C-K Police stepping up R.I.D.E. Program this year
Former Nebraska state treasurer John Murante taking lobbyist job after health scare
Harry Potter's Evanna Lynch Debuts Magical New LookNICEVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Aaliyah Nye scored 15 points and No. 23 Alabama coasted to an 83-33 win over Alabama State on Monday at the Emerald Coast Classic. Sarah Ashlee Barker and Karly Weathers both added 12 points for the Crimson Tide (7-0). Zaay Green had 11. Barker, Weathers and Green combined to go 12 of 16 from the field as Alabama shot 51% and made 23 of 34 free throws. Cordasia Harris had eight points for the Hornets (2-3), who shot 27.5% and had 28 turnovers while being outrebounded by 17. Alabama entered ranked 17th in scoring offense through the first two weeks of the season, averaging 87.3 points per game. Barker opened the scoring and contributed another layup before her 3-pointer made it 14-0. The Tide led 26-8 after one quarter. Alabama also had a 13-2 run in the second quarter and Weathers had a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lead 46-20 at halftime. Alabama plays the winner of UAB-Clemson on Tuesday and the Hornets face the loser. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballLess than two months into power, the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) government is facing one of its first big tests amid growing resentment within the general category population over the Jammu and Kashmir reservation policy that increased reservation in seats for jobs, NEET and post graduate (PG) courses. Notably, three petitions have been moved in the Jammu and Kashmir high court challenging the policy brought into force by the lieutenant governor-led administration earlier in the year. The open merit pool, which was around 60% prior to abrogation of Article 370, was squeezed to below 40%. The court while hearing one of the petitions has observed that once the decision comes, it will be applicable on both jobs and seats. Last week, political science professor Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, also the statehood petitioner in Supreme Court, approached the HC against the amendment., saying the 2024 amendment reduced the share of general category to 30% despite there share of over 70% in the UT population. “This violates my right to recruitment, promotion and admission to education Institutions. This will also result absorption of inefficient people in health education, judiciary and other departments contrary to meritorious which affect the right to qualify health care, quality education and quality service of coming generation.” Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu later filed another petition over the “disparity” with the general category population. Political leaders, led by the likes of former chief minister (CM) Mehbooba Mufti, have also mounted pressure on the government to arrive at a solution. It is in this backdrop that the National Conference is walking a tightrope on the issue despite having promised a relook at the policy in its assembly election manifesto. The party’s chief spokesman and legislator Tanvir Sadiq did not respond to the query about the party’s present stand on the issue. The Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government did order the formation of a cabinet subcommittee to look into the new policy on November 22 amid the widespread demands to scrap it, with the CM himself acknowledging the resentment. “For the first time, political parties have started talking about the issue and even the fresh reservations have been challenged in court. It will become a big issue for the NC government in the coming days and it remains to be seen how Omar tackles it without annoying communities who have benefited from the new reservation policy,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, a political analyst. The government’s approach, meanwhile, has resulted in growing resentment among the youth. Recently, when PG seats were announced for one of the UT’s medical institutes, just 30% were available for general open merit candidates. A group of students have planned to hold a protest in New Delhi on December 14 to draw attention of top political leaders. Some student leaders have already met leaders in a bid to garner support for their protest. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) national convenor Nasir Khuehami, said a caste census is essential to address the long-standing inequalities in Jammu and Kashmir’s reservation framework, adding, “We are not against reservation but demand fairness and balance. The youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve a system that recognizes their aspirations and provides opportunities based on both equity and merit.” Khuehami advocated for a fair and balanced reservation policy, saying, “Rooted in accurate data, it will not only uplift marginalized communities but also ensure justice and trust.” Criticism has also come from within the party, with NC’s Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi last month threatening a sit-in protest outside the CM’s house. “...I have neither forgotten nor backtracked on the issue of rationalisation of reservation... I have talked with HCM twice [and] am told that there is some confusion about the distribution of the rules of business on many issues between the elected government and the other undemocratically imposed office and this subject is one among them. I am assured that the government will take a decision to rationalise the policy soon,” Mehdi had written on ‘X’ when asked to clarify his position on the issue by students and aggrieved persons about the party’s poll promises. Peoples Democratic Party has also been vocal about the issue, with youth leader and MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, and party president Mehbooba Mufti leading the charge. Mufti had demanded the implementation of statutory order of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, under which 75% seats are meant for open category candidates in higher medical courses especially in PG courses.
