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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. James Naismith is my homeboy. No, don’t send in the whitecoats. I realize that Naismith has been dead for 85 years. But I still have always felt a deep connection to the inventor of basketball, simply because of the joy his game has brought to my life all these years. So much so that I typically refer to him as Jimmy. (I figure Jimmy and I are that close.) To say I love basketball does not fully encompass the depth of my emotion for this game. I love watching it. I love covering it. I love talking about it. I love playing it. I’ve eaten, slept and breathed basketball for a good chunk of my 51 years on the planet — considering I’ve eaten orange and black cupcakes after coaching youth games, slept on fuzzy basketball-shaped pillows as a teenager, and breathed in that unmistakable and pungent, ahem, fragrance of a locker room. So, whenever I get a chance to visit the sport’s Mecca, the place where it all began, I must seize that opportunity. Last Thursday I had some time to kill before my flight home from Connecticut, the day after Baylor’s basketball game at UConn. (Yes, it’s highly possible I purposefully scheduled it that way). Hartford is a mere 30-minute drive from Springfield, Massachusetts, site of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. So, I hopped in my sleigh (a Volkswagen rental car) and ventured through the winter wonderland of New England to the birthplace of the Greatest Game Ever Invented. At this point, I considered myself a varsity Hall of Fame patron. I made my JV voyage back in November 2010, during another trip covering Baylor basketball. (The BU women played Geno Auriemma’s Huskies at the XL Center in Hartford.) Jerry Hill of the Baylor Bear Insider accompanied me on that particular visit, but Jerry didn’t make the trip this time, so I was flying solo. Much has changed at the Hall since my last visit 14 years ago, and I appreciate that. The game evolves, why shouldn’t the museum honoring its history evolve, too? After purchasing my ticket, I ducked into a 200-seat movie theater to watch a short film about the game’s history and impact. Then I returned to the lobby, where a series of large columns featured display cases highlighting the accomplishments of some of the game’s most iconic players — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anne Donovan, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Nancy Lieberman, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, among others. The coolest feature of those lobby cases made its presence known when you stepped in front of one to soak in the glass-encased memorabilia. A sensor would note your presence and begin playing a video about the featured player. It was as if Magic Johnson himself was throwing you a no-look pass, always aware of your presence. (I remember being equally impressed on my last visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which featured a similar sensor setup.) One of my favorite displays recognized “Pistol” Pete Maravich, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer at LSU who went on to play with the Hawks, Jazz and Celtics in the NBA. Though the Pistol’s heyday predated my own hoops hysteria, I’ve always been a big Maravich fan. His flashy style always appealed to me, as Pete understood as well as anyone the art of on-court entertainment. That said, his look proved less iconic, with his chili bowl-1970s haircut and his floppy socks. Fittingly, his display case included a pair of those socks — elastic not included. Once I felt sufficiently stuffed by the hall of icons in the lobby, it was time to enter the elevator. The Hall of Fame incorporates a unique and well-designed architecture, housing many of its exhibits inside a giant silver sphere. Thus, when you make your way up to the third floor to begin your self-guided tour, you find yourself literally going in circles, descending to the bottom. (Don’t worry, you’re unlikely to get dizzy, unless you spend too much time trying to analyze Allen Iverson’s crossover.) The top floor allows visitors to measure up against the pros. You can stick your sneaker into the footprint of one of the game’s post giants or press your handprint into the outline of some of the handiest players. For instance, I measured my paw against Kevin Durant’s, and it was as if my hands suddenly belonged to a toddler. It was staggering just how large KD’s mitts were, and while it was tempting to think that it must have been an exaggeration, then I remembered that I once walked past Durant in a Toyota Center hallway at the NBA All-Star Game and thought that he was the tallest human I’d ever seen. Want to see how your wingspan stacks up against Giannis Antetokounmpo’s or Brittney Griner’s? Prepare to feel shortchanged. (Our pal BG also has a Baylor jersey and shoes located within the museum. Other Baylor connections: Of course you can find some homages to Kim Mulkey along the way, including a Kim bobblehead, and I spotted a video with a clip of Lauren Cox talking about her juggling of basketball with her Type-1 diabetes.) I took selfies with the likes of Muggsy Bogues and Yao Ming, figuring that I’d check out both ends of the spectrum. OK, not the real-life Muggsy and Yao, but rather life-sized cutouts of those physical marvels. And before you dismiss the 5-foot-3 Muggsy and think, “I could totally post him up,” just know that before your first reverse pivot Muggsy would have already stolen the ball and would have been skittering down the court the other direction. At the center of the 40,000-square foot museum is the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams, named for the former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. Though you can go hit the court and get up some shots at any point in your visit, the layout of the museum makes sense to wait until the end, as you reach the bottom floor. (So, we’ll get to that later). Any modern museum worth its admission price would be wise to incorporate technology into the experience, and the Hall of Fame has really upgraded its bells and whistles over the years. There are a variety of touch screens and trivia games along the way to keep people — especially the youngest customers — engaged. For example, in the area of the museum that highlighted the game’s origins, I played around with a screen that allowed me to create a barnstorming team, select a certain city to call home, then go on a “choose your own adventure-style” barnstorming tour. Arguably the coolest tech arrived when I turned a corner and encountered a