(The Center Square) – Christians helped push President-elect Donald Trump across the finish line on Election Day, a survey found. Trump received the majority of the Christian vote, while Vice President Kamala Harris received the majority of the non-Christian vote. This is according to a report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, which surveyed 2,000 voting-age adults nationally. The election was a historic comeback for Republicans on many fronts, with Trump being the first Republican to win the popular vote vote in over two decades. Among self-identified Christians, Trump also received 56% of their votes, compared to the 60% Harris received from non-Christians. Yet, because the majority of voters still identify as Christians, Trump had a larger share of the vote. “Although Harris won a larger share of the non-Christian vote than Trump’s share of the Christian votes, Christians outnumbered non-Christian voters by more than a 5 to 2 margin – delivering the decisive Nov. 5 victory to President Trump,” the report said. “Not only did most of Trump’s votes come from Christians, but they gave him a 17 million vote cushion over Harris, which proved to be an insurmountable lead.” Christians represented 72% of the voters who turned out. The report also found that Catholics had record-high turnout, despite overall voter and Christian voter turnout being well below what it was in 2020. While voter turnout was lower than 2020 in most of the Christian subgroups polled, 70% of Catholics reported voting compared to 2020’s 67%. Voters with a “biblical worldview” also voted at a higher percentage, up to 67% in 2024 from 2020’s 64%. Just days before the election, Trump predicted that Harris would struggle with the Catholic vote on Election Day. “Kamala Harris has finally lost the Catholic vote,” he said on social media on Oct. 25. “Her and the Democrats persecution of the Catholic Church is unprecedented! Her poll numbers have dropped like a rock, both with Catholics, and otherwise.” While many politicos expressed concerns that Trump’s moderate pro-life stance would disenfranchise Christian and anti-abortion voters, it seems to have much less of an impact than expected. In fact, Trump pointed to Harris’ abortion stance as pushing Catholics toward voting for him. “Kamala is demanding late-term abortion, in months seven, eight, and nine, and even execution after birth, and people aren’t buying it – and they never will,” the former president said . The report found that 20% of Christians selected abortion as the most-consequential issue this election, with inflation (38%) and immigration (34%) receiving even higher percentages. Yet, potentially even more impactful on the election than the increase in the Catholic vote was the significant drop in non-Christian turnout, even higher than those reported in Christian subgroups. The report found that adults “associated with a faith other than Christianity” and “adults who have no religious faith” had a massive drop in turnout from 2020, dropping 12% and 9% respectively. With both of these groups historically supporting Democratic candidates, this cratering in support likely had a significant impact on Harris’ chances of winning. George Barna, who serves as the director of research at the Cultural Research Center and led the survey, said Trump’s boost with Christians was just too much for Harris. “Americans forget that two-thirds of adults in this nation consider themselves to be Christians,” Barna said . “Donald Trump, for all of his perceived and ridiculed faults, did a better job than did Kamala Harris of representing hallowed Christian characteristics such as the importance and support of family, the rule of law, limited government authority, financial responsibility, and the like.”Empowered Funds LLC decreased its holdings in NetScout Systems, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NTCT – Free Report ) by 82.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 41,140 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 191,473 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in NetScout Systems were worth $895,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $60,000. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in NetScout Systems by 52.4% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,100 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 1,066 shares in the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in NetScout Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.64% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity In other news, COO Michael Szabados sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.32, for a total value of $138,580.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 42,489 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $905,865.48. This trade represents a 13.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Company insiders own 3.71% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes View Our Latest Report on NTCT NetScout Systems Trading Up 1.2 % NetScout Systems stock opened at $21.81 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.60 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.63. NetScout Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $17.10 and a 1 year high of $24.42. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $21.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $20.13. About NetScout Systems ( Free Report ) NetScout Systems, Inc provides service assurance and cybersecurity solutions for protect digital business services against disruptions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers nGeniusONE management software that enables customers to predict, preempt, and resolve network and service delivery problems, as well as facilitate the optimization and capacity planning of their network infrastructures; and specialized platforms and analytic modules that enable its customers to analyze and troubleshoot traffic in radio access and Wi-Fi networks. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NTCT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NetScout Systems, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NTCT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for NetScout Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NetScout Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Supreme Court seems likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on treatments for transgender minors
Elon Musk warns Singapore and many other countries headed towards extinction from EarthJudge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgenderNebraska saw a football player announce a transfer for a third straight day Wednesday, this time a rotational member of the defensive line. Kai Wallin will move on after two seasons as a Husker, he announced on social media. He appeared in 11 games this fall with four tackles and recorded half a sack at Purdue. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder said he “deliberated, consulted and prayed” about his decision. “While I hope to continue to grow and evolve and make an impact on a new field, I will never forget the honor it was to wear a Nebraska jersey,” Wallin wrote in part. Wallin played a year of junior-college ball before arriving at Nebraska in 2023. The Sacramento native redshirted his first season before logging 89 snaps this year including 13 against Wisconsin. He saw single-digit snaps in five games behind a senior-heavy starting line. The defender has two years of eligibility remaining. Wallin is the 10th Husker to announce his intent to enter the transfer portal since Nov. 25. Migration among defenders has been higher as defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton both left in recent days for Florida State. NU coach Matt Rhule said earlier Wednesday the roster churn – especially attrition – will continue in earnest as the team continues to trim closer to next season’s mandated limit of 105. “There’s going to be more,” Rhule said. “Everybody’s journey is different.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!
