58 jili slot

Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Projected starting five Houston Rockets projected starting five Los Angeles Clippers projected starting five Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Key players to watch Houston Rockets key players Los Angeles Clippers key players Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Injury report Houston Rockets injury report Los Angeles Clippers injury report Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Team stats Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Previous matchups Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Leading players Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Prediction and betting tips Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers game prediction Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Date, time, and venue How to watch Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Streaming details and more As a passionate WWE content writer, Raunak craft engaging narratives that bring the thrilling world of wrestling to life, capturing the drama, excitement, and heroism of the ring. His work fuels the imagination of WWE fans, making every match and storyline unforgettable. Read More 2nd Test: India beat Bangladesh by seven wickets to sweep series 2nd Test, Day 4: India push for victory with T20-style batting 2nd Test, Day 1: B'desh 107/3 vs India on rain-shortened opening day Ashwin shines as India hammer Bangladesh in Chennai Test 1st Test, Day 3: India hold upper hand despite spirited Bangladesh chase 1st Test, Day 2: India in box seat after Bumrah takes four-for vs B'desh 1st Test, Day 1: Ashwin, Jadeja dig India out of trouble vs B'desh France waves farewell to Paralympics with spectacular ceremony Navdeep's gold, Simran's bronze take India's medal tally to 29 Paris Paralympics: India's flag bearers for closing ceremonyof the NFL season began with a great Thursday night matchup between the and the . The Lions came out on top with a 34-31 win. On Sunday, the coasted past the , quarterback and the ' upset attempt fell flat to the and the won an overtime thriller over the . Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let's get to it. | | | | | Steelers With the win against the Browns, the Steelers emerged from a four-game divisional gauntlet with a two-game lead in the division. Though they've secured another 10-win season, the Steelers have their sights set on much bigger goals, like winning their first playoff game since 2016 and hosting their first playoff game since 2020. They have a championship-caliber defense, leading the NFL in takeaways -- the Browns had three turnovers on Sunday -- and holding opponents to fewer than 19 points per game. And the offense has shown an ability to adjust and thrive with at quarterback. Though he struggled against Cleveland's pass rush early, Wilson shook off a rocky first half to throw two third-quarter touchdowns. The Browns pressured Wilson on 39% of dropbacks in the first half, per ESPN Research, and went 1-of-6 for minus-1 passing yards under pressure. In the second half, he went 3-of-5 for 61 yards under pressure, including one touchdown pass. After a slow start to his Steelers career, wide receiver will continue the uptick in targets. Williams, who finished with three catches for 36 yards on four targets, benefitted from Pickens' absence Sunday. Pickens, who was inactive after a hamstring injury late in the week, is likely to be back against the Eagles. But Williams showed his value as a field-stretching target. He had a one-handed, third-down snag in the third quarter. at Eagles (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Browns When the Browns took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, it looked like Cleveland had the formula to win its first regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003. But that quickly evaporated with several miscues, from quarterback 's interception that led to Pittsburgh's first touchdown to kicker ' two missed kicks. Cleveland isn't headed to the postseason but limiting errors could be the difference in pulling off another upset in its next four games. Collective collapse. All sides of the ball played a role in giving up 24 straight points after building a 7-3 lead. Winston continued his trend of interceptions, the defense allowed a Steelers offense without wide receiver to generate explosive passing plays and Hopkins' misses ruined productive drives. Tight end records a season-high in receiving yards. Njoku has received 10-plus targets in the Browns' past two games. His season-high is 81 yards, and he will face a Chiefs defense that entered Week 14 allowing the second-most yards per attempt to tight ends (9.1). vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Saints The Saints have scored 26.8 points per game with Hill in the lineup versus just 15.2 without him. Hill went on (ACL) this week and the Saints offense struggled against the Giants, particularly in the run game. They'll have to figure out how to succeed without their do-everything player, and potentially without Carr if he's out indefinitely with an injury. The run game. The Saints had their starting offensive line back, but they couldn't get anything going on the ground, with the exception of an eight-yard touchdown run where was pushed into the end zone. Miller, and combined for only 81 yards, and Kamara only averaged 2.6 yards per carry. The Saints didn't fare well in their three games without Carr earlier in the season, and they likely experienced some déjà vu after he collided with a teammate late in the fourth quarter and left the game. He went to the locker room with a wrist injury and potential concussion, which means the Saints could struggle against the Commanders. vs. Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Giants This was the Giants' eighth straight loss, and it's as if they're finding new ways to lose by getting the game-tying field goal blocked in the final seconds. This all reflects poorly on Daboll. As if it wasn't enough, a plane flew over MetLife Stadium prior to the game with a banner directed at Giants ownership that read: "MR MARA ENOUGH -- PLZ FIX THIS DUMPSTER FIRE." The optics of this and a half-empty stadium aren't good for Daboll and this regime. Sure, the Giants are extremely shorthanded, but this type of embarrassment is what generally irks owner John Mara. Quarterback started 0-for-8 passing. Two of those eight passes were drops, but it was still the most consecutive incompletions to start a home game since the Jets' Ken O'Brien on Dec. 15, 1991, against the Patriots. It only got slightly better from there, as Lock went 6-of-19 for 52 yards in the first half. Cornerback 's big day. The second-year cornerback has been buried on the depth chart all season. In fact, the Giants had recalled corners from the practice squad to play over Hawkins. He had the Giants' first interception since Week 1, their first interception by a defensive back this season and was an asset against the run before an injury in the fourth quarter. vs. Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Eagles Most likely, if they don't get it fixed between now and the playoffs. The Eagles have been shut out in the first quarter in 10 of their 13 games this season, including this Sunday. They have scored a league-low 17 points in the opening frame, which is unacceptable given the level of talent on the offensive side of the ball. To their credit, they make adjustments well and have often gone on to dominate games. But a high-quality team will eventually make them pay. Saquon's record. set a new franchise mark for single-season rushing yards, moving past , who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. He took over first place midway through the fourth quarter. Chants of "MVP" broke out as his achievement was announced in the stadium. It was Barkley's ninth 100-yard rushing game this season, which is also the most in Eagles history. Receiver was not targeted until the waning moments of the second quarter. Outside of Barkley, Brown has been the team's offensive MVP with four games of 100-plus receiving yards. He broke open a couple different times early in the game but the ball did not come his way. He showed some frustration as a result. vs. Steelers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Panthers Young did throw his first interception in 125 attempts. That this is being mentioned shows how well he's been playing. More significantly, he went toe-to-toe against the NFL's best defense in a hostile environment. Young was a dropped touchdown by away from getting the win. Stack that on top of his performance the previous five games and there's no doubt the job should be his next season. Not accounting for quarterback in the run game. The league's worst run defense (allowing 166.9 yards per game) did a decent job of holding down , the league's leading rusher. But it gave up too many big runs to Hurts, who had six rushes for 58 yards. Close again. For the third straight week, the Panthers were in it until the end. And it was the second time in three weeks that it came against a top team (Week 12 ). This shows how far coach and his staff have come from the first four games, when Carolina averaged 27.25 points in each loss. vs. Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Vikings That's been the guess ever since Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract in March, but it's getting harder to make that assumption. It made sense that rookie would take over as the starter in 2025 once recovered from his knee injury. Darnold, however, has pushed his game to a new level lately, culminating with a career-best five touchdown passes against the quarterback he replaced in Minnesota. He is on pace for a 4,000-yard, 36-touchdown season at age 27. At the very least, the Vikings are going to have a much more difficult set of conversations around their 2025 quarterback room than they were planning. Fantasy football. Vikings receivers and combined to catch 15 passes for 265 yards and all five of Darnold's touchdown passes, becoming the second set of teammates in franchise history to each have 100 receiving yards and multiple scores in a game. The others were Hassan Jones and Steve Jordan in 1986. Kickoff unit. The Vikings entered the game with the NFL's third-highest touchback rate (85.3%), but a rare short kickoff Sunday proved to be a game-changer when linebacker Brian Asamoah forced a fumble midway through the fourth quarter. vs. Bears (Monday, 8 p.m. ET) Falcons It seems unlikely. This game was always going to be a tough one for the Falcons to win on the road, and Cousins played better than his four-interception performance last week. As long as Atlanta remains in the playoff picture -- and the NFC South is still up for grabs -- rookie . will probably remain on the bench. But this has become a legitimate week-to-week question. Beat themselves. Down a single score in the fourth quarter, wide receiver fumbled the kickoff return, which led to a Vikings touchdown. The Falcons also had the most penalty yards in the NFL this season (127). Plus, the Cousins interceptions. The Falcons defense was once very effective in limiting explosive plays. It needed to do that Sunday against a team with big-play wide receivers. Instead, quarterback Sam Darnold threw for five touchdowns. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison had catches of 52 and 49 yards, respectively. at Raiders (Monday, 8 p.m. ET) Dolphins Technically no. The Dolphins likely need to win out and get a little help in order to make their third straight playoff appearance, but their performance Sunday inspired little confidence that they'll be able to do so. Three of their four remaining games are on the road, and their home game is against a mercurial 49ers team. Miami is still alive, with a 13.8% chance at the playoffs (independent of other results, per ESPN Analytics), but it needs to play like its back is against the wall. No urgency. In a get-right spot against a listless Jets team, the Dolphins were pushed around for four quarters, allowing nearly 7.0 yards per play while converting just 1-of-9 third-down attempts. They managed to win thanks to some overtime heroics from and , but this did not look like a team with its season on the line. Dolphins cornerback allowed 131 yards and five catches on seven targets as the nearest defender in coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. In his defense, a large portion of those yards came on a 42-yard catch, during which Ramsey fell down. But it was a rough showing for the perennial Pro Bowler. at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Jets Led by ' first 300-yard performance in 35 games, the Jets played one of their best offensive games of the season -- and they still managed to choke away a late lead. This was their fourth straight loss, officially eliminating them from playoff contention. Late breakdowns on offense, defense and special teams resulted in another gut-wrenching defeat. Good teams know how to win close games. The Jets are 0-7 in games decided by six or fewer points. Case closed. No , no problem. The Jets turned to their rookie running backs, and , and they delivered as dual threats. They combined for 83 yards from scrimmage, with Davis scoring for the second straight week after being a nonfactor for the first 11 games. The future looks bright at running back. Like a snowbird, Rodgers found comfort in the warm weather. The 41-year-old quarterback played his best game since September. Finally healthy, he moved well and connected on three passes of 30-plus yards -- a rarity this season. He found a nice groove with Garrett Wilson and , but the mojo disappeared late in the game. at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Buccaneers Starting in the second quarter, the Raiders were able to disrupt quarterback 's passes to the flats and out routes. He particularly struggled with their zone coverages. Mayfield was 7-of-13 for 84 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on passes for 5 or fewer air yards, according to ESPN Research. His 54% completion percentage on those throws is tied for his lowest with the Bucs. With today's victory and the Falcons' loss, the Bucs now have a 71% chance to make the playoffs, says ESPN Research. Stopping the running game. The Raiders came into this game averaging just 3.7 yards per carry -- dead last in the NFL. Yet running back averaged 5.2 yards per carry, with particular success on the perimeter. Rookie wide receiver led the Bucs with two touchdown catches after his last touchdown came in Week 1. The Bucs have very much needed receivers outside of Evans to step up, and McMillan did. helped too (four catches for 63 yards). at Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Raiders By default. Unless the Raiders elevate practice squad quarterback , who has been with the team since April, Ridder is the lone signal-caller standing. With on IR with a and 's in an air cast after a sideline push, Ridder is auditioning for the rest of this season and beyond. He passed for 101 yards and completed 12-of-18. Slow start. The Raiders trailed 14-0 before their offense took their fourth snap. That's not a recipe for success. Three first-half takeaways by the defense kept Las Vegas within striking range. The team trailed by just four points at halftime and were to receive the ball to start the second half, which seemed promising. Alas, the slow start was too much to overcome. Running back Sincere McCormick, who has mostly been a practice squad player, is looking more like RB1 for a rebuilding Raiders offense. McCormick, taking advantage of injuries to and , rushed for a career-best 78 yards on 15 carries. vs. Falcons (Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET) Jaguars One week after quarterback likely for the season and going on the road against one of the NFL's worst teams, some wondered just how motivated the Jaguars would be against the Titans. But the gritty performance -- rallying from a 6-0 deficit with 10 points in the fourth quarter -- should end the question about whether Pederson has lost the locker room. There's nothing at stake for the Jaguars other than trying to finish a lost season on a positive note. That was apparently enough Sunday. Wide receiver . finally got involved in the third quarter, and the offense finally produced points. Thomas didn't get his first catch until 4:24 remaining in the third quarter (he had no catches on three targets until that point), and he touched the ball on four consecutive plays. He's the offense's best player and needs to be involved early. Quarterback threw two interceptions but showed the ability to bounce back in the fourth quarter, when he led the Jaguars to 10 points. That included a 31-yard hookup with Thomas on a broken play in which Jones had to scramble out of trouble. Jones had managed just 13 points combined in his first two starts, so this is progress in his audition for a chance to compete for a starting spot somewhere in 2025. vs. Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Titans The Titans defense finished with two sacks and got a pressure to force an interception by Mac Jones. But for most of the day, the Titans could not finish the deal on Jones, giving him time to complete long-developing plays on critical drives. Quarterbacks have managed to extend plays by eluding the pass rush and getting the ball to receivers downfield all season. It won't get any easier next week when quarterback and the Bengals come to town. The Burrow and connection yielded a league-high 13 touchdowns entering this week. Reese filled in admirably after injuries kept and . out of the lineup. Reese was mostly used on special teams and had played just seven defensive snaps all season. But he played like his helmet was on fire. The second-year linebacker cashed in with an interception and a tackle for a loss on a double reverse. Third-down defense. The Titans uncharacteristically played a lot of off-coverage, costing them against Jacksonville. The Jaguars converted six of their 13 third-down opportunities. Four of the conversions came against off coverage, including a 31-yard play by Brian Thomas Jr. late in the fourth quarter that led to the Jaguars' first lead of the day. vs. Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Lions The injury bug has continued to bite the Lions as defensive lineman was ruled out ahead of the second half with a concussion. For now, Detroit has been able to maintain with 11 straight victories, but only time will tell if defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn can continue to adjust. Entering the game, the Lions' defense was already short-handed with 13 defensive players on the injured reserve list. No other team in the league had more than seven defensive players on injured reserve, per ESPN Research, and the Lions also ruled out defensive linemen (shoulder), (knee) and (hamstring) before kickoff. Lions kicker . Bates was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November earlier in the day and responded with his third game-winning kick of the season. With the game knotted at 31, he nailed a walk-off 35-yarder after game winners in Week 10 and in Week 7. Lions running back ran 19.83 yards to lose 1 total yard on the Lions' fourth-and-1 play late in the third quarter, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Green Bay would take advantage of that, as running back capped off a four-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown to give the Packers a 28-24 edge. vs. Bills (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Packers The Packers want another shot at the Lions, but perhaps after what happened in the two losses to them this season, there's reason to think it would be just another fool's errand. Sure, the second meeting was a tooth-and-nail game, but did anyone really think the Packers were going to come up with the defensive stop they needed at the end? The Packers' best path through the NFC might be avoiding the Lions. Frustrated again. From the between coach Matt LaFleur and a Lions fan to another slow start on offense to an inability to stop Detroit on fourth down (it converted 4-of-5 chances) to griping about penalties and non-penalties, the Packers were left exasperated. The Packers will try to get more involved. He is one of their best receivers this season, but he dropped his only target of the game and played half of the offensive snaps. Since his 113-yard game against the Bears in Week 9, he has just 73 receiving yards combined in the past four games. at Seahawks (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, says an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data shows the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, more than tripling from 2021 to 2023. Australia is banning social media for those under 16. Is it a solution for Canada? Const. Solana Pare is now warning that child exploitation is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. "Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them," Pare said in an interview. WATCH | Police urge parents to discuss online safety with their kids: Parents should talk to their kids early and often about online safety, RCMP say 6 months ago Duration 3:18 Police have seen a dramatic increase in online sextortion reports. Younger men and teens are being targeted, prompting the RCMP to raise the alarm. Numbers jumping nationally Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend was seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data shows cases have continued to go up. 2 Canadian families join American parents in lawsuit against social media giants The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. "We don't see these types of reports going away," Pare said. "We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There's going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online." Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said "the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn't slowed down." "The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what's going on," she said. Rise of 'sextortion' Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It's been viewed millions of times. Carol Todd holds a photograph of her late daughter Amanda Todd signed by U.S. singer Demi Lovato with the words 'Stay Strong' in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Oct. 5, 2013. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term "sextortion" has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Data Online child sexual exploitation is now at epidemic levels and that has police concerned Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. WATCH | New Brunswick teen's death part of growing sextortion problem: How a tragic N.B. sextortion case is part of a global trend 11 months ago Duration 3:12 William Doiron took his own life in 2022 after facing threats that his explicit images would be shared online if he didn't pay a ransom. His mother is speaking out to try to bring awareness to the growing issue of sextortion. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. "The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward," she said. Liberals split online harms bill to postpone debate over policing hate speech Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. "Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence," she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It's not going undetected any longer, she said. "Additionally, there's been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms." Pare said "it's up to each individual platform" to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. "With mandatory reporting, it's putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported," she said. "That being said, there are times when things don't get located." Dutch man who sexually extorted B.C. teen Amanda Todd given 6-year sentence in Netherlands That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. "It's shocking that up until now, we've relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we've just relied on them to do the right thing," she said. "What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different." Canada 'really behind' The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. "We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill," Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Social media companies can't be let 'off the hook' over deadly sextortion of kids, B.C. premier says Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies' digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split "makes sense," noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. "There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online," she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. "Canada is really behind," she said. "The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon." Provinces putting in their own measures In the absence of national legislation, provinces have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don't comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. First orders issued under B.C.'s new intimate images act B.C.'s Ministry of Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. B.C. attorney general advises social media, adult-content sites to comply with intimate images act Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it's not enough. "A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries," she said, noting that online crime is borderless. "We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box."What's Cool in School: Celebrating the holidays and looking forward to a new year
I think that you and I can both agree that being a future space repairman is a cool job, which is why developers Beard Envy have made us Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop , a timeloop roguelite about being a strange four-eyed fox dude armed only with gumption and a very large universal spaceship repair manual who has to make cash fixing ships or face death at the electromechanical trotters of his terrible boss, Uncle Chop. (I'm sure you can find some other ways to die, too.) And that, I must say, is something like close enough to the space repairman fantasy. Probably. Except for the part where sometimes to fix a ship you open it up and have to play a brutally hard platformer. An unpleasant surprise, to be sure. Okay, fine, this isn't a hardcore spaceship repair simulator but it is a pretty funny one, and it just released this week. Boasting a funky sense of humor, a host of goofy minigames, and a big manual to read when fixing ships, Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop is something pretty much entirely unlike other games I've played—and for that I commend it. "Flaunt your basic literacy by consulting manual pages for guidance on diagnosing and correcting faults in spaceship modules, as well as operating workshop appliances," say the developers, "And if basic literacy isn’t your bag, then at least you’ve got pretty diagrams to gawp at!" Savage. Plus, every time you mess up real bad and don't make rent you die... but also you'll be able to pick up little upgrades for the next time loop around your fix-it-up purgatory. That's not to say that Uncle Chop's is inflexible. You can play one of two modes: The default timed, or the alternative that makes everything a bit harder and dings you for more money when you make mistakes. PC Gamer features producer Mollie Taylor enjoyed Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop quite a lot in a preview of the game, even if it apparently reminded her how fundamentally bad she is at reading directions . The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. "I still haven't been able to make that first rent payment after a couple hours," said Mollie. "But hey—I can do a fuel change now without even looking at the manual, and building that sort of knowledge is a satisfaction all its own. I promise I'll learn how to actually change a rebreather and pay Uncle Chop soon." As for the graphics? The story? The characters? "It's weird and wonderful in all the ways I want my games to be, like an interactive, deadlier episode of Regular Show," according to Mollie. You can find Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop on publisher Kasedo Games' website , and for sale on Epic and Steam for $20.
