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The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. • NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. • College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes works in the pocket against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of Sunday's game in Charlotte, N.C. • NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. • College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. • College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. • NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the first half of a Nov. 23 game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles. • College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. • NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. • NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. • NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. • Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. • Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship. Before the 2023 National Football League season started, it seemed inevitable that Bill Belichick would end his career as the winningest head coach in league history. He had won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and 298 regular-season games, plus 31 playoff games, across his career. Then the 2023 season happened. Belichick's Patriots finished 4-13, the franchise's worst record since 1992. At the end of the year, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft agreed to part ways. And now, during the 2024 season, Belichick is on the sideline. He's 26 wins from the #1 spot, a mark he'd reach in little more than two seasons if he maintained his .647 career winning percentage. Will he ascend the summit? It's hard to tell. Belichick would be 73 if he graced the sidelines next season—meaning he'd need to coach until at least 75 to break the all-time mark. Only one other NFL coach has ever helmed a team at age 73: Romeo Crennel in 2020 for the Houston Texans. With Belichick's pursuit of history stalled, it's worth glancing at the legends who have reached the pinnacle of coaching success. Who else stands among the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history? Stacker ranked the coaches with the most all-time regular-season wins using data from Pro Football Reference . These coaches have combined for 36 league championships, which represents 31.6% of all championships won throughout the history of pro football. To learn who made the list, keep reading. You may also like: Ranking the biggest NFL Draft busts of the last 30 years - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1981-2003 - Record: 190-165-2 - Winning percentage: .535 - Championships: 0 Dan Reeves reached the Super Bowl four times—thrice with the Denver Broncos and once with the Atlanta Falcons—but never won the NFL's crown jewel. Still, he racked up nearly 200 wins across his 23-year career, including a stint in charge of the New York Giants, with whom he won Coach of the Year in 1993. In all his tenures, he quickly built contenders—the three clubs he coached were a combined 17-31 the year before Reeves joined and 28-20 in his first year. However, his career ended on a sour note as he was fired from a 3-10 Falcons team after Week 14 in 2003. - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1969-91 - Record: 193-148-1 - Winning percentage: .566 - Championships: 4 Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers were synonymous with success in the 1970s. Behind his defense, known as the Steel Curtain, and offensive stars, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann, Noll led the squad to four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979. Noll's Steelers remain the lone team to win four Super Bowls in six years, though Andy Reid and Kansas City could equal that mark if they win the Lombardi Trophy this season. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, two years after retiring. His legacy of coaching success has carried on in Pittsburgh—the club has had only two coaches (Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) since Noll retired. - Seasons coached: 21 - Years active: 1984-98, 2001-06 - Record: 200-126-1 - Winning percentage: .613 - Championships: 0 As head coach of Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, and San Diego, Marty Schottenheimer proved a successful leader during the regular season. Notably, he was named Coach of the Year after turning around his 4-12 Chargers team to a 12-4 record in 2004. His teams, however, struggled during the playoffs. Schottheimer went 5-13 in the postseason, and he never made it past the conference championship round. As such, the Pennsylvania-born skipper is the winningest NFL coach never to win a league championship. - Seasons coached: 25 - Years active: 1946-62, '68-75 - Record: 213-104-9 - Winning percentage: .672 - Championships: 7 The only coach on this list to pilot a college team, Paul Brown, reached the pro ranks after a three-year stint at Ohio State and two years with the Navy during World War II. He guided the Cleveland Browns—named after Brown, their first coach—to four straight titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference. After the league folded, the ballclub moved to the NFL in 1950, and Cleveland continued its winning ways, with Brown leading the team to championships in '50, '54, and '55. He was fired in 1963 but returned in 1968 as the co-founder and coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. His other notable accomplishments include helping to invent the face mask and breaking pro football's color barrier . - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1921-53 - Record: 226-132-22 - Winning percentage: .631 - Championships: 6 An early stalwart of the NFL, Curly Lambeau spent 29 years helming the Green Bay Packers before wrapping up his coaching career with two-year stints with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington. His Packers won titles across three decades, including the league's first three-peat from 1929-31. Notably, he experienced only one losing season during his first 27 years with Green Bay, cementing his legacy of consistent success. Born in Green Bay, Lambeau co-founded the Packers and played halfback on the team from 1919-29. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a coach and owner in 1963, two years before his death. You may also like: Countries with the most active NFL players - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1960-88 - Record: 250-162-6 - Winning percentage: .607 - Championships: 2 The first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry held the position for his entire 29-year tenure as an NFL coach. The Cowboys were especially dominant in the 1970s when they made five Super Bowls and won the big game twice. Landry was known for coaching strong all-around squads and a unit that earned the nickname the "Doomsday Defense." Between 1966 and 1985, Landry and his Cowboys enjoyed 20 straight seasons with a winning record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990. - Seasons coached: 26 - Years active: 1999-present - Record: 267-145-1 - Winning percentage: .648 - Championships: 3 The only active coach in the top 10, Andy Reid has posted successful runs with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City. After reaching the Super Bowl once in 14 years with the Eagles, Reid ratcheted things up with K.C., winning three titles since 2019. As back-to-back defending champions, Reid and Co. are looking this season to become the first franchise to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and the third to do so in NFL history after the Packers of 1929-31 and '65-67. Time will tell if Reid and his offensive wizardry can lead Kansas City to that feat. - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1991-95, 2000-23 - Record: 302-165 - Winning percentage: .647 - Championships: 6 The most successful head coach of the 21st century, Bill Belichick first coached the Cleveland Browns before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000. With the Pats, Belichick combined with quarterback Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls in 18 years. Belichick and New England split after last season when the Patriots went 4-13—the worst record of Belichick's career. His name has swirled around potential coaching openings , but nothing has come of it. Belichick has remained in the media spotlight with his regular slot on the "Monday Night Football" ManningCast. - Seasons coached: 40 - Years active: 1920-29, '33-42, '46-55, '58-67 - Record: 318-148-31 - Winning percentage: .682 - Championships: 6 George Halas was the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears and coached the team across four separate stints. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," he built the ballclub into one of the NFL's premier franchises behind players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman. Halas also played for the team, competing as a player-coach in the 1920s. The first coach to study opponents via game film, he was once a baseball player and even made 12 appearances as a member of the New York Yankees in 1919. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 as both a coach and owner. - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1963-95 - Record: 328-156-6 - Winning percentage: .677 - Championships: 2 The winningest head coach in NFL history is Don Shula, who first coached the Baltimore Colts (losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets) for seven years before leading the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons. With the Fins, Shula won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, a run that included a 17-0 season—the only perfect campaign in NFL history. He also coached quarterback great Dan Marino in the 1980s and '90s, but the pair made it to a Super Bowl just once. Shula was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. You may also like: The 5 biggest upsets of the 2023-24 NFL regular season Get local news delivered to your inbox!Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy week

Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad

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Raghav Motani knew he was putting himself in a dangerous position. After his first year studying for a masters of marketing at University of Technology Sydney, Motani could no longer afford the AUD$400 per week rent for his shared bedroom — two single beds divided by a closet in the middle of the room that works out to about CAD$1,440 per month. “I couldn’t afford this place, the lease was coming up, and I needed to find somewhere to live,” he said. “So, I had to make a decision that put my safety at risk.” He found a listing for a shared room further away from campus, for about half the price. It meant a long commute, but it was his only option. There was no lease agreement, just cash payments to a landlord, and texts through WhatsApp. But after issues started with his roommate, the landlord kicked him out just a few months later. “Everything was through WhatsApp or through word of mouth. You’re scared, you’re anxious, you can’t find a job, you don’t know if you can make rent; and that is when you make irrational decisions.” Motani was fortunate and was able to get back his security deposit, but many others don’t. Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world for housing, and a limited rental supply means students are regularly forced to cram into rooms and pay rent to landlords they’ve never met, without a signed agreement. “I have been in rooms where they have put curtains up in a single bedroom, and they’re selling off multiple blocks within the room. It is $300 per week, but there are no walls, it is just bed sheets,” Motani said. “They have all the power. They say, “if you don’t like it, try and find something else.’” Unlike Canada, where domestic students often travel from home to attend university, most domestic students in Australia attend school in the city they grow up in and live with their parents; apartment and room hunting is almost entirely among international students in Australia. When Motani was searching for a place to live, viewings would have as many as 15 students touring rooms “you couldn’t dream of living in.” Landlords may not even be aware of the situation. One person leases the apartment, and then rents rooms to multiple students. When unexpected inspections happen, the students are often all kicked out, with few protections in place for them. A drone view of they Sydney skyline. There has also been an explosion of purpose-built student accommodation in cities like Sydney and Melbourne, but a single room in a six-room apartment with a shared kitchen can cost as much as AUD$750 per week, the equivalent of $2,700 per month in Canada. A similar room in Toronto or Waterloo ranges between $1,000 to $1,400 per month. There are currently about 133,000 student accommodation beds across Australia, according to the Urbis Student Accommodation Benchmarks report, with about 30,000 new beds in the works. While adding supply is welcome, it also a business, and companies are expanding largely on profit margins, not necessarily a desire to keep costs low for more students, said Alan Morris, a professor in the Institute for Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology Sydney. The number of beds has almost doubled since 2014, but prices continue to rise, leaving many without affordable rooming options. “It is fair to say there are at least a quarter of international students who are vulnerable to falling into a very desperate situation due to a lack of finances,” said Morris. In 2019, Morris conducted the first widespread survey of international students living in private residences. With over 7,000 submissions, Morris and his team found more than a third were struggling to pay rent and 20 per cent of the students frequently went without food. About three per cent of the respondents reported “hotbedding” — sleeping in shifts in a bed during designated time slots. “The reality is that if you have 10 people in a room, each paying $200 per week, you have the opportunity to make $2,000 per week, when you regularly would be getting about $800. So, you can see the incentives.” Morris followed up with 800 of the survey participants in the summer of 2020, and found the situation had drastically deteriorated. He intends to conduct a similar survey in the coming years, “and I can say with certainty that the numbers have likely only gotten worse.” In the aftermath of the pandemic, the return of international students became an easy target to blame for price increases, despite only making up between four and six per cent of the rental market. “To pin this moment on international students, and to suggest they are the creator of this housing crisis, is just complete nonsense,” said Laurence Troy, an associate professor of urbanism at the University of Sydney. “It then mixes together with this broader hysteria around immigration in general and wanting to blame non-Anglo looking outsiders for coming and taking the housing, but there’s so many other things going on that created this problem.” The demand and price for housing in Australia isn’t necessarily just about people desiring homes, he said. “Historically it was connected to wage growth, but those trends started to disconnect around 2000, and more closely correlated with tax incentives,” said Troy. Due to high property valuations, units built to rent for the broader public are almost universally money-losers. But this is often exactly what investors are after, he said. If the cost of owning a rental property outweighs the cost it generates, this becomes a taxable loss that can be offset against other income. This practice is known as negative gearing. Put simply: You make money when you lose money. Negative gearing was introduced in 1936 in Australia; attempts at reform have been attempted, but often to wide criticism. Today, many of Australia’s most influential politicians are among those benefiting from these tax policies, which means little support for change. “There is a middle class awakening happening around this, but when you look at Sydney, all rational logic would suggest this should have imploded a long time ago. But time marches on, and it keeps going.” For nearly a decade, Sean Stimson has been working to help international students and provide guidance when the system fails them. The Redfern Legal Centre’s International Student Legal Service New South Wales is the only free statewide legal service for international students. “We are meeting with students every day, and recently I can say that almost every single person has an issue that is in some way connected to accommodation disputes,” he said. “It’s very clear that something has gone wrong.”Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pauseTickets are still available to watch the South Knox girls basketball team compete in the Hall of Fame Classic at historic New Castle Fieldhouse on Dec. 27. The all-session pass is available at South Knox during school hours for $10. Tickets the day of the event are $10 each session, so the pre-sale cost is half price. South Knox has the second game of the day on Dec. 27, facing Hamilton Southeastern at 12:45 p.m. The first game at 11 a.m. is between Homestead and Lawrence Central. The consolation game is at 6 p.m. that night with the championship to follow. The 2A No. 1 Spartans were selected for the 41st annual classic after finishing last season 23-2 and returning the bulk of their roster. They team was off to a 7-0 start prior to Friday's game at Eastern Greene. The other three participants are currently the top-three ranked teams in Class 4A. No. 2 Hamilton Southeastern was 21-4 last year and is led by Indiana commit Maya Makalusky. No. 1 Lawrence Central was the 4A state champion last season at 30-1, and No. 3 Homestead went 23-5, finishing the season ranked 10th. All were 4-0 prior to Friday's games. Clark 8th boys down Jasper Clark's eighth-grade boys used a 10-0 start to the second half to pull in front of Jasper, and the Alices held on for a 27-24 home basketball win Thursday. For the Alices (2-0), Reid Hall had 11 points, two assists, two steals; Braylen Sanders five points, four assists; Zander Wilderman four points, four rebounds, four steals; Roman Lowe four points, four steals; Rylee Fellows two points, two rebounds; Ethan Shoulders four rebounds, two steals; Wesley Eaton two rebounds; and Cooper Battles two steals. Clark's B team was defeated, 51-10. Trevor Smith had eight points, two steals; Lyndon Lewis two points; Cohen Price four rebounds; Angel Cruz Varga two rebounds, two blocks; Bennett Seibert two rebounds; and Jaydon Hill two steals. Clark visits Castle South for A and B games at 10 a.m. today. 