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NoneSitrin Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Amazon.com, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 35,995 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock after buying an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Amazon.com accounts for 3.4% of Sitrin Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Sitrin Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Amazon.com were worth $6,707,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. PayPay Securities Corp boosted its stake in Amazon.com by 64.6% during the second quarter. PayPay Securities Corp now owns 163 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Hoese & Co LLP acquired a new position in shares of Amazon.com in the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Bull Oak Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Amazon.com in the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc boosted its position in shares of Amazon.com by 650.0% in the 2nd quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 300 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the period. Finally, Values First Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Amazon.com in the 3rd quarter valued at $56,000. Institutional investors own 72.20% of the company’s stock. Amazon.com Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ:AMZN opened at $227.03 on Friday. Amazon.com, Inc. has a 1-year low of $143.64 and a 1-year high of $227.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.39 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.61, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.16. The business’s 50 day moving average is $197.39 and its 200-day moving average is $188.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on AMZN shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Amazon.com from $224.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Scotiabank increased their price target on Amazon.com from $245.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on Amazon.com from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Bank of America increased their price target on Amazon.com from $210.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on Amazon.com from $221.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, forty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $236.20. Read Our Latest Stock Report on AMZN Insider Transactions at Amazon.com In related news, SVP David Zapolsky sold 2,190 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.00, for a total transaction of $427,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 62,420 shares in the company, valued at $12,171,900. This trade represents a 3.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, Director Daniel P. Huttenlocher sold 1,237 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.06, for a total value of $246,237.22. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,958,982.72. This trade represents a 4.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,030,183 shares of company stock valued at $1,252,883,795. 10.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Amazon.com Profile ( Free Report ) Amazon.com, Inc engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero; and develops and produces media content. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMZN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amazon.com, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMZN – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Amazon.com Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amazon.com and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell

Adam Pemble, AP journalist whose compassionate lens brought stories to life, dies at 52Adam Pemble, AP journalist whose compassionate lens brought stories to life, dies at 52There would be no second chances this time. Lando Norris has been prone to in-race lapses of judgement and concentration in 2024 but here, with a 26-year hoodoo solely in his hands, the Bristolian gave his beloved McLaren a long-awaited F1 constructors’ championship at the season-finale. Norris, pole-sitter and the quickest man all weekend, kept it clean and avoided trouble – where his teammate Oscar Piastri did not – to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and seal the teams’ title for the papaya. Ferrari did their best, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc both on the podium, but ultimately a 14-point advantage was enough. The last time McLaren sealed the constructors’ championship, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard were the drivers in the 1998 MP4/13 cockpit. Both were present here in Abu Dhabi as one of F1’s biggest teams ended their long wait in the MCL38. As for Lewis Hamilton , in his 246 th and final race for Mercedes, a trademark charge through the field. Starting in 16 th , the seven-time world champion ended the greatest driver-team partnership in F1 history with a fourth-place finish, passing George Russell on the last lap. He parked his car on the home straight at the end, waved to the crowd and said his goodbyes. Ferrari, and all the glamour that goes with it, awaits Hamilton as he heads into his 40s. Russell finished fourth and Max Verstappen in sixth, as he dropped back after a penalty for clattering into Piastri’s rear-left wheel a matter of seconds into the race. Piastri recovered for 10 th , but no matter. His teammate had secured the crowning moment. “It feels incredible, not for myself but for the