Google today announced the availability of Android 16 Developer Preview 2 with app, performance, and battery life improvements. As suggested by the name, this milestone targets developers, not end users. “The second developer preview of Android 16 is now available to test with your apps,” . “This build includes changes designed to enhance the app experience, improve battery life, and boost performance while minimizing incompatibilities, and your feedback is critical in helping us understand the full impact of this work.” Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift! As you may recall, in early November, with each major release starting with Android 16 arriving by mid-year instead of the end of Q3. , about a month ago. Android 16 Developer Preview 2 includes support for more complex haptics effects, improved job introspection and runtime capabilities, better support for adaptive refresh rate, an improved photo picker with cloud support, and new predictive back animations. There are also improvements to security related to Wi-Fi and encryption. Google plans to release the first Android 16 beta in January and should hit platform stability in late Q1 2025. “As we reach our Beta releases, we’ll be inviting consumers to try Android 16 as well, and we’ll open up enrollment for Android 16 in the Android Beta program at that time,” McCullough notes. As with previous Android pre-release milestones, Android 16 Developer Preview 2 is available on all supported Pixels– –and in emulation via the latest preview of . Those testing the latest quarterly updated to Android 15–called QPR2 Beta–can flash their devices to Android 16 Developer Preview 2 without wiping them first, Google says. . Paul Thurrott is an award-winning technology journalist and blogger with 30 years of industry experience and the author of 30 books. He is the owner of and the host of three tech podcasts: with Leo Laporte and Richard Campbell, , and with Brad Sams. He was formerly the senior technology analyst at Windows IT Pro and the creator of the SuperSite for Windows from 1999 to 2014 and the Major Domo of Thurrott.com while at BWW Media Group from 2015 to 2023. You can reach Paul via , or . Join the crowd where the love of tech is real - become a Thurrott Premium Member today! Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each FridayBuchanan scores 28 off the bench, Boise State downs South Dakota State 83-82Fish photos hazardous to their health? Tips for safer catch and release
No. 23 Alabama women beat Alabama State 83-33 at Emerald Coast ClassicA sudden infusion of $30 million into Donald Trump's nascent cryptocurrency venture from a Chinese billionaire sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly defrauding investors could potentially deliver an eight-figure payday to a company associated with the president-elect. The investment has sparked new concerns about Trump's ability to potentially profit from foreign investors, and his positions on cryptocurrency following a presidential campaign in which he vowed to make the United States "the crypto capital of the planet." Justin Sun -- a cryptocurrency billionaire famous in part for his purchase of a $6 million banana art piece last month -- announced his $30 million investment in the Trump-backed World Liberty Financial last week, making him the company's largest investor. MORE: Trump's new crypto venture is light on details, heavy on potential ethics landmines The influx of cash also triggered a provision that allows an entity affiliated with Trump to receive 75% of the company's net revenue, based on the terms outlined in a recent company filing. DT Marks DEFI LLC, a company affiliated with Trump, stands to profit more than $15 million following Sun's investment, renewing concerns about the potential influence on Trump's cryptocurrency positions and the future of the SEC lawsuit against Sun and his companies for allegedly violating securities laws. Sun and his companies have denied wrongdoing. "It's hard to have more influence when you're talking about money in politics than someone who just directly gave you eight figures," said Jordan Libowitz, a vice president at the progressive watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The investment comes as Trump recently announced a series of pro-crypto nominees for his administration, including veteran regulator and cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Silicon Valley venture capitalist David Sachs to be White House AI and crypto czar . Trump has denied all allegations that he has profited from the presidency. "President Trump removed himself from his multi-billion-dollar real estate empire to run for office and forewent his government salary," Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News. "Unlike most politicians, President Trump didn't get into politics for profit -- he's fighting because he loves the people of this country and wants to make America great again." World Liberty Financial and Justin Sun did not respond to requests for comment. 