Soccer-Arsenal boss Arteta hails 'will to win' after downing Manchester UnitedAdaptimmune Therapeutics plc ( NASDAQ:ADAP – Get Free Report ) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,060,000 shares, a drop of 24.7% from the November 30th total of 6,720,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,840,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days. Institutional Trading of Adaptimmune Therapeutics Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fullcircle Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Adaptimmune Therapeutics during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics by 230.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 43,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 30,000 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $95,000. Virtu Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics by 27.5% during the third quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 101,008 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 21,769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics by 130.4% during the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 174,157 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 98,581 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.37% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth ADAP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho dropped their price target on Adaptimmune Therapeutics from $3.00 to $1.50 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Guggenheim lowered their target price on Adaptimmune Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 15th. HC Wainwright cut their target price on Adaptimmune Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.50 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $2.79. Adaptimmune Therapeutics Stock Up 3.9 % ADAP stock opened at $0.59 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $150.97 million, a PE ratio of -2.68 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a quick ratio of 3.82, a current ratio of 3.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Adaptimmune Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $0.55 and a twelve month high of $2.05. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $0.69 and its 200-day moving average is $0.94. Adaptimmune Therapeutics Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, provides novel cell therapies primarily to cancer patients in the United States and the United Kingdom. It develops SPEARHEAD-1 that is in phase II clinical trials with ADP-A2M4 for synovial sarcoma; SURPASS-3 that is in phase II clinical trial with ADP-A2M4CD8 for people with platinum resistant ovarian cancer; and SURPASS that is in phase I clinical trials in patients with head and neck, and urothelial cancers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Adaptimmune Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Adaptimmune Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Championship roundup: Dan James marks milestone as Leeds return to top
Royal Caribbean has been on a mission to make the painful parts of cruising easier. It has done that in lots of little ways, like making it slightly easier to both log on to ship WiFi and switch your internet service between devices. That's just a sort of incremental improvement, but making something happen near automatically that used to take a few clicks does count as an improvement. Add in lots of small improvements, and the overall cruise experience will get markedly better. Royal Caribbean also offers "Express" check-in lanes at some terminals. These allow passengers who have completed all of their pre-boarding items properly to board the ship faster. Related: Royal Caribbean makes key decision on Labadee, Haiti port Not everyone qualifies and it's only being used on select sailings, but if you get Express, you do get onboard faster. Once onboard, the improvements will keep coming. Royal Caribbean recently made it so people who buy dining packages can book their reservations before they get on the ship. That solves two problems. First, anyone with a dining package no longer has to stand in line on embarkation day (the day the ship sails) to make multiple lunch and dinner reservations. Second, because those people aren't in line taking 15-20 minutes to make all those bookings, people who want a reservation or two face much shorter lines. But, the cruise line's biggest improvement has to be the new elevator system being used on Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas. These elevators don't have buttons. Instead, passengers input their desired floor on keypads near the elevator, and they are given a letter that corresponds to which elevator they should take, Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet Royal Caribbean's elevators are just the beginning While elevators seem like a small thing, the new system is actually a major improvement to the onboard experience. Passengers no longer have to jockey for position to board an elevator during crowded times. In addition, the new system generally makes no more than two stops. That prevents you from being in a full elevator that stops on every floor where the person in the back is always the one who needs to get out. It also eliminates the experience of having a kid push every button the second their parent isn't looking. Fixing the elevator experience was something Royal Caribbean prioritized with the launch of Icon of the Seas. At a media event on that ship, the cruise line's CEO talked a little bit about the process of launching the new elevators. More Royal Caribbean: "We were obsessively focused...We know a lot about the flow of people. We know a lot about how to create a delightful experience that also moves people around," he said, We were really nervous about them.:" Despite those early jitters, Bayley has been pleased with the elevator, which will be part of Star of the Seas, the next Icon-class ship, and seemingly all Royal Caribbean ships going forward. "We've been delighted with the elevator lobbies," he added. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Royal Caribbean wants to fix cabin entry Currently, Royal Caribbean passengers use their SeaPass card (a plastic room key) to enter their cabins. Select ships also allow people to buy special bracelets that can serve as door keys. SeaPass cards, however, are easily lost or forgotten. Many people wear them on lanyards, or carry them in a purse or wallet. It's easy to forget yours by the pool, leave it at a bar, or forget it in a machine in the casino on ships that use that system to log play. Star of the Seas will be testing a new facial recognition technology that will make it possible to use your face as your room key. "Star of the Seas will be the first cruise ship to embrace facial recognition as a way to make it easier to get to your cabin," wrote Matt Hochberg on The Royal Caribbean Blog . ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise This will be a pilot with a small number of cabins, at least at first. Royal Caribbean filed a patent on this technology in Nov. In the filing, the cruise line said it planned to use facial recognition to unlock cabins but also could be used for other functions onboard as well. Anyone who has gotten back to their cabin and realizes their key is either inside or lost somewhere on the ship will appreciate this option. That's especially true during times when Guest Services, the place where you go to get a new key, is busy. Currently, many US cruise ports use facial recognition when ships arrive instead of making people show their physical passports. Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered.
Despite intense AI arms race, we’re in for a multi-modal future
Kate Beckinsale puts on a very leggy display in white fur coat as she poses for snaps with her beloved pink-dyed cat
Who won the Powerball? Winning $256 million lottery ticket sold in New York
Way up high: Dorothy’s ruby slippers fetch record $32.5 millionOTTAWA - A Canadian diplomat who visited Abousfian Abdelrazik while in Sudanese custody says the Montreal man told him he did not know why he was being held and that he wanted to return to Canada. Abdelrazik, who is suing Ottawa over his detention, came to Canada from Sudan as a refugee, settling in Montreal and later becoming a Canadian citizen. He was arrested in September 2003 while in his native country to see his ailing mother. Officials from Canada’s intelligence service travelled to Sudan the following month to interrogate Abdelrazik about suspected terrorist links. David Hutchings, senior official at Canada’s mission in Khartoum at the time, met with Abdelrazik in December 2003. Hutchings said in Federal Court today that during the consular visit, Abdelrazik seemed “puzzled and mystified” as to why he was in prison. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024.
