Scaramucci: Bitcoin Is a Volatile Asset, But 'Ready for Prime Time Institutional Investing'
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:30 p.m. ESTStephon Gilmore still not practicing for VikingsRyan Reynolds doesn't consider Martha Stewart a close contact, or at least he didn't before she dissed his sense of humour. The Deadpool & Wolverine actor, 48, responded to the writer's viral comments about him "not being so funny in real life" in his recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter . "If you can’t take a punch in this business, you’re in trouble," Reynolds began with an introspection. "But why would people ever assume the way they see you on camera is how you’re going to be in real life? Right? You’re just a person," the actor added. "But I do it too. I’m a fan of people and I love certain people’s work, and I’m thinking when I meet them, I want to see little glimpses of that." Reynolds continued, "I don’t think what happened was designed to hurt anyone. That was just an incredibly valid observation that someone made." The Green Lantern star then subtly hit back saying he and Stewart, 83, had not really built rapport where he would be comfortable joking around with her in the first place. "Lots of people would say I’m very serious if they met me," explaining, "I can’t imagine entering any room in which I don’t intimately know the people, where I suddenly kind of turn on and perform." The award-winning actor went on to explain how his anxiety also plays a part in most interactions with strangers. "Always been much more shy around people that I don’t know unless I’m stepping out on a stage," Reynolds explained. "I’ve always been one to be very quiet, and part of that is anxiety I’ve carried with me since I was a kid," he went on. "And at times it’s very normal for anyone and everyone to experience anxiety. Some people’s anxiety, and I include mine, has a tendency to go down a slippery slope that needs to be managed to some degree." His response comes after Stewart was asked by Bilt Rewards CEO and founder Ankur Jain which celebrities she thought respondents had named as the most fun to hang out with as she made an appearance on game show Rent Free . "Ryan Reynolds, is he one of those?” she asked, before adding, “And you want to know something? He’s not so funny in real life. No, he’s not so funny. He’s very serious.” Stewart admitted she "would take Ryan off [the list], and I would put in somebody else." “He’s a good actor,” she said of Reynolds, a neighbour in Upstate New York. “He can act funny, but he isn’t funny. Maybe he can get to be funny again. I’m going to get in trouble." Reynolds later playfully responded on X, writing, "I’d disagree with her. But I tried that once. The woman is unexpectedly spry. She really closed the gap after a mile or so."
Jamiya Neal finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four blocks to lead host Creighton over UNLV 83-65 on Saturday in Omaha, Neb. Creighton was without star Pop Isaacs, who was ruled out for the season on Saturday morning after undergoing surprise hip surgery. It was a startling turn, considering Isaacs led Creighton with 27 points in Wednesday's win over No. 1 Kansas. Neal and Steven Ashworth (17 points) anchored the backcourt in Isaacs' absence, combining to make 13-of-20 shots from the field. Neal made 7 of his 10 and Ashworth 6 of 10. Isaac Traudt also stepped up, making five 3-pointers off the bench to account for all 15 of his points. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 12 points, making 4-of-5 attempts from the field, and added six rebounds. Creighton opened the second half on a 10-0 run, extending its lead to 49-27 before UNLV mustered an answer. Creighton made 10 consecutive shots early in the second half, extending its lead to a 62-41 with 12:20 remaining. Dedan Thomas Jr. paced UNLV with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, making 1 of 4 attempts from 3-point range. Jailen Bedford added a team-high 20 points for the Rebels on 8-of-15 shooting, scoring 17 points in the second half. Julian Rishwain added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but UNLV's second leading scorer for the season, Jeremiah Cherry, was limited to just four points in 16 minutes after early foul trouble. Creighton shot a resounding 63.3 percent from the field for the game, including going 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. Creighton