replica TNT “Inside the NBA” set. A Hall of Fame worker posted there explained that I could sit at the desk and act out a scene with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley. I just had to remember to follow the words on the teleprompter. Given that I consider “Inside the NBA” to be the greatest studio show in the history of sports, I was hooked. So, I played a game with Shaq, quizzing him on certain players’ jersey numbers, while Ernie, Kenny and the Chuckster chuckled along. Then the Hall of Fame emailed me the video within 15 minutes. Too cool. Another slick exhibit paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. It displayed a variety of Kobe’s jerseys, shoes and other trinkets, and was highlighted by a small room/theater where visitors could soak in Kobe highlights or clips from his Oscar-winning 2017 film, “Dear Basketball.” All that was missing was a trash can and a stack of paper, for what modern basketball fan hasn’t crumpled a piece of paper and fired up a fadeaway while shouting, “Kobe!”? If you’re a little more old-school and can remember when set shots and Chuck Taylors were all the rage, the museum will offer enough swell goodies that you’ll be thinking this place really is the bee’s knees. Anytime I come across Naismith’s original rules of basketball, I am mesmerized. (The game remains so beautiful in its simplicity, and has not detoured drastically from that original set of 13 rules). I also couldn’t help but chuckle when I came across the original NBA shot clock, the most marvelous timepiece ever created. Why was that funny to me? Well, it conjured up a memory of a long-ago news meeting at the Trib. A group of us editors were going over our daily stories and through the course of our discussion the name Jonas Salk came up. “Who’s Jonas Salk?” I asked, ignorantly. “WHO’S JONAS SALK?” Tim Woods, our managing editor at the time and a guy who knew how to push my buttons, responded. “You don’t know who Jonas Salk is? Inventor of the polio vaccine?” “Yeah ... well ... do you know who Danny Biasone is?” I shot back. “No,” Tim said, puzzled. “He invented the shot clock, and that was a pretty big deal too!” The other editors in the room looked at us with bemused expressions, entertained by our bickering. (Incidentally, I’ve never forgotten who Jonas Salk was since. I wonder if Tim recalls Danny Biasone?) On my last visit to the Hall of Fame, photos of the more than 400 players, coaches and contributors who have been enshrined as Hall of Famers hung on a massive wall. That exhibit is no more, having been replaced by a sleek gallery where a variety of touch-screen monitors contain a wealth of information about the inductees. You can flip through quotes, photos, videos and more. A part of me missed the photos, but I understand that the screens are probably more practical and user-friendly to today’s younger tech-savvy generations. But while the photo wall may have vanished, a large glass display still lists the names of each Hall of Fame induction class by the year in which they were enshrined. After you leave that gallery, you turn a corner and run into an actual Larry O’Brien NBA championship trophy, just sitting on a podium, waiting to be touched. (Another tip for would-be sports museums — give your customers plenty of photo opps.) A nice, old Hall of Fame worker asked if I wanted a picture with the trophy, and naturally I said yes. And before you chastise me for calling this elderly gentleman old, you’ve got to know, he might’ve been there for Naismith’s first pickup game. (But, hey, he knows how to work a smartphone camera, so put some respect on that guy’s game.) Finally, it was time for me to venture out to the court. Now, as I had made my way through the museum, I’d taken stock of the court several times to see who was inhabiting it. Once it was a couple of schlubs who put the err in airball, another time a retired guy was tossing up soft jumpers. But when I was ready to take to the court, a raucous group of teenagers that I took to be a couple of private school high school basketball teams, boys and girls, had fanned out all over the place. So much for Spalding and I getting some quality alone time together. One of the new additions to the Court of Dreams is a mammoth video screen that shows highlights of classic basketball moments. It’s also fun to try your hand shooting at the varying incarnations of basketball hoops, from a replica peach basket to an Indiana farmhouse-style wooden backboard to the gorgeous, crystal-clear baskets populating the top courts today. With the court so crowded, I didn’t spend as much time shooting as I probably would have otherwise. But I made my first shot and (always) my last, and knocked down several more in between. As I strolled off the court and made my way to the gift shop to close my Hall of Fame visit, I thought to myself, “It’s cool, let the kids have their fun.” A statement that, if you think about it, captures the essence of hoops. Thanks, Jimmy. Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

NFL icon Terry Bradshaw conceded he believed Nick Sirianni's days were numbered with the Philadelphia Eagles , especially after a heated moment with fans back in Week 5. After securing a pivotal 20-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns in October, Philadelphia's triumph was somewhat overshadowed by Sirianni's altercation with the hometown crowd. Sirianni's sideline passion is nothing new, but tensions escalated when he exchanged words with Philly supporters. The interaction sparked speculation of friction between Sirianni and the fan base, prompting an apology from the Eagles coach. "What I was really doing, I was trying to bring energy yesterday, energy and enthusiasm, and I'm sorry and disappointed at how my energy was directed at the end of the game," Sirianni said. NFL legend Rob Gronkowski's staggering net worth after huge investment discovery Georgia HC Kirby Smart chokes up, walks away from Gunner Stockton interview "My energy should be all in on coaching, and motivating, right? And celebrating with our guys. And I got to have to have better wisdom and discernment of when to use that energy and that wasn't the time." Since then, the NFC East team has been unstoppable, with the Eagles notching nine straight wins since their coach's clash with the crowd. Reflecting on the team’s impressive streak on 'FOX NFL Sunday', Bradshaw confessed that at the time, he assumed Sirianni wouldn’t make it. "I thought that head coach was gone after that confrontation," Bradshaw reflected. Yet the Eagles have soared to become a powerhouse in the NFC, neck and neck