whole team,” he said. “It’s been a long journey and to end the season like this is perfect. “To win a constructors’ [title] after 26 years is pretty special. Zak has already said we’re going to get pretty hammered tonight!” It ended in ideal fashion after a start which was far from it. The Yas Marina Circuit, with its short home straight, is not prone to drama at turn one on lights out. But this year, as McLaren simply needed a clean get-away for both their drivers, a Verstappen-shaped curveball threw open the race for the title. The Dutchman surged down the inside and clipped Piastri, who spun and dropped down to last. Fortunately, his McLaren was not irrevocably damaged but the usually mild-mannered Australian sharply gave his verdict over team radio. “Yep, move of a world champion that one.” Verstappen was duly given a 10-second time penalty, though Piastri himself received the same judgement from the stewards after crashing with the rear of Franco Colapinto, giving the Williams a puncture. Mercifully for Zak Brown’s team, and their fans watching back at the McLaren technology centre in Woking, Norris was unimpacted by the first-lap shenanigans and led, comfortably, through the first phase of the 58-lap race. The Brit pitted on lap 26. Would the mechanics hold their nerve? You bet they would. A two-second pit-stop meant Norris rejoined the race still in P1 and, with the quickest racepace on the track, the Brit just had to keep it error-free to hand McLaren their prized silverware. No ignoring yellow flags like last week in Qatar. No flirting with the wall like in Singapore. Norris was assured, composed and by a margin of eight seconds took the chequered flag for his fifth win in Formula 1. Cue jubilation from the orange-clad personnel on the pit-wall. For a team in no man’s land at the start of the season, it has been a superb turnaround from team principal Andrea Stella – formerly of Ferrari – and his engineers. Norris’ goal now, with a sense of longing about what might have been this year, will be an individual title pursuit more complete and cool-headed than last year’s topsy-turvy campaign. He even referenced it on the team radio straight after the race. “So proud of you all, you deserve this, thank you so much,” he said. “This is our year. Next year is going to be mine too.”

Traffic citations against Dolphins' Tyreek Hill dismissed after officers no-show at hearingIlona Maher is so proud of her issue photos, she displays one of them on her smartphone. The Olympic rugby player addressed the image on her phone's PopSocket (a phone-gripping disc that can go on the back of the device) Dec. 13 in a selfie video , explaining that she showcases one of the images from the special Sports Illustrated edition because she's proud of the way she looks in it. "Yes, this is me," she said, nodding while holding up her phone. "This is a photo of me from my SI Swim photoshoot and I look amazing." "Is it maybe a little self-absorbed to have this on the back of my phone?" she continued, laughing. "Maybe. Maybe it is. But when you look this good, it's good to just keep looking at it." The athlete, who's become as known for her sense of humor as her skill on the field, went on. "Like you have a bad day, you're like, 'Aww, I'm not feeling too good.' Then, BAM! Take a look at that. Look at her. She's so pretty," she said, holding the image on herself closer to the camera. "Anyway, I'm not ashamed," she said, adding, "And if I ever lose my phone, people are going to know whose phone it is." “Yes, I like to look at myself,” the Olympic rugby player captioned her video. Maher appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in August 2024 shortly after she led at the Paris Games. In the cover image, she appears standing on a dock wearing a black bikini with her hands behind her head. More images of Maher wearing a royal blue string bikini appeared inside the publication. For the issue, Maher also talked to SI about how rugby gave her confidence. “I love that (rugby) showed me what I can do,” Maher told the publication. “It showed me how capable my body is and it’s not just like a tool to be looked at and objectified.” Maher became a standout athlete at the Paris Games thanks to her hilarious social media videos that displayed her wit and intelligence as well as her positive messages about body confidence. In one viral TikTok video, Maher who wrote that she had a body mass index (BMI) of 30. "I think you were trying to roast me, but this actually is a fact. I do have a BMI of 30 — well, 29.3 to be more exact,” Maher said in the video. “I’ve been considered overweight my whole life.” Maher noted that she was 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weights 200 pounds, the only two measurements used to calculate BMI. “I chatted with my dietitian because I go off of facts and not just what pops up (in my head) like you do,” she told the troll in the video. “We talked about how (BMI) really isn’t helpful for athletes.” “BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do. It doesn’t tell you what I do on the field, how fit I am,” Maher continued. “It’s just a couple numbers put together. It doesn’t tell you how much muscle I have or anything like that. "So yeah, I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight," she added. "But alas, I’m going to the Olympics and you’re not." Gina Vivinetto is a writer for TODAY.com.BERLIN (AP) — Adam Pemble, an Associated Press video journalist who covered some of the biggest global news of the past two decades, from earthquakes and conflicts to political summits