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ANZ taps HSBC's Nuno Matos as new CEO, shares fallMorning Mail: big tech pushes back on ban bill, hope for Lebanon ceasefire, prosecutors drop charges against TrumpPercentages: FG .547, FT .725. 3-Point Goals: 12-22, .545 (Hunter 7-10, Rogers 3-6, Carter 1-2, Haggerty 1-4). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 2 (Cisse 2). Turnovers: 12 (Dainja 3, Haggerty 3, Hunter 2, Jourdain 2, Okojie, Rogers). Steals: 2 (Haggerty, Hunter). Technical Fouls: Dainja, 2:29 first. Percentages: FG .492, FT .792. 3-Point Goals: 14-30, .467 (Karaban 4-8, Ball 3-6, Stewart 2-3, Mahaney 2-4, McNeeley 2-4, Diarra 1-4, Ross 0-1). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 3 (Reed 3). Turnovers: 9 (Diarra 3, Johnson 2, Reed 2, Karaban, Mahaney). Steals: 3 (Diarra, Johnson, McNeeley). Technical Fouls: Huskies, 15:50 first; Johnson, 2:29 first; coach Dan Hurley, 00:39 first. .

Georgetown ventures out of D.C. for first time to face West VirginiaWeather Forecasting Through Machine Learning

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have the slimmest of playoff hopes and must win out to have any chance of keeping them alive. Figuring out who they are would be a first step in the right direction. The Titans (3-9) also must bounce back from last week's ugly loss at Washington that cost this franchise yet another chance to string together consecutive wins for the first time in more than two years. “We know that this is a big opportunity for us to develop as a team and to create and to continue developing our identity,” quarterback Will Levis said. “And so we’re going to make sure that we do our best throughout these next few weeks to do that.” The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) lost Trevor Lawrence for the rest of the season after the hit he took from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in last week's 23-20 loss to Houston. Their already dim playoff hopes were extinguished Monday night when Denver won. That leaves the Jaguars playing for pride and potentially drafting No. 1 overall for the third time in five years. “It’s all about how you finish,” tight end Evan Engram said. “How we finish probably won’t erase the feeling we have of the season. But as the pride of this franchise, the pride of the team, it’s definitely worth going to finish strong and going to get some wins and fighting for that.” The Titans went into Washington with one of the NFL's stingiest defenses and wound up shredded, giving up a season-worst 267 yards rushing. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said, “We can’t allow what happened last week to happen again.” Wide receiver Calvin Ridley says he's excited to see some old teammates Sunday and downplayed a question about how close Jacksonville's offer to keep him last March might've been when he chose to sign with division rival Tennessee instead. “Doesn't matter right now,” Ridley said. “I'm excited for this week. Jags come in here, play with my boys. I'm excited.” Ridley played one season with Jacksonville after the Jaguars traded for him . He had 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight TDs last season with the Jaguars. So far this season, Ridley has 43 receptions for 679 yards and three TDs. “I just know I'm going to be ready,” Ridley said. Jacksonville has lost 16 consecutive games when tied or trailing at halftime. It’s a complete flip from the 2022 season, in which the Jaguars rallied to beat Dallas, the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee down the stretch to make the playoffs. The 20-16 victory against the Titans in the regular-season finale that year is the last time coach Doug Pederson’s team has come from behind to win after trailing or being tied at the break. Tennessee led 13-7 at the half in that one and was minutes from winning a third straight AFC South title . Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen needs 4 1/2 sacks to break the franchise record of 55 held by Tony Brackens. Hines-Allen has at least half a sack in four consecutive games against Tennessee, which has given up 43 sacks in 2024. “My family knows about it probably more than me,” Hines-Allen said. “My wife tells me all the time, ‘Hey, get that record. All you just need is four sacks.’ Like, you can just (get) four sacks. “I had a couple games last year where I had three, so I can’t say it’s out of the realm. But I never had four sacks; don’t know what it feels like to do that in one game. But hopefully speak it into existence.” Mac Jones will be starting at quarterback and is 0-2 with the Jaguars this season. He has one more interception (three) than touchdown passes (two) in five appearances. The Titans are looking to see if Levis can keep building on his strong play of the past month and start turning those into wins. Levis is 1-3 since returning from a strained throwing shoulder. He has seven TD passes with two interceptions for a 101.3 passer rating in his past four games. He also is completing 61.7% of his passes for 960 yards. “The cool thing right now for Will is that as we’ve corrected things, he’s corrected them,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said . “And that’s been really fun to watch as he’s made adjustments from game to game, sometimes even from in the game made an adjustment to a coverage or a read, and that part’s been good to see.” AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflFeds suspend ACA marketplace access to companies accused of falsely promising ‘cash cards’The Titans have issues to fix and hope to keep slim playoff hopes alive when they host the Jags

