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Sunday's inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff bracket reveal officially set the stage for the most anticipated postseason the sport has ever seen. Eight more spots in the playoff field have created two extra rounds to determine a national champion, which could come from the Big Ten, the Southeastern Conference or even the Mountain West! Now that the initial matchups are set, it's time to examine the FanDuel odds for the first-round games and, of course, the latest national championship odds. CFP Bracket: Odds for First-Round Games Oregon's win over Penn State in the Big Ten championship locked the Ducks into the No. 1 seed, while Georgia's overtime triumph over Texas for the SEC crown moved the Bulldogs up to No. 2. Boise State slotted in at No. 9 in the final CFP rankings but is the No. 3 seed thanks to its win over UNLV in the Mountain West championship. With SMU losing to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, No. 12-ranked Arizona State is the four seed after it throttled Iowa State to win the Big 12. The top four teams get a bye, with the 5-12 seeds meeting in the first round. 12-seed Clemson (+330) vs. 5-seed Texas (-11.5) Texas was favored to win the SEC and lock down a top-four seed, but Clemson was not expected to beat SMU for the ACC title. The Longhorns will therefore hunt redemption, while Dabo Swinney's team is essentially playing with house money. The winner will face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. 9-seed Tennessee (+215) vs. 8-seed Ohio State (-7.5) The third-highest-ranked team from the SEC (No. 7 Tennessee) will face off with the third-highest-ranked squad from the Big Ten (No. 6 Ohio State). This game brings the Buckeyes a chance at redemption for their embarrassing loss to Michigan to end the regular season. The winner will travel to the Rose Bowl to play Oregon. 11-seed SMU (+240) vs. 6-seed Penn State (-7.5) Concerns over strength of schedule dog both teams. Both have 11-2 records and were runners-up in their respective conferences. Penn State's only win over a ranked opponent was against then-No. 19 Illinois in Week 4, while SMU has knocked off then-No. 22 Louisville and then-No. 18 Pittsburgh. The winner will meet Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. 10-seed Indiana (+230) vs. 7-seed Notre Dame (-7.5) The Hoosiers may be the biggest surprise in college football this season, although their inclusion came with a few concerns over the strength of their schedule. After falling flat in a potential statement game against then-No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 23, Indiana can prove its might against a Fighting Irish squad that won its last 10 games. The winner will take on Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. National Championship Odds and Picks Oregon was the betting favorite (odds via FanDuel) prior to the final rankings reveal at +230. Post-reveal, Texas and Georgia are co-favorites at +360, followed by Oregon at +380, Ohio State at +500 and Penn State at +600. Boise State is the biggest long shot at +7500 despite having a first-round bye. Like Boise State, Arizona State saw its odds go from +3500 to +6000 even though it doesn't play until the quarterfinals. The Picks are In... First-Round Best Bet: Indiana-Notre Dame UNDER 51.5-both teams have solid offenses but will find it difficult to move the ball against the other's defense. Upset Special: Clemson (+340) over Texas-Cade Klubnik will have his hands full against the Texas secondary, but the Clemson defense could be up for the challenge against Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns offense. National Championship Winner: Favorite-Oregon +380; Dark Horse-Notre Dame +1200; Long Shot-Arizona State +6000 --Field Level MediaOpenAI to partner with military defense tech company
The man accused of firing a revolver at a car Sunday in Rock Island told police he did so in self-defense. Police officers heard shooting at about 8:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Ninth Avenue, according to a news release from the Rock Island Police Department. No one was reported injured. Johnny D. Matthews Jr. Johnny D. Matthews Jr., 23, of Rock Island, faces a charge of aggravated discharge of a firearm in relation to the shooting, records show. Prosecutors allege he fired a .357-caliber handgun at a vehicle he reasonably should have known was occupied. After his arrest and police read him his Miranda rights, Matthews told investigators he fired the revolver at the car to protect himself because gunfire came from the car first, court records state. Rock Island officers also arrested two other men during the investigation. They have been identified as Isaiah Trueblood, 19; and Deshawn M. L. Mapp, 47. Court records state that authorities also received calls from several people who reported five or six shots in the area. When officers reached the scene, they saw a Chevrolet Suburban coming out of the alleyway between Ninth and 10th avenues and 14th and 15th streets, records state. Police saw three people inside. The driver made several quick turns before going to an address in the 900 block of 15th Street, records state. Police stopped it in the back yard. One person ran away, while another went into the residence, records state. When police entered the residence to conduct what documents described as a protective sweep, they found Matthews and Mapp. Authorities think Matthews was in the backyard of the residence when the gunfire occurred. Police collected several statements from people besides Matthews about how the shooting unfolded, records state. There are differences in the details of those accounts. One account placed Matthews in the backyard when a dark-colored sedan drove up in the alley, records state. An argument began between Matthews and the three occupants of the vehicle. After the argument began, Matthews drew a pistol and fired twice, according to this account. The front passenger of the car got out and shot back before