and elections, has died. He was 52. Pemble died Thursday in Minneapolis surrounded by friends and family, according to his friend Mike Moe, who helped care for him in the final weeks of his fight against cancer. Known for bringing stories alive with his camera, Pemble epitomized the best of television news traditions, casting a curious and compassionate lens onto the lives of the people and communities whose stories he told. He joined the AP in 2007 in New York before moving to Prague in 2011 to help launch AP’s first cross-format operation combining photography, text stories and video. He enhanced Eastern European news coverage, creating distinctive stories highlighting the region's culture and society. “Adam was an incredibly talented and passionate journalist and an empathetic storyteller. He had this amazing ability to get anyone to talk to him on camera, which I attribute to the Midwestern charm he embodied throughout his life." said Sara Gillesby, AP’s Director of Global Video and Pemble’s former manager in New York when he joined the AP. "He was the best of us.” Pemble was born in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, in 1972 and grew up in Minneapolis. After graduating with a degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead, he started his journalism career in 1997 at KVLY, a television station in Fargo, North Dakota, and later worked at WCCO in Minneapolis. “He had the skills of the old-school camera people to meet a deadline and turn a beautiful story,” said Arthur Phillips, a cameraman who worked with Pemble at WCCO. “But he had a calling for greater things.” Moving to New York, Pemble covered some of the biggest stories in the city, including the trial of Bernie Madoff, interviews with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and with then-real estate developer, now U.S. president-elect, Donald Trump. He went to Haiti to cover the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, where he captured shocking images of devastation. A few weeks later he was in Vancouver, covering the Winter Olympics. With his transfer to Prague, Pemble quickly became the go-to video journalist deployed to the biggest news events in Europe, interviewing government leaders, covering violent protests, the aftermath of terror attacks and numerous national elections across the continent. “An inquiring mind, a keen eye and a healthy skepticism for those in power who tried to spin away from truth all combined to make Adam’s stories as rich in color as he was in character," said Sandy MacIntyre, former AP head of global video. "Time and again he was asked to do the impossible and without fail he delivered the exceptional.” ”But more than all of that, he was the colleague and friend you wanted by your side because if Adam was there we knew we were going to be the winning team.” As civil unrest rocked Ukraine in 2014, Pemble reported from Kyiv and later Donetsk, where he covered the first Russian-backed demonstrations before spending weeks in Crimea during Russia's annexation of the strategic peninsula. His video reports included the last remaining Ukrainian sailors loyal to Kyiv finally abandoning their ship and coming ashore. With the Russian national anthem playing from a car in the background, his final shot showed two distraught sailors heckled as they walked away. Pemble returned to Ukraine following Russia's invasion of the country in 2022. Among his many assignments was filming the exclusive March 2023 AP interview by Executive Editor Julie Pace with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a train shuttled them across Ukraine to cities near some of the fiercest fighting. “Adam showed up to every assignment with enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to his work and his colleagues. He loved what he did, and so many of us at AP are better for having worked alongside him,” Pace said. When not deployed overseas, Pemble set his camera's gaze on his new home in the Czech Republic, offering insight into the traditions and unique stories of Eastern Europe. From Christmas carp fishing at sunrise to graffiti artists in Prague, to the intimate story of a Slovak priest challenging the celibacy rules of the Catholic Church, he brought his unmistakable style. He worked with a traditional large broadcast camera in an era where many video shooters shifted to smaller, lighter cameras. He always put himself in the right place to let reality unfold like “an old school analog painter in an often fast and furious digital age,” former AP cameraman Ben Jary recalled. Pemble's interest in visual storytelling led to experimenting with new technologies, including aerial videography. In 2015, he was the first major news agency camera operator to film live drone footage when reporting on the migration crisis in the Balkans. An avid gardener who planted trees and chilis on his rooftop in Prague, he was adventurous in the kitchen and especially proud of his vegan “meatloaf,” friends said. He loved a seedy dive bar as much as a Michelin restaurant, and foods as varied as charcoal choux pastry with truffle creme and his favorite road trip junk food, Slim Jim’s jerky and Salted Nut Rolls. Pemble’s wit, wisdom, energy and positivity enriched the lives and experiences of those around him, friends and colleagues recalled. “If someone asked me to see a picture of quiet strength and courage, dignity and grace, and most of all kindness, I would show them a picture of a man for all seasons," said Dan Huff, a Washington-based AP video journalist, "I would show them a picture of Adam Pemble."

