movistar. “For me the most important thing is that we try to win every game, if I can score, then that’s the perfect solution. “I don’t know how many games we have left before the end of the year but we have to win them all and rest over Christmas.” Barcelona were still without teenage star Lamine Yamal, recovering from an ankle problem, but Raphinha was busy on the right and the Catalans dominated proceedings. Related News Barcelona to extend Lewandowski deal, put Haaland, Gyökeres pursuits on hold La Liga: Leaders Barca suffer late collapse in Celta draw Barcelona reject Arsenal’s €90m Raphinha bid, demand €100m — Report They did not create many clear chances though until Fermin Lopez forced a fine save from Bizot with a diving header. The Dutch goalkeeper made amends for his earlier mistake by denying the Spaniard with his leg. – Olmo on target – Lopez again came close early in the second half when Lewandowski put him in with a neat flick but Bizot was alert to save his low effort. Playmaker Olmo had an effort scrambled off the line by Brendan Chardonnet as Barcelona sought to put the game to bed. The former RB Leipzig midfielder eventually grabbed the second in the 66th minute when he received Gerard Martin’s pass in the box, showing some nifty footwork to dodge Chardonnet and beat Bizot at the near post. Brest thumped RB Salzburg 4-0 and had dropped just two points from their first four matches despite sitting in mid-table in Ligue 1, but were brought down to earth at the Olympic Stadium. Mathias Pereira Lage drilled home to momentarily delight nearly 3,000 travelling supporters but their joy was curtailed when the linesman raised his flag for offside. Barca substitute Pablo Torre should have netted Barcelona’s third when he intercepted a pass with just the goalkeeper to beat, but fired wide. Instead the job fell to Lewandowski and he rolled home his 101st Champions League goal with aplomb, beyond Bizot’s outstretched arm. Brest fall a few places down the table but their strong start to the campaign means they are well placed to secure at least a play-off spot, while Barcelona are aiming to reach the last 16 directly. Flick’s side travel to last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund next, before visiting Benfica and hosting Atalanta. AFP
Gold Coast Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News. It’s no secret that Santa has become a byword for controversy in our schools. From religious connotations now considered politically incorrect, to contentious gift exchanges between students, to excessively expensive presents for teachers, the silly season is fraught with social snares. Last week, a Melbourne school hit the headlines for banning Secret Santa gift swaps – citing the potential to offend non-Christian students, but the Gold Coast is also not immune from these campus prohibitions. A furious parent informed me just this weekend that her child, a primary student at a local private school, was told by a teacher gift swaps were not allowed because it was a sign of “privileged behaviour”. They were also told some students may be upset at being left out and not to exchange gifts on the school grounds, despite many classrooms organising officially sanctioned present swaps. Author Rebecca Sparrow. There may be some merit in that argument at least, given social media is full of stories from parents whose children were excluded from festive friendship gift swaps. Teen educator and author Rebecca Sparrow recently reposted a parent’s letter from last year, describing how her daughter had been deliberately left out of a group gift-giving. “This is the third email I’ve had this past fortnight about Secret Santa exclusion amongst friendship groups,” said Ms Sparrow. “I feel very sad for your daughter that she went through this because being excluded is just one of the most awful feelings in the world. So I’m sorry this has happened.” As a former female student, I concur with these sentiments. But there are also a host of complaints from parents about the never-ending list of end-of-year expenses, including these very Kris Kringle exchanges. Said one unhappy parental participant on Reddit: “Kids don’t have their own money to go shopping and buy a gift for their classmate. They solely rely on what their parents can do for them. “Also, there’s no choice in this setting for the kid to participate or not. It’s different with adults or friend groups, they choose to give and get a gift. There is nothing that kids learn from doing Secret Santa, other than life is extremely unfair and capitalism rules all.” Now, plenty of schools set price limits on these gift swaps but, honestly, sometimes it’s simply the time spent rather than the money that’s the issue. Which brings me to the bane of every primary school parent’s existence ... the teacher gift. Or is that teachers’ gifts? Because there is the main classroom teacher, the