The Las Vegas Raiders are a day away from playing against the Denver Broncos in Week 12, which comes after a loss to the Miami Dolphins. And, losing is something they have been doing a lot lately, six in a row to be exact. And, the Broncos are good, so this game could very well be another loss. But before that, star player Maxx Crosby got some news he did not want to receive—a day before, too. And man, it may hurt anyone to look at, but luckily, he can afford it. That doesn't mean he won't grimace when he sees it, though. On Saturdays, the NFL releases those who've been fined from the week before. And, this is a good opportunity for fans to get an inside look at how much each penalty these players get, costs them. For Crosby, he was fined twice for the game last week against the Miami Dolphins. According to Gameday operations , Crosby got an unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting)penalty worth $11,255 on Sunday, along with an unnecessary roughness (striking/kicking/kneeing) penalty worth $11,817. So that's about $23 thousand just last weekend alone. The NFL is cracking down on these penalties, and if players aren't careful, they could end up losing a ton of money in just one week. Now, Crosby makes good money, so while this may hurt a bit, like we said before, he can afford it. If this was an undrafted player, like Amari Gainer, who also was fined this week, it would be a lot more to worry about. The Raiders and Crosby, regardless of this fine, are getting ready to play the Denver Broncos, and after that have a difficult schedule with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and the Los Angeles Chargers, who are all pretty good football teams, at least better than the Raiders are. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Gruesome killing of Florida golfer on course a ‘random act of violence’: policeChristian vote, especially Catholics, critical to Trump's historic win
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Football season may be over for Rogers County schools, but the gridiron excitement is far from done. Claremore and Catoosa have been selected as host sites for several high-stakes semifinal games, bringing some of Oklahoma’s best teams to the area. The semifinal games offer local fans a chance to witness top-tier Oklahoma football and provide a boost to the Rogers County communities hosting these pivotal matchups. Claremore will host both Class 6A-I semifinal matchups on Friday, Nov. 29 at Lantow Field. At 1 p.m., perennial powerhouse Jenks (8-3) will face undefeated Owasso (11-0) in a clash of eastside titans. Later that evening, at 7 p.m., Bixby (9-2) will take on Edmond Memorial (9-2), with both teams aiming for a spot in the state championship. The Rams defeated the Trojans 42-24 on Sept. 6, but Jenks has been peaking as of late, outscoring its past five opponents 203-21. Meanwhile, Owasso hasn't looked as dominant, winning its past four games by an average of 16 points, including close games against Edmond Santa Fe (31-27) and Norman North (64-54), which went a combined 5-17 this season. In the other semifinal, the Spartans are looking to advance to the championship game for an 11th-straight year while the Bulldogs are aiming for a title-game berth for the first time in school history. This will be the first meeting between the teams. According to Claremore athletic director Brian Young, he has already confirmed many volunteers for the Black Friday matchups and reserved two helicopters to drop off the game balls. “It’s pretty big, and we’re going to be ready,” Young said. “I’m assuming some of the larger schools didn’t want to host, so (the OSSAA) called me and asked if I’d be willing to host, and I said yes. Monetarily, we don’t make much off that at all, but think about the 16,000-plus human beings it’s going to bring into Claremore, spending their money at our businesses and buying gas. And it showcases our school — that’s the only reason I’m doing it. “We’re going to try to make it fun and eventful so when people leave Claremore, they’re like, ‘Wow, Claremore can put on a football game.’” Catoosa will also welcome its share of semifinal action at Frank McNabb Stadium, starting with the Class 6A-II semifinal on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. when unbeaten reigning champion Muskogee (11-0) squares off against Stillwater (9-2) in what promises to be a thrilling rematch of last year's state championship game. The Roughers and Pioneers met twice in 2023, with Stillwater winning the regular-season matchup 30-20 before dropping the championship tilt 28-26 less than a month later. The football festivities in Catoosa continue into December, with a Class A-II semifinal slated for Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. Regent Prep (11-1) will face Woodland (12-0) in a marquee small-school showdown. Catoosa athletic director Courtne St. Clair could not be reached for comment before deadline.