Wearable heart sound devices represent key shift in cardiac care: StudyShares of specialty retailer Destination XL Group Inc. ($DXLG) were up nearly 4.2% on Thursday afternoon ahead of its third-quarter earnings, but retail sentiment stayed cautious. Wall Street analysts expect the company to report earnings per share (EPS) of $0.03 on revenue of $113.7 million, according to Stocktwits data. The company has missed its earnings estimates twice in the past year. For its most recent reported quarter, Destination revenues declined 3.2% year-over-year (YoY) to $140 million. Its non-GAAP diluted EPS came in at $1.99, up 21% from the previous period. Its second quarter comparable sales decrease of 1.4% was in line with its expectations, according to a company statement. Retail sentiment on the stock fell to ‘neutral’ (46/100) from ‘extremely bullish’ (93/100) a day ago. Message volumes continued to be at ‘high’ levels. “Despite achieving our quarterly forecast, our consumer is battling ongoing, adverse economic headwinds, and we are trimming our financial outlook for the remainder of the year,” Harvey Kanter, president and CEO, said in a statement at the time. “We now expect our sales to range from $535.0 million to $545.0 million with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 11.0% to 12.0%.” Following the last earnings, brokerage DA Davidson lowered the firm's price target to $4 from $6 but kept a ‘Buy’ rating. It cited lower traffic and online conversion as economic uncertainty led to shopping decline, The Fly.com reported. DXLG stock is down 39.8% year-to-date.Sitrin Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Amazon.com, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 35,995 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock after buying an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Amazon.com accounts for 3.4% of Sitrin Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Sitrin Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Amazon.com were worth $6,707,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. PayPay Securities Corp boosted its stake in Amazon.com by 64.6% during the second quarter. PayPay Securities Corp now owns 163 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Hoese & Co LLP acquired a new position in shares of Amazon.com in the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Bull Oak Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Amazon.com in the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc boosted its position in shares of Amazon.com by 650.0% in the 2nd quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 300 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the period. Finally, Values First Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Amazon.com in the 3rd quarter valued at $56,000. Institutional investors own 72.20% of the company’s stock. Amazon.com Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ:AMZN opened at $227.03 on Friday. Amazon.com, Inc. has a 1-year low of $143.64 and a 1-year high of $227.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.39 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.61, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.16. The business’s 50 day moving average is $197.39 and its 200-day moving average is $188.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on AMZN shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Amazon.com from $224.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Scotiabank increased their price target on Amazon.com from $245.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on Amazon.com from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Bank of America increased their price target on Amazon.com from $210.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on Amazon.com from $221.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, forty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $236.20. Read Our Latest Stock Report on AMZN Insider Transactions at Amazon.com In related news, SVP David Zapolsky sold 2,190 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.00, for a total transaction of $427,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 62,420 shares in the company, valued at $12,171,900. This trade represents a 3.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, Director Daniel P. Huttenlocher sold 1,237 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.06, for a total value of $246,237.22. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,958,982.72. This trade represents a 4.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,030,183 shares of company stock valued at $1,252,883,795. 10.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Amazon.com Profile ( Free Report ) Amazon.com, Inc engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero; and develops and produces media content. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMZN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amazon.com, Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMZN – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Amazon.com Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amazon.com and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