teacher aide, the specialist teachers like music and sports, maybe a swim coach ... the list is longer than my daughter’s actual Christmas list. And let’s talk about the actual gifts being given ... back in my primary school parent days, we would all chip in for a gift card and the dollar total was incredible, hundreds and hundreds, if not over a thousand. Indeed, local personal finance expert and journalist Sarah Megginson recently ran an Instagram poll asking how much parents spent, on average, on their teacher’s gift – with almost half of respondents indicating they would spend up to $50 to $100. Personal finance expert Sarah Megginson. Picture: Supplied. While the NSW and Victorian Departments of Education have clear policies that any gift, benefit or hospitality valued over $50 must be reported by teachers, there is no such policy in Queensland. Education Queensland has previously defended the practice of teachers receiving gifts, saying teachers were not to accept gifts or benefits that were intended to influence the performance of their duties. However, a sample of some of the gifts declared by Queensland state school teachers last year reads more like a wedding registry: a robot vacuum cleaner, holidays, jewellery, $1500 yoga classes and Air Jordan sneakers. Now, I’m not implying that teachers don’t deserve these gifts – in fact, they deserve all this and more – but parents should not feel obliged to deliver, especially in the midst of a cost of living crisis. As for Secret Santa and classroom gift exchanges, we don’t need to make room for political ideologies or excuses, nor accusations of ‘privileged’ behaviour (FYI there are plenty of kids at private schools whose parents make enormous sacrifices for their education), but I do understand concerns about exclusion and the further pressure on parents. Ugh, who knew the price of festive spirit was so steep? Maybe we should secretly ask Santa to deliver a solution to this Christmas conundrum. More Coverage ‘Nightmarish hellscape’: What council staff really think about working there Paul Weston How Gold Coast’s top schools performed in this year’s NAPLAN Tahlia Leathart Originally published as The concept of celebrating the festive season and gifting in schools is increasingly contentious Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Gold Coast Gold-medal Olympian shares huge news An Australian Olympic gold medallist has shared news which he says has been his greatest achievement of all. Read more Gold Coast Major new challenge to hated ‘View Tax’ Council is facing a fresh challenge to its controversial ‘View Tax’, with the Queensland Ombudsman investigating the fairness of the rates rise. Read moreMyanmar attends 2024 Global Internet Conference, China-ASEAN Information Harbour Forum in China
The hardest movie ticket to get this weekend was for a film audiences have been able to watch at home for years: Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar.” The science fiction epic starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway earned $4.5 million from only 166 screens in the U.S. and Canada. Its 70mm IMAX film presentations sold out in minutes, leaving theaters scrambling to add more and people paying up to $300 on the re-sale market. Those 10 film screens alone had a staggering $70,000 per theater average, one of the highest of the year and usually the bragging rights of acclaimed arthouse movies playing on only four screens. Ten years after “Interstellar” was given a film release as a special exception at time when its studio, Paramount, was committing to a digital future, film is not only back but driving audiences to theaters. “I was just so gratified by the response,” Nolan said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. “It’s really thrilling when people respond to your work at any point. But 10 years later, to have new audiences coming and experiencing it in the way that we’d originally intended it on the big IMAX screens and in particular on those IMAX film prints? It’s really rewarding to see that it continues to have a life.” “Interstellar” had been a labor of love, with Nolan fighting against the tides of a changing industry to use film, certain of its value. Like McConaughey’s Cooper, an astronaut clinging to skills that were all but obsolete in his dust bowl reality, “Interstellar” was made by a celluloid-loving filmmaker when the format was least valued. “Celluloid film was very threatened. Digital was taking over everything,” Nolan said. “We put an enormous amount of work and effort into the IMAX 70mm film format release at the time feeling like we didn’t know how much longer we’d be able to do that.” During its time, “Interstellar” was received warmly and an unambiguous success, but it also had its detractors. Its five Oscar nominations and win were all for crafts. And yet in the decade since, “Interstellar” has become beloved, a true