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NoneHOUSTON, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ: WFRD) (“Weatherford” or the “Company”) will host a conference call on Thursday, February 6, 2025 to discuss the Company’s results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. The conference call will begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. Central Time). Prior to the conference call, the Company will issue a press release announcing the results and the associated presentation slides will be uploaded to the investor relations section of the Weatherford website. Listeners can participate in the conference call via a live webcast . Alternatively, the conference call can be accessed by registering in advance (which will provide a PIN for immediate access) or by dialing +1 877-328-5344 (within the U.S.) or +1 412-902-6762 (outside of the U.S.) and asking for the Weatherford conference call. Participants should log in or dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until February 20, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To access the replay, please dial +1 877-344-7529 (within the U.S.) or +1 412-317-0088 (outside of the U.S.) and reference conference number 9530137. About Weatherford Weatherford delivers innovative energy services that integrate proven technologies with advanced digitalization to create sustainable offerings for maximized value and return on investment. Our world-class experts partner with customers to optimize their resources and realize the full potential of their assets. Operators choose us for strategic solutions that add efficiency, flexibility, and responsibility to any energy operation. The Company conducts business in approximately 75 countries and has approximately 19,000 team members representing more than 110 nationalities and 330 operating locations. Visit weatherford.com for more information and connect with us on social media. Contact: Luke Lemoine Weatherford Investor Relations +1 713-836-7777 investor.relations@weatherford.com
Ally Louks could be considered the antithesis of “extremely online.” The low-key literature scholar is generally more focused on her research and supervising undergrads at Cambridge University than on growing her once-small social media following or posting on X more than a few times a year. But last week, the 26-year-old shared a happy photo and a breezy caption on X, unaware that her post - and the niche focus of her PhD thesis - would become a lightning rod in the sprawling culture war against elite institutions and the nebulous concept of “woke.” Louks had successfully defended her thesis months earlier, but the results were made official in late November when she decided to share a post celebrating an important final step in earning her PhD. She shared the photo of her smiling and hugging the bound volume of her research and wrote, “Thrilled to say I passed my viva with no corrections and am officially PhDone.” “Honestly, I mostly shared it just so that my colleagues in academia would know that I’m finished and open for [postdoctorate opportunities],” Louks told The Washington Post on Thursday. “I didn’t do it for any other reason than that, and I didn’t expect it to be seen by anyone outside of my close circle.” The attention to Louks’s thesis, both from people looking to read it and trash it, has had the singular effect of pushing her obscure academic research to a massive audience. Louks shared the abstract to her thesis, which has been viewed more than 8 million times on X. More than 600 people have contacted her through her university to request a preview to read her pre-published work. With her thesis still under embargo, Louks said it’s too early to know exactly what this sudden strike of social media interest will yield. “What I will say is that the 600 people in my inbox requesting my thesis doesn’t even scratch the surface of all of the people who have expressed interest in reading my [work],” Louks said. “I have thousands and thousands of people across loads of different platforms saying that they would love to read the thesis or anything that I write about it, so I think that can only bode well.” That rosy outlook wasn’t as clear in the days after Louks’s post jumped from her small circle of followers to the vast expanse of the internet. Immediately, the post started to draw more traction than Louks said she ever anticipated. A round of congratulations followed from people acknowledging the challenge of earning a PhD, and Louks’s even rarer achievement of defending a thesis without drawing corrections. Soon after, Louks began receiving a flood of replies from total strangers who were alternately intrigued and incensed by the subject of her research, titled “Olfactory ethics: The politics of smell in modern and contemporary prose.” Louks traced the moment that her replies flipped from positive to negative to when she noticed her post had been re-shared by a several right-wing accounts. A new crop of overwhelmingly hostile responses emerged. Critics denigrated Louks’s intelligence, called her work “pretentious” and lobbed sexist digs about the worthlessness of a woman burnishing academic credentials rather than having babies. A common thread in the criticism, almost entirely from men, argued Louks’s research topic was too “woke,” and somehow made society worse off. While Louks took the unprovoked backlash via social media in stride, one man tracked down her personal email address (“it’s not freely available online,” she notes) to threaten her with gang rape. “I felt that was