NoneJudge says lawsuit over former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr.'s jail death can proceedNEW YORK — Mariah Carey, still fighting off the flu, has announced the cancellation of her weekend Christmas concerts in New Jersey and New York. “Newark and Belmont — I wish I had better news but unfortunately I’m still sick and have to cancel the shows tonight and on Sunday,” she wrote on social media Friday morning, referring to her concerts at Newark’s Prudential Center and Elmont’s UBS Arena. “I’m really devastated about it and appreciate your support.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Video: Merab Dvalishvili tells Umar Nurmagomedov to ‘earn your title shot like the rest of us’ in new skit

Buckle, Destination XL, Pyxis Tankers set to report earnings FridayRuling on Monday after an emergency hearing at Belfast High Court, judge Mr Justice McAlinden rejected loyalist activist Jamie Bryson’s application for leave for a full judicial review hearing against Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn. The judge said Mr Bryson, who represented himself as a personal litigant, had “very ably argued” his case with “perseverance and cogency”, and had raised some issues of law that caused him “some concern”. However, he found against him on the three grounds of challenge against Mr Benn. Mr Bryson had initially asked the court to grant interim relief in his challenge to prevent Tuesday’s democratic consent motion being heard in the Assembly, pending the hearing of a full judicial review. However, he abandoned that element of his leave application during proceedings on Monday, after the judge made clear he would be “very reluctant” to do anything that would be “trespassing into the realms” of a democratically elected Assembly. Mr Bryson had challenged Mr Benn’s move to initiate the democratic consent process that is required under the UK and EU’s Windsor Framework deal to extend the trading arrangements that apply to Northern Ireland. The previously stated voting intentions of the main parties suggest that Stormont MLAs will vote to continue the measures for another four years when they convene to debate the motion on Tuesday. After the ruling, Mr Bryson told the court he intended to appeal to the Court of Appeal. Any hearing was not expected to come later on Monday. In applying for leave, the activist’s argument was founded on three key grounds. The first was the assertion that Mr Benn failed to make sufficient efforts to ensure Stormont’s leaders undertook a public consultation exercise in Northern Ireland before the consent vote. The second was that the Secretary of State allegedly failed to demonstrate he had paid special regard to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK customs territory in triggering the vote. The third ground centred on law changes introduced by the previous UK government earlier this year, as part of its Safeguarding the Union deal to restore powersharing at Stormont. He claimed that if the amendments achieved their purpose, namely, to safeguard Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, then it would be unlawful to renew and extend post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK. In 2023, the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the trading arrangements for Northern Ireland are lawful. The appellants in the case argued that legislation passed at Westminster to give effect to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement conflicted with the 1800 Acts of Union that formed the United Kingdom, particularly article six of that statute guaranteeing unfettered trade within the UK. The Supreme Court found that while article six of the Acts of Union has been “modified” by the arrangements, that was done with the express will of a sovereign parliament, and so therefore was lawful. Mr Bryson contended that amendments made to the Withdrawal Agreement earlier this year, as part of the Safeguarding the Union measures proposed by the Government to convince the DUP to return to powersharing, purport to reassert and reinforce Northern Ireland’s constitutional status in light of the Supreme Court judgment. He told the court that it was “quite clear” there was “inconsistency” between the different legal provisions. “That inconsistency has to be resolved – there is an arguable case,” he told the judge. However, Dr Tony McGleenan KC, representing the Government, described Mr Bryson’s argument as “hopeless” and “not even arguable”. He said all three limbs of the case had “no prospect of success and serve no utility”. He added: “This is a political argument masquerading as a point of constitutional law and the court should see that for what it is.” After rising to consider the arguments, Justice McAlinden delivered his ruling shortly after 7pm. The judge dismissed the application on the first ground around the lack consultation, noting that such an exercise was not a “mandatory” obligation on Mr Benn. On the second ground, he said there were “very clear” indications that the Secretary of State had paid special regard to the customs territory issues. On the final ground, Justice McAlinden found there was no inconsistency with the recent legislative amendments and the position stated in the Supreme Court judgment. “I don’t think any such inconsistency exists,” he said. He said the amendments were simply a “restatement” of the position as set out by the Supreme Court judgment, and only served to