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LOS ANGELES — When Mark Delgado made his MLS debut, he was just 17 and even he acknowledges his approach to soccer was unsophisticated. "Just being a young kid and running around," he said. Fortunately for Delgado, his team, the now-defunct Chivas USA, had a rookie assistant coach named Greg Vanney. And while Vanney could do little for the unfocused teenager in their season together, he remembered Delgado and made him the first player he acquired after taking over as manager of Toronto FC in 2014. Seven years later, after moving to the Galaxy, Vanney spent $500,000 on another reunion with Delgado, who this season notched career highs for games (32), starts (29) and assists (nine, including two in the playoffs). And with playmaker Riqui Puig sidelined because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Delgado figures to play an even bigger role in Saturday's MLS Cup final with the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park. And for that he has the coach to thank — not just for the faith in him, but also for the mentoring Vanney has done along the way, taking Delgado from a talented if wild teenager and molding him into a player and person so stable and disciplined that the coach called him "the great balancer." "To really talk things out with Greg and really study film, I became more of a thinker, right?" said Delgado, 29. "I guess you can say it's gained his trust. Eventually things worked out." Delgado is not the only player who has benefited from a relationship with Vanney. In fact, for all the attention the coach's technical and strategic acumen has received, those personal connections off the field have become an equally important factor in what has been one of the greatest turnarounds in MLS history. After winning just eight games and finishing 13th in a 14-team conference a year ago, the Galaxy will play for their sixth MLS title. After winning just two playoff games in the last eight seasons, the Galaxy have won twice that many in the last six weeks. A franchise even its own fans had given up on 19 months ago is 90 minutes away from being the best in the world's largest first-division league. And Vanney is getting much of the credit for that. "He is the reason why I came here," said forward Dejan Joveljic, who joined the Galaxy halfway through Vanney's first season in L.A. and leads the team with 20 MLS goals this year. "Of course he's a good coach. But first of all, he's a very real gentleman and I appreciate him." "He's really like a father," added winger Joseph Paintsil, who left Belgium for the Galaxy in January. "We don't need a coach who shouts and makes you angry and mad. He always comes to you as his own son to discuss with you patiently and calmly. That has really given me confidence." Vanney said his mother, Jeanette, who taught kindergarten for four decades, instilled those traits in him. "My mom was super nurturing. She was such a loving person," Vanney said. "My dad was super intense. Hard-working athletic director, former college football player. He had a fiery personality. My mom was always just very calm." Yet despite their conflicting personalities, Bill and Jeanette were married for 53 years before Jeanette died at 69, eight months before her son won his first MLS Cup as a coach with Toronto in 2017. "I feel like I have both sides of them," Vanney said. Which is to say he too can be fiery. But it's not his first option, nor his most successful one. "That my-way-or-the-highway [approach] is gone," said Dan Calichman, a teammate of Vanney's on the inaugural Galaxy roster in 1996 and his top assistant for the last decade in Toronto and Los Angeles. "We motivate and we get on these guys, but it's just so much more respectful, it's so much more valuing their knowledge. "When a player feels like he's listened to, you get the buy-in." For Vanney, it's not about coaching players. It's about coaching the holy trinity that makes up each player. "Philosophically, the way I see it, every player is actually three parts," he said, holding up both hands to tick through the traits he finds significant. "There's the person, there's the player and then there's the competitor. If you can connect with a person, they will trust you and you can drive them as much as you need to get the best out of them. If they don't think you're doing it for the right reasons and for their best interest, at some point they cut you out. "If you're a good coach and your vision matters and you care about the person, you can teach them. But I believe the most important part of that is being genuine and connecting with the person. That establishes the trust you need to really coach." That approach has worked for Vanney, whose 141 victories in 9 1/2 seasons tied him for fourth among active coaches at the end of this season. Saturday's MLS Cup final will mark his fourth appearance in the championship game; in the last quarter-century, no coach has been there more often. His 69.6% winning percentage in 23 playoffs games in second to LAFC's Steven Cherundolo, who has managed half as many games, and if the Galaxy win, Vanney will become the fourth coach in league history to win championships with two different teams. But that success wasn't the only thing that brought him back to the Galaxy. After taking Toronto to the MLS Cup final three times in four seasons, winning the only treble in league history in 2017, Vanney started to feel the club, which had a new general manager and new president, had no clear vision for the future. So despite agreeing to a contract extension