Police say searchers in Pennsylvania don't expect to find woman in sinkhole aliveThis is my third time honoring what I see as the year's most important scientific and technological advances. In 2022, my theme was the principle of "twin ideas," when similar inventions emerge around the same time. Just as Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray both arguably conceived of the modern telephone in 1876 (and, by some accounts, on the same day!), the U.S. saw a cluster of achievements in generative AI, cancer treatment, and vaccinology. In 2023, my theme was the long road of progress. My top breakthrough was Casgevy, a gene-editing therapy for patients with sickle-cell anemia. The therapy built on decades of research on CRISPR, an immune defense system borrowed from the world of bacteria. View: 2024 in photos: Wrapping up the year This year, my theme is the subtler power of incremental improvement, which has also been a motif of technological progress. Although nothing invented in 2024 rivals the gosh-wow debut of ChatGPT or the discovery of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, this year witnessed several advancements across medicine, space technology, and AI that extend our knowledge in consequential ways. An Ingenious Defense Against HIV Around the world, 40 million people live with HIV, and an estimated 630,000 people die of AIDS-related illness every year. The disease has no cure. But whereas patients in rich developed countries have access to medicine that keeps the virus at bay, many people in poor countries, where the disease is more widespread, do not. This year, scientists at the pharmaceutical company Gilead announced that a new injectable drug seems to provide exceptional protection from HIV for six months. In one clinical trial of South African and Ugandan girls and young women, the shot, which is called lenacapavir, reduced HIV infections by 100 percent in the intervention group. Another trial of people across several continents reported an efficacy rate of 96 percent. Clinical-trial results don't get much more successful than that. This... Derek Thompson
Ruben Amorim makes Manchester United request after Ed Sheeran’s post-game interruptionATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.

Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Projected starting five Houston Rockets projected starting five Los Angeles Clippers projected starting five Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Key players to watch Houston Rockets key players Los Angeles Clippers key players Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Injury report Houston Rockets injury report Los Angeles Clippers injury report Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Team stats Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Previous matchups Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Leading players Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Prediction and betting tips Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers game prediction Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Date, time, and venue How to watch Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Streaming details and more As a passionate WWE content writer, Raunak craft engaging narratives that bring the thrilling world of wrestling to life, capturing the drama, excitement, and heroism of the ring. His work fuels the imagination of WWE fans, making every match and storyline unforgettable. Read More 2nd Test: India beat Bangladesh by seven wickets to sweep series 2nd Test, Day 4: India push for victory with T20-style batting 2nd Test, Day 1: B'desh 107/3 vs India on rain-shortened opening day Ashwin shines as India hammer Bangladesh in Chennai Test 1st Test, Day 3: India hold upper hand despite spirited Bangladesh chase 1st Test, Day 2: India in box seat after Bumrah takes four-for vs B'desh 1st Test, Day 1: Ashwin, Jadeja dig India out of trouble vs B'desh France waves farewell to Paralympics with spectacular ceremony Navdeep's gold, Simran's bronze take India's medal tally to 29 Paris Paralympics: India's flag bearers for closing ceremonyof the NFL season began with a great Thursday night matchup between the and the . The Lions came out on top with a 34-31 win. On Sunday, the coasted past the , quarterback and the ' upset attempt fell flat to the and the won an overtime thriller over the . Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let's get to it. | | | | | Steelers With the win against the Browns, the Steelers emerged from a four-game divisional gauntlet with a two-game lead in the division. Though they've secured another 10-win season, the Steelers have their sights set on much bigger goals, like winning their first playoff game since 2016 and hosting their first playoff game since 2020. They have a championship-caliber defense, leading the NFL in takeaways -- the Browns had three turnovers on Sunday -- and holding opponents to fewer than 19 points per game. And the offense has shown an ability to adjust and thrive with at quarterback. Though he struggled against Cleveland's pass rush early, Wilson shook off a rocky first half to throw two third-quarter touchdowns. The Browns pressured Wilson on 39% of dropbacks in the first half, per ESPN Research, and went 1-of-6 for minus-1 passing yards under pressure. In the second half, he went 3-of-5 for 61 yards under pressure, including one touchdown pass. After a slow start to his Steelers career, wide receiver will continue the uptick in targets. Williams, who finished with three catches for 36 yards on four targets, benefitted from Pickens' absence Sunday. Pickens, who was inactive after a hamstring injury late in the week, is likely to be back against the Eagles. But Williams showed his value as a field-stretching target. He had a one-handed, third-down snag in the third quarter. at Eagles (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Browns When the Browns took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, it looked like Cleveland had the formula to win its first regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003. But that quickly evaporated with several miscues, from quarterback 's interception that led to Pittsburgh's first touchdown to kicker ' two missed kicks. Cleveland isn't headed to the postseason but limiting errors could be the difference in pulling off another upset in its next four games. Collective collapse. All sides of the ball played a role in giving up 24 straight points after building a 7-3 lead. Winston continued his trend of interceptions, the defense allowed a Steelers offense without wide receiver to generate explosive passing plays and Hopkins' misses ruined productive drives. Tight end records a season-high in receiving yards. Njoku has received 10-plus targets in the Browns' past two games. His season-high is 81 yards, and he will face a Chiefs defense that entered Week 14 allowing the second-most yards per attempt to tight ends (9.1). vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Saints The Saints have scored 26.8 points per game with Hill in the lineup versus just 15.2 without him. Hill went on (ACL) this week and the Saints offense struggled against the Giants, particularly in the run game. They'll have to figure out how to succeed without their do-everything player, and potentially without Carr if he's out indefinitely with an injury. The run game. The Saints had their starting offensive line back, but they couldn't get anything going on the ground, with the exception of an eight-yard touchdown run where was pushed into the end zone. Miller, and combined for only 81 yards, and Kamara only averaged 2.6 yards per carry. The Saints didn't fare well in their three games without Carr earlier in the season, and they likely experienced some déjà vu after he collided with a teammate late in the fourth quarter and left the game. He went to the locker room with a wrist injury and potential concussion, which means the Saints could struggle against the Commanders. vs. Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Giants This was the Giants' eighth straight loss, and it's as if they're finding new ways to lose by getting the game-tying field goal blocked in the final seconds. This all reflects poorly on Daboll. As if it wasn't enough, a plane flew over MetLife Stadium prior to the game with a banner directed at Giants ownership that read: "MR MARA ENOUGH -- PLZ FIX THIS DUMPSTER FIRE." The optics of this and a half-empty stadium aren't good for Daboll and this regime. Sure, the Giants are extremely shorthanded, but this type of embarrassment is what generally irks owner John Mara. Quarterback started 0-for-8 passing. Two of those eight passes were drops, but it was still the most consecutive incompletions to start a home game since the Jets' Ken O'Brien on Dec. 15, 1991, against the Patriots. It only got slightly better from there, as Lock went 6-of-19 for 52 yards in the first half. Cornerback 's big day. The second-year cornerback has been buried on the depth chart all season. In fact, the Giants had recalled corners from the practice squad to play over Hawkins. He had the Giants' first interception since Week 1, their first interception by a defensive back this season and was an asset against the run before an injury in the fourth quarter. vs. Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Eagles Most likely, if they don't get it fixed between now and the playoffs. The Eagles have been shut out in the first quarter in 10 of their 13 games this season, including this Sunday. They have scored a league-low 17 points in the opening frame, which is unacceptable given the level of talent on the offensive side of the ball. To their credit, they make adjustments well and have often gone on to dominate games. But a high-quality team will eventually make them pay. Saquon's record. set a new franchise mark for single-season rushing yards, moving past , who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. He took over first place midway through the fourth quarter. Chants of "MVP" broke out as his achievement was announced in the stadium. It was Barkley's ninth 100-yard rushing game this season, which is also the most in Eagles history. Receiver was not targeted until the waning moments of the second quarter. Outside of Barkley, Brown has been the team's offensive MVP with four games of 100-plus receiving yards. He broke open a couple different times early in the game but the ball did not come his way. He showed some frustration as a result. vs. Steelers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Panthers Young did throw his first interception in 125 attempts. That this is being mentioned shows how well he's been playing. More significantly, he went toe-to-toe against the NFL's best defense in a hostile environment. Young was a dropped touchdown by away from getting the win. Stack that on top of his performance the previous five games and there's no doubt the job should be his next season. Not accounting for quarterback in the run game. The league's worst run defense (allowing 166.9 yards per game) did a decent job of holding down , the league's leading rusher. But it gave up too many big runs to Hurts, who had six rushes for 58 yards. Close again. For the third straight week, the Panthers were in it until the end. And it was the second time in three weeks that it came against a top team (Week 12 ). This shows how far coach and his staff have come from the first four games, when Carolina averaged 27.25 points in each loss. vs. Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Vikings That's been the guess ever since Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract in March, but it's getting harder to make that assumption. It made sense that rookie would take over as the starter in 2025 once recovered from his knee injury. Darnold, however, has pushed his game to a new level lately, culminating with a career-best five touchdown passes against the quarterback he replaced in Minnesota. He is on pace for a 4,000-yard, 36-touchdown season at age 27. At the very least, the Vikings are going to have a much more difficult set of conversations around their 2025 quarterback room than they were planning. Fantasy football. Vikings receivers and combined to catch 15 passes for 265 yards and all five of Darnold's touchdown passes, becoming the second set of teammates in franchise history to each have 100 receiving yards and multiple scores in a game. The others were Hassan Jones and Steve Jordan in 1986. Kickoff unit. The Vikings entered the game with the NFL's third-highest touchback rate (85.3%), but a rare short kickoff Sunday proved to be a game-changer when linebacker Brian Asamoah forced a fumble midway through the fourth quarter. vs. Bears (Monday, 8 p.m. ET) Falcons It seems unlikely. This game was always going to be a tough one for the Falcons to win on the road, and Cousins played better than his four-interception performance last week. As long as Atlanta remains in the playoff picture -- and the NFC South is still up for grabs -- rookie . will probably remain on the bench. But this has become a legitimate week-to-week question. Beat themselves. Down a single score in the fourth quarter, wide receiver fumbled the kickoff return, which led to a Vikings touchdown. The Falcons also had the most penalty yards in the NFL this season (127). Plus, the Cousins interceptions. The Falcons defense was once very effective in limiting explosive plays. It needed to do that Sunday against a team with big-play wide receivers. Instead, quarterback Sam Darnold threw for five touchdowns. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison had catches of 52 and 49 yards, respectively. at Raiders (Monday, 8 p.m. ET) Dolphins Technically no. The Dolphins likely need to win out and get a little help in order to make their third straight playoff appearance, but their performance Sunday inspired little confidence that they'll be able to do so. Three of their four remaining games are on the road, and their home game is against a mercurial 49ers team. Miami is still alive, with a 13.8% chance at the playoffs (independent of other results, per ESPN Analytics), but it needs to play like its back is against the wall. No urgency. In a get-right spot against a listless Jets team, the Dolphins were pushed around for four quarters, allowing nearly 7.0 yards per play while converting just 1-of-9 third-down attempts. They managed to win thanks to some overtime heroics from and , but this did not look like a team with its season on the line. Dolphins cornerback allowed 131 yards and five catches on seven targets as the nearest defender in coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. In his defense, a large portion of those yards came on a 42-yard catch, during which Ramsey fell down. But it was a rough showing for the perennial Pro Bowler. at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Jets Led by ' first 300-yard performance in 35 games, the Jets played one of their best offensive games of the season -- and they still managed to choke away a late lead. This was their fourth straight loss, officially eliminating them from playoff contention. Late breakdowns on offense, defense and special teams resulted in another gut-wrenching defeat. Good teams know how to win close games. The Jets are 0-7 in games decided by six or fewer points. Case closed. No , no problem. The Jets turned to their rookie running backs, and , and they delivered as dual threats. They combined for 83 yards from scrimmage, with Davis scoring for the second straight week after being a nonfactor for the first 11 games. The future looks bright at running back. Like a snowbird, Rodgers found comfort in the warm weather. The 41-year-old quarterback played his best game since September. Finally healthy, he moved well and connected on three passes of 30-plus yards -- a rarity this season. He found a nice groove with Garrett Wilson and , but the mojo disappeared late in the game. at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Buccaneers Starting in the second quarter, the Raiders were able to disrupt quarterback 's passes to the flats and out routes. He particularly struggled with their zone coverages. Mayfield was 7-of-13 for 84 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on passes for 5 or fewer air yards, according to ESPN Research. His 54% completion percentage on those throws is tied for his lowest with the Bucs. With today's victory and the Falcons' loss, the Bucs now have a 71% chance to make the playoffs, says ESPN Research. Stopping the running game. The Raiders came into this game averaging just 3.7 yards per carry -- dead last in the NFL. Yet running back averaged 5.2 yards per carry, with particular success on the perimeter. Rookie wide receiver led the Bucs with two touchdown catches after his last touchdown came in Week 1. The Bucs have very much needed receivers outside of Evans to step up, and McMillan did. helped too (four catches for 63 yards). at Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Raiders By default. Unless the Raiders elevate practice squad quarterback , who has been with the team since April, Ridder is the lone signal-caller standing. With on IR with a and 's in an air cast after a sideline push, Ridder is auditioning for the rest of this season and beyond. He passed for 101 yards and completed 12-of-18. Slow start. The Raiders trailed 14-0 before their offense took their fourth snap. That's not a recipe for success. Three first-half takeaways by the defense kept Las Vegas within striking range. The team trailed by just four points at halftime and were to receive the ball to start the second half, which seemed promising. Alas, the slow start was too much to overcome. Running back Sincere McCormick, who has mostly been a practice squad player, is looking more like RB1 for a rebuilding Raiders offense. McCormick, taking advantage of injuries to and , rushed for a career-best 78 yards on 15 carries. vs. Falcons (Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET) Jaguars One week after quarterback likely for the season and going on the road against one of the NFL's worst teams, some wondered just how motivated the Jaguars would be against the Titans. But the gritty performance -- rallying from a 6-0 deficit with 10 points in the fourth quarter -- should end the question about whether Pederson has lost the locker room. There's nothing at stake for the Jaguars other than trying to finish a lost season on a positive note. That was apparently enough Sunday. Wide receiver . finally got involved in the third quarter, and the offense finally produced points. Thomas didn't get his first catch until 4:24 remaining in the third quarter (he had no catches on three targets until that point), and he touched the ball on four consecutive plays. He's the offense's best player and needs to be involved early. Quarterback threw two interceptions but showed the ability to bounce back in the fourth quarter, when he led the Jaguars to 10 points. That included a 31-yard hookup with Thomas on a broken play in which Jones had to scramble out of trouble. Jones had managed just 13 points combined in his first two starts, so this is progress in his audition for a chance to compete for a starting spot somewhere in 2025. vs. Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Titans The Titans defense finished with two sacks and got a pressure to force an interception by Mac Jones. But for most of the day, the Titans could not finish the deal on Jones, giving him time to complete long-developing plays on critical drives. Quarterbacks have managed to extend plays by eluding the pass rush and getting the ball to receivers downfield all season. It won't get any easier next week when quarterback and the Bengals come to town. The Burrow and connection yielded a league-high 13 touchdowns entering this week. Reese filled in admirably after injuries kept and . out of the lineup. Reese was mostly used on special teams and had played just seven defensive snaps all season. But he played like his helmet was on fire. The second-year linebacker cashed in with an interception and a tackle for a loss on a double reverse. Third-down defense. The Titans uncharacteristically played a lot of off-coverage, costing them against Jacksonville. The Jaguars converted six of their 13 third-down opportunities. Four of the conversions came against off coverage, including a 31-yard play by Brian Thomas Jr. late in the fourth quarter that led to the Jaguars' first lead of the day. vs. Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Lions The injury bug has continued to bite the Lions as defensive lineman was ruled out ahead of the second half with a concussion. For now, Detroit has been able to maintain with 11 straight victories, but only time will tell if defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn can continue to adjust. Entering the game, the Lions' defense was already short-handed with 13 defensive players on the injured reserve list. No other team in the league had more than seven defensive players on injured reserve, per ESPN Research, and the Lions also ruled out defensive linemen (shoulder), (knee) and (hamstring) before kickoff. Lions kicker . Bates was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November earlier in the day and responded with his third game-winning kick of the season. With the game knotted at 31, he nailed a walk-off 35-yarder after game winners in Week 10 and in Week 7. Lions running back ran 19.83 yards to lose 1 total yard on the Lions' fourth-and-1 play late in the third quarter, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Green Bay would take advantage of that, as running back capped off a four-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown to give the Packers a 28-24 edge. vs. Bills (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Packers The Packers want another shot at the Lions, but perhaps after what happened in the two losses to them this season, there's reason to think it would be just another fool's errand. Sure, the second meeting was a tooth-and-nail game, but did anyone really think the Packers were going to come up with the defensive stop they needed at the end? The Packers' best path through the NFC might be avoiding the Lions. Frustrated again. From the between coach Matt LaFleur and a Lions fan to another slow start on offense to an inability to stop Detroit on fourth down (it converted 4-of-5 chances) to griping about penalties and non-penalties, the Packers were left exasperated. The Packers will try to get more involved. He is one of their best receivers this season, but he dropped his only target of the game and played half of the offensive snaps. Since his 113-yard game against the Bears in Week 9, he has just 73 receiving yards combined in the past four games. at Seahawks (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, says an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data shows the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, more than tripling from 2021 to 2023. Australia is banning social media for those under 16. Is it a solution for Canada? Const. Solana Pare is now warning that child exploitation is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. "Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them," Pare said in an interview. WATCH | Police urge parents to discuss online safety with their kids: Parents should talk to their kids early and often about online safety, RCMP say 6 months ago Duration 3:18 Police have seen a dramatic increase in online sextortion reports. Younger men and teens are being targeted, prompting the RCMP to raise the alarm. Numbers jumping nationally Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend was seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data shows cases have continued to go up. 2 Canadian families join American parents in lawsuit against social media giants The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. "We don't see these types of reports going away," Pare said. "We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There's going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online." Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said "the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn't slowed down." "The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what's going on," she said. Rise of 'sextortion' Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It's been viewed millions of times. Carol Todd holds a photograph of her late daughter Amanda Todd signed by U.S. singer Demi Lovato with the words 'Stay Strong' in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Oct. 5, 2013. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term "sextortion" has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Data Online child sexual exploitation is now at epidemic levels and that has police concerned Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. WATCH | New Brunswick teen's death part of growing sextortion problem: How a tragic N.B. sextortion case is part of a global trend 11 months ago Duration 3:12 William Doiron took his own life in 2022 after facing threats that his explicit images would be shared online if he didn't pay a ransom. His mother is speaking out to try to bring awareness to the growing issue of sextortion. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. "The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward," she said. Liberals split online harms bill to postpone debate over policing hate speech Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. "Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence," she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It's not going undetected any longer, she said. "Additionally, there's been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms." Pare said "it's up to each individual platform" to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. "With mandatory reporting, it's putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported," she said. "That being said, there are times when things don't get located." Dutch man who sexually extorted B.C. teen Amanda Todd given 6-year sentence in Netherlands That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. "It's shocking that up until now, we've relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we've just relied on them to do the right thing," she said. "What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different." Canada 'really behind' The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. "We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill," Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Social media companies can't be let 'off the hook' over deadly sextortion of kids, B.C. premier says Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies' digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split "makes sense," noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. "There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online," she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. "Canada is really behind," she said. "The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon." Provinces putting in their own measures In the absence of national legislation, provinces have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don't comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. First orders issued under B.C.'s new intimate images act B.C.'s Ministry of Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. B.C. attorney general advises social media, adult-content sites to comply with intimate images act Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it's not enough. "A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries," she said, noting that online crime is borderless. "We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box."What's Cool in School: Celebrating the holidays and looking forward to a new year
I think that you and I can both agree that being a future space repairman is a cool job, which is why developers Beard Envy have made us Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop , a timeloop roguelite about being a strange four-eyed fox dude armed only with gumption and a very large universal spaceship repair manual who has to make cash fixing ships or face death at the electromechanical trotters of his terrible boss, Uncle Chop. (I'm sure you can find some other ways to die, too.) And that, I must say, is something like close enough to the space repairman fantasy. Probably. Except for the part where sometimes to fix a ship you open it up and have to play a brutally hard platformer. An unpleasant surprise, to be sure. Okay, fine, this isn't a hardcore spaceship repair simulator but it is a pretty funny one, and it just released this week. Boasting a funky sense of humor, a host of goofy minigames, and a big manual to read when fixing ships, Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop is something pretty much entirely unlike other games I've played—and for that I commend it. "Flaunt your basic literacy by consulting manual pages for guidance on diagnosing and correcting faults in spaceship modules, as well as operating workshop appliances," say the developers, "And if basic literacy isn’t your bag, then at least you’ve got pretty diagrams to gawp at!" Savage. Plus, every time you mess up real bad and don't make rent you die... but also you'll be able to pick up little upgrades for the next time loop around your fix-it-up purgatory. That's not to say that Uncle Chop's is inflexible. You can play one of two modes: The default timed, or the alternative that makes everything a bit harder and dings you for more money when you make mistakes. PC Gamer features producer Mollie Taylor enjoyed Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop quite a lot in a preview of the game, even if it apparently reminded her how fundamentally bad she is at reading directions . The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. "I still haven't been able to make that first rent payment after a couple hours," said Mollie. "But hey—I can do a fuel change now without even looking at the manual, and building that sort of knowledge is a satisfaction all its own. I promise I'll learn how to actually change a rebreather and pay Uncle Chop soon." As for the graphics? The story? The characters? "It's weird and wonderful in all the ways I want my games to be, like an interactive, deadlier episode of Regular Show," according to Mollie. You can find Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop on publisher Kasedo Games' website , and for sale on Epic and Steam for $20.