'We have to be No. 1' Despite once calling cryptocurrency a "scam," Trump threw his support in September behind World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance platform that could eventually be a marketplace for borrowing and lending various cryptocurrencies. "We have to be No. 1," Trump said at the announcement, regarding the United States' position in the crypto market. "I think AI is really important, but I think crypto is one of those things we have to do," World Liberty Financial makes money, at this time, through the sale of tokens, which gives investors a say in the company's governance; however, the tokens don't offer a share of the company's revenue and can't be resold. Trump is not an officer or employee of the company, but DT Marks DEFI LLC receives a bulk of World Liberty Financial's revenue if the venture is a success, leading some ethics experts to raise concerns that the company could be a vehicle for directing funds to Trump. "To call it an ethical problem is to understate how fundamentally corrupt it is," said Robert Weissman, the co-president of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. "They've set up a way for people to funnel money to Donald Trump, and now it's happening." Two months after its launch, the company failed to make much traction in the cryptocurrency space after it faced criticism about its ambiguous business plan beyond its association with Trump. According to James Butterfill, the head of research at asset management company CoinShares, the company's early marketing materials offered little more than "buzzwords." The weak launch also suggested its founders and the Trumps would make little to no money from the venture. Because World Liberty Financial had made less than $30 million in revenue prior to Sun's investment, all of the money raised by the company would be held in a reserve to cover operating expenses while the Trumps would make nothing, according to terms in the company's so-called " gold paper ." MORE: Trump announces new role for his administration, names PayPal co-founder 'White House AI and crypto czar' Enter Justin Sun, the eclectic cryptocurrency billionaire who -- prior to spending millions on a banana duct-taped to a wall -- attracted headlines for spending more than half a million dollars on an NTF of a pet rock , and $4.5 million for a lunch with Warren Buffet. His $30 million investment through Tron -- the popular cryptocurrency he founded in 2017 -- made him the largest investor in the project and fueled resurgence of interest in the once-struggling platform. "The U.S. is becoming the blockchain hub, and Bitcoin owes it to @realDonaldTrump!" Sun wrote on X announcing his investment. 'You'd want to run away' Last year the SEC sued Sun and his companies with securities fraud for allegedly manipulating the value of a cryptocurrency and paying celebrities including Lindsey Lohan, Ne-Yo, and Jake Paul to promote the assets without disclosing they had been paid. Sun and his companies have denied wrongdoing, and the celebrities have settled the case without admitting or denying the allegations. Tron and other cryptocurrencies have also faced criticism for allegedly enabling criminals to make financial transactions undetected, with a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime calling Tron "a preferred choice for crypto money launderers in East and Southeast." Tron's leadership called the report's allegation "inaccurate" and said it "supports the UN's stance against malicious actors in the blockchain space." After his $30 million investment, World Liberty Financial named Sun an adviser, saying that his "insights and experience will be instrumental" to the company's growth. Weissman told ABC News he was concerned about the arrangement. "It's exactly the sort of figure that you'd want to run away from if you were starting a business, and instead they're embracing it," Weissman said of World Liberty Financial and Sun. MORE: Is it too late to buy bitcoin after it hit $100,000? Experts weigh in. The investment could prove to be lucrative for Sun, given Trump's association with the project and the number of cryptocurrencies that have rallied following the election. On Thursday, shares of the leading cryptocurrency bitcoin surpassed $100,000 for the first time. "With a lot of crypto, having good PR or a good kind of voice helps a lot to get something noticed, and there's no better time for World Liberty Financial," Butterfill said. "The lines between the private endeavor that this is and the public connections that Trump has are quite blurred, and the kind of people running World Liberty Financial will probably play on that a little bit." Trump's name and likeness are seen throughout World Liberty Financial's website and marketing materials, and Trump himself is listed as the company's "chief crypto advocate," though the firm discloses that neither Trump nor his family members are officers of the company. According to the company, World Liberty Financial is "inspired" by Trump and hopes to introduce the platform "to a broader audience that may have previously been unfamiliar or hesitant to engage with decentralized assets and cryptocurrency." "They're trying to take advantage of President-elect Trump's popularity and the fact that he just won an election, and see if they can get this business up and running and off the ground," said Scott Amey, general counsel at the watchdog Project on Government Oversight. 