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia

NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time this week as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on. The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has soared since Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The asset climbed from $69,374 on Election Day, hitting as high as $103,713 Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. And the latest all-time high arrives just two years after bitcoin dropped below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX . Bitcoin fell back below the $100,000 by Thursday afternoon, sitting above $99,000 by 4 p.m. ET. Even amid a massive rally that has more than doubled the value of bitcoin this year, some experts continue to warn of investment risks around the asset, which has quite a volatile history. Here’s what you need to know. Back up. What is cryptocurrency again? Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But chances are you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years. In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain. Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, XRP, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money, but most daily financial transactions are still conducted using fiat currencies such as the dollar. Also, bitcoin can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions. Why is bitcoin soaring? A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, has pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies. On Thursday morning, hours after bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark, Trump congratulated “BITCOINERS” on his social media platform Truth Social. He also appeared to take credit for the recent rally, writing, “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” Top crypto players welcomed Trump’s election victory last month, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape. And the industry has made sizeable investments along the way. Back in August, Public Citizen, a left-leaning consumer rights advocacy nonprofit, reported finding that crypto-sector corporations spent more than $119 million in 2024 to back pro-crypto candidates across federal elections. Trump made his latest pro-crypto move when he announced his plans Wednesday to nominate Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins was an SEC commissioner during the presidency of George W. Bush. In the years since leaving the agency, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. He joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization, in 2017. Under current chair Gary Gensler, who will step down when Trump takes office, the SEC has cracked down on the crypto industry — penalizing a number of companies for violating securities laws. Gensler has also faced ample criticism from industry players in the process. One crypto-friendly move the SEC did make under Gensler was the approval in January of spot bitcoin ETFs, or exchange trade funds, which allow investors to have a stake in bitcoin without directly buying it. The spot ETFs were the dominant driver of bitcoin's price before Trump's win — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. What does bitcoin hitting the $100k mark mean? Could it keep climbing? Bitcoin surpassing the coveted $100,000 mark has left much of the crypto world buzzing. “What we’re seeing isn’t just a rally — it’s a fundamental transformation of bitcoin’s place in the financial system,” Nathan McCauley, CEO and co-founder of crypto custodian Anchorage Digital, said in a statement — while pointing to the growth of who's entering the market, particularly with rising institutional adoption. Still, others note that the new heights of bitcoin's price don't necessarily mean the asset is going mainstream. The $100,000 level is “merely a psychological factor and ultimately just a number,” Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at British investment company AJ Bell, wrote in a Thursday commentary . That being said, bitcoin could keep climbing to more and more all-time highs, particularly if Trump makes good on his promises for more crypto-friendly regulation once in office. If Trump actually makes a bitcoin reserve, for example, supply changes could also propel the price forward. “It is hard to overstate the magnitude of the change in Washington’s attitude towards crypto post-election,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, said via email Thursday, reiterating that prices could keep rising if trends persist. “There is a lot more demand than there is supply, and that’s usually a pretty good recipe for success.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is never promised. Worldwide regulatory uncertainties and environmental concerns around bitcoin “mining" — the creation of new bitcoin, which consumes a lot of energy — are among factors that analysts like Coatsworth note could hamper future growth. And, as still a relatively young asset with a history of volatility, longer-term adoption has yet to be seen through. Is it too late to invest? What are the risks? Today’s excitement around bitcoin may make many who aren’t already in the space want to get in on the action. For those in a position to invest, Hougan says it's not too late — noting that bitcoin is still early in its development and most institutional investors “still have zero exposure.” At the same time, Hougan and others maintain that it's important to tread cautiously and not bite off more than you can chew. Experts continue to stress caution around getting carried away with crypto “FOMO,” or the fear of missing out, especially for small-pocketed investors. “A lot of people have got rich from the cryptocurrency soaring in value this year, but this high-risk asset isn’t suitable for everyone,” Coatsworth noted Thursday. “It’s volatile, unpredictable and is driven by speculation, none of which makes for a sleep-at-night investment.” In short, history shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day. Coatsworth points to recent research from the Bank for International Settlements, a Switzerland-based global organization of central banks, which found that about three-quarters of retail buyers on crypto exchange apps likely lost money on their bitcoin investments between 2015 and 2022. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And the late-2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000. Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs, and again, now the post-election frenzy. But lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could also mean less guardrails. _____ This story has been corrected to refer to Anchorage Digital as a crypto custodian, not a crypto asset manager. Wyatte Grantham-philips, The Associated PressSoccer-Huijsen heads Bournemouth to win over ragged Tottenham

Godrej Consumer shares fall 11% as Q3 business update leads to target price cutsAsia Fuel Oil-VLSFO trades in discount for spot December parcel

fans have been waiting five years for the sequel to finally materialize, and right at launch, Early Access servers have decided to give up on life. While PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation players who paid at least $29.99 are able to launch the title, not even the queue can currently be accessed, as the game's backend databases have been running into multiple issues. According to Steam Charts, the only platform that shares live player counts, currently has over 400,000 players trying to log in. The number should be massive across all platforms its available on. However, with the servers being down for the count, all of these players are simply waiting for simply something to let them in. Over on social media, developer Grinding Gear Games has . A few hours ago, right before the Early Access launch, it said the team is doing "some last minute database upgrades to try help handle the overwhelming amount of Exiles getting ready to LOGIN to While the studio said only a short delay was happening, the problems have continued to pile up it seems, which began with a new database update. Over an hour ago, the dev team said it has "deployed the new database configuration and are working on getting everything back up and running," offering 30 minute window for fixing things. However, once another problem had popped up soon after. "A last minute crash that would have affected a majority of users that we have now fixed and is being deployed," the studio added. While a later post said the launch was "Relatively imminent," the studio has had to restart its realms to sort out a configuration problem. The most recent update on servers at the time of writing this says the following: We've run into the same symptom again with a different problem. We are working on fixing it again but regrettably every time this happens we have to restart and wipe the databases to prevent them getting into bad or corrupted states. We'll have a fix out as soon as we can! Thank... Despite the hours of delays, it seems the studio is on the verge of getting things sorted out so that players can finally start trickling into its APRG fantasy world.