outscored UNLV 38-34 in the paint and outrebounded them 34-21. UNLV finished the game shooting 42.2 percent field, making 7-of-21 attempts from distance. --Field Level MediaASX stocks have been strong performers in 2024. The good news is that Bell Potter still sees opportunities at this side of the market for investors in 2025. The broker notes that it has a "positive or constructive view on the outlook for the technology and gaming sector." This is due to "the generally strong or above average forecast revenue and/or earnings growth" and "the easing interest rate environment which is expected to commence in Australia next year." But given that large cap tech stocks have rallied this year, the broker suspects that the cuts "could have a more positive impact on small to mid cap tech and gaming stocks." With that in mind, let's look at three mid cap ASX tech stocks that are its best buys for the year ahead: ( ) This location technology company's shares are a best buy according to Bell Potter. It likes the ASX tech stock due to its huge growth opportunity, which is being underpinned by the monetisation of its massive user base. It explains: The [Life360] app is used globally by over 75 million people and, of these, there are around 7 million paying subscribers. The penetration rate, therefore, is around 10% and the company has a stated long term target of 30% so there is the potential for the paying subscriber base to triple from here. Life360 is also adding new verticals – like advertising, pet and elderly tracking – which provide additional areas of growth. The next potential catalysts are when Life360 releases its Q4/2024 result in February – we expect a strong result towards the upper end of the guidance ranges – and the S&P/ASX index rebalance in March where we see a good chance Life360 will be added to the Top 100. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $26.75 price target on its shares. ( ) Another ASX tech stock that gets the thumbs up from the broker is gaming technology company Light & Wonder. Bell Potter believes that recent weakness has created an opportunity for investors to buy into a high quality company. It said: Light & Wonder is a leading cross-platform games company that develops and manufactures slot machines, creates free-to-play social casino games for mobile platforms, and produces online real-money gaming content for online casinos. [...] We anticipate 8-11% annual EBITDA growth rates over CY24-26, driven by further R&D investment that enhances game performance and results in market share gains across the North American premium leased market, global outright game sales markets, and online gaming markets. Additionally, we view the recent turmoil surrounding the Dragon Train preliminary injunction as an attractive entry point. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $180.00 price target on its shares. ( ) A final ASX tech stock that makes the list is Gentrack. It provides billing, CRM, and utilities software. An example of its software that many readers will have seen is the arrivals/departures board at Sydney Airport. The broker believes that the company is well-positioned to deliver strong earnings growth in the coming years. It said: Gentrack develops, provisions, and integrates its billing/CRM platform into energy and water utilities, generating up-front project revenue (from deployments/integrations) that transitions into SaaS-type recurring revenue and embeds GTK within utility tech stacks long-term due to high switching costs. Demand for modern-day utilities billing solutions is growing rapidly due to dual tailwinds in (1) an evolving energy grid generating significant amounts of data and complexity in billing and customer management, and (2) legacy tech debt incurred from historical underinvestment in the utility billing stack. GTK has a track record of upgrading and beating guidance, with the interim result in May likely to be the next catalyst potentially from lumpy, large contract wins in Southeast Asia. GTK appears expensive at ~90x/~56x FY25e/26e P/E however the valuation reflects high earnings leverage emerging, noting PEG ratios of ~1.2x and ~0.9x respectively. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $13.90 price target on its sharesBrad Pitt Is Filming His ‘F1’ Movie at the Las Vegas Grand Prix This Weekend
Will Syria’s new rulers show mercy?