7-8 Lady Warriors throttle Lakers BICKNELL — North Knox's seventh and eighth girls rolled to easy victories on Thursday over visiting Shakamak. The eighth-grade Warriors (3-0) won, 41-3. Caroline Yenne had 12 points, seven steals; Bailey McCoy nine points; Kendal McGuire eight points, five rebounds; and Zoey Chambers, Mila Williams and Jersey Sturgeon four points. North Knox's seventh grade (2-1) prevailed, 28-3. Becca Nickless had 12 points, three steals; Gabi Smith six points, four rebounds; Jovi Murphy four points, seven steals; Brelynn Gordon two points, four steals; Campbell Holscher two points, two steals. North Knox hosts Bloomfield at 7 p.m. Tuesday. 7th Alices tame Wildcats JASPER — Clark's seventh-grade boys denied host Jasper, 31-29, on Thursday for a basketball victory. Daveon Jennings had 11 points, five steals, four rebounds, two assists for the Alices; Cayden Trueblood seven points; Rylan Hunckler five points, two rebounds, two steals; Maddyx Abel four points; Ryker McCrary two points, two rebounds; and Landon Bouchie two points. Clark's B team was defeated, but the final score was omitted. Dunn Baker had three points, three rebounds, three steals; Easton Wilkerson two points, two steals; Brier Greentree six rebounds; and C.J. Crowley two steals. The Alices visit Castle South today for A and B games. N.Knox 7-8 boys split LOOGOOTEE — North Knox's boys split seventh and eighth grade basketball games at Loogootee on Thursday. The Warriors claimed the eighth-grade game, 31-22. Scoring for North Knox (2-0) were Klauser Rode with 16 points, Bennet Frey four, Nash McClure and Reed VanMeter three, Kable Collins and Keaton Stipp two, and Korbin Kohlhouse one. The Lions won the seventh-grade game, 30-25. Nate Kerns topped the Warriors (1-1) with 16 points, Keevan Schroeder scored five, and Rhett Halter four. North Knox entertains Bloomfield at 10 a.m. today.The Titan: A Closer Look At The Famous Cessna 404

Snack Food Packaging Market To Reach USD 28.5 Billion By 2035, Driven By Demand For Savory Snack Packaging | Future Market Insights, Inc.The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a message late on Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the Uvda investigative programme into Sara Netanyahu. The programme uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organise protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs Netanyahu by name and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies”. It is the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus, highlighted by the PM’s ongoing corruption trial. Mr Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favours with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.AP Business SummaryBrief at 5:05 p.m. EST

The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a message late on Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the Uvda investigative programme into Sara Netanyahu. The programme uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organise protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs Netanyahu by name and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies”. It is the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus, highlighted by the PM’s ongoing corruption trial. Mr Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favours with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.The FBI released a Thursday after 14 North Koreans were indicted for fraud and theft against U.S. companies and nonprofits, according to an . The bounty? $5 million. It’s a small sum compared to the $88 million the alleged criminals stole during their six-year . The 14 conspirators were nationals of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea posing as American information technology workers. They worked for the DPRK-controlled companies Yanbian Silverstar and Volasys Silverstar, which are located in China and Russia, respectively. The Department of Justice has accused 14 North Korean nationals of conspiring to use false identities to get IT jobs with U.S. companies and siphon money back to their home country, in violation of US, Yid Info reported. — Apex World News (@apexworldnews) The IT workers would steal American identities in order to obtain remote employment from U.S. companies. Some of the workers had orders to earn at least $10,000 per month. To pad their incomes more, they would also resort to extortion. The IT workers would steal sensitive company information and threaten to leak it unless the employer agreed to make an extortion payment. “To prop up its brutal regime, the directs IT workers to gain employment through fraud, steal sensitive information from U.S. companies, and siphon money back to the DPRK,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “This indictment of 14 North Korean nationals exposes their alleged sanctions evasion and should serve as a warning to companies around the globe — be on alert for this malicious activity by the DPRK regime,” Monaco said. A federal court in St. Louis, Missouri, indicted the workers on Wednesday. The indictment was the most recent move against the conspirators in a two-year effort to disrupt this particular group, which is just one of many. In January seized $320,000 from the group, then another $444,800 in July. Prior to that, the FBI seized $1.5 million, along with 29 of the group’s internet domains used during their alleged schemes. All 14 North Koreans were charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit identity theft, according to the FBI release. Eight conspirators are charged with aggravated identity theft. They each face a maximum penalty of 27 years in prison if they are ultimately convicted. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .

Mickey Mouse and friends are teaming up with the NBA on Christmas Day for a special event. Dunk the Halls — an alternate, animated broadcast of the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks game — will be televised on ESPN2 and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+ (with subscription). While the actual contest will take place at Madison Square Garden, the first, real-time animated NBA game will be set on “Main Street, USA” at Walt Disney World, thanks to Mickey’s Christmas wish to Santa. At halftime, Mickey and other Disney characters will take part in a special, slam dunk contest. You can watch the alt-cast for free via a trial of fuboTV or DirecTVStream , or with a subscription to ESPN+ or Disney+ . Here’s what you need to know: What : “Dunk the Halls” Who : Spurs vs. Knicks When : Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 (12/25/24) Where : Walt Disney World Time : 12 p.m. ET TV : ESPN2 Live stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial), fuboTV (free trial), Disney+ (with subscription), ESPN+ (with subscription) — DirecTV Stream is offering $30 off on Entertainment with Sports Pack featuring NFL RedZone, Big Ten Network and more. — fuboTV plans start at $79.99 per month, with $35 off your first month. — Sling TV is offering plans for as low as $23 for your first month — Disney+ ESPN+ and Hulu trio bundle plans start at $16.99 per month. *** Here’s a story on “Dunk the Halls” via the Associated Press: NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA’s Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the “Dunk the Halls” game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse’s Christmas wish . “Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible,” Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They’ll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. “It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level,” said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella’s castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy’s room from “Toy Story ;” the “NHL Big City Greens Classic” during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “ The Simpsons Funday Football. ” Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. “So, this is a level of detail that we’ve never gone, that we’ve never done on any other broadcast,” said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he’d look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. “Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It’s like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character,” said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama’s presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA’s five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony’s Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN’s “SkyCam” during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. “It’s going to be so crazy to see the game animated,” Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. “I think what’s dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters.” (The Associated Press contributed to this report) Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.Should You Donate Your Points and Miles to Charity?LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Mason Falslev scored 27 points as Utah State beat South Florida 88-67 on Saturday night for the Aggies' best start in school history. Falslev had nine rebounds, nine assists, and three steals for the Aggies (10-0). Ian Martinez scored 15 points while shooting 4 for 12 (1 for 6 from 3-point range) and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line and added five assists. Karson Templin finished 5 of 8 from the field to finish with 12 points. Quincy Adekokoya led the Bulls (5-5) in scoring, finishing with 12 points. Kasen Jennings added 11 points and five assists for South Florida. Brandon Stroud finished with 10 points and two steals. NEXT UP Up next for Utah State is a Tuesday matchup with UCSD at home, and South Florida hosts Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press

Thanksgiving Weekend Sports Guide: Your roadmap to NFL matchups, other games, times, oddsThe school said Amelia, who was diagnosed with a hearing impairment at an early age and uses a cochlear implant, has shown incredible resilience in overcoming obstacles and has been an inspiration to both her peers and teachers. The Year 12 graduate received Band 6 marks in all her HSC courses, earning her the title of “Distinguished Achiever”. “As a school prefect, Amelia’s natural leadership and passion for community involvement have left a lasting impact,” a school spokesperson said. “She is frequently approached by younger students, who look up to her for her kindness, compassion and humility. “Her contributions extend beyond the classroom, as she has also been a long-term volunteer with St John’s Ambulance, demonstrating her commitment to helping others.” Amelia said her results were “a huge relief and very exciting”. “I wasn’t expecting such a result but it’s extremely validating,” she said. “The confirmation that my hard work was all for something in the end was overwhelming, and I’m so lucky to have been in a supportive environment when they came