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DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic is returning to the Dallas lineup Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing the Mavericks’ two previous games with a left heel contusion. Doncic won last season’s scoring title with a career-best 33.9 points per game and is fifth in the NBA this season averaging 28.9, and seventh in assists, averaging 8.2. He had triple-doubles in three of his last four games, including his most recent appearance last Sunday with 45 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 143-133 win at Golden State. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Opposition warns Australia-Israel relationship at ‘lowest ebb in decades’
Luka Doncic returns to Dallas Mavericks' lineup after missing two games with left heel contusionMarshall withdraws from Independence Bowl matchup against Army
HUNTINGTON, W.V. (AP) — Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal. The Thundering Herd were slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech announced on Saturday that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead. Marshall said it pulled out “after falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe.” The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time. The program has won seven games in a row in the same season for the first time since 2020. “We apologize for the nature and timing of this announcement and for the turmoil it has brought to bowl season preparations for Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement. Coach Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss last Sunday, and Tony Gibson, the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, was announced as his replacement less than an hour later. By Thursday, at least 25 Marshall players had entered the transfer portal. Gibson held a meeting shortly after arriving on campus in Huntington to introduce himself to the team. He followed that up with phone calls, text messages and more meetings Friday and Saturday. “Any time coaches leave to take other jobs, it is emotional,” Gibson said at a news conference Thursday. “And kids that are 18-to-22 years old are going to make emotional decisions instead of just breathing for a day or two.” It's the first bowl for Louisiana Tech (5-7) since 2020. The Bulldogs have won two of their last three games, but they haven't played since a 33-0 victory over Kennesaw State on Nov. 30. “We are excited to accept the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against a fantastic and storied program as Army,” Louisiana Tech athletic director Ryan Ivey said in a release. “I believe our football program is moving toward positive structure and the opportunity to play in this bowl adds to that momentum. We are looking forward to being in Shreveport for this matchup.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football32 Top-Rated Products Under $20 For Your Frugal EraHUMBOLDT, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man was convicted Thursday of killing two men and wounding a third in a shooting at a high school basketball game three years ago. Jadon Hardiman, 21, was found guilty in Gibson County of charges including second-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, district attorney Frederick Agee said in a statement. He faces up to 76 years in prison at sentencing in April. Hardiman, of Jackson, attended a basketball game between Humboldt and North Side high schools on Nov. 30, 2021. Then 18, Hardiman entered the Humboldt gymnasium's crowded concession area and pulled a semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun, prosecutors said. He fired three shots at Justin Pankey, a 21-year-old former Humboldt basketball player. Pankey was hit one time and died within seconds, Agee said. A second bullet hit Xavier Clifton, a former North Side student and basketball player, who was standing in the concession line. Clifton was shot in the neck and paralyzed. He died in March 2022. A third shot struck another man in the back of the head. He survived. “Many people were placed in fear of imminent bodily injury by Hardiman’s shooting, as shown by video footage of their fleeing into the gym, into bathrooms, and other areas of the school,” Agee said. Hardiman ran away and drove to Jackson, disposing of the murder weapon along the way, the district attorney said. The U.S. Marshals Service contacted his family, and he was arrested the next day. Agee said the shooting "frightened every adult, student, and child present, who were only there to support their team and enjoy a good game.” Hardiman's lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.A Tennessee man is convicted of killing 2 at a high school basketball game in 2021
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NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 p.m.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi . Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on the social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.