confirm that replacing the Northern Ireland Protocol with the Windsor Framework had not changed the constitutional fact that Article Six of the Acts of Union had been lawfully “modified” by post-Brexit trading arrangements. “It does no more than that,” he said. The framework, and its predecessor the NI Protocol, require checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. Under the arrangements, which were designed to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. This has proved highly controversial, with unionists arguing the system threatens Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom. Advocates of the arrangements say they help insulate the region from negative economic consequences of Brexit. A dispute over the so-called Irish Sea border led to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022, when the DUP withdrew then-first minister Paul Givan from the coalition executive. The impasse lasted two years and ended in January when the Government published its Safeguarding the Union measures. Under the terms of the framework, a Stormont vote must be held on articles five to 10 of the Windsor Framework, which underpin the EU trade laws in force in Northern Ireland, before they expire. The vote must take place before December 17. Based on the numbers in the Assembly, MLAs are expected to back the continuation of the measures for another four years, even though unionists are likely to oppose the move. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has already made clear his party will be voting against continuing the operation of the Windsor Framework. Unlike other votes on contentious issues at Stormont, the motion does not require cross-community support to pass. If it is voted through with a simple majority, the arrangements are extended for four years. In that event, the Government is obliged to hold an independent review of how the framework is working. If it wins cross-community support, which is a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists, then it is extended for eight years. The chances of it securing such cross-community backing are highly unlikely.

CHARLOTTE — East Tennessee State owned the second half for a second straight game against a team from the Queen City. The Bucs had a 16-2 run early in the second half and went on to score a 77-55 victory over Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon at Halton Arena. It was the third straight win for ETSU (5-2) after beating USC Upstate and Queens of Charlotte in a Multi-Team Event (MTE) over the weekend. Quimari Peterson, who was named Southern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, led the Bucs with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists. The Bucs had four players hit double figures. John Buggs III totaled 15 points, while Karon Boyd provided 14 points and seven rebounds. Jaden Seymour scored 12 points and Maki Johnson had a season-high eight points including a pair of 3-point shots. Davion Bradford pulled down seven rebounds. The Bucs didn’t commit a turnover the final 24 minutes of the game to provide a happy homecoming for Seymour from Charlotte and Boyd from nearby Concord, N.C. “No disrespect, they’re a good team, but I think we’re better,” ETSU coach Brooks Savage said on the post-game radio broadcast. “We felt like we could get to them physically on the glass, get to them transitionally. I thought our energy and togetherness could ultimately wear them down. We got great contributions from everybody.” ETSU continued to dominate its opponents on the glass. They held a 45-30 rebounding advantage, including 16-6 on the offensive end. Charlotte (3-3) from the American Athletic Conference came into Wednesday’s contest averaging nearly 73 points per game. The 49ers were held well under that number, hitting 40 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3-point range. It was the first time Charlotte lost back-to-back home games since the 2022-23 season. The 49ers had scored consistently off backdoor cuts in the first half, pushing its lead to 13 points before the Bucs closed to 36-31 at the half. Buggs nailed a 3-point shot and Boyd scored on a put-back bucket right before the horn sounded. ETSU was red hot out of the locker room and had a 12-point lead by the halfway point of the second half to mark a 25-point turnaround. The Bucs kept the defensive intensity throughout the rest of the game as the 49ers scored just 19 points over the final 20 minutes. “The second-half defense was big time,” Savage said. “We got back to what we’re best at, that’s sitting down and guarding. As we settled into the game, that showed up on defense.” The Bucs also took advantage of the 49ers going to a 1-3-1 defense. It played in the Bucs’ offensive hands as they hit the first 3-point shots of the second half. Savage liked the way his team made the extra pass to have those good shots. “We did a really good job playing on balance,” Savage said. “We turned down some good shots for great shots in the second half. When we’re doing that, we’re hard to guard.” Nik Graves and Jaehshon Thomas each scored 13 points to lead the 49ers. Giancarlo Rosardo had nine points before leaving the game early in the second half with an injury. NEXT UP ETSU returns home to face Austin Peay on Saturday at 4 p.m. Charlotte has a week off before hosting Livingstone College.