'Money in the future president's hands' Though Sun and Trump have never met, several ethics experts ABC News spoke with also raised concerns that the investment -- and Trump's possible profit from it -- could influence Trump's policy toward cryptocurrencies, including whether the Securities and Exchange Commission continues to pursue the aggressive litigation brought under the Biden administration. "If you face charges from the SEC, it's a pretty good investment to put money in the future president's hands in order to influence who might end up making those decisions at the SEC," said Libowitz. MORE: Trump has made millions hawking merchandise. Now he could face conflicts of interest Steve Witkoff, Trump's longtime friend who, along with his sons, is a co-founder of World Liberty Financial, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in September that Trump's foray into crypto would not pose a conflict because he would likely place his assets into a trust -- as Trump did during his first administration when he placed his assets into a revocable trust controlled by his sons and a business associate. But that arrangement would not fully remedy the concerns about conflicts stemming from Trump's crypto venture, according to multiple experts. Trump is still able to broadly understand the state of his assets, he can still profit from them, and he has the authority to regain control of the assets -- all of which limit the trust's effectiveness in preventing conflicts, several experts said. "Absent divesting and stepping away from these investments totally, he still stands to profit from them," said Amey.
Gender Dysphoria Pipeline Drugs and Companies Insight Report, 2024 Updates: Analysis of Clinical Trials, Therapies, Mechanism of Action, Route of Administration, and Developments | Schering-PloughTrump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders
A poor start to Erik ten Hag’s third season in charge last month led the Red Devils to turn to the 39-year-old. Ruben Amorim says Manchester United are a massive club but not a massive team as he continues to try and turn around a group that need to “run like mad dogs” if they are to become winners. A poor start to Erik ten Hag’s third season in charge last month led the Red Devils to turn to the 39-year-old, who immediately lifted the mood after swapping Sporting for Old Trafford. Amorim followed a draw at Ipswich in his opening match with entertaining wins against Bodo/Glimt and Everton, yet he repeatedly attempted to manage expectations. The Portuguese said United would “suffer for a long period” and then warned a “storm will come” ahead of Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at Arsenal – a reality check before hosting Nottingham Forest on Saturday. “I think that is very clear,” Amorim said of the scale of the job. “We are a massive club, but we are not a massive team, and we know it. It’s no problem to say it. “So, we want to improve, we are in a different moment from Arsenal, but you could feel it during the game. “I think we have to believe more because we were not dominant in the game, but we had control in the game. “Not so many chances for Arsenal – of course a lot of set pieces – but we were OK, especially in the first half. We had some good things in that moment, but you could feel that there’s so much to do. “We need to be better in the final third, we have to create more danger, they have to feel it. “I felt that Arsenal had problems to block our build up but then when they were defending the goal it was quite comfortable for them, so we are learning these things and trying to improve in two days.” United’s problems mean they enter the weekend 13th in the Premier League standings – quite the sight for fans of a club who have won an English record 20 league titles. Asked if perceptions around the club need to change, Amorim said: “That will not change because this club has glories in the past. “Our players have to understand that this is a very difficult position, so we are not (one of) the best teams in the league, and we have to say that and to think that clearly. “But our past, our club is maybe the best one in the league, so we have here a problem, but we have to focus on the little things, the little details. “If you think in everything, it will be a problem. Let’s focus on the small details and then we will improve it as a team.” Amorim has had precious little time to work on such details having started during an international break followed by a relentless winter schedule. Saturday’s home game against Forest is United’s third of nine matches in December and came with a demand for effort on top of technical quality. “It’s impossible to win the Premier League without a team like that – that every moment runs back, runs forward,” Amorim said. “It is impossible to win. If you want to win, we have to do it. “Even with the best starting XI in the planet without running they will not win nothing, so that is very clear. “If we want to win the Premier League, we have to run like mad dogs. If not, we are not going to win.” Interestingly, Amorim’s comments come six years after compatriot Jose Mourinho spoke about United’s lack of “mad dogs” following a December draw at Southampton. “It doesn’t matter about the system,” the former United manager said. “It has to do with the characteristics of the players and we don’t have many, with all the respect, mad dogs – the ones who bite the ball all the time and press all the time. We don’t have many with that spirit.” Amorim will hope not to be feeling similar after facing Forest, having previously said he needs to improve the “physical aspect of the team”. “The problem to be fit enough is if they can cope with that,” United’s head coach said. “If they are used to do that in training, they will do that in games. “So, they are professional athletes, they can improve this. You cannot be faster, but you can run more with training. We are in that path.”