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TV sport commentator says there's a problem with Indian cricket star Jasprit Bumrah that everyone is too 'politically correct' to say out loud Bumrah has been outstanding during Border-Gavaskar series Paceman has almost single-handedly carried India's attack By JAMES COONEY FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 18:54 EST, 23 December 2024 | Updated: 18:55 EST, 23 December 2024 e-mail View comments Veteran sports commentator Ian Maurice has blamed political correctness for cricket's failure to hold Indian superstar Jasprit Bumrah up to scrutiny for what he believes is a suspect bowling action. The Indian great has been a standout performer in this series and how well the Australians counter him in Melbourne and Sydney will go a long way to deciding whether they regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Aussies were left in tatters at 8-70 early on the second day of the Perth Test, largely because of Bumrah's five-wicket haul as he ripped through the top order at Optus Stadium. Cricket fans at the time called for the pace bowler's action to be investigated, after he produced devastating swing in both directions off a short run-up. On Monday, Maurice took to X to comment on the matter, posting: 'Why has no one questioned the delivery of India paceman Bumrah? Is it not politically correct these days? 'I'm not saying he's throwing but at least the position of the arm at the point of delivery should be analyzed. Nine would have had it under the microscope some years ago.' Indian paceman Jasprit Bumrah has been sensational throughout the Border-Gavaskar series Former sports commentator Ian Maurice (pictured) believes cricket's powers that be are refusing to analyse the paceman's action because they're afraid of being called racist Bumrah's unorthodox action has indeed been discussed over the years, with some comparing it to Pakistan bowler Mohammad Hasnain, who was banned from international cricket for throwing in 2022. At the time, renowned bowling coach and former England player Ian Pont explained why Bumrah's action is legal. 'You can see his arm straight from the wrist to elbow. The rule is when it is above the vertical that the elbow must not bend past 15 degrees,' Pont said. 'You can clearly see the forward flexion in his arm, which is a hyperextension. This is allowed (a forward bend) for people with hyper-mobile joints. 'A hyperextension is a movement in a similar direction to the direction of movement - not downward or to the side. This is why Bumrah's action is classified as legal since it is within the guidelines of hypermobility.' Nottingham Trent University senior lecturer in biomechanics Paul Felton has worked with numerous cricket coaches and further explained how the hypermobility is an advantage for Bumrah, but a legal one. 'His hypermobility also provides further advantages (in) that he is able to maintain alignment throughout his bowling action which reduces variability in his control of line and length,' he said. 'So, his hypermobility makes him unique. That he's able to maximise speed by accessing more optimal movement patterns which increases control and provide lower injury risk.' Bumrah's unique action has been discussed over the years, with several experts on the matter deeming it perfectly legal Bumrah (pictured with wife Sanjana Ganesan) has been exceptional this year and crucial to the Indian team throughout the tour of Australia Aussie cricket legend Greg Chappell says Bumrah's technique is 'unequivocally clean' Aussie cricket legend Greg Chappell has also spoken on the matter, saying fans should stop questioning the 30-year-old's technique. 'India's bowlers, spearheaded by the lethal Jasprit Bumrah, looked sharper and more menacing. Australia were bundled out for 104 in 52 overs, with Bumrah proving almost unplayable at times,' Chappell wrote in a column for Sydney Morning Herald. 'By the way, please stop this nonsense of questioning Bumrah's action. It is unique, but it is unequivocally clean. It demeans a champion performer and the game to even bring it up.' Former Australian opener David Warner has offered some insight into why the Indian star is so hard to face on the pitch. 'The key challenge of Bumrah is getting used to his action. If you haven't faced him before, it can be quite challenging,' Warner said. 'You've got to try and get used to the stutter at the crease. And then he lets go some thunderbolts. He always hits line and length. Can swing them both ways. 'I think the beauty of him is he's got two different gears. He can pitch it up when the ball is new and then he can go the other length.' The fourth Australia-India Test gets underway on Boxing Day at the MCG with the series locked at one victory apiece. Pakistan Melbourne India Share or comment on this article: TV sport commentator says there's a problem with Indian cricket star Jasprit Bumrah that everyone is too 'politically correct' to say out loud e-mail Add comment