through. “The HSC was a challenge like no other, so it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders when the results came through; I cried!” Amelia has long been an advocate for improving educational experiences for students with disabilities. Her own hearing impairment has meant that she often needs to put in extra effort to ensure she keeps up with her studies. “My hearing impairment means that in order to get the same amount out of my classes as other students, I often have to go back over the content in my free time, ask more questions and so forth,” she said. “To achieve this, I have received the most incredible support from Hearing Australia and my itinerant hearing support (IST-H) teachers across the 13 years of my schooling. “Not only that, Henry Kendall’s amazing student services team was consistently amazing and I am so grateful for everyone that helped me along the way to ensure that in classes, I was getting the same amount of education and learning my classmates were. “Without that I would have fallen behind and not been able to do the extra work and effort at home that the HSC required.” Next year, Amelia will pursue her passion for writing and education, with plans to study communications (writing and publishing) and secondary education (English and society and culture) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). “I’m very excited to start,” she said.Save 26% and Party With the JBL Boombox 2 at 26% Off

Share Tweet Share Share Email Lightchain AI is revolutionizing blockchain technology in 2025 with its seamless integration of artificial intelligence (AI). As part of its groundbreaking journey, the Lightchain AI Presale is now live, offering early adopters the chance to join this transformative movement. At the heart of Lightchain This guide will dive into the top five features that set Lightchain AI above other tokens and make it a top contender for 2025. 5 Top Features of Lightchain AI 1. Proof of Intelligence (PoI) Consensus Lightchain AI brings in a new Proof of Intelligence (PoI) way to agree, changing old ways like Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS). PoI rewards nodes to do important AI tasks like model training and fine-tuning it boosts network safety while helping with the growth of shared AI. Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM) The AIVM acts as a ͏special layer for running AI tasks smoothly on the blockchain. It helps real-time AI apps with low wait times, makes it easy to work together with tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch, and keeps private data safe with Zero-Knowledge Proofs and homomorphic encryption. 3. Scalable and Efficient Architecture Lightchain AI employs advanced scalability solutions, including sharding, Layer 2 rollups, and Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs). These technologies enhance throughput and reduce latency, enabling the platform to handle large-scale transactions and AI workloads efficiently. This ensures it remains responsive and cost-effective for global adoption. 4. Privacy and Transparency Lightchain AI prioritizes privacy through federated learning and cryptographic techniques like differential privacy and Zero-Knowledge Proofs. Combined with blockchain’s immutability, it ensures secure, traceable, and accountable AI operations, fostering trust and transparency within its ecosystem. 5. Decentralized Governance Through a robust governance model, Lightchain AI empowers token holders to drive decision-making processes. Features like quadratic voting and delegated voting ensure inclusivity and prevent centralization. The community-driven governance ensures that the ecosystem evolves to meet stakeholder needs while maintaining fairness and transparency. By combining these innovative features, Lightchain AI positions itself as a transformative force in blockchain and AI, making it a top token for 2025. Innovative Tokenomics Driving Ecosystem Growth Lightchain AI has carefully designed its tokenomics to promote sustainability, fair distribution, and lasting value within its ecosystem. The total supply of LCAI tokens is fixed at 10 billion, distributed as follows. Presale (40%)- 4 billion tokens allocated to early backers to support platform development. Staking Rewards (28.5%)- 2.85 billion tokens set aside to reward validators and participants who contribute to network security and performance through staking. Liquidity Pool (15%)- 1.5 billion tokens dedicated to maintaining market liquidity, enabling smooth transactions and reducing slippage on decentralized exchanges. Marketing and Partnerships (5%)- 500 million tokens devoted to spreading awareness, securing partnerships, and driving global recognition of Lightchain AI. Treasury (6.5%)- 650 million tokens reserved for operational costs, future platform development, and community-led initiatives to support ecosystem growth. Team Allocation (5%)- 500 million tokens granted to the core team and contributors, with vesting schedules to ensure alignment with the platform’s long-term objectives. This allocation strategy creates a well-rounded ecosystem, encouraging early uptake, rewarding active contributors, and providing resources for continuous growth and promotion. By aligning interests across its