Defending champion Kernels tabbed as best boys basketball team in South Dakota by MaxPrepsTrump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Jamiya Neal's monster game leads Creighton past UNLV
Marrakech Film Festival bestows Palestinian film 'Happy Holidays' with top awardAP News Summary at 6:33 p.m. EST
Shares of SoundHound AI, Inc. SOUN are trading higher Friday following a series of favorable announcements highlighting the company's advancements in conversational AI technology. Here’s what you need to know. What To Know: On Thursday, the company's Amelia Conversational AI Platform was recognized as a leader in Frost & Sullivan's 2024 Frost Radar: Enterprise Conversational AI in Healthcare. The report identified SoundHound AI among 14 market leaders out of more than 100 vendors analyzed, citing its innovation and growth in transforming healthcare operations. The platform leverages advanced natural language processing and large language models to improve patient engagement and streamline administrative workflows, including appointment scheduling and IT support. “SoundHound’s Conversational AI Platform stands out for its exceptional performance on both innovation and growth indices is driven by its strong innovation pipeline and an intelligent focus on administrative and operational processes for healthcare organizations, “ said Nitin Manocha , Senior Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. The Frost & Sullivan report also projected that the enterprise conversational AI market in healthcare would reach $2.34 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual rate of 17.2%. Analysts noted that SoundHound's acquisition of Amelia positions the company among the largest publicly traded conversational AI firms, with opportunities to expand use cases and deliver value in healthcare. “With SoundHound’s recent acquisition of Amelia, the company now ranks among the largest publicly traded conversational AI companies. By integrating SoundHound’s advanced voice AI capabilities with Amelia’s enterprise platform, the company has a tremendous opportunity to unlock more complex use cases and drive real value in the healthcare sector,” added Manocha. Additionally, SoundHound announced a partnership with Church's Texas Chicken to implement a voice AI-powered drive-thru ordering solution. The initiative aims to streamline operations, reduce wait times, and enhance staff efficiency. “Integrating our technology into Church’s Texas Chicken restaurants marks a significant milestone in drive-thru innovation,” said James Hom , Chief Product Officer at SoundHound AI. SOUN Price Action: SoundHound shares were up 24.8% at $17.05 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro. Read Next: Teamsters Authorize Strike At Amazon’s New York Warehouses: ‘Get Ready For A Fight’ Image Via Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.The Nehru Letters: Correspondence between Pandit Nehru and JRJ between 1940-1947
IsoEnergy Announces Voting Results from Special Meeting
In a significant escalation, Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa announced restrictions on approaching public institutions, stating they remain under the 'former prime minister's' supervision until an official handover occurs. Sources revealed that President Bashar al-Assad has vacated Damascus as rebels have penetrated the capital's defenses, marking a crucial turning point in the ongoing conflict. The army command informed officers that Assad's longstanding 24-year rule has effectively ended. Despite the upheaval, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali declared he is staying put in his residence, voicing his willingness to support the continuity of government operations amid the turmoil. (With inputs from agencies.)NoneMORGANTOWN — Rich Rodriguez believes he’ll be a better coach now for West Virginia University than he was during his first tour of duty – and that is a pretty high bar to clear. Yet he feels that his 17-year journey around college football following his tumultuous exit from Morgantown has put him in the position to make good on his belief. Thousands of WVU fans filled half the WVU Coliseum on Friday afternoon to help welcome back Rodriguez as the Mountaineer football coach, nearly two decades after his first go-round produced some of the best seasons in program history. The event was part-press conference, part-reunion, part-party. Pat McAfee – the former WVU All-America punter turned nationally renowned sports personality – broadcast his show live from the Coliseum floor and gave part of that broadcast to Rodriguez’s introduction. McAfee’s show included former Alabama coach and native West Virginian Nick Saban offering his well-wishes. Rodriguez entered the area passing through fire-spouting columns and past the WVU pep band playing the university fight song. Several times during his speech to those thousands of cheering fans, he had to step away from the microphone to corral his emotions. It wasn’t just about the opportunity to return to power-conference college football, he said. What really mattered to the Grant Town native was that he did it at his alma mater, a place where he enjoyed so many great times. “There’s only one school in the country that I could coach at where I can say I know the town, I know what it’s like to be a student there, I know what it’s like to be an athlete there and I know what it’s like to live there,” he said. “And that’s West Virginia University.” Rodriguez’s new contract details have yet to be released, but he mentioned he has signed a