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler birdied every hole but the par 3s on the front nine at Albany Golf Club on Friday and finished his bogey-free round with an 8-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge. Two months off did nothing to slow the world's No. 1 player. Scheffler already has eight victories this year and is in position to get another before the end of the year. Scheffler was at 13-under 131, two ahead of Akshay Bhatia (66) and Justin Thomas (67), both of whom had to save par on the 18th hole to stay in range going into the weekend. Scheffler started with a lob wedge to 2 feet for birdie and never slowed until after he went out in 29 to seize control of the holiday tournament against a 20-man field. Scheffler cooled slightly on the back nine, except it didn't feel that way to him. “Front nine, just things were going my way. Back nine, maybe not as much,” Scheffler said. “A couple shots could end up closer to the hole, a couple putts go in, just little things.” Asked if he felt any frustration he didn't take it lower — he once shot 59 at the TPC Boston during the FedEx Cup playoffs — Scheffler sounded bemused. “I think in this game I think a lot of all y’all are looking for perfection out of us,” he said. “Today I shot 8 under on the golf course, not something I hang my head about. A lot of good things out there — clean card, bogey-free, eight birdies. Overall, I think I'm pretty pleased.” Thomas felt his 67 was stress-free, particularly the way he was driving the ball. The wind laid down again, rare for the Bahamas, though it is expected to pick up on the weekend. Thomas wasn't concerned to see Scheffler get off to a hot start, especially with three par 5s on the front nine and a short par 4 that at worst leaves a flip wedge to the green. “You literally can birdie every hole as soft as the greens are,” Thomas said. “He's a great player, a great wedge player, and you have a lot of birdie holes to start. I'm honestly surprised he only shot 8 under. It's a sneaky course because if you fall asleep on some shots, you can get out of position. But if you're on and focused and really in control of everything — like these last two days with no wind — you can just make so many birdies.” Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley had a 67 and was four shots behind. No matter how benign the conditions, it wasn't always easy. Cameron Young, who opened with a 64 for a two-shot lead, followed with a 75 despite making five birdies. That included a double bogey on the final hole when his approach tumbled down the bank into the rocks framing the lake that goes all the way down the 18th hole. Patrick Cantlay was trying to keep pace playing alongside Scheffler, but he had three bogeys over the final seven holes and fell seven shots behind with a 71. The tournament, hosted by Tiger Woods, is unofficial but offers world ranking points to all but the bottom three players because of the small field. It's the weakest field in 25 years, but Scheffler at No. 1 gives it enough cachet. He is the first player since Woods in 2009 to start and finish a year at No. 1 in the world. And even after a layoff — giving him time to tinker with a new putting stroke — it looks like it might be a while before anyone changes that. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
BY KEITH LIPPOLDT klippoldt@gbtribune.com After 30 years in law enforcement, Chris Nixon could have walked away from the crimes and the criminals. But no. Instead, he chose to move back to familiar territory and continue doing what he can to keep the peace. Nixon began his law enforcement career with the Barton County Sheriff’s Office in 1994. After working his way up to Sergeant, he left for the Wichita Police Department in 2001. In August 2024, he retired from the WPD and became Chief of Police in Claflin. The transition to chief has been smooth as Nixon is following Gary Vaughan, Nixon’s stepfather, as chief of this Barton County city of approximately 550 residents. And the fact that Vaughan is such a respected figure in Claflin, Nixon isn’t having to chase a bunch of crime. “I would say Gary is probably the main reason why Claflin is the way it is today,” Nixon said. “He’s done a lot for this community. They