running away. The car then left. Trueblood, who was also read his Miranda rights before speaking with police, told officers that a sedan with three people inside pulled up behind the residence. Trueblood said he gave the revolver to Matthews and Matthews fired it. At one point, Trueblood told police the occupants of the sedan shot first, but at another, he said he heard too many shots and was unsure if anyone else was shooting. It was unclear in the court documents in what sequence Trueblood gave these statements. When Matthews spoke to investigators, he told them he had an encounter with people in the sedan but said at least one person in that vehicle shot first, court records state. He also told police Trueblood gave him the handgun and that he fired it at the sedan. Isaiah Trueblood Prosecutors filed a single count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon against Trueblood, who is from Milan, records state. Underlying the charge are allegations that Trueblood had the handgun without having a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card. Deshawn M. L. Mapp The state’s attorney’s office charged Mapp, of Douglasville, Georgia, with one count of possession of a controlled substance, records state. Prosecutors allege Mapp had less than 200 grams of a substance containing psilocybin. Online court documents state Matthews’ detention hearing occurred on Monday afternoon, but the records did not provide clear detail of what occurred.The Rock Island County Jail website listed Matthews as still in custody as of Tuesday morning. Another court date has been set for Dec. 31, records state. The Rock Island County Jail did not have Trueblood or Mapp listed as in custody as of Tuesday. Court information for them was not available. Working from home often means relying on your own technology which may not have the same security as the tech from your office. Luckily there are a few things you can do to keep hackers at bay. Buzz60’s Johana Restrepo has more. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Matty Healy is stepping back after a heated back-and-forth social media exchange with Azealia Banks. “Guys I don’t have the right kind of intelligence / emotional maturity etc for social media I literally just end up saying stuff that immediately regret etc,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter ) Wednesday (Dec. 4). “I’m actually just gonna stick to music cos I’m good at that. Having manic episodes on twitter at 35 is kinda pathetic.” Guys I don’t have the right kind of intelligence / emotional maturity etc for social media I literally just end up saying stuff that immediately regret etc. I’m actually just gonna stick to music cos I’m good at that. Having manic episodes on twitter at 35 is kinda pathetic ❤️ The post was seemingly in reference to his feud with Banks, which started when the “Liquorice” rapper took aim at Charli XCX, who is engaged to Healy’s The 1975 bandmate George Daniel. Banks called out the “360” singer’s looks, saying she “used to be soooo pretty. Ugh.” See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In response, Healy wrote, “Azealia you seem to have a blind spot when it comes to your ‘reads’. All the women you attack seem to be culturally relevant, attractive, divisive and NICE people. I think this makes you jealous cos you’re so talented but everything else about you is a failure. Just rap bro.” Azealia you seem to have a blind spot when it comes to your ‘reads’. All the women you attack seem to be culturally relevant, attractive, divisive and NICE people. I think this makes you jealous cos you’re so talented but everything else about you is a failure. Just rap bro https://t.co/xKe9b71UV1 The reply spawned a sequence of aggressive words between the two, and while Healy deleted a number of his posts in the feud, he at one point threatened to “slap” Banks after she began throwing jabs at his fiancée, Gabbriette. “The b—- look like Frankenstein to me. You both look like you share needles. Lmao,” Banks wrote when Healy claimed he would “use my mental illness to full affect” and “dox” anyone who were to attack Gabi. Healy then wrote to Banks, “I now you think your life is some episode of the library is open but I am not the one. Talk to me like that I’m not gonna side eye you at an awards do I’m going to f—ing slap you so hard I’ll get a Guinness world record for the highest a rat some b—- calls a wig has ever flown.” However, the “So American” singer quickly took back his words and deleted the post, then asking Banks to “sort this out on the remix,” adding, “Nah I can’t be saying I’m gonna hit a girl that’s insane I’m sorry. You just can’t keep being so mean about my mates and my mrs it’s really hurtful gets me well defensive.” “She’d f—in batter me tbf,” he continued. Banks then threatened to sue Healy, and leaked DMs in which he apologized to her . She concluded by attacking The 1975 frontman for getting “fined 4m for kissing a man on stage In Malaysia, doing a nazi salute, watching violent porn, being a heroin addict, writing s—ty songs, randomly attacking black women and caping for trash white b—-es. I question the women who associate with him. I’m signing off for today, because my anger is really really really boiling.” Some of Banks’ post was in reference to Healy stirring up controversy in 2023 when he made racist and sexist remarks about rapper Ice Spice on the Adam Friedland Show , during which he and the hosts made jokes about the rapper sounding like an “Inuit Spice Girl” and looking like a “chubby Chinese lady” before performing racist accents. After one of the men suggested Healy should have asked the MC about her ethnic background while dropping an Inuit ethnic slur, Healy called Ice Spice “dumb.” He later somewhat apologized for his comments. Healy also kissed his bandmate Ross MacDonald for an extended period of time onstage at Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia in July 2023, but the set came to an abrupt end after he spoke out against the country’s stances on LGBTQ+ rights.