with the Detroit Lions due to their impressive 11-2 record. The Eagles are reaching new heights, largely thanks to Saquon Barkley's standout performances, catapulting him into the thick of the MVP conversation. Barkley has shattered records with nine games this season breaking the hundred-yard rushing mark, setting a new franchise high. In Sunday's matchup, Barkley dashed for 124 yards, while Jalen Hurts, albeit passing for a modest 108 yards, connected with DeVonta Smith and Grant Calcaterra for touchdowns in a tight 22-16 triumph over Carolina Panthers. Hurts also contributed a rushing TD aided by the 'Brotherly Shove'. Despite a gritty performance from the Panthers, with Bryce Young showcasing his evolving skills, their comeback drive was stifled as Xavier Legette fumbled what could've been a winning touchdown followed by Darius Slay's critical pass disruption on fourth down, ensuring an Eagles' win. The Eagles will confront the stellar Pittsburgh Steelers, who boast a 10-3 record, come Sunday, December 15. Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.AMHERST — Wednesday marks one week as UMass football head coach for Joe Harasymiak, who replaced Don Brown and stands as the 32nd leader in program history. Harasymiak made quite the splash during his introductory press conference on Friday morning at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center, pitching convincing remarks about togetherness and toughness – sprinkling in examples of his deep northeast background when doing so. But, of course, a new coaching hire comes with question marks. Harasymiak doesn’t necessarily carry questions about his coaching abilities, but he hasn’t been a head coach since 2018. A lot has changed in college football over the last half decade-plus. It’s not like Harasymiak is coming from another head coaching job, so it isn’t a definite that he can just bring “his guys” with him – players and staffers included – like others have done in recent memory. He does, however, have a lot of money to pay his assistants (the most in the Mid-American Conference, UMass’ new home in 2025), and a lot to give his players in NIL (nearly $2 million come next season). That said, here is an update on Harasymiak’s coaching staff as well as what Minutemen players have hit the portal so far. Harasymiak said when he was formally announced as head coach on Friday that he hasn’t solidified his assistant coaches quite yet. Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford noted that his new football leader will get a $2.7 million staff pool to find the right coaches that will fit his style. On the UMass athletics website, only four full-time coaching positions are currently listed outside of Harasymiak. Both Shane Montgomery and Keith Dudzinski – the offensive and defensive coordinators from last year’s team – are not among those listed. Neither are assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Ben Albert or running backs coach Damian Mincey. The only position group coaches still on board, per the coaching staff page on UMass’ website, are offensive line coach Alex Miller and tight ends coach Matt Layman. Aside from them, only Jim Reid and Jake Lane are listed as analysts, and Jake Fire and Joey Rahal as graduate assistants. Coincidentally, Miller, Layman and Reid all carried over from Walt Bell’s staff to Don Brown. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess But things are still changing in Amherst, and it isn’t confirmed that those coaches will still be around when Harasymiak finalizes his staff. Some, if not all, of those still employed by UMass could head elsewhere in the weeks ahead. Harasymiak, who is fresh off leading Rutgers’ defense to a top 20 finish, is still searching for the right football minds to come join the program. A source close to the program tells the Gazette that some hires can be expected later this week. “That’s ongoing,” Harasymiak said on Friday. “We’ll take our time and make the best decisions. Any time I’ve been through this, whether as an assistant or head coach, you never want to rush. It’s not about rushing, [we’re] taking our time. There’s a lot of great football coaches everywhere, and we’re going to make sure that we scope the landscape and put together the best staff. And we will.” On Monday, the transfer portal officially opened across college football. And as is usually the case, many players wasted no time announcing they’d be moving on from their current school and looking to find a situation that better fits their needs. Like every other program, UMass witnessed some of its players jump into the portal. It’s always expected considering the day and age of college football, but it’s likely the Minutemen were expecting a heavier departure load during this cycle than normal because of Harasymiak taking the reins to lead the program. Almost all of UMass’ players from the 2024 roster were recruited by Don Brown. The biggest names leaving UMass as of Tuesday afternoon were redshirt freshman quarterback Ahmad Haston and junior running back Jalen John. With rising sophomore AJ Hairston showing flashes of stardom (five TDs, zero INTs) during his four games played this past season, it isn’t a shock that Haston decided to try his luck elsewhere instead of competing for a starting spot next spring/summer. Haston threw for only 39 yards on nine attempts, but he rushed for 174 yards and a score on the ground – showcasing his dual-threat capability. He still has tons of eligibility and plenty of upside, which is an attractive combination for coaches searching for a quarterback. Hairston suffered an injury to his throwing arm in the season finale, but shouldn’t miss any time come next season. As for John, he led UMass in rushing yards (583) and touchdowns (5) and had by far the longest rush (68) on the team this fall. John came over from Arizona – where Brown was a defensive coordinator before UMass – after the 2021 season and didn’t play at all in 2022. He only registered 10 carries in 2023 before taking over as the lead back following the departures of both Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams and Greg Desrosiers last offseason. John has one year of eligibility remaining, and proved he can play at a high level when he rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown against Georgia on Nov. 23. Edge rusher Kofi Asare, defensive lineman Aaron Beckwith, defensive lineman Tyson Watson and wide receiver Anthony Simpson – who left the program early in the season – are other notable names currently in the transfer portal. UMass has yet to add any players in the portal as of Tuesday afternoon.