classic. Nolan observed that it was the film that people kept wanting to talk about, telling him what it meant to them and asking if it was ever going to be re-released. Those grand emotions and sentimental themes of love, family and exploration that were a liability with some are now its most cherished qualities. “A lot of these people were younger people who, it was clear to me, had seen the film in the home and hadn’t had the chance to see it on the big screen,” Nolan said. While there have been “Interstellar” rereleases internationally, in China and at the Science Museum in London, Nolan saw an opportunity and spoke to IMAX and Paramount, now under a new regime, about a proper North American re-release for its 10th anniversary. The prints, Nolan said, hadn't aged a day. IMAX hardly needed convincing: They’ve had the anniversary date circled on the calendar. For years, “Interstellar” was by far the biggest request on their social channels. “We saw this coming from the beginning,” IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said. “It reminded us in a small way of the frenzy around ‘Oppenheimer.’ But the result is far beyond our expectations." “Interstellar” is now the ninth highest-grossing IMAX release of all time and is closing in on eight (currently occupied by “The Last Jedi.”) The company is currently exploring options for re-releases in different territories. The “Oppenheimer" effect was real in redeeming film's value for the business. IMAX screens accounted for some 20% of the nearly $1 billion this year's Oscar best picture winner made globally (it ranks at No. 5 for IMAX). While filmmakers have long cherished film stock, “Oppenheimer” had studios, distributors and theaters taking note of the demand. Earlier this year the film showings of “Dune: Part Two” were sold out for four weeks. And there's more to come: Ryan Coogler's new film “Sinners," opening in March 2025, was shot with IMAX cameras. The “Interstellar” release was fairly “low key" when it came to promotion, but it also didn’t need much — fans made sure of that. Before IMAX had even announced that tickets were on sale, some noticed that AMC had made them available. News spread on socials and overnight every 70mm IMAX showing at the Lincoln Square location in New York had sold out. It wasn’t just the “primetime” slots either: The 1 AM showtimes were at capacity too. After the weekend's turnout surpassed expectations, they added more 70mm IMAX screenings through the week which also filled up quickly. While Nolan is in some ways an anomaly, as the rare filmmaker whose name alone can draw crowds for original fare, there are lessons to be learned from the weekend. “It just shows our industry once again that audiences truly understand the difference between a communal, big screen theatrical experience that they crave even on films that they’ve had the opportunities to see in the home,” Nolan said. “That theatrical experience that we all know and love is so powerful and so exciting. It’s a very clear demonstration of it, especially coming amidst all the great successes right now, “Wicked,”“Gladiator II,”“Moana 2.” "Audiences are coming out in droves for that experience that we all love so much.” Before the weekend, Nolan was able to see the film again on the big screen for the first time since the original release, accompanied by his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. “Interstellar” was their first collaboration and Hoytema’s introduction to IMAX cameras (where he proved that they could be handheld if you tried hard enough). “It was really, really fun," Nolan said. He also approved the new 4K UHD “Interstellar" set that's now available. Since “Oppenheimer's" big night at the Oscars and Nolan's best director win, there's been much speculation about his next film with near daily rumors circulating about casting and genre, none of which have been officially confirmed. It's not something he's speaking publicly about yet. One thing he will say, however, is that he’s in the throes of intensive testing for a new film technology with IMAX to use in the next production. “They have an incredible engineering staff, really brilliant minds doing extraordinary work,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see innovation in the celluloid film arena still happening and happening at the highest level possible.” And he’s still making time to go to the movies Over the weekend, Nolan went to see “Wicked” at a theater in Burbank where he also peeked into one of the IMAX presentations of his film. “It was pretty magical to see a full house on that film,” he said. “It was a very special thing to see, 10 years later.”
NonePatrick Mahomes and Chiefs win at the buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader's field goal
NoneThey were all exceptional – Mikel Arteta loved seeing Arsenal run riot in Lisbon
mines phlboss
ph3 boss
phl boss download free