Revolution Medicines Announces Closing of Upsized Public Offering of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants and Full Exercise of Underwriters' Option to Purchase Additional SharesPenguins Acquire Philip Tomasino From Predators for 2027 4th-Round Pick

By TravelPulse (TNS) While 2024 was a year that brought about significant, continued post-pandemic recovery for the travel industry, it was also a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. From attacks on the rail lines during the Paris Olympics to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, not to mention the war in Ukraine, the global travel realm in 2024 was fraught with challenges. It is against this backdrop that the international security and medical services provider Global Guardian recently released its 2025 Global Risk Map. Published annually, the map is meant to help travelers better understand the current global risk landscape. In order to develop its guidance, experts at Global Guardian assess a long list of country-specific security risk factors and indicators, including crime, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest and terrorism. For 2025, Global Guardian’s assessment results underscore the reality that disruption globally and domestically continues to increase, and now more than ever travelers need to be prepared when exploring the world. As part of the latest assessment, Global Guardian highlighted a handful of specific global regions that are at particular risk of destabilization over the next year and beyond. Here’s a closer look at those regions, along with insights from Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, who recently spoke with TravelPulse at length about the risks travelers may face in 2025. Here are the regions at risk of destabilization in 2025: Israel’s existential battle against Iran is set to continue into 2025, says the Global Guardian report. “In July 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) safehouse in Tehran, and Iran has pledged revenge,” the report explains. “This comes as Iran and its web of regional proxies took their war on Israel out of the shadows and into the open following October 7, 2023, with seven live fronts.” Global Guardian also predicts that Israel’s regional war will shift from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon in the year ahead, heightening tensions with Hezbollah, while Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean will persist. The report adds that as “we enter 2025, Israel may assess that its strategic window to prevent a nuclear Iran is rapidly closing and choose to act.” The ongoing civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is also of concern, according to Global Guardian’s risk analysis. The conflict “has created a dire humanitarian situation with ethnically motivated violence on the rise,” says the report. Some of the areas of concern in the Latin American region include Venezuela and Mexico, according to Global Guardian. The risk in Venezuela is tied to the country’s long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, says the report. “Since 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended all operations,” explains Buckner. “Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. Simply put, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Western travelers and should be avoided.” In Mexico, meanwhile, the problems include drug cartel-related violence and theft, among other issues, says the report. Mexico recently inaugurated its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and like her predecessors she will face challenges “reining in cartel violence, corruption, extortion, theft and kidnapping,” says the report. “As such, security continues to be a top concern in Mexico’ ” says the report, which categorizes Mexico as “high risk” when it comes to travel for 2025. Countries classified as high risk experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest — and have not effectively managed those risks. The Global Guardian report also suggests there may be heightened risks in Mexico now that Donald Trump has been reelected U.S. president. “Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Mexico could dramatically deteriorate. Trump has promised a mass deportation operation, which could sour relations between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing risks to businesses operating in Mexico,” the report adds. Asked to comment on Mexico’s high-risk designation, Buckner stressed that the situation in the country is extremely nuanced, adding that it’s a vast oversimplification to call the entire country high risk. “There are pockets of Mexico that are wildly safe and wonderful to visit and people shouldn’t hesitate to go,” Buckner told TravelPulse. “And there are also pockets that are unsafe and dangerous.” The good news, added Buckner, is that Mexico’s new president is focusing a great deal of effort and energy on addressing the problems surrounding drug cartels, which are the source of a great deal of the risk. Buckner was quick to add however, that as long as there’s demand for drugs, the drug cartel situation is likely to remain problematic. “The U.S. is driving the drug demand — we consume more drugs then the rest of the world,” explained Buckner. “It’s really overly simplified to paint Mexico as the bad guy, because if there wasn’t demand, we wouldn’t need the supply. But the demand is real and violence comes with that.” Representatives for Global Nexus, a government and public affairs consultancy that advises travel and tourism companies and interests in Southern Mexico, told TravelPulse that while drug-related violence has been known to occur, it involves members of the drug cartel targeting each other, they’re not targeting tourists. “There is an ongoing battle between small drug vendors who use the beach to sell product to tourists hanging out on the beach,” explained Ruben Olmos, Global Nexus president and CEO, in reference to the Quintana Roo region, which is popular with tourists. “There have been cases where gunfire has been exchanged between these groups. They are targeting themselves. They are fighting over ‘This is my beach’ and they initiate a shootout.” However, added Olmos, that the U.S. State Department’s risk categorization for Quintana Roo (which is separate from the Global Guardian risk assessment) has not changed. Located on the State Department’s Mexico page, the risk assessment for Quintana Roo remains in the “Exercise Increased Caution” category, which is below the top risk categories of “Do Not Travel” and “Reconsider Travel.” The Exercise Increased Caution designation means “Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security,” explains the State Department’s website. Olmos also pointed out that Mexico is the only country that has a map on the U.S. State Department website that covers every single state in the country, providing details for travelers about which states are safest. In June 2024, thousands of young people took to the streets in Kenya to protest a controversial