49ers running back McCaffrey headed to IR with an injured right knee

Detroit (AP) — China will soon see a massive expansion of electric vehicle battery swapping, as global battery maker CATL said Wednesday it is investing heavily in stations there next year. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Detroit (AP) — China will soon see a massive expansion of electric vehicle battery swapping, as global battery maker CATL said Wednesday it is investing heavily in stations there next year. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Detroit (AP) — China will soon see a massive expansion of electric vehicle battery swapping, as global battery maker CATL said Wednesday it is investing heavily in stations there next year. Battery swapping is not new — but it’s had a challenging journey. Adoption of electric vehicles has varied in regions across the globe over the past several years, and that doesn’t always bode well for building new infrastructure. While the technology could do well in China, it’s uncertain whether it could work in other countries. What is battery swapping? Battery swapping allows EV drivers to pull into a station on a low battery and receive a swapped, fully-charged battery within minutes. An EV has to be equipped with the right technology to receive a swap — and not many models around the world currently have it. Automakers have to buy into the idea, and EV adoption among consumers also has to grow, so that investing in new infrastructure seems worthwhile. Consumers also have to be comfortable not owning their battery. Why could it work in China? China is much further along in adopting EVs than other countries. Not only is it the world’s largest auto market, but in July, the country hit a milestone with 50% of new sales electric — and it accounts for most of this year’s global EV sales. China supports EV growth through government subsidies and mandates. So it makes more sense for companies to invest in unique EV infrastructure there because that’s more likely to be needed. What other attempts at battery swapping have occurred? The most notable example might be Israeli startup Better Place, which tried its hand at swapping in 2007. But the company shut down a few years later after investing a lot of money and coming up against roadblocks with logistics. EV adoption was especially low at the time. Could it work in the United States? Europe? Startup Ample, for example, has a modular battery swapping station that it says can complete a swap in 5 minutes. That’s important as charging time remains a point of concern for prospective EV buyers. Even the fastest fast chargers could take at least 15 minutes for a decent charge. But in the U.S., pure EVs only accounted for 8% of new vehicle sales as of November. Meanwhile Nio, a rival Chinese EV brand, has about 60 swap stations in northern Europe, and the EV adoption is higher there than the U.S., but the same challenges remain. Different automakers put different batteries in their various EV models, so a station would need all of those available if the industry didn’t agree to a standardized battery, and not all of those models are out yet in volume. This is something that really needs scale. Swapping could help with EV cost — currently a barrier to adoption for many — because a driver wouldn’t necessarily own the most expensive part of an EV: the battery. Greg Less, director of the University of Michigan Battery Lab, said with proper framing and education, people might like the idea of battery swapping. To him, it’s not unlike buying a propane-fueled grill and purchasing a refilled tank every so often. But it would require a rethinking of car ownership. “Where I could see it working is if we went entirely away from vehicle ownership and we went to a use-on-demand model,” Less added. “I don’t think we’re there yet.” What vehicle uses might be b est for swapping? Battery swapping might make most sense for ride-sharing or other fleet vehicles. Drivers of buses, taxis, Uber or Lyft vehicles want to spend as much time on the road as possible, transporting customers and making money. If battery swapping can shorten the time needed to charge EVs, that makes driving one less disruptive to their business. ___ Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org. ___ Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Advertisement AdvertisementBEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn't know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn't know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn’t know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. “My dad was hyped about it,” he said. For good reason. With three sacks last week in Cleveland’s 24-19 win in prime time over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Garrett became the seventh player to reach double-digit sacks in seven straight seasons since the stat became official in 1982. The others: Lawrence Taylor (1984-90), Reggie White (1985-93), Bruce Smith (1992-98), John Randle (1992-99), DeMarcus Ware (2006-12) and Jared Allen (2007-13). All of them is in the Hall of Fame except for Allen. “Hall of Famer,” Garrett said in praising the retired Minnesota Vikings edge rusher, who is again on the doorstep of induction as a semifinalist for the fifth straight year. Garrett is on track to get his own bronze bust one day in Canton, but until then, he’s humbled to be in such elite company. “Guys I looked up to when I started my journey into this game,” said Garrett, who tries to bolster his resume on Monday night when the Browns (3-8) visit the Denver Broncos (7-5). “It’s absolutely amazing to be amongst those guys, not just looking up at them but looking side to side and standing amongst them. “So I want to continue to find myself on those lists and hopefully stand alone at the end of the day.” He’s on his way. The NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year is having another monster season