so severely inappropriate that it needed to be reported,” Louks said. The experience has been at times bewildering, even as Louks is keenly aware of the social media hive-mind and of the culture of misogyny that is especially intense for high-achieving women. She also understands that her thesis will be misinterpreted, especially since no one apart from her advisers and a few friends has read it in its entirety while it remans under embargo. The thesis itself looks at how the importance of smell is represented in modern literature, and more specifically how literary works invoke smell to communicate attitudes of desire and disgust, Louks said. An example is the notion of “funk,” which Louks said she briefly mentions in her paper, which invokes a smell with different varying interpretations. “It can mean both: a kind of negative smell, but also a sense of coolness,” Louks said, noting how “funk” conjures different ideas when, for instance, associated with Black communities. “I really don’t feel that my work is above criticism,” Louks said. “It’s just that the criticisms levied at me were not based in reality.” With her PhD secured, Louks said she is looking ahead to her graduation ceremony next year, as well as writing a book proposal and articles on her research more suitable for a nonacademic audience. She may pursue a postdoctorate program, but at the moment is still marveling at how the random lightning strike of social media fame ultimately exposed her work to a far bigger audience than she could have ever imagined. Alex Zawacki, a fellow academic who lectures on medieval history at the University of Göttingen in Germany, summed up Louks’s achievement with a post on X: “Congratulations both for finishing and for very possibly being the first person in recorded history whose dissertation will be read by someone who is not their mom or on their committee.” Related Content
Hope Adebayo, Tak Tateoka help St. Thomas-Minnesota end season with 32-9 victory over DaytonCHICAGO (AP) — (AP) — Des Watson led Loyola Chicago with 14 points and sealed the victory with a 3-pointer with 32 seconds remaining as the Ramblers knocked off South Florida 74-72 on Saturday. Watson shot 3 for 15 (2 for 8 from 3-point range) and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Ramblers (8-0). Kymany Houinsou scored 12 points while finishing 5 of 7 from the floor and added seven rebounds and five assists. Jalen Quinn had 12 points and shot 4 of 8 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. The Ramblers extended their winning streak to eight games. The Bulls (5-4) were led by Jayden Reid, who recorded 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Kasen Jennings added 13 points for South Florida. Jamille Reynolds had 12 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Justin Moore scored six points in the first half and Loyola Chicago went into the break trailing 38-35. Watson scored a team-high nine points for Loyola Chicago in the second half, including their game-winning shot in the final minute. NEXT UP Loyola Chicago next plays Sunday against San Francisco at home, and South Florida will visit Utah State on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .None
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With just enough time for the turkey to digest, hunters across the Valley will take to the woods Saturday when the statewide firearms deer season begins. The Pennsylvania Game Commission anticipates more than half a million hunters will head out Saturday hoping to harvest a deer. Beginning Saturday, this year's deer season continues on Sunday, then runs from Dec. 2 through 14, excluding only Sunday, Dec. 8, according to the game commission. This is arguably the busiest time of year for local sporting goods stores. Steve McNeal, owner of The Little Sportsman Shop in Northumberland said his shop has been "really busy the last couple weeks." Though ammunition prices have gone up, it has been much easier to get despite the stocking difficulties faced during the pandemic. "We're very well stocked," McNeal said. Many hunters no longer go to sporting goods stores to get their hunting licenses, and instead do so online, according to the local store owner. McNeal said he thinks many hunters enjoy the season change giving them an extra two days in the woods. Formerly, the season would have started on Monday, Dec. 2. "If you're going to spend $1,000 on a rifle and getup and you work during the week, you're able to get more out of that investment," McNeal said. The owner's son, Logan McNeal, "runs the place," his father said. Logan McNeal said a few new calibers of rifle have come out since last season. He mentioned 400 legend as a "big one." While some people have been wary of the new rifles, others have jumped on the train and have been seeking them throughout the past few weeks. "It's finally a season they can use it," Logan McNeal said. John Hoffman, who works at The Little Sportsman Shop, said he's not only been busy helping customers, but has been getting ready for the start of the season himself. Hoffman said he's been sighting in his rifles and getting his gear and clothing out and ready to go. Hunters are allowed one antlered deer per year, plus one antlerless deer for every Wildlife Management Unit (WMU)-specific antlerless license or Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permit, the game commission said. According to game commission data, across all of the 2023-24 deer seasons, hunters harvested an estimated 430,010 white-tailed deer. The statewide buck harvest was estimated at 