tax bill. The protesters were met with heavy-handed policing, including the use of live fire and mass arrests, says the Global Guardian risk report. Despite the local security response, protests continued. The success and tenacity of the Kenyan movement has triggered similar protests or dissent in other countries including Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, says Global Guardian. That is just a portion of the risk Global Guardian sees for Sub-Saharan Africa over the course of 2025. “With multiple conflicts escalating across the continent, aging leaders leaving behind unclear successions, and entrenched regimes with dissipating legitimacy, Sub-Saharan Africa now looks much like the North African and Arab world in the early 2010s,” says the report. “While the dynamic unfolding in Africa might not yet merit the label of “African Spring,” a significant change to the continent’s political status quo is coming.” Several countries received an extreme or high-risk designation on the new Global Guardian risk map for 2025, including more than a few that are popular with leisure travelers or tourists. Extreme risk countries are those that Global Guardian says are “actively engaged in conflict, while also experiencing severe criminal activity and civil unrest.These countries are insecure; state institutions are too weak to manage militant groups or large-scale disasters.” They include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Ukraine, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen. The current list of high-risk countries, which are countries that experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest and have not effectively managed those risks, includes Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela Officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board provided a statement to TravelPulse in response to Global Guardian’s designation of the country. “Last month, Global Guardian, a private security provider, released its 2025 Global Risk Map, which included Jamaica, amongst other destinations,” said the Tourist Board. “It is important to note that the crime rate against visitors is notably low at 0.01% and the majority of Jamaica’s tourism product remains unaffected.” The country’s tourism officials added that Jamaica has welcomed 3 million visitors this year and boasts a high repeat visitor rate of 42%. “The island is consistently ranked among the top destinations for international travel and visitors continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the statement adds. When it comes to Jamaica, Buckner offered similar comments to those of Mexico, noting that the situation is impacted by drug-related violence and the experience on the ground is nuanced and cannot be painted with a broad brush. “In the same vein as Mexico — Jamaica can be a wonderful place to visit,” says Buckner. “There are pockets of beauty and low crime and as long as you are careful, it’s a very low threat.” Buckner, a retired Army colonel, maintains that the world is indeed a more risky place heading into 2025. The challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine are at the forefront of the instability, but are hardly the only cause for concern. “Israel has now gone to Gaza and cleaned out Hamas, they’re now moving north into Lebanon, and we are convinced Israel will strike Iran,” Buckner said during an interview that took place prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. “If that occurs you are going to see violence across the Middle East.” “But there are over 100 conflicts across the globe,” continues Buckner. When you combine that reality with other challenges the world is currently grappling with, including the destabilizing influences of climate change, there are plenty of risks for travelers to bear in mind when planning a journey for the coming year. He wraps up by offering a few tips for travelers, a check-list of sorts, to work through when planning or considering travel to a specific country in 2025: — If you don’t know who to call or how you are going to negotiate if someone is kidnapped, you shouldn’t go there. — Consumers need to read the fine print on travel insurance because it does not cover war zones, terrorism or natural disasters, says Buckner. And travelers are often surprised and find out too late that these types of events are not covered. — If you get stuck or stranded, if you don’t know who you are going to call to get you out of that situation, know what organizations locally or internationally are available to help you. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Jane Street exercises Dalal Street optionsBUFFALO, N.Y. — Curtis Cook may be the official organist of the Buffalo Sabres, but that's just one of the many hats he wears, playing for two local theaters, two local churches and a slew of other organizations. "Some days there's a random Wednesday, I have nothing to do [and] I'm home all day," said Cook. "The next Wednesday, I'm gone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It's just the way it works, you know?" You can find him frequently at the famous Shea's Performing Arts Center giving the Wurlitzer a good look and some practice, although the vibes vary from venue to venue. "Your A-game at the arena is not the same as it is at church, and the church is not the same thing as it is here," he said. "So you've just got to be versatile. You have to be a versatile musician." From hymns to broadway accompaniments, Cook always strikes the right chords. "You got to be able to play everything from ragtime to Taylor Swift, right? And I try and do that," he said. "That's my job here, to sort of give a little ambiance, because you don't hear these things everywhere anymore. They call it the 'king of instruments' for a reason. Once you hear it, you never forget it." There's not too many that can take on the full-fledged organ, but his passion for music led to making a living with it. "If you play piano, that's how I got into it," Cook said. "I saw somebody playing the organ and I said, 'that's pretty cool. I want to do that.' And so I tried to find an avenue to do that and now it's my full-time job." Several titles for several paychecks, but one of the biggest reasons Cook gets behind the keys — or 'manuals,' on an organ — is to connect with those sitting around him. "If I can be a part of the fan or the theatergoer's experience here or at the arena or wherever, and make that connection with them through my music, then I think I've done my job because they're as much of a part of this as I am," he said. Which is why KeyBank Center is one of Cook's favorite spots. "It's like a giant party every time I go to work," Cook said. "I mean, I get a great seat to watch a hockey game, and I literally have an instrument to encourage everybody else's fandom. So it's the greatest job on earth. I love it." Of the 32 teams in the National Hockey League, all but six have an official organist.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:53 p.m. ESTSimple Hacks to Make the Holidays Merrier (and Cheaper)