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Blast of Ontario snow brings weather warnings, signs of white ChristmasPackers steamroll depleted Saints, look like a top contender in the NFCRex Ridgeway said he’s volunteered at his granddaughter Joselyn’s schools since she attended kindergarten at El Dorado Elementary in the San Francisco Unified School District. When Joselyn graduates from Lincoln High School in the spring, Ridgeway will wrap up his terms as Lincoln’s parent-teacher association president, debate-team coach and chess coach, marking the end of an era in which Ridgeway has been a fixture within SFUSD as a volunteer, community organizer and education advocate. He chaired SFUSD’s Citizen Bond Oversight Committee and currently serves as executive vice president of the the California State PTA’s second district, its San Francisco chapter. Ridgeway has also served on the Student Success Fund advisory council, Lincoln High School site council and SFUSD’s recent math-policy focus group, which is charged with helping the district reimplement eighth-grade algebra. Ridgeway was one of a group of advocates who sued the school district to reintroduce the subject in middle school and then went on to lead a citywide campaign to place the matter on the March 2024 ballot, which passed. Needless to say, it has been a busy 13 years for the retired stockbroker. “When I started [volunteering at El Dorado], it was fun,” Ridgeway told The Examiner. “I had a lot of fun with the kids.” He said the PTA group then was “mostly moms,” and he was “one of the few if not only grandparents and certainly [only] African American.” Ridgeway said he felt compelled when his granddaughter entered kindergarten because he “had the time,” having just retired, but he was quickly discouraged by the lack of participation from other families. He said he recognizes it isn’t easy to devote time to volunteering, then or now, but that the consequences of not doing so can put students at a disadvantage. “Immediately, I saw that parents did not know what goes on in their kids’ classrooms, school sites and at the school district,” he said. “And then I found that the biggest challenge was keeping the Board of Education informed and, at the same time, held accountable to the decisions they were making.” Ridgeway pointed to SFUSD’s decision to stop offering eighth-grade algebra , which he said outraged many parents since it was implemented in 2014. His granddaughter was affected by the now-reversed policy and had to double up on algebra and geometry courses in ninth grade to qualify for more advanced courses later. “She’s always been good at math, so why should I let the school district mess over her academic career?” Ridgeway said. SFUSD officials said the policy set out to level the playing field and increase state-administered math-aptitude test scores among its Black and Latino students. Instead, Ridgeway said, underrepresented student populations were victims of the policy. He called getting the course back into middle schools one of his proudest moments. Ridgeway and his fellow organizers had the support of the majority of The City’s Board of Supervisors. Prop. G was placed on the March 2024 ballot , giving voters the chance to weigh in on whether algebra should be offered in eighth grade. It was approved by more than 80% of voters. “I take great satisfaction in that we’re righting a wrong for parents who maybe don’t even know that [the policy] ever existed, or that if you don’t take algebra I in the eighth grade, you can’t get into calculus later on,” he said. But much of Ridgeway’s work as a volunteer over the years has been focused on increasing both transparency from the district and participation from students’ families. As previous chair of the district’s Citizen Bond Oversight Committee, a state-mandated volunteer oversight group, Ridgeway helped put SFUSD’s bond spending under a microscope. He was recognized as CBOC Member of the Year in 2022 by the California Association of Bond Oversight Committees. The San Francisco Democratic Party named him The City’s 2024 “education hero.” Ridgeway was nominated for the award, which recognizes a resident education advocate or volunteer, by local party Chair Nancy Tung. “In years past, the party has honored retiring legislators, political figures, and elected officials,” Tung told The Examiner. “This year, I felt like we should be shining a light on the everyday people who have been working to make San Francisco a better place, [including in] education.” The gala committee selected Ridgeway “because of his steadfast commitment to public education and the betterment of it,” Tung said. But even as his granddaughter is set to graduate from high school, Ridgeway said there’s still work to do. The Student Success Fund Advisory Council is where his biggest challenge currently lies, Ridgeway said. With the recent passage of Proposition J, The City will now create an Our Children, Our Families initiative to track spending from the Student Success Fund, which provides grants to schools to implement academic excellence or social- and emotional-wellness programs. Nearly $20 million in Student Success Fund grants was available for schools to apply to earlier this year, but “approximately one-half of the schools [that qualify] did not apply,” leaving $11 million available, Ridgeway said. Those funds could support tutoring services, mental-wellness hubs and various other initiatives to benefit students, but many schools are missing the window of opportunity before applications close in 2026. The conduit between the Department of Children, Youth and their Families — The