late in the 2020 season, he asked out of the deal. Conversations quickly began with the Galaxy, who a month earlier had fired Guillermo Barros Schelotto, their fourth coach in as many seasons. For both sides it was a perfect fit: The rudderless Galaxy, once perennial contenders, had made just one playoff appearance in four seasons and needed stability and a proven winner while Vanney would be returning to a club whose culture he understood, having played on the first trophy-winning team in 1998. "I always wanted to come back here," said Vanney, who played three years at UCLA before signing with the Galaxy ahead of the club's inaugural season. "This has always kind of been my club, the club [to which] I felt the most attached." But the team he returned to wasn't the one he started with. In his first six seasons with the Galaxy, the team finished first in the conference four times, won Supporters' Shield, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League titles and played in three MLS Cup finals. In the four seasons before he came back, the Galaxy lost more games than they won, finished in the bottom half of the league table three times and made the playoffs just once. "I personally have an expectation for what the Galaxy should look like," Vanney said. "It's hard to me to see the Galaxy struggling. That's not where the Galaxy should be." The rebuild, however, was not easy. When Vanney arrived he found the team didn't have much of a sports science staff or scouting department and the academy program had been allowed to wither. Then, at the end of his first season, general manager Dennis te Kloese departed, leaving Vanney to assume his duties as well. It proved to be too much. When Vanney took the job, he had outlined a three-year plan to return the Galaxy to prominence, yet his third season was one of the worst ever, with the team winning a franchise-low eight games and giving up a franchise-high 67 goals. Along the way there was a fan boycott, the team's longtime president was fired and, for the first time, the Galaxy's leading scorer finished with fewer than eight goals. "It was embarrassing," captain Maya Yoshida said. And Yoshida was with the Galaxy for only the final three months of the turmoil. Questions were raised about whether Vanney, who was entering the final year of his contract, was still the right man for the job. So after the season mercifully ended, the coach met with Dan Beckerman, the chief executive and president of AEG, the Galaxy's parent company, and asked for help. "I said I can't do all of these things," Vanney recounted of the conversation. "I really like working with a really good GM. It's two completely different sports when you are signing players and working with agents and getting those players across the finish line and then working with those players and making them fit together on the field. "I want a GM who's challenging me to be better and asking the right questions and giving me ideas to think about. I don't know everything." Beckerman agreed and Will Kuntz, whom Vanney had hired in April as the senior vice president of player personnel, was promoted to general manager in December. When the Galaxy took the field for the first time in February, nine of the 15 players Vanney used in a season-opening draw with Inter Miami had been signed by Kuntz. Both men say the process has been a collaborative one that begins with Vanney settling on the profile of the players he wants and Kuntz and the scouting department Vanney developed scouring the globe to find them. "The dialogue always has to be there, or else you end up with pieces that don't fit," Vanney said. "Will couldn't coach the team. That's not his strength. I couldn't get anyone signed. That's not my strength. The beauty is the collaboration of the different departments. That to me is what a club is." But even after providing Vanney with what he wanted — spending a club-record $20.7 million on transfer fees for Paintsil, Gabriel Pec and Miki Yamane in just seven weeks — Kuntz figured it would take time to turn those players into a team. Instead, the Galaxy matched modern-era club records with 19 wins and 69 goals this season, were unbeaten at Dignity Health Sports Park and became the first team since 2008 to go from eight victories to the MLS Cup final in one season. "I didn't see this coming this soon. And that's all Greg," Kuntz said. "The more pieces you add to a team, the harder it is. The fact that you can do a complete squad transformation and get everyone to jell, it's very rare." Rarer still is the way Vanney had been able to use the nurturing skills his kindergarten-teacher mother taught him to get the most out of those new players. Like Pec, 23, who came to MLS from Brazil's Vasco da Gama, where he played as a wide winger in a rigid system that left little room for improvisation. With the Galaxy, Vanney encouraged him to move closer to the penalty area, take chances and play with the freedom he did on the playground. The result? Sixteen goals and 14 assists, making him the youngest players in club history to record 30 goal contributions in one season. "Everyone was really trusting, believing that I could do it," Pec said through a translator. "That gave me so much joy that I could show who I was. What we are seeing, it's Gabriel when I was a kid. It was inside me but it was asleep. [Vanney] has brought this back and suddenly I'm awake." And so, after seven seasons in hibernation, are the Galaxy. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Women's representation in tech sector improving in 2024, says report