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ANZ taps HSBC's Nuno Matos as new CEO, shares fallMorning Mail: big tech pushes back on ban bill, hope for Lebanon ceasefire, prosecutors drop charges against TrumpPercentages: FG .547, FT .725. 3-Point Goals: 12-22, .545 (Hunter 7-10, Rogers 3-6, Carter 1-2, Haggerty 1-4). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 2 (Cisse 2). Turnovers: 12 (Dainja 3, Haggerty 3, Hunter 2, Jourdain 2, Okojie, Rogers). Steals: 2 (Haggerty, Hunter). Technical Fouls: Dainja, 2:29 first. Percentages: FG .492, FT .792. 3-Point Goals: 14-30, .467 (Karaban 4-8, Ball 3-6, Stewart 2-3, Mahaney 2-4, McNeeley 2-4, Diarra 1-4, Ross 0-1). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 3 (Reed 3). Turnovers: 9 (Diarra 3, Johnson 2, Reed 2, Karaban, Mahaney). Steals: 3 (Diarra, Johnson, McNeeley). Technical Fouls: Huskies, 15:50 first; Johnson, 2:29 first; coach Dan Hurley, 00:39 first. .

Georgetown ventures out of D.C. for first time to face West VirginiaWeather Forecasting Through Machine Learning

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have the slimmest of playoff hopes and must win out to have any chance of keeping them alive. Figuring out who they are would be a first step in the right direction. The Titans (3-9) also must bounce back from last week's ugly loss at Washington that cost this franchise yet another chance to string together consecutive wins for the first time in more than two years. “We know that this is a big opportunity for us to develop as a team and to create and to continue developing our identity,” quarterback Will Levis said. “And so we’re going to make sure that we do our best throughout these next few weeks to do that.” The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) lost Trevor Lawrence for the rest of the season after the hit he took from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in last week's 23-20 loss to Houston. Their already dim playoff hopes were extinguished Monday night when Denver won. That leaves the Jaguars playing for pride and potentially drafting No. 1 overall for the third time in five years. “It’s all about how you finish,” tight end Evan Engram said. “How we finish probably won’t erase the feeling we have of the season. But as the pride of this franchise, the pride of the team, it’s definitely worth going to finish strong and going to get some wins and fighting for that.” The Titans went into Washington with one of the NFL's stingiest defenses and wound up shredded, giving up a season-worst 267 yards rushing. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said, “We can’t allow what happened last week to happen again.” Wide receiver Calvin Ridley says he's excited to see some old teammates Sunday and downplayed a question about how close Jacksonville's offer to keep him last March might've been when he chose to sign with division rival Tennessee instead. “Doesn't matter right now,” Ridley said. “I'm excited for this week. Jags come in here, play with my boys. I'm excited.” Ridley played one season with Jacksonville after the Jaguars traded for him . He had 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight TDs last season with the Jaguars. So far this season, Ridley has 43 receptions for 679 yards and three TDs. “I just know I'm going to be ready,” Ridley said. Jacksonville has lost 16 consecutive games when tied or trailing at halftime. It’s a complete flip from the 2022 season, in which the Jaguars rallied to beat Dallas, the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee down the stretch to make the playoffs. The 20-16 victory against the Titans in the regular-season finale that year is the last time coach Doug Pederson’s team has come from behind to win after trailing or being tied at the break. Tennessee led 13-7 at the half in that one and was minutes from winning a third straight AFC South title . Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen needs 4 1/2 sacks to break the franchise record of 55 held by Tony Brackens. Hines-Allen has at least half a sack in four consecutive games against Tennessee, which has given up 43 sacks in 2024. “My family knows about it probably more than me,” Hines-Allen said. “My wife tells me all the time, ‘Hey, get that record. All you just need is four sacks.’ Like, you can just (get) four sacks. “I had a couple games last year where I had three, so I can’t say it’s out of the realm. But I never had four sacks; don’t know what it feels like to do that in one game. But hopefully speak it into existence.” Mac Jones will be starting at quarterback and is 0-2 with the Jaguars this season. He has one more interception (three) than touchdown passes (two) in five appearances. The Titans are looking to see if Levis can keep building on his strong play of the past month and start turning those into wins. Levis is 1-3 since returning from a strained throwing shoulder. He has seven TD passes with two interceptions for a 101.3 passer rating in his past four games. He also is completing 61.7% of his passes for 960 yards. “The cool thing right now for Will is that as we’ve corrected things, he’s corrected them,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said . “And that’s been really fun to watch as he’s made adjustments from game to game, sometimes even from in the game made an adjustment to a coverage or a read, and that part’s been good to see.” AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflFeds suspend ACA marketplace access to companies accused of falsely promising ‘cash cards’The Titans have issues to fix and hope to keep slim playoff hopes alive when they host the Jags