five-year deal to coach at WVU. WVU athletic director Wren Baker said he vetted dozens of candidates to search for the man to replace Neal Brown and interviewed more than 15. It was a popular job, he said, because of the program’s history and tradition, its resources and its passionate fan base. Baker said there were a number of qualities that were necessary in the next football coach. He needed to embrace West Virginia values of work ethic, grit and passion, as well as be committed to building champions on the field and leaders off the field. “Finally, we wanted someone who would entrench themselves in West Virginia,” he said. “This is an awesome place to live and work. It’s a privilege to represent Mountaineer Nation and we felt it would be important for our next head coach to understand that.” Rodriguez said work ethic, grit and passion would be hallmarks of his football program, just as they were when he first was head coach at WVU from 2001-07. In that time, the Mountaineers went 60-26, reached six bowl games and made a pair of New Year’s SIx bowls, winning both. He said that all the players who wore the WVU uniform under his watch were passionate about their teammates, passionate about football and passionate about West Virginia University. “Our players will play harder than anyone in the country,” he said. “One thing I say to my players all the time is that there are a lot of people in the stands who may not know all the Xs and Os. They may not know all the schemes we’re doing. But they can sit in those stands, especially at West Virginia and tell if you’re playing hard. “I don’t make a lot of promises,” he added, “but one thing I promise you, if you watch West Virginia players play ... they’ll play hard.” Hiring a defensive coordinator will be Rodriguez’s first task. He said he has talked to a few candidates, and couldn’t say what type of defense WVU would run until he made a decision. He did say West Virginia’s offense would look very familiar, the type of high-tempo, explosive game that players like Rasheed Marshall, Pat White, Steve Slaton and Noel Devine made famous. Rodriguez also acknowledged that not all WVU fans were happy with his return. Some were still bitter over how he left WVU for the head coaching job at Michigan, where he served three years before being fired. Rodriguez admitted it was a mistake to leave WVU, and to leave WVU the way he did. “I promise not just to the folks that are upset, but to everybody here and everybody that’s been supportive, I want to earn your support. We want to earn your support and trust back. I’m committed to that.” He’ll do that by learning from his mistakes, he said. Those just aren’t the mistakes from 17 years ago, but also the mistakes from seven years and even seven days ago. All of those, he said, will help him become the best version of himself in the present. Rodriguez understands the privilege he now enjoys in returning to West Virginia University. He said he’ll do everything he can to earn that privilege. “I have thought about this moment,” Rodriguez said. “I get to coach at the greatest university in this country. I get to live in the greatest state in the Union. And more importantly, I get to bge around the greatest people that you can be around.” —PM labels synagogue fire an act of terrorism
Supreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications. Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy week Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. Next Week: Retail sales, Fed policy update, existing home sales The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales Tuesday. Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest update on U.S. home sales Thursday.Jamiya Neal finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four blocks to lead host Creighton over UNLV 83-65 on Saturday in Omaha, Neb. Creighton was without star Pop Isaacs, who was ruled out for the season on Saturday morning after undergoing surprise hip surgery. It was a startling turn, considering Isaacs led Creighton with 27 points in Wednesday's win over No. 1 Kansas. Neal and Steven Ashworth (17 points) anchored the backcourt in Isaacs' absence, combining to make 13-of-20 shots from the field. Neal made 7 of his 10 and Ashworth 6 of 10. Isaac Traudt also stepped up, making five 3-pointers off the bench to account for all 15 of his points. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 12 points, making 4-of-5 attempts from the field, and added six rebounds. Creighton opened the second half on a 10-0 run, extending its lead to 49-27 before UNLV mustered an answer. Creighton made 10 consecutive shots early in the second half, extending its lead to a 62-41 with 12:20 remaining. Dedan Thomas Jr. paced UNLV with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, making 1 of 4 attempts from 3-point range. Jailen Bedford added a team-high 20 points for the Rebels on 8-of-15 shooting, scoring 17 points in the second half. Julian Rishwain added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but UNLV's second leading scorer for the season, Jeremiah Cherry, was limited to just four points in 16 minutes after early foul trouble. Creighton shot a resounding 63.3 percent from the field for the game, including going 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. Creighton outscored UNLV 38-34 in the paint and outrebounded them 34-21. UNLV finished the game shooting 42.2 percent field, making 7-of-21 attempts from distance. --Field Level MediaMarrakech Film Festival bestows Palestinian film 'Happy Holidays' with top award