community, Lightchain AI establishes a solid framework for sustained innovation and progress in the AI-blockchain space. Take Part in the Lightchain AI Revolution Today! Lightchain AI is set to change the landscape of blockchain and AI, bringing groundbreaking solutions to real-world problems. By leveraging its innovative features and inclusive tokenomics, it positions itself as a top token for 2025. Join the Lightchain AI Presale now and be part of this transformative journey towards a decentralized future powered by artificial intelligence. Let’s build together! So don’t wait any longer, join us today and experience the power of Lightchain AI! https://lightchain.ai https://lightchain.ai/lightchain-whitepaper.pdf https://x.com/LightchainAI https://t.me/LightchainProtocol Related Items: Blockchain , Lightchain Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you SUI Targets $10 and $40, But Holders Are Shifting to MTAUR as It Moves to 0.0001, Then 0.1 USDT Best Cryptos to Join Today: Qubetics Sells 374M Tokens to 11,700 Enthusiasts as Fantom Looks to Rebrand and Toncoin Aims for $10 Why Blockchain Enthusiasts Are Leaving PEPE Behind for Lightchain AI CommentsEdgewater Announces Upsize of Private Placement

Companies embracing artificial intelligence (AI) are pulling ahead of competitors, with Bridgeline ’s HawkSearch reporting new customers each week, IBM finding open-source AI users seeing higher returns, and MIT research showing advanced AI adopters outperforming industry peers. However, a Q4 loss at Bridgeline highlighted the sector’s uneven growth path. Bridgeline Reports AI Growth Despite Mixed Q4 Results AI-powered marketing technology firm Bridgeline reported that HawkSearch, its AI-powered search product, drove significant growth in 2024, despite posting a quarterly net loss of $432,000. The company launched five new AI products under its HawkSearch brand and noted new customer installations nearly every week throughout the year. The company rolled out a conversational search feature powered by generative AI, as well as smart tools for analyzing PDF content. “HawkSearch is the leader in AI-powered product discovery,” Bridgeline CEO Ari Kahn said in the release. “This year we nearly doubled our sales contracts and had better than 103% net revenue retention for HawkSearch.” Total revenue for Q4 reached $3.9 million, up slightly from $3.8 million in the same period last year. The company reported signing 83 new license sales in fiscal 2024, adding $2.1 million in annual recurring revenue. Bridgeline enters 2025 with what it calls the largest sales pipeline in company history, driven by growing demand for AI-enhanced search capabilities among eCommerce and B2B customers. Companies See ROI From Open-Source AI Companies using open-source AI tools are seeing better returns on their investments than those that don’t, according to a Dec. 19 IBM study . The global survey of over 2,400 IT decision-makers found that 51% of companies using open-source AI reported positive returns, compared to 41% of those not utilizing open-source AI. The study indicates a growing shift toward open-source adoption, with 48% of companies planning to leverage these tools in 2025. Despite ongoing economic uncertainties, 89% of organizations plan to maintain or increase AI investments next year. Nearly two-fifths of those increasing spending expect to boost their AI budgets by 25-50%. “Companies continue to rapidly advance their AI strategies, with no sign of slowing down,” Maribel Lopez , of Lopez Research , who collaborated on the study, said in a release. “They are leveraging hybrid cloud strategies and open source to drive AI innovation.” The research revealed that companies are focusing their AI investments primarily on IT operations, with 63% of respondents citing it as their top priority, followed by data quality management at 46%. MIT Study Links AI Adoption to Higher Company Performance Companies with advanced AI capabilities tend to perform better financially than industry peers, according to research released by MIT ’s Center for Information Systems Research . The study of 721 companies found that organizations in the two highest stages of AI maturity reported above-average financial performance, while those in earlier stages performed below industry averages. Only 7% of surveyed companies were at the the highest “AI future ready” stage, where AI is embedded in decision-making processes. Most enterprises remain in early development, with 28% in the experimental phase and 34% building pilot programs. “Enterprises can use the MIT CISR Enterprise AI Maturity Model to assess their current capabilities, identify gaps and create a roadmap for improvement,” Stephanie Woerner , MIT Sloan principal research scientist and MIT CISR director, said in the release. The research team, led by Woerner, Peter Weill and Ina Sebastian , developed the model based on survey data and interviews with executives at nine companies. Their findings suggest enterprises should take decisive action in developing AI capabilities, regardless of their current stage.NHRC chief: Integration of rights a condition for a sustainable futureBlakley's 28 lead Le Moyne over SUNY Delhi 106-51

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