Data readiness is the ability of an organization to collect, manage and effectively use data. This concept is never more crucial than during the holiday season, which for many retailers represents their most important time of year. As retailers seek to maximize their impact during this peak period and retain customers after the holiday season, the ability to leverage real-time data becomes even more critical. A PYMNTS Intelligence report, “ The Platform Business Data Readiness Survey: How Real-Time Data Can Drive Growth ,” created in collaboration with Fiserv , examines the growing importance of data readiness for businesses aiming to optimize operations and unlock market potential. The study reveals that 62% of platform businesses view real-time data as crucial to their strategies, with those leveraging such insights 1.5 times more likely to experience higher revenue growth. Real-time data facilitates quicker decision-making, enabling companies to respond to market changes, track customer behavior and customize marketing efforts to enhance engagement and conversions. Data as a Retention Tool In an interview with PYMNTS, Martin Qiu , Associate Professor, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics , Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, said how data readiness can offer retailers a range of tools to retain customers and elevate business performance. “Data readiness offers retailers multiple means to boost business performance,” Qiu said. “Data readiness can facilitate converting new shoppers who are attracted by seasonal shopping promotions into loyal customers through strategic customer experience management.” Specifically, Qiu added, during holiday promotions, retailers can capture first-time customers’ engagement through integrated feedback systems, ratings collection and social sharing initiatives, while correlating these insights with their purchase patterns. “By analyzing this rich dataset, retailers can identify promising customer segments and develop targeted loyalty programs tailored to their characteristics,” he said. “By doing so, retailers can nurture these relationships beyond the holiday season, effectively converting seasonal buyers into return customers. This data-driven approach to customer experience highlights the value of data readiness in customer relationship management (CRM).” Gleaning Insights Expanding on this, Sudip Mazumder , senior vice president, retail industry lead, North America, at digital consultancy Publicis Sapient , told PYMNTS a solid data foundation is essential for capturing valuable customer insights during the holiday season. “Data readiness plays a pivotal role in data capture during the holidays and post-holiday engagement, offering numerous benefits to retailers,” Mazumder said. “Omnichannel integration facilitates seamless customer journeys during the holiday season. Data readiness ensures a smooth transition between online and offline channels, enabling retailers to track customer behavior across various devices and touch points. “A robust data foundation allows for personalized experiences, as retailers can analyze customer data to tailor product recommendations, promotions and experiences to individual preferences during the holiday season,” he added. “Additionally, data-driven optimization enhances checkout processes, reducing cart abandonment and improving conversion rates. Integrating loyalty programs with data collection systems can further capture valuable customer shopping preferences.” After the holidays, Mazumder said retailers can leverage this same data for post-holiday engagement and retention. “Regarding post-holiday engagement and retention, retailers can use the data captured for advanced customer micro-segmentation, allowing targeted marketing,” he said. “Retailers can deliver highly personalized marketing campaigns by segmenting customers based on purchase history, preferences and demographics. This approach includes offering tailored promotions and discounts to encourage repeat purchases and foster customer relationships even after the holidays. “Lifecycle marketing strategies, such as win-back campaigns, use data to identify inactive customers and re-engage them with personalized offers and incentives,” Mazumder added. “Retailers can also identify opportunities to enhance the shopping experience and strengthen customer relationships by analyzing customer journeys.” This data-driven approach extends beyond customer engagement and retention, also playing a crucial role in product development and innovation after the holiday season, Mazumder said. “Data also supports product development and innovation post-holidays,” he said. “Analyzing trends helps retailers identify emerging consumer preferences, informing future product development and assortment planning. Evaluating customer feedback and reviews provides valuable product improvement and innovation insights. By prioritizing data readiness and effectively leveraging customer data, retailers can optimize their holiday season performance, build stronger customer relationships and drive long-term growth.” What Businesses Can Do With Data Bellamy Grindl , principal and founder of Retailytics , told PYMNTS that data readiness is key during the holidays, “especially for brands that see a big revenue spike. For seasonal brands, November can be as big as 25% of annual revenue.” Grindl offered some best practices for retailers: Segmenting shoppers to focus on high-value customers versus one-time buyers. Using real-time data to adjust inventory, pricing and promotions on the fly. Personalization, like tailored emails or product recommendations, to boost conversion. Launch retention campaigns post-holiday to turn seasonal shoppers into loyal customers. Keep teams aligned so decisions are driven by shared data insights.
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