but probably not getting the recognition he deserves as the Browns, upended by continuous quarterback issues, have fallen way short of expectations. Garrett used the national TV platform against the Steelers to remind any detractors of his greatness. He sacked Russell Wilson three times, forced a fumble and outplayed Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, the player to whom he is most often compared. The Garrett vs. Watt debate went to another level in February. On the day Garrett received his DPOY award, second-place finisher Watt seemed to take a shot at the Browns star by posting “Nothing I’m not used to” on social media. Those comments stuck with Garrett, who following the win over Pittsburgh — and Watt being held without a sack — didn’t hold back in declaring himself the league’s best pass rusher. “I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy, I’m the No. 1 edge defender,” Garrett said. It was an unusual boast from Garrett, who was asked why he felt he needed to express himself. “Because part of my journey of being the best player that I can be is I think I can be the best player that there is currently,” he said. ”So I have to live up to those expectations I have for myself. That’s just on the road to be the player that I want to be.” Garrett’s unrelenting drive is what sets him apart. Although he’ll enter Monday’s game with 98 1/2 sacks and can become just the fifth player to reach 100 in his first eight seasons, joining White, Ware, Allen and Watt, it’s not enough. “I still took too long,” said Garrett, who can become the first to do it before turning 29. “It’d have been tough to catch Mr. White, but hopefully this next however many number will come quicker than the first 100. So we’ll go out there and we’ll do what I do and try to take it up a notch.” Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz marvels at Garrett’s output despite double- and triple-team blocking. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “He just continues to do stuff,” Schwartz said. “His production is so high, even though he’s a marked man, even though every game plan starts with, ‘Don’t let 95 wreck the game,’ and he still finds a way to wreck games.” Schwartz doesn’t need to see any lists to know Garrett belongs among the best to ever rush a quarterback. “Yes, he does,” Schwartz said. “I think he’s just starting to hit his prime. I think he still has a lot left in front of him. The sky is the limit as far as he goes. And when it’s all said and done, maybe you’re comparing other people to him. That should probably be a goal for him.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement Advertisement

U.S. Senate demands hearingsBOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Zach Kittley ran one of the nation’s best offenses at Texas Tech. Florida Atlantic has given him a bigger challenge. Kittley — the Texas Tech offensive coordinator for the last three seasons — is the new head coach at FAU, with the deal getting announced on Monday night. Kittley met the Owls’ players at a team meeting not long after his agreement with FAU was finalized. “He is a man of high integrity and character, with an incredible reputation in the profession for player development,” FAU athletic director Brian White said. “Zach is one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game, and I am confident in his ability to build a championship program with an exciting brand of football that can be a source of pride for our fans, our alumni, and the FAU community.” The 33-year-old Kittley will be formally introduced at a news conference Friday, the school said. “I know we can win here, and we have tremendous leadership from the top down to create a championship program,” Kittley said. “I am excited to get to know the student-athletes, build a staff, and get out in the community, and engage our tremendous supporters.” Kittley is replacing Tom Herman, with two games left in his second year at the school. Kittley had stints as offensive coordinator at Houston Baptist and Western Kentucky before returning to Texas Tech — his alma mater — in 2022 in the same role. The Red Raiders have averaged 435 yards per game over the last three seasons under Kittley, 22nd best among all FBS teams. This season saw the Red Raiders rank among the nation’s best offenses: They were eighth in yards per play, eighth in points per game, 10th in yards per game and did all that at a pace nearly unmatched nationally. Texas Tech averaged 78.25 plays per game this season, just behind Syracuse’s 78.33 for the national lead. As a student assistant, then graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech, Kittley helped coach Patrick Mahomes — the Kansas City Chiefs star, NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion — during his collegiate career. FAU President Stacy Volnick called Kittley “an ideal fit.” “What was clearly evident to me was Zach’s passion and excitement for the potential at Florida Atlantic,” Volnick said. “He is an incredibly impressive person. I am excited about his authenticity, his energy, and his family-oriented approach.” The Owls went 3-9 this season, their fourth consecutive losing record. Lane Kiffin went 27-13 with two bowl wins in his three seasons at FAU; the Owls are 22-35 in five seasons since Kiffin left for Ole Miss after the 2019 campaign. Kittley becomes the ninth coach in program history, after program founder Howard Schnellenberger, Carl Pelini, Brian Wright, Charlie Partridge, Kiffin, Willie Taggart, Herman and Chad Lunsford — the interim coach for the final two games this season. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell today insisted VAR is making far fewer mistakes this season – but admitted the modern technology will always be susceptible to human error. Rangers fans were furious on Sunday when the Ibrox club were denied a penalty in the Premier Sports Cup final at Hampden for a foul on their winger Vaclav Cerny by Celtic centre half Liam Scales. Officials at the Govan outfit, who ended up losing the match to their city rivals after a shootout, have since been told they should have been awarded a spot kick by SFA head of refereeing Willie Collum. But Maxwell - speaking as the SFA launched Pitching In, a campaign to raise £50m over the next five years and improve football facilities across the country – is adamant that VAR is working well. Read more: When will Willie Collum respond to Celtic v Rangers penalty outrage? Rangers alcohol licence for Celtic game to remain in place James Tavernier ready for fans' flak and focused on Rangers revival “We are talking about one decision at the moment,” he said. “This is the first time that anybody has asked Mike [SFA president Mulraney] or I about VAR decisions this season. “This time last year it was every week. So there has definitely been improvement. The transparency has improved, the referees’ performances on the pitch are improving. “There will always be decisions that go against you. We are still raging about the penalty that we should have got against Hungary [at Euro 2024 in June]. But we didn’t go to war with UEFA.” Maxwell continued: “I don’t mean to downplay any of the decisions, I am not saying what happened at the weekend was right or wrong. But there are fundamental moments in matches and referees and match officials have a part to play in that. “I am not downplaying that or belittling it in any shape or form, I get the significance of it. But it happens and that is the reality of it. You will never take human error out of it.” (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire) Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart contacted the SFA on his first day in his new job on Monday to seek clarification about the non-award of the penalty in the final – but Maxwell denied his organisation is at loggerheads with clubs over refereeing decisions and VAR calls. “Listen, there is always the sensationalised bit about clubs going to war with the SFA,” he said. “What does that actually mean? “If a club are unhappy with any refereeing decision, they phone Willie and have a conversation with him about the whats and the whys. Sometimes they are right to be unhappy, sometimes they are not. And then it is done. There is no war, there is no lasting debate about it. That is what happens. “With the process we have got now, the transparency that we have got with Willie doing it, we have got the KMI (Key Match Incidents) panel that comes out on a weekly basis. Nobody has to wait for any length of time to work out whether the decision was actually right or was actually wrong.” Read more: Celtic vs Rangers VAR duo off-duty after penalty fallout I worked at Man Utd - but nothing prepared me for Rangers goosebumps Stewart confirms SFA talks over Rangers penalty as he awaits answers Mulraney added: “Things happen, you deal with it like adults and then you move on. It is the same in anything. “[Scott] McTominay’s goal against Spain [in the Euro 2024 qualifier in Seville last year]? That still hurts. It is imprinted in my mind. It hurts. How did we not get that goal? We would have beaten Spain in Spain. Is VAR ever going to perfect? No, but it is better than what we had before.”Olivia Olson scored 18 points, including eight straight to open the fourth quarter, as the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines survived a 60-54 scare from the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten opener for each team in Ann Arbor, Mich. Northwestern (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten) led throughout the third quarter and took a four-point lead into the fourth, but Olson capped her 8-0 burst with a 3-pointer, and Syla Swords also nailed a trey to put the Wolverines (8-1, 1-0) ahead 50-44. Michigan has won eight straight games since opening the season with a six-point loss to then-No. 1 South Carolina. Caileigh Walsh's 3-pointer put the Wildcats back in front 53-52 with 3:36 to go. Michigan responded by scoring eight of the game's last nine points, six by Jordan Hobbs. Hobbs finished with 16 points and teammate Mila Holloway had 10. Kyla Jones led Northwestern with 14 points and Walsh notched 10 before fouling out. No. 4 Texas 93, James Madison 62 Madison Booker, Jordan Lee and Rori Harmon dominated the first half as the Longhorns clobbered the host Dukes in Harrisonburg, Va. Booker scored 21 points, Lee added 20 and Harmon 19 by combining on 25-of-33 shooting. They had 49 of their points in the first half as Texas (7-1) piled up a 58-29 halftime lead. The Longhorns, who entered seventh in the nation in scoring at 90 points per game, shot 54 percent for the game to 40 percent for the Dukes. Roshala Scott led James Madison (7-3) with 22 points and Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes had 12 apiece. McDaniel added eight rebounds for the Dukes, who had 24 turnovers. No. 10 Notre Dame 93, Syracuse 62 The Fighting Irish pulled away from a seven-point halftime lead to demolish the host Orange in the ACC opener for both schools. The trio of Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles led Notre Dame's win with double-doubles. Citron had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Hidalgo racked up 24 and 10, respectively, and Miles shone with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo, third in Division I in scoring (24.6 ppg), netted nine points and Citron had eight in the third quarter, as Notre Dame (7-2, 1-0 ACC) outscored Syracuse (4-6, 0-1) 29-13 to pull away. Keira Scott posted 16 points and Sophie Burrows tacked on 13 for the Orange, who shot only 32.5 percent. The Irish shot 50 percent and thrived despite 20 turnovers. No. 16 North Carolina 72, Coppin State 46 The Tar Heels built a comfortable halftime lead and used its bench players freely in devouring the Eagles in Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina (9-1) entered second-best in the nation in scoring defense at 49.1 points per game and excelled again, holding Coppin State to 27.3 percent shooting. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels shot 44.4 percent while having 12 players enter the scoring column, led by Maria Gakdeng's 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Reniya Kelly scored six of her eight points in the first quarter as North Carolina took a 23-13 lead. The Tar Heels grew the lead to 46-27 by intermission. Tiffany Hammond and Angel Jones scored 12 points apiece for Coppin State (6-5), and Laila Lawrence added 10 points with 10 rebounds. No. 18 Ole Miss 85, Tennessee State 38 The Rebels had more points by halftime than the Lady Tigers scored in the game after jumping out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter and 44-19 by intermission. Kennedy Todd-Williams led Ole Miss (6-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Sira Thienou added 12 and six, respectively. The Rebels shot 46 percent for the game. Ole Miss began the day seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 49.8 points allowed per game, and it punished Tennessee State to the tune of 23.6 percent shooting and 22 forced turnovers. XaiOnna Whitfield led the Lady Tigers (4-6) with 10 points. No. 20 Iowa State 82, Central Michigan 56 Audi Crooks scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added 10 rebounds as the Cyclones slammed the Chippewas in Ames, Iowa. Emily Ryan netted 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter and Crooks scored nine in the period as Iowa State (8-2) jumped out to a 31-13 lead and enjoyed a cushion of at least 18 points the rest of the way. Addy Brown added 18 points for the Cyclones, who shot 52.5 percent and rolled despite having 20 turnovers. Jayda Mosley led Central Michigan (3-6) with 11 points and Madi Morson and Ayanna-Sarai Darrington added 10 apiece. The Chippewas shot only 33.3 percent from the floor and had 26 turnovers. No. 24 Michigan State 89, DePaul 61 The unbeaten Spartans put four scorers in double figures as they systematically disposed of the Blue Demons in East Lansing, Mich. Jaddan Simmons finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Julia Ayrault stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals for Michigan State (9-0). Emma Shumate and Jocelyn Tate had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Jorie Allen put up 15 points, 11 boards, seven assists and three steals and Grace Carstensen also notched 15 points for DePaul (3-7), which shot just 28.8 percent despite hitting 9 of 18 of its 3-point attempts. The Spartans led by seven after one quarter and 17 at halftime before coasting through the second half. No. 25 Nebraska 84, Minnesota 65 Strong first quarters by Callin Hake and Amiah Hargrove sent the Cornhuskers on their way to pinning the first loss on the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Conference opener for each team. Hake scored eight of her 11 points in the first period and Hargrove eight of her 10 as Nebraska (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) seized a 27-11 lead and never looked back. Hargrove scored eight of the Cornhuskers' 10 straight points to end the quarter. Alberte Rimdal led the winners with 12 points and Alexis Markowski added 11 with nine rebounds. Mallory Heyer collected 12 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (10-1, 0-1). Tori McKinney scored 11 points and Grace Crocholski and Alexsia Rose 10 apiece, but the Golden Gophers hit just 35.2 percent of their shots. --Field Level MediaTrutanklessTM Shipping GEN3: Redefining Electric Tankless Water Heating

NoneRavens QB Lamar Jackson is ‘one of one’ and Chargers’ next big test

Travel agent’s chatty AI call-handlers take offKennedy Center Honors ceremony to highlight Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead and more starsNeed some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "Board certified" — is somewhat cryptic, but becomes clear with a couple of answers on the board. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #283, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #283, so read on if you need a little help. Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #283. Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints The official theme for NYT Strands #283 is... "Board certified". And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Tools of the trade". If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens: Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with 'W' and ends with 'G'. Scroll down to find out what it is... It's WOODWORKING. Today's Strands answers So, what are today's Strands answers for game #283? Drumroll, please... ...and the spangram was WOODWORKING. Strands #283 “Board certified” 💡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵 Hi Strands fans. This is one of those puzzles that may, at first, seem rather tough. The theme - "Board certified" - suggests something about business, rather than WOODWORKING, after all. I fell into that trap and eventually had to use a clue to reveal VISE... which actually didn't help me at all. The reason being that VISE isn't a word in the UK, where we'd spell it "vice". Having established that fact via a quick Google search, however, I realized that "Board certified" had to refer to the tools used for building things. I found LATHE immediately above it and DRILL to its left. I then figured out that the mysterious 'J' on the left of the board was part of JIGSAW, before returning to the right to add in PLANE. CHISEL then jumped out at me in the middle of the grid. That sufficiently cleared a path for me to get the spangram: WOODWORKING, which was coiled up from the top of the board to the bottom-left corner. All that remained was to connect SANDER in the top left to complete the puzzle. Yesterday's Strands answers Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #282 right here .