struggled for seven months to find his replacement, until I got the job. He’s so dedicated to this community. He was covering this when he was going through cancer treatments, other physical challenges and ailments. He loves this town, and he knows everyone and everything about this town. He’s been such a valuable asset.” With 30-years of law enforcement experience in both small towns and larger cities, Nixon was ready for the move. And he’s learning first-hand the difference between the two isn’t in the crimes, just the volume. “The call load is the difference” he said. “It’s the same calls, just not as many. And in a town like Claflin, there are fewer things for bad people to do. You don’t see the same type of criminal activity as you do in the city because everybody usually knows everyone. So, the criminals tend to stand out in smaller communities a lot easier. You kind of know who troubled people are. You get history on them. “You just know everybody. You know everybody that lives in every house. You know what they drive. You know if something’s out of place. It’s a little easier to keep things from happening, because you just know the normalcy of things.” Being a rural town on the far edge of the county, it would be easy to suspect that Claflin has fallen victim to drugs, criminals and neglect like many other rural Kansas towns. Nixon said that is not the case in his town. He believes that once a town loses its businesses, and they become just residential areas, that’s when the criminal activity really picks up. “When I was in the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, we spent a lot of time in the smaller communities,” Nixon said. “They had a lot of rental properties. Anytime you have a lot of rental properties, people tend to hop town to town, especially if they got in trouble in one. I have been purging evidence from the past 30 years. There was a lot of drugs I’ve destroyed. But, over the last 10 years, there have been very few cases of that. This community is all about community.” Nixon, to this point, doesn’t have the same modern technology and equipment a city like Wichita has, but he says they are working to bring the department up to speed, especially on the technology side. ”We’re getting into the 21st century as far as the way things are operated,” he said. “Computers, getting things up to date there so we can be a little more efficient, Evidence, getting that squared away where it’s getting things purged that don’t need to be here any longer because cases are closed. It’s just getting things updated and on track, and then being consistent with coverage. Because it’s me and Gary for the most part, and then I have eight part-timers. So, I’ve got people out here seven days a week now.” With himself as the only full-time person on the force, he relies on his part-time staff of Vaughan and the eight others, but that still leaves him on 24-hour call each day. “Without the part-timers, it would be very difficult,” Nixon said. “On a normal week, I’m on call. If somebody calls, I’ll leave home and go take care of whatever needs to be taken care of. At the same time, I’ve reached out to Lieutenant David Paden (Barton County Sheriff’s Office) when I need them to cover and they’re very helpful. Having 24/7 coverage is important.” Even with over 30-years of law enforcement experience, Nixon knows the value of a trusted and respected right-hand man, in this case, stepdad Vaughan. “He loves this town,” Nixon said. “He knows everyone. He knows everything about this town. He’s been a valuable asset. I still ask him questions. I still get information from him. He’s still doing code enforcement. He lives and breathes it. He loves this place.” Leaving the hustle of the big city and making the move back to Claflin has been great for Nixon, the father of three adult children and three grandchildren. My stress level is significantly lower now,” he said. “I’ve been working 60-plus hours a week for the past five years and I still have a lot to do. I’m just happy to be here. This is more my lifestyle and everything I do and love is up here.”TikTok’s future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible US ban
Democrats push possible Trump response, other state legislative matters to New Year