171,600. The antlerless harvest was estimated at 258,410. The regular firearms deer season accounted for the largest part of these totals as firearms hunters took an estimated 254,710 deer, the commission said.November 26 - NFL Thanksgiving, Black Friday capsules --Thursday Chicago Bears (4-7) at Detroit Lions (10-1), 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS With a nine-game winning streak and 2-0 record in the division, the Lions are no easy prey for the Bears in the first game of the holiday tripleheader on Thursday. Chicago lost another game in walkoff fashion, 30-27 to the Vikings in overtime, their third such defeat in a five-game losing streak to deflate a feel-good 4-2 start. Signs of growth are evident for Bears rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Facing Minnesota's notably blitz-happy defense, Williams guided the Bears to 17 points in the fourth quarter to force OT. He had his third 300-yard game of the season and hasn't thrown an interception during the ongoing five-game skid. A lasting pain point since the Bears tasted victory at London in Week 6 is execution on third downs converting 21 of 73 since the bye week. With the short and fruitless drives becoming habitual, Chicago has seen improvement with Thomas Brown calling plays the past two games, although there are signs of a weary defense late in games. No time for a breather at Ford Field. The Lions are all-gas, no-brakes with 10 total touchdowns the past eight quarters. The Bears have 12 touchdowns in their past six games. Old friend David Montgomery faces his former Bears' teammates and is doing his part to put points up for the Lions with 11 rushing TDs in 11 games. Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has more touchdowns (nine) than all Bears wide receivers combined (eight). Chicago's defense picked off Jared Goff five times in two games last season. He has 20 touchdown passes -- one TD catch -- and seven games with multiple TD passes in 2024. In recent games, the Bears' defense is getting scorched. Chicago has surrendered a league-worst 1,977 total yards since Week 8. New York Giants (2-9) at Dallas Cowboys (4-7), 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX Backup Tommy DeVito didn't enjoy much of his first start this season for the Giants behind an offensive line breached by the Buccaneers repeatedly. DeVito, elevated to the starting role upon the demotion and release of Daniel Jones, was sacked four times and hit early and often. But there are a couple of reasons the Giants might stick around in the rematch of their 20-15 loss to Dallas earlier this season. For starters, the Cowboys are 0-5 at home and also pushed their backup into a starting role. Cooper Rush threw two TD passes last week but he wasn't entirely responsible for Dallas putting up 34 points to upset Washington. They also had two implausible fourth-quarter kickoff return TDs and the Commanders suffered self-inflicted wounds, not the least of which was a missed extra point that would have tied the game at 27 with 14 seconds remaining. Given the state of affairs in New York, where rookie WR Malik Nabers defined the team's effort as soft, and the questionable health of DeVito's offensive line, the Cowboys are favored to sweep the two-game series from the Giants for the fourth consecutive season. Rush (knee) started the week hobbled but head coach Mike McCarthy said he was confident the QB would be ready for Thursday. Miami Dolphins (5-6) at Green Bay Packers (8-3), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC If it's Miami on the road late in the season, we're talking temperature and the Dolphins' miserable record in sub-freezing conditions tells a depressing tale for the fish. Miami is 0-12 in its last 12 games when temps at kickoff are 26 degrees or lower and it could be at or under that number Thursday night. Green Bay's offensive line is setting the tone of late and it is built for plowing the path in front of RB Josh Jacobs, a downhill runner who is breaking tackles and taking names. Jacobs has six rushing touchdowns and three games with 95 rushing yards or more in the past four contests. The Dolphins haven't proven capable of being a run-first outfit with De'Von Achane limited to 32 yards on 10 carries last week. But he flashes big-play potential as a secondary option to QB Tua Tagovailoa. Since returning from IR, Tagovailoa has 1,043 passing yards, 10 TD passes and a completion percentage over 77. The Packers are in the primetime spotlight the next four weeks while attempting to work their way up the playoff pecking order. They've won five of the past six games with the Dolphins. This is the second consecutive game for Packers coach Matt LaFleur opposing a former co-worker in Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. He beat Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers last week. All three overlapped on staffs with the Houston Texans (2008), Washington Redskins (2011-13) and Atlanta Falcons (2015-16). --Friday Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) at Kansas City Chiefs (10-1), 3 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Normally cool and collected Chiefs coach Andy Reid nearly witnessed the coronary in Carolina courtesy of Bryce Young and the Panthers, who darted back into the game Sunday from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to force a game-ending field goal by Kansas City's fill-in kicker Spencer Shrader. As if there was a reason needed to take the Raiders seriously, Las Vegas beat Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City on Christmas Day last season. Reid is 19-4 against the Raiders with the Chiefs and Mahomes is 11-2 since becoming the starter in 2018. Mahomes will become the Chiefs' all-time leader in TD passes with his next score, breaking an existing tie with Len Dawson (237). Mahomes has an entertaining history with Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, largely out of respectful competition. Crosby's stamina will be tested by the Chiefs' methodical offense. Kansas City is first in the NFL in 10-play drives (32) and third-down percentage (52.7), areas where the Raiders' defense is below-average. Las Vegas is No. 22 in the NFL in third-down defense and allowed 104 total points in the past three games. Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell is preparing to start Friday and make his first appearance since a thumb injury sent him to IR Week 7. O'Connell returns to an offense leaning heavily on rookie TE Brock Bowers to produce. He leads the team with 74 receptions, 744 yards and three TD catches. He had five receptions for 55 yards in the Raiders' 27-20 loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 27. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the center's reliance on fossil fuels — and whether the plans for new natural gas power to support it could lead to higher energy bills in the future for Louisiana residents. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, is expanding its existing supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, the city's chamber of commerce said Wednesday. The chamber also said that Nvidia, Dell, and Supermicro Computer will be “establishing operations in Memphis,” without offering further details. Louisiana is among a growing number of states offering tax credits and other incentives to lure big tech firms seeking sites for energy-intensive data centers. The U.S. Commerce Department found that there aren’t enough data centers in the U.S. to meet the rising AI-fueled demand, which is projected to grow by 9% each year through 2030, citing industry reports. Meta anticipates its Louisiana data center will create 500 operational jobs and 5,000 temporary construction jobs, said Kevin Janda, director of data center strategy. At 4 million square feet (370,000 square meters), it will be the company's largest AI data center to date, he added. “We want to make sure we are having a positive impact on the local level,” Janda said. Congressional leaders and local representatives from across the political spectrum heralded the Meta facility as a boon for Richland parish, a rural part of Louisiana with a population of 20,000 historically reliant on agriculture. About one in four residents are considered to live in poverty and the parish has an employment rate below 50%, according to the U.S. census data. Meta plans to invest $200 million into road and water infrastructure improvements for the parish to offset its water usage. The facility is expected to be completed in 2030. Entergy, one of the nation's largest utility providers, is fast-tracking plans to build three natural gas power plants in Louisiana capable of generating 2,262 megawatts for Meta's data center over a 15-year period — nearly one-tenth of Entergy's existing energy capacity across four states. The Louisiana Public Service Commission is weighing Entergy's proposal as some environmental groups have opposed locking the state into more fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Meta said it plans to help bring 1,500 megawatts of renewable energy onto the grid in the future. Louisiana residents may ultimately end up with rate increases to pay off the cost of operating these natural gas power plants when Meta's contract with Entergy expires, said Jessica Hendricks, state policy director for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a Louisiana-based nonprofit advocating for energy consumers. “There’s no reason why residential customers in Louisiana need to pay for a power plant for energy that they’re not going to use," Hendricks said. "And we want to make sure that there’s safeguards in place.” Public service commissioner Foster Campbell, representing northeast Louisiana, said he does not believe the data center will increase rates for Louisiana residents and views it as vital for his region. “It’s going in one of the most needed places in Louisiana and maybe one of the most needed places in the United States of America,” Foster said. “I’m for it 100%.” Environmental groups have also warned of the pollution generated by Musk's AI data center in Memphis. The Southern Environmental Law Center, among others, says the supercomputer could strain the power grid, prompting attention from the Environmental Protection Agency. Eighteen gas turbines currently running at xAI’s south Memphis facility are significant sources of ground-level ozone, better known as smog, the group said. Patrick Anderson, an attorney at the law center, said xAI has operated with “a stunning lack of transparency” in developing its South Memphis facility, which is located near predominantly Black neighborhoods that have long dealt with pollution and health risks from factories and other industrial sites. “Memphians deserve to know how xAI will affect them,” he said, “and should have a seat at the table when these decisions are being made.” Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee. Associated Press writer Matt O’Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report. Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96Jonah Goldberg: What if most Americans aren't bitterly divided?