Stock Music Market to Grow by USD 650.4 Million from 2023-2028, Report on AI Redefining Market Landscape - Technavio

Festive soaps are as much as Christmas staple as a tree and a new pair of socks. While you might be waiting on some fancy lotions and potions in your stocking on the big day, you might want to avail yourself of a set that doubles as decorations to help brighten your home through advent. Right now you can pick up the Forever Cosmetics Molton Brown Festive Bauble Bath & Shower Gift Set for £15.99 , reduced from £39.99 at Wowcher. Ideal as a gift or as a pre-Christmas treat to yourself, these three shower gels are a bargain at this price. The trio of 75ml, bauble-shaped bottles are each filled with popular scents: fiery pink pepper, black pepper, and rhubarb and rose. Ideal either in the bath or the shower, these refreshing scents are just the first phase of this set’s life in your home. Once they’re empty, they make for great Christmas tree decorations that can be wheeled out for years to come. READ MORE: Kitchen essential 'perfect for cooking family meals' reduced to £15 from £67 in Debenhams deal READ MORE: Costco is selling a mega tin of Quality Street this Christmas almost half the price of Amazon This set is vegetarian-friendly, cruelty and paraben-free, and produced in Essex with a manufacturing process first established in 1971. If you want to support British businesses whilst stocking up on fancy bath soaps and decorations, this is the place to be. At Amazon the set has a solid average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from almost 30 reviews. “Gift for a friend who absolutely loves it,” said one five-star review. “This is for Xmas presents for family and friends,” said another happy customer. Another said: “I like the fact that the shower gel is good quality. This means a better lather with a small amount of gel. Very pleasant smell. Worth the money because it lasts a long time.” Some customers have found the formula doesn’t sit well with their skin type, however. “Unfortunately, I did notice that my skin felt a bit dry after using this shower gel. Despite its luxurious feel, it seemed to strip away some natural oils from my skin, which was a disappointment,” said one four-star review. Another customer said the fragrances could be stronger: “I find by the time I'm dried off I can't smell it at all.” £17.99 instead of £39.99 for a Molton Brown 3-Piece Festive Bath & Shower Gift Set with a limited number available from £15.99 from Wowcher (Image: Wowcher) For alternative shower set gifts for friends and family this Christmas, check out the Bondi Sands Clearer Skin Bundle for £33. Beauty Bay’s Birthday Box is a steal at £55, packed to bursting with skincare goodness. It’s tough to find a better bargain that this three-piece bauble soaps set for £15.99 at Wowcher — grab one while you can!

Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season

EFFINGHAM , S.C. -- Monday Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye announced three command staff promotions. Captain Scott Brown has been promoted to Major over the Special Operations Bureau. With 30 years of law enforcement experience, Brown is now responsible for the agency's aviation, SWAT, training, canine, internal affairs, internet technology and has been heavily involved in the the organizatin's accreditation process. Captain Darrin Yarborough, with 29 years of law enforcement experience and most recently captain over the investigations vureau, has been promoted to Major for administration and special protection services. Lieutenant Alvin Powell has been promoted to captain over the investigations bureau. With 27 years of law enforcement experience, Powell will be responsible for all investigations, including crimes against persons, property crimes, domestic violence, criminal sexual assault, forensics, cybercrime, polygraph, crime lab, sex offender registry and victim’s advocates. “Our agency has to grow to meet the needs of the citizens of Florence County and that means promoting the right people to the right positions,” Joye said. “We have an amazing command staff and I am proud to recognize their accomplishments.” Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.