City department that administers Student Success Fund grants — and individual schools is the school site councils, state-mandated group s tasked with identifying student needs and areas of improvement at individual schools. “Every single [SFUSD] school has one, they are required by law,” Ridgeway said. He said Lincoln High School, where he serves on the school site council, is a “picture-perfect” example of what one should look like. “We have 12 members on the council, and four of them are kids,” he said. “I wish all of them could be like that. A lot of these schools in the Bayview and the Mission, they don’t have robust school site councils like Lincoln. But those [councils] are calling the shots.” The district’s new superintendent, Maria Su — who previously led DCYF — has been an engaging partner in his mission to publicize the Student Success Fund grant-application process, Ridgeway said. “There’s a tight tie there,” he said. “That’s going to help us make sure that other schools going forward get their money.” Ridgeway’s years of experience volunteering with SFUSD undoubtedly rubbed off on Joselyn, who was appointed by Mayor London Breed to The City’s Youth Commission. She has said she plans on studying business and finance in college. Ridgeway said he doesn’t plan to fully stop volunteering once Joselyn graduates. He said he hopes Su and the Board of Education are able to fix the district’s operating budget and focus on special education, “with the end goal of making SFUSD a place where parents believe that their kids will get a great education.” “Let’s do it,” he said. “The clock only ticks in one direction. There’s no going back.”
Gov.-elect Mike Braun has selected many familiar names, as well as a few new ones, to lead state government agencies when the Republican takes office Jan. 13 as Indiana's 52nd chief executive. The familiar names include unsuccessful 2022 Northwest Indiana congressional candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green, of Crown Point, as director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, in addition to her previously announced role as Braun's cabinet-level secretary of public safety. Likewise, Braun Commerce Secretary David Adams will also lead the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC); former state Rep. Mike Speedy, Braun's secretary of business affairs, will head the Department of Labor; Secretary of Education Katie Jenner will remain in charge of the Indiana Department of Education; and Lisa Hershman will oversee and direct the Office of Management and Budget. Other familiar names are former state agency leaders slotted into new roles, including Kent Abernathy as Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) commissioner, after previously serving as Bureau of Motor Vehicles commissioner; Adam Krupp as director of the Department of Child Services, following his prior tenure as state revenue commissioner; and former state Sen. Pete Miller as executive director of the Indiana Management Performance Hub, after managing the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board (DUAB). Mitch Roob, who led the Family and Social Services Agency (FSSA), as well as the IEDC, under Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, once again will lead FSSA as Braun looks to pare back state spending on Medicaid and other health and social safety net programs. Meanwhile, state Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Brazil, will give up his Indiana House seat to become director of the Department of Natural Resources, and former state Rep. Lloyd Arnold, who resigned from the House in 2017 to direct DNR law enforcement, will become commissioner of the Department of Correction, where he's recently worked as chief operating officer of the Indiana Correctional Industries job-training program for incarcerated individuals. State agency leaders staying in their roles amid the gubernatorial transition include: Steve Russo, executive director of the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS); Holly Lambert, state insurance commissioner; Lindsay Hyer, executive director of the Professional Licensing Agency; Thomas Fite, director of the Department of Financial Institutions; and Dr. Lindsay Weaver, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Health. Also continuing to serve: Dan Huge, a Hobart native, as chairman of the Indiana Finance Authority; Steve Cox, director of the Indiana Broadband Office; Don Lamb, director of the State Department of Agriculture; James Michaels, superintendent of the Indiana School for the Blind; and David Geeslin, superintendent of the Indiana School for the Deaf. Newcomers to top state government posts are: Kevin Garvey, commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; Jake Adams, head of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Fred Glynn, executive director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs; and Brandon Clifton, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Administration. Braun also has named his former top Senate aide, Joshua Kelley, as chief of staff; Jason Johnson, deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs; Jessica Wedgewood, deputy chief of staff for operations; and Patrick Price, as the governor's legal counsel.
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