It’s here. American Thanksgiving. While most of our friends south of the border look at the late-November holiday and think NFL when it comes to sports, most Canadians view it through a different lens. They examine the NHL standings – hoping that their team is above the playoff line. Why? Since realignment occurred over a decade ago, 80% of the teams that are in playoff spots at Thanksgiving qualify for the post-season. For those that are mathematically challenged, that’s 13 out of 16 teams. That was the case last season as well as Edmonton, Nashville and the New York Islanders were the only teams to make the playoffs despite being on the outside looking in on Nov. 23, 2023. Last year on that date, the Vancouver Canucks had 27 points and only the Vegas Golden Knights — with 30 — had more. The Canucks performance in those first 20 games basically clinched a playoff spot. This season the Canucks haven’t been as fortunate. Not having the services of all-star goaltender Thatcher Demko since the start of the season due to a knee injury was the first issue that the hockey club had to deal with. Dakota Joshua also missed the first 14 games recovering from off-season cancer surgery. Brock Boeser suffered what appeared to be a concussion on Nov. 7 and missed seven games but was set to return to the lineup in Boston against the Bruins on Tuesday night. Then there’s J.T. Miller, who took a leave of absence on Nov. 19 for personal reasons. Add it all up and it’s a Canuck team that has been treading water without their three All-Stars from a year ago. After Monday’s games, Vancouver was below the playoff bar with 23 points, trailing both Colorado and Edmonton by one point for the two wildcard spots. The Canucks are also two points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division. The good news with all of these scenarios is that the Canucks have played the least number of games — 19 — of any team in the National Hockey League entering Tuesday’s game versus Boston. They have three games in hand on Edmonton, Colorado and Los Angeles. However, the question remains: will the Canucks make the playoffs? Many assume once the team gets 100% healthy, they will find a way to get it done but you know what they say about people who assume. Let’s start with Demko, the 28-year-old who compiled a 2.45 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage last season to go along with 35 wins in 51 games. Since March 10, he has played a grand total of four games; that’s four games in eight months. After such a lengthy layoff, the biggest concern for Demko will be timing and getting used to the intensity level of NHL games. As we often say when it comes to football, nothing duplicates game speed. For Demko, getting used to the speed and regular chaos of NHL games will be a challenge. Then there is Boeser, who had been out of the lineup for almost three weeks after taking a headshot from Tanner Jeannot in a game against the Kings in early November. Hopefully, there won’t be any lingering symptoms from that injury and Boeser can regain the pace that saw him score 40 goals last year and which he was duplicating this season with six goals in 12 games. As for Miller, when he does return, what player will the Canucks be getting? His play had dipped to the point where he was benched for the last 14:40 of the third period in his final game versus Nashville on Nov. 17. Miller’s production had waned with only six goals and ten assists in 17 games – well off the levels from a year ago when he tallied 37 goals and 66 assists. Then there are other issues that are of concern as well. The second defensive pair of Tyler Myers and Carson Soucy has struggled this season to the point where the organization is checking in with other teams as they look to get help for their blue line corps. What has compounded the problem is that Tocchet has emphasized since training camp that he wants his defencemen to be more involved in the offense and generating more chances. That doesn’t exactly fit into the skill set of either Myers or Soucy so it’s been noted that the Canucks are talking to other teams with Pittsburgh’s Marcus Pettersson being a player of interest. Although Pettersson is a solid defender, he’s not exactly the answer to the Canucks problems when it comes to offence from the back-end. While we are on the topic of Petterssons, the enigma known as Elias Pettersson will need to regain the form that saw him be a dynamic play-driver who scored 30-plus goals the last three seasons. Tocchet and the organization wanted to see more of an investment from Pettersson and the Swede has shown signs of improvement with four goals and six assists in his last seven games. There are other positive signs as well. Quinn Hughes continues to play at a Norris Trophy-calibre level while Kevin Lankinen has provided consistent goaltending during Demko’s absence. Conor Garland continues to play like Conor Garland and Pius Sutter and Teddy Blueger continue to provide good depth while new additions Kiefer Sherwood and Erik Brannstrom have exceeded expectations. Given what we know about the U.S Thanksgiving Day playoff trend, it’s not a slam dunk that the Canucks will make the post-season but it’s not a slam dunk they won’t either. Unlike last year when the team had enough of a cushion in the standings to play games pressure-free for the most part in the second half, it appears they won’t have that luxury this season. As Tocchet always likes to say, things are going to just keep ‘getting tougher’ and the Canucks are going to have to ‘embrace the hard’ as they deal with the grind of an NHL season. Their playoff hopes will depend on it. Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.Edward Little Coach Rick Kramer calls a play during an Oct. 11 football game against Windham. Kramer has resigned after leading the Red Eddies for three seasons. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Rick Kramer said the Edward Little High football program had “turned a corner” and was heading in the right direction. So stepping away isn’t easy, but a career change made it necessary. Kramer resigned this week after three seasons as the Red Eddies’ head coach because he recently accepted the position of Executive Director of the Maine Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (Maine AHPERD). He will be in charge of professional development for teachers across the state, as well as curriculum for health education and recreation in Maine schools. “Sometimes you think you can satisfy the appetite for all the other things that’s going to take time from you, and that you’ve got all the time in the world,” Kramer said. “You sit back with your spouse and you start analyzing how much time you’re going to spend on different things, and you realize there’s somebody else really that needs a lot of your time, too. It’s you and your spouse. I think it’s time for me to give myself and my spouse and this other work entity the time that I have.” The Red Eddies went 3-24 during Kramer’s tenure, including 1-8 this past season. He initially spent a season with the program as an assistant for previous coach Dave Sterling in 2016, which made him eager to return in 2022 when he was hired as the head coach. “Three years ago, I came back because I had a great experience back in (2016),” Kramer said. “I did a year with Coach Sterling, and I worked as a defensive coordinator for him, and I like the kids, I liked what the kids are about. There were some hard kids, some tough kids at the time, and I’m like, those kids, they needed me. We did a great job.” Kramer said he’s been involved in Maine AHPERD for decades and was approached to apply for the executive director position last summer. After discussions with his family, Kramer said he realized he had more to give than just teaching and coaching. The hardest part of stepping away from Edward Little football has been the feeling that he’s letting the current players down. He said it’s especially tough because the Red Eddies “just turned the corner,” growing the roster from 30 players three years ago to 65 this season. The Red Eddies’ next coach, Kramer added, will inherit a program progressing toward success, whether Edward Little remains in Class A or drops to Class B. Athletic Director Todd Sampson had scheduled a community meeting for Wednesday to discuss a possible petition to move the program from Class A North to Class B North . Sampson announced on social media Wednesday morning that the meeting has been postponed. Sampson later told the Sun Journal that the postponement was due to both Kramer’s resignation and a scheduling conflict that would have prevented Superintendent Susan Dorris from attending. Edward Little football coach Rick Kramer talks to his team before the Red Eddies’ 2023 season opener against Noble. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal “I think there’s positivity in the future, I think there’s an opportunity for kids to compete, no matter what level we’re at, Class A or Class B,” Kramer said. “But what you have to understand is that kids have to overcome the idea that they don’t have to prepare all year. If you’re going to play Class A football, you have to physically prepare all year long.” That’s why he encouraged 20 football players to wrestle for Edward Little this winter. Kramer said schools like Noble have entire starting lines of football players who wrestle, and wrestling-specific cross training should benefit the program in the future. Though the Red Eddies won only three games in three seasons, Kramer said the program showed a lot of growth, especially considering they didn’t have a practice field in 2022 while the new high school and athletic complex were being constructed. The new field was ready for use last year, but Kramer said the team still had to practice inside the gymnasium once a week because there was no regular practice field. “I think watching the program develop was great at Edward Little,” Kramer said. “I’m excited because next year there’s going to be a practice field, and they can practice at the same time every day; that’s going to make a huge difference.” Kramer said he’s thankful to the community, and all the players who committed their time and effort to the program. “I wish we could have had more wins, but I can tell you toward the end of this year, it was easy to see that we we had turned the corner, because of what would you call the esprit de corps ,” Kramer said. “The team was excellent toward the end, and they knew they were up against it. They knew they were trying to do the best job they could, and we had to do things unconventionally sometimes on defense to try to stop anybody.” We invite you to add your comments. 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