NVIDIA Announces Upcoming Events for Financial CommunityBy Jody Godoy (Reuters) - Andrew Ferguson, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to chair the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, has expressed the desire to go after Big Tech companies while taking a hands-off approach to regulating artificial intelligence. Ferguson's views on social media, data privacy, AI and the need to boost American competitiveness are likely to affect the regulator's approach to companies including Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Alphabet's Google. Here are some of the views Ferguson has expressed in statements during his term as an FTC commissioner which began in April and ends in 2030. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The "pro-regulation side of the AI debate" is "the wrong one," Ferguson said. "A knee-jerk regulatory response will only squelch innovation, further entrench Big Tech incumbents, and ensure that AI innovators move to jurisdictions friendlier to them — but perhaps hostile to the United States," he said in a September statement on the FTC's report on social media. The report called for comprehensive legislation to protect users' data and prevent AI from perpetuating discrimination. ONLINE PRIVACY Ferguson has described the vast collection, aggregation and indefinite storage of data on social media and internet users in the U.S. as an "online privacy crisis" that regulators should focus on. However, he has warned against regulating how such information is used to target advertising. "If regulators and lawmakers attempt to ban or seriously curtail targeted advertising, they will be undoing the balance of the online economy," he said. CONTENT MODERATION POLICIES Ferguson has criticized social media platforms for instituting "Orwellian policies banning nebulous categories of content like 'misinformation,' 'disinformation,' and 'hate speech.'" The FTC could take action against social media platforms if their terms of service misled users about content moderation policies. With more transparent policies, users could decide if they want to stay on the platforms, Ferguson said in December. "But the choice would be real only if there are suitable free-speech-respecting substitutes to the censorious platforms," Ferguson said, praising Elon Musk's "unusually firm commitment to free and open debate" after the billionaire took over social media platform X. PLATFORM COLLABORATION ON CONTENT Ferguson has expressed concern that social media platforms may have coordinated in banning Trump in 2021, taking down posts they deemed harmful during the COVID-19 pandemic, and restricting dissemination of stories about Hunter Biden's laptop computer. "If the platforms colluded amongst each other to set shared censorship policies, such an agreement would be tantamount to an agreement not to compete on contract terms or product quality," which would violate antitrust laws, Ferguson said. ADVERTISER COORDINATION Coordination between advertisers to pull money from platforms such as X over content concerns could violate antitrust laws, Ferguson said. The World Federation of Advertisers' Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which was formed to help advertisers avoid their ads being placed next to harmful content on social media, shut down after X sued, accusing it of facilitating group boycotts. Ferguson has said the FTC could investigate similar efforts. KIDS AND TEENS ONLINE Congress should pass a law that would require online service providers to give parents more control over children's online privacy, Ferguson said. "Congress should empower parents to impose whatever level of supervision and control over internet messaging they feel is right for their family and their children," he said. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)By FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.Continuously optimize user experience, Baijiayun's live and on-demand products complete autumn upgrade

NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global stock music market size is estimated to grow by USD 650.4 million from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.09% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive forecast of key segments below- Segmentation Overview Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1.1 Fastest growing segment: Royalty-free (RF) music refers to the permission to use copyrighted materials without paying recurring royalties or license fees. RF music allows for one-time payment, regardless of usage frequency, number of copies sold, or timeframe. Traditionally, RF music was popular for TV productions due to its ease of use and elimination of complex licensing processes. With the rise of digital distribution, RF music adoption, benefiting both composers and buyers. Numerous websites offer a vast selection of RF music across various genres, making it a convenient choice for producers. RF music's affordability fuels the growth of the global stock music market, as it offers legal access to a wide range of musical content without the need for copyright infringement. Analyst Review The Stock Music Market is a dynamic and evolving industry that caters to the diverse audio needs of various sectors, from Millennials to corporations. Technology and social media have revolutionized the way we consume and create music, making music libraries an essential resource for content creators in the entertainment business. From TV and films to advertisements, video games, and corporate production, the demand for authentic and high-quality music is at an all-time high. The gig economy has given rise to a new generation of multimedia artists, providing them with an opportunity to monetize their creations through stock music platforms. Genres and styles vary widely, catering to the unique needs of different industries and audiences. The user base of streaming services and digital advertising continues to grow, making online marketing and podcasting increasingly important channels for reaching consumers. The Stock Music Market is a thriving business that is here to stay. Market Overview The Stock Music Market is a dynamic and evolving industry that caters to the growing demand for authentic and high-quality music in various sectors. With millennials leading the charge, technology and social media have revolutionized the way music is consumed and shared. Music libraries have become essential resources for content creators in TV, films, advertisements, video games, corporate production, and the entertainment business. Stock music producers offer licenses, attribution, and exploitable rights to market participants, enabling a diverse range of businesses to access original music for their brand assets. Affluent consumers, cultural change agents, touring musicians, and local musicians all contribute to this vibrant ecosystem. Brands like Coca-Cola and Budweiser have embraced music as a powerful branding tool, creating iconic brand anthems and sponsoring music festivals. The digital element has transformed the industry, with streaming services, podcasting, and online marketing leading the charge. Editing tools and platforms have made it easier for professionals to integrate music into their multimedia content, from magazines and newspapers to instore activations and digital efforts. The market continues to grow, fueled by media spending and the unified approach to platform integration. To understand more about this market- Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Venodr Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stock-music-market-to-grow-by-usd-650-4-million-from-2023-2028--report-on-ai-redefining-market-landscape---technavio-302328795.html SOURCE TechnavioCheck Out What Whales Are Doing With WDAYElon Musk spent over $250 million to help elect Trump

West Ham beat Wolves after edgy Premier League match and heap more pressure on O'Neil