Soccer-Arsenal boss Arteta hails 'will to win' after downing Manchester UnitedAdaptimmune Therapeutics plc ( NASDAQ:ADAP – Get Free Report ) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,060,000 shares, a drop of 24.7% from the November 30th total of 6,720,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,840,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days. Institutional Trading of Adaptimmune Therapeutics Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fullcircle Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Adaptimmune Therapeutics during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics by 230.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 43,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 30,000 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $95,000. Virtu Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics by 27.5% during the third quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 101,008 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 21,769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics by 130.4% during the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 174,157 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 98,581 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.37% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth ADAP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho dropped their price target on Adaptimmune Therapeutics from $3.00 to $1.50 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Guggenheim lowered their target price on Adaptimmune Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 15th. HC Wainwright cut their target price on Adaptimmune Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.50 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Adaptimmune Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $2.79. Adaptimmune Therapeutics Stock Up 3.9 % ADAP stock opened at $0.59 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $150.97 million, a PE ratio of -2.68 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a quick ratio of 3.82, a current ratio of 3.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Adaptimmune Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $0.55 and a twelve month high of $2.05. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $0.69 and its 200-day moving average is $0.94. Adaptimmune Therapeutics Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, provides novel cell therapies primarily to cancer patients in the United States and the United Kingdom. It develops SPEARHEAD-1 that is in phase II clinical trials with ADP-A2M4 for synovial sarcoma; SURPASS-3 that is in phase II clinical trial with ADP-A2M4CD8 for people with platinum resistant ovarian cancer; and SURPASS that is in phase I clinical trials in patients with head and neck, and urothelial cancers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Adaptimmune Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Adaptimmune Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Championship roundup: Dan James marks milestone as Leeds return to top
Royal Caribbean has been on a mission to make the painful parts of cruising easier. It has done that in lots of little ways, like making it slightly easier to both log on to ship WiFi and switch your internet service between devices. That's just a sort of incremental improvement, but making something happen near automatically that used to take a few clicks does count as an improvement. Add in lots of small improvements, and the overall cruise experience will get markedly better. Royal Caribbean also offers "Express" check-in lanes at some terminals. These allow passengers who have completed all of their pre-boarding items properly to board the ship faster. Related: Royal Caribbean makes key decision on Labadee, Haiti port Not everyone qualifies and it's only being used on select sailings, but if you get Express, you do get onboard faster. Once onboard, the improvements will keep coming. Royal Caribbean recently made it so people who buy dining packages can book their reservations before they get on the ship. That solves two problems. First, anyone with a dining package no longer has to stand in line on embarkation day (the day the ship sails) to make multiple lunch and dinner reservations. Second, because those people aren't in line taking 15-20 minutes to make all those bookings, people who want a reservation or two face much shorter lines. But, the cruise line's biggest improvement has to be the new elevator system being used on Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas. These elevators don't have buttons. Instead, passengers input their desired floor on keypads near the elevator, and they are given a letter that corresponds to which elevator they should take, Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet Royal Caribbean's elevators are just the beginning While elevators seem like a small thing, the new system is actually a major improvement to the onboard experience. Passengers no longer have to jockey for position to board an elevator during crowded times. In addition, the new system generally makes no more than two stops. That prevents you from being in a full elevator that stops on every floor where the person in the back is always the one who needs to get out. It also eliminates the experience of having a kid push every button the second their parent isn't looking. Fixing the elevator experience was something Royal Caribbean prioritized with the launch of Icon of the Seas. At a media event on that ship, the cruise line's CEO talked a little bit about the process of launching the new elevators. More Royal Caribbean: "We were obsessively focused...We know a lot about the flow of people. We know a lot about how to create a delightful experience that also moves people around," he said, We were really nervous about them.:" Despite those early jitters, Bayley has been pleased with the elevator, which will be part of Star of the Seas, the next Icon-class ship, and seemingly all Royal Caribbean ships going forward. "We've been delighted with the elevator lobbies," he added. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Royal Caribbean wants to fix cabin entry Currently, Royal Caribbean passengers use their SeaPass card (a plastic room key) to enter their cabins. Select ships also allow people to buy special bracelets that can serve as door keys. SeaPass cards, however, are easily lost or forgotten. Many people wear them on lanyards, or carry them in a purse or wallet. It's easy to forget yours by the pool, leave it at a bar, or forget it in a machine in the casino on ships that use that system to log play. Star of the Seas will be testing a new facial recognition technology that will make it possible to use your face as your room key. "Star of the Seas will be the first cruise ship to embrace facial recognition as a way to make it easier to get to your cabin," wrote Matt Hochberg on The Royal Caribbean Blog . ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise This will be a pilot with a small number of cabins, at least at first. Royal Caribbean filed a patent on this technology in Nov. In the filing, the cruise line said it planned to use facial recognition to unlock cabins but also could be used for other functions onboard as well. Anyone