Bryson DeChambeau finally achieves goal of sinking hole-in-one over his house

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — SMU had an anxious morning awaiting word from the College Football Playoff committee. The Mustangs believed they had a strong enough resume to get into the 12-team field, highlighted by two wins over ranked teams. Even so, a loss to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game was enough to spur trepidation; the committee could go with Alabama instead. The wait over, these ponies will ride on in one of the best seasons in school history. SMU earned the CFP's last at-large selection on Sunday and will open the College Football Playoff at Penn State on Dec. 21, with the winner moving on to face Boise State and electric running back Ashton Jeanty in the Dec. 31 Fiesta Bowl. The Mountain West champion Broncos (12-1) were awarded the No. 3 seed in the CFP over Big 12 champion Arizona State. “Brands like Alabama, brands like Clemson — the blue bloods of our sport — they’ve earned that right, but that doesn’t mean they should get the nod in situations like this,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. "I was really proud and thankful that didn’t play into the final decision.” The Mustangs (11-2) had wins over No. 22 Louisville and No. 18 Pittsburgh, finishing their first ACC season 8-0 — best by a group of five team their first season after moving up to a power conference. It's SMU's best season since 1984, yet a 34-31 loss to No. 13 Clemson in the ACC title game Saturday night left doubt whether it would make the cut in the first year of the 12-team playoff. The committee went with SMU over Alabama, giving the Mustangs the No. 11 seed and the ACC two playoff teams a year after unbeaten Florida State was left out of the four-team bracket. “It hurt what happened to our league last year,” Lashlee said. ”It does kind of galvanize the conference a little bit.” Penn State has found stability under coach James Franklin since the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal led to the firing of longtime coach Joe Paterno in 2011. The Nittany Lions have won at least 10 games six times in 11 seasons under Franklin, punctuated by earning the CFP's No. 6 seed despite losing 45-37 to top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship. Penn State got here with a defense that's top 10 in yards and points allowed per game, along with one of the nation's best tight ends in Tyler Warren, who has 88 catches for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns. “We're getting better, but we'll see — it's all going to be based how we do against SMU,” Franklin said. “It's all about what you do on a consistent basis.” SMU also had a long climb back to relevance. One of the nation's top programs in the 1980s, the Mustangs received the death penalty from the NCAA in 1987 for a pay-to-play scandal. SMU had a hard time gaining a footing in the years that followed, including a winless 2003 season, before earning four straight bowl berths under coach June Jones from 2009-12. Lashlee has ushered the Mustangs into a new era since taking over in 2022, leading them to three straight bowl games and consecutive 11-win seasons — the latest good enough for a CFP berth. “There’s obviously a lot of tradition and history at SMU,” Franklin said. “They’ve done a really good job.” Boise State has a strong history at the Fiesta Bowl, including a win over Oklahoma in 2007 in one of the most memorable bowl games ever. The Broncos finally broke through to the CFP in their first full season under coach Spencer Danielson, who retained the job after being named interim coach midway through last season. Boise State lost to Oregon by three early in the season, then closed the season with 11 straight wins behind Jeanty, who rushed for 2,497 yards this season — fourth-most in FBS history and 132 behind Barry Sanders' record. “Our guys deserved it, they earned it,” Danielson said. “Even in this, there's going to be people counting us out. ... That's awesome. That's what this place is built on, the blue-collar chip on the shoulder, counted out.” 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-football