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NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time this week as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on. The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has soared since Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The asset climbed from $69,374 on Election Day, hitting as high as $103,713 Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. And the latest all-time high arrives just two years after bitcoin dropped below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX . Bitcoin fell back below the $100,000 by Thursday afternoon, sitting above $99,000 by 4 p.m. ET. Even amid a massive rally that has more than doubled the value of bitcoin this year, some experts continue to warn of investment risks around the asset, which has quite a volatile history. Here’s what you need to know. Back up. What is cryptocurrency again? Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But chances are you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years. In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain. Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, XRP, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money, but most daily financial transactions are still conducted using fiat currencies such as the dollar. Also, bitcoin can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions. Why is bitcoin soaring? A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, has pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies. On Thursday morning, hours after bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark, Trump congratulated “BITCOINERS” on his social media platform Truth Social. He also appeared to take credit for the recent rally, writing, “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” Top crypto players welcomed Trump’s election victory last month, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape. And the industry has made sizeable investments along the way. Back in August, Public Citizen, a left-leaning consumer rights advocacy nonprofit, reported finding that crypto-sector corporations spent more than $119 million in 2024 to back pro-crypto candidates across federal elections. Trump made his latest pro-crypto move when he announced his plans Wednesday to nominate Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins was an SEC commissioner during the presidency of George W. Bush. In the years since leaving the agency, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. He joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization, in 2017. Under current chair Gary Gensler, who will step down when Trump takes office, the SEC has cracked down on the crypto industry — penalizing a number of companies for violating securities laws. Gensler has also faced ample criticism from industry players in the process. One crypto-friendly move the SEC did make under Gensler was the approval in January of spot bitcoin ETFs, or exchange trade funds, which allow investors to have a stake in bitcoin without directly buying it. The spot ETFs were the dominant driver of bitcoin's price before Trump's win — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. What does bitcoin hitting the $100k mark mean? Could it keep climbing? Bitcoin surpassing the coveted $100,000 mark has left much of the crypto world buzzing. “What we’re seeing isn’t just a rally — it’s a fundamental transformation of bitcoin’s place in the financial system,” Nathan McCauley, CEO and co-founder of crypto custodian Anchorage Digital, said in a statement — while pointing to the growth of who's entering the market, particularly with rising institutional adoption. Still, others note that the new heights of bitcoin's price don't necessarily mean the asset is going mainstream. The $100,000 level is “merely a psychological factor and ultimately just a number,” Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at British investment company AJ Bell, wrote in a Thursday commentary . That being said, bitcoin could keep climbing to more and more all-time highs, particularly if Trump makes good on his promises for more crypto-friendly regulation once in office. If Trump actually makes a bitcoin reserve, for example, supply changes could also propel the price forward. “It is hard to overstate the magnitude of the change in Washington’s attitude towards crypto post-election,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, said via email Thursday, reiterating that prices could keep rising if trends persist. “There is a lot more demand than there is supply, and that’s usually a pretty good recipe for success.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is never promised. Worldwide regulatory uncertainties and environmental concerns around bitcoin “mining" — the creation of new bitcoin, which consumes a lot of energy — are among factors that analysts like Coatsworth note could hamper future growth. And, as still a relatively young asset with a history of volatility, longer-term adoption has yet to be seen through. Is it too late to invest? What are the risks? Today’s excitement around bitcoin may make many who aren’t already in the space want to get in on the action. For those in a position to invest, Hougan says it's not too late — noting that bitcoin is still early in its development and most institutional investors “still have zero exposure.” At the same time, Hougan and others maintain that it's important to tread cautiously and not bite off more than you can chew. Experts continue to stress caution around getting carried away with crypto “FOMO,” or the fear of missing out, especially for small-pocketed investors. “A lot of people have got rich from the cryptocurrency soaring in value this year, but this high-risk asset isn’t suitable for everyone,” Coatsworth noted Thursday. “It’s volatile, unpredictable and is driven by speculation, none of which makes for a sleep-at-night investment.” In short, history shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day. Coatsworth points to recent research from the Bank for International Settlements, a Switzerland-based global organization of central banks, which found that about three-quarters of retail buyers on crypto exchange apps likely lost money on their bitcoin investments between 2015 and 2022. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And the late-2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000. Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs, and again, now the post-election frenzy. But lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could also mean less guardrails. _____ This story has been corrected to refer to Anchorage Digital as a crypto custodian, not a crypto asset manager. Wyatte Grantham-philips, The Associated PressSoccer-Huijsen heads Bournemouth to win over ragged Tottenham

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fans have been waiting five years for the sequel to finally materialize, and right at launch, Early Access servers have decided to give up on life. While PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation players who paid at least $29.99 are able to launch the title, not even the queue can currently be accessed, as the game's backend databases have been running into multiple issues. According to Steam Charts, the only platform that shares live player counts, currently has over 400,000 players trying to log in. The number should be massive across all platforms its available on. However, with the servers being down for the count, all of these players are simply waiting for simply something to let them in. Over on social media, developer Grinding Gear Games has . A few hours ago, right before the Early Access launch, it said the team is doing "some last minute database upgrades to try help handle the overwhelming amount of Exiles getting ready to LOGIN to While the studio said only a short delay was happening, the problems have continued to pile up it seems, which began with a new database update. Over an hour ago, the dev team said it has "deployed the new database configuration and are working on getting everything back up and running," offering 30 minute window for fixing things. However, once another problem had popped up soon after. "A last minute crash that would have affected a majority of users that we have now fixed and is being deployed," the studio added. While a later post said the launch was "Relatively imminent," the studio has had to restart its realms to sort out a configuration problem. The most recent update on servers at the time of writing this says the following: We've run into the same symptom again with a different problem. We are working on fixing it again but regrettably every time this happens we have to restart and wipe the databases to prevent them getting into bad or corrupted states. We'll have a fix out as soon as we can! Thank... Despite the hours of delays, it seems the studio is on the verge of getting things sorted out so that players can finally start trickling into its APRG fantasy world.

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By TravelPulse (TNS) While 2024 was a year that brought about significant, continued post-pandemic recovery for the travel industry, it was also a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. From attacks on the rail lines during the Paris Olympics to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, not to mention the war in Ukraine, the global travel realm in 2024 was fraught with challenges. It is against this backdrop that the international security and medical services provider Global Guardian recently released its 2025 Global Risk Map. Published annually, the map is meant to help travelers better understand the current global risk landscape. In order to develop its guidance, experts at Global Guardian assess a long list of country-specific security risk factors and indicators, including crime, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest and terrorism. For 2025, Global Guardian’s assessment results underscore the reality that disruption globally and domestically continues to increase, and now more than ever travelers need to be prepared when exploring the world. As part of the latest assessment, Global Guardian highlighted a handful of specific global regions that are at particular risk of destabilization over the next year and beyond. Here’s a closer look at those regions, along with insights from Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, who recently spoke with TravelPulse at length about the risks travelers may face in 2025. Here are the regions at risk of destabilization in 2025: Israel’s existential battle against Iran is set to continue into 2025, says the Global Guardian report. “In July 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) safehouse in Tehran, and Iran has pledged revenge,” the report explains. “This comes as Iran and its web of regional proxies took their war on Israel out of the shadows and into the open following October 7, 2023, with seven live fronts.” Global Guardian also predicts that Israel’s regional war will shift from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon in the year ahead, heightening tensions with Hezbollah, while Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean will persist. The report adds that as “we enter 2025, Israel may assess that its strategic window to prevent a nuclear Iran is rapidly closing and choose to act.” The ongoing civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is also of concern, according to Global Guardian’s risk analysis. The conflict “has created a dire humanitarian situation with ethnically motivated violence on the rise,” says the report. Some of the areas of concern in the Latin American region include Venezuela and Mexico, according to Global Guardian. The risk in Venezuela is tied to the country’s long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, says the report. “Since 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended all operations,” explains Buckner. “Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. Simply put, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Western travelers and should be avoided.” In Mexico, meanwhile, the problems include drug cartel-related violence and theft, among other issues, says the report. Mexico recently inaugurated its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and like her predecessors she will face challenges “reining in cartel violence, corruption, extortion, theft and kidnapping,” says the report. “As such, security continues to be a top concern in Mexico’ ” says the report, which categorizes Mexico as “high risk” when it comes to travel for 2025. Countries classified as high risk experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest — and have not effectively managed those risks. The Global Guardian report also suggests there may be heightened risks in Mexico now that Donald Trump has been reelected U.S. president. “Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Mexico could dramatically deteriorate. Trump has promised a mass deportation operation, which could sour relations between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing risks to businesses operating in Mexico,” the report adds. Asked to comment on Mexico’s high-risk designation, Buckner stressed that the situation in the country is extremely nuanced, adding that it’s a vast oversimplification to call the entire country high risk. “There are pockets of Mexico that are wildly safe and wonderful to visit and people shouldn’t hesitate to go,” Buckner told TravelPulse. “And there are also pockets that are unsafe and dangerous.” The good news, added Buckner, is that Mexico’s new president is focusing a great deal of effort and energy on addressing the problems surrounding drug cartels, which are the source of a great deal of the risk. Buckner was quick to add however, that as long as there’s demand for drugs, the drug cartel situation is likely to remain problematic. “The U.S. is driving the drug demand — we consume more drugs then the rest of the world,” explained Buckner. “It’s really overly simplified to paint Mexico as the bad guy, because if there wasn’t demand, we wouldn’t need the supply. But the demand is real and violence comes with that.” Representatives for Global Nexus, a government and public affairs consultancy that advises travel and tourism companies and interests in Southern Mexico, told TravelPulse that while drug-related violence has been known to occur, it involves members of the drug cartel targeting each other, they’re not targeting tourists. “There is an ongoing battle between small drug vendors who use the beach to sell product to tourists hanging out on the beach,” explained Ruben Olmos, Global Nexus president and CEO, in reference to the Quintana Roo region, which is popular with tourists. “There have been cases where gunfire has been exchanged between these groups. They are targeting themselves. They are fighting over ‘This is my beach’ and they initiate a shootout.” However, added Olmos, that the U.S. State Department’s risk categorization for Quintana Roo (which is separate from the Global Guardian risk assessment) has not changed. Located on the State Department’s Mexico page, the risk assessment for Quintana Roo remains in the “Exercise Increased Caution” category, which is below the top risk categories of “Do Not Travel” and “Reconsider Travel.” The Exercise Increased Caution designation means “Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security,” explains the State Department’s website. Olmos also pointed out that Mexico is the only country that has a map on the U.S. State Department website that covers every single state in the country, providing details for travelers about which states are safest. In June 2024, thousands of young people took to the streets in Kenya to protest a controversial tax bill. The protesters were met with heavy-handed policing, including the use of live fire and mass arrests, says the Global Guardian risk report. Despite the local security response, protests continued. The success and tenacity of the Kenyan movement has triggered similar protests or dissent in other countries including Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, says Global Guardian. That is just a portion of the risk Global Guardian sees for Sub-Saharan Africa over the course of 2025. “With multiple conflicts escalating across the continent, aging leaders leaving behind unclear successions, and entrenched regimes with dissipating legitimacy, Sub-Saharan Africa now looks much like the North African and Arab world in the early 2010s,” says the report. “While the dynamic unfolding in Africa might not yet merit the label of “African Spring,” a significant change to the continent’s political status quo is coming.” Several countries received an extreme or high-risk designation on the new Global Guardian risk map for 2025, including more than a few that are popular with leisure travelers or tourists. Extreme risk countries are those that Global Guardian says are “actively engaged in conflict, while also experiencing severe criminal activity and civil unrest.These countries are insecure; state institutions are too weak to manage militant groups or large-scale disasters.” They include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Ukraine, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen. The current list of high-risk countries, which are countries that experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest and have not effectively managed those risks, includes Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela Officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board provided a statement to TravelPulse in response to Global Guardian’s designation of the country. “Last month, Global Guardian, a private security provider, released its 2025 Global Risk Map, which included Jamaica, amongst other destinations,” said the Tourist Board. “It is important to note that the crime rate against visitors is notably low at 0.01% and the majority of Jamaica’s tourism product remains unaffected.” The country’s tourism officials added that Jamaica has welcomed 3 million visitors this year and boasts a high repeat visitor rate of 42%. “The island is consistently ranked among the top destinations for international travel and visitors continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the statement adds. When it comes to Jamaica, Buckner offered similar comments to those of Mexico, noting that the situation is impacted by drug-related violence and the experience on the ground is nuanced and cannot be painted with a broad brush. “In the same vein as Mexico — Jamaica can be a wonderful place to visit,” says Buckner. “There are pockets of beauty and low crime and as long as you are careful, it’s a very low threat.” Buckner, a retired Army colonel, maintains that the world is indeed a more risky place heading into 2025. The challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine are at the forefront of the instability, but are hardly the only cause for concern. “Israel has now gone to Gaza and cleaned out Hamas, they’re now moving north into Lebanon, and we are convinced Israel will strike Iran,” Buckner said during an interview that took place prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. “If that occurs you are going to see violence across the Middle East.” “But there are over 100 conflicts across the globe,” continues Buckner. When you combine that reality with other challenges the world is currently grappling with, including the destabilizing influences of climate change, there are plenty of risks for travelers to bear in mind when planning a journey for the coming year. He wraps up by offering a few tips for travelers, a check-list of sorts, to work through when planning or considering travel to a specific country in 2025: — If you don’t know who to call or how you are going to negotiate if someone is kidnapped, you shouldn’t go there. — Consumers need to read the fine print on travel insurance because it does not cover war zones, terrorism or natural disasters, says Buckner. And travelers are often surprised and find out too late that these types of events are not covered. — If you get stuck or stranded, if you don’t know who you are going to call to get you out of that situation, know what organizations locally or internationally are available to help you. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Jane Street exercises Dalal Street optionsBUFFALO, N.Y. — Curtis Cook may be the official organist of the Buffalo Sabres, but that's just one of the many hats he wears, playing for two local theaters, two local churches and a slew of other organizations. "Some days there's a random Wednesday, I have nothing to do [and] I'm home all day," said Cook. "The next Wednesday, I'm gone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It's just the way it works, you know?" You can find him frequently at the famous Shea's Performing Arts Center giving the Wurlitzer a good look and some practice, although the vibes vary from venue to venue. "Your A-game at the arena is not the same as it is at church, and the church is not the same thing as it is here," he said. "So you've just got to be versatile. You have to be a versatile musician." From hymns to broadway accompaniments, Cook always strikes the right chords. "You got to be able to play everything from ragtime to Taylor Swift, right? And I try and do that," he said. "That's my job here, to sort of give a little ambiance, because you don't hear these things everywhere anymore. They call it the 'king of instruments' for a reason. Once you hear it, you never forget it." There's not too many that can take on the full-fledged organ, but his passion for music led to making a living with it. "If you play piano, that's how I got into it," Cook said. "I saw somebody playing the organ and I said, 'that's pretty cool. I want to do that.' And so I tried to find an avenue to do that and now it's my full-time job." Several titles for several paychecks, but one of the biggest reasons Cook gets behind the keys — or 'manuals,' on an organ — is to connect with those sitting around him. "If I can be a part of the fan or the theatergoer's experience here or at the arena or wherever, and make that connection with them through my music, then I think I've done my job because they're as much of a part of this as I am," he said. Which is why KeyBank Center is one of Cook's favorite spots. "It's like a giant party every time I go to work," Cook said. "I mean, I get a great seat to watch a hockey game, and I literally have an instrument to encourage everybody else's fandom. So it's the greatest job on earth. I love it." Of the 32 teams in the National Hockey League, all but six have an official organist.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:53 p.m. ESTSimple Hacks to Make the Holidays Merrier (and Cheaper)

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