International Business Machines Corp. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitorsNone

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Shopping on Temu can feel like playing an arcade game. Instead of using a joystick-controlled claw to grab a toy, visitors to the online marketplace maneuver their computer mouses or cellphone screens to browse colorful gadgets, accessories and trinkets with prices that look too good to refuse. A pop-up spinning wheel offers the chance to win a coupon. Rotating captions warn that a less than $2 camouflage print balaclava and a $1.23 skeleton hand back scratcher are “Almost sold out.” A flame symbol indicates a $9.69 plush cat print hoodie is selling fast. A timed-down selection of discounted items adds to the sense of urgency. Pages from the Shein website, left, and from the Temu site, right. Welcome to the new online world of impulse buying, a place of guilty pleasures where the selection is vast, every day is Cyber Monday, and an instant dopamine hit is always just a click away. By all accounts, we’re living in an accelerating age for consumerism, one that Temu, which is owned by the Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings, and Shein, its fierce rival , supercharged with social media savvy and an interminable assortment of cheap goods, most shipped directly from merchants in China based on real-time demand. The business models of the two platforms, coupled with avalanches of digital or influencer advertising, have enabled them to give Western retailers a run for their money this holiday shopping season. A Christmas tree ornament purchased on Temu. Software company Salesforce said it expects roughly one in five online purchases in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada to be made through four online marketplaces based or founded in Asia: Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop — the e-commerce arm of video-sharing platform TikTok — and AliExpress. Analysts with Salesforce said they are expected to pull in roughly $160 billion in global sales outside of China. Most of the sales will go to Temu and Shein, a privately held company which is thought to lead the worldwide fast fashion market in revenue. Lisa Xiaoli Neville, a nonprofit manager who lives in Los Angeles, is sold on Shein. The bedroom of her home is stocked with jeans, shoes, press-on nails and other items from the ultra-fast fashion retailer, all of which she amassed after getting on the platform to buy a $2 pair of earrings she saw in a Facebook ad. Neville, 46, estimates she spends at least $75 a month on products from Shein. A $2 eggshell opener, a portable apple peeler and an apple corer, both costing less than $5, are among the quirky, single-use kitchen tools taking up drawer space. She acknowledges she doesn’t need them because she “doesn’t even cook like that.” Plus, she’s allergic to apples. “I won’t eat apples. It will kill me,” Neville said, laughing. “But I still want the coring thing.” Shein, now based in Singapore, uses some of the same web design features as Temu’s, such as pop-up coupons and ads, to persuade shoppers to keep clicking, but it appears a bit more restrained in its approach. Shein primarily targets young women through partnerships with social media influencers. Searching the company's name on video platforms turns up creators promoting Shein's Black Friday sales event and displaying the dozens of of trendy clothes and accessories they got for comparatively little money. But the Shein-focused content also includes videos of TikTokers saying they're embarrassed to admit they shopped there and critics lashing out at fans for not taking into account the environmental harms or potential labor abuses associated with products that are churned out and shipped worldwide at a speedy pace. Neville has already picked out holiday gifts for family and friends from the site. Most of the products in her online cart cost under $10, including graphic T-shirts she intends to buy for her son and jeans and loafers for her daughter. All told, she plans to spend about $200 on gifts, significantly less than $500 she used to shell out at other stores in prior years. “The visuals just make you want to spend more money,” she said, referring to the clothes on Shein's site. “They're very cheap and everything is just so cute.” Unlike Shein, Temu's appeal cuts across age groups and gender. The platform is the world’s second most-visited online shopping site, software company Similarweb reported in September. Customers go there looking for practical items like doormats and silly products like a whiskey flask shaped like a vintage cellphone from the 1990s. Temu advertised Black Friday bargains for some items at upwards of 70% off the recommended retail price. Making a purchase can quickly result in receiving dozens of emails offering free giveaways. The caveat: customers have to buy more products. Despite their rise, Temu and Shein have proven particularly ripe for pushback. Last year, a coalition of unnamed brands and organizations launched a campaign to oppose Shein in Washington. U.S. lawmakers also have raised the possibility that Temu is allowing goods made with forced labor to enter the country. More recently, the Biden administration put forward rules that would crack down on a trade rule known as the de minimis exception, which has allowed a lot of cheap products to come into the U.S. duty-free. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to slap high tariffs on goods from China, a move that would likely raise prices across the retail world. Both Shein and Temu have set up warehouses in the U.S. to speed up delivery times and help them better compete with Amazon, which is trying to erode their price advantage through a new storefront that also ships products directly from China. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.Middle East Luxury Furniture Market to Grow by USD 413.02 Million (2024-2028), Driven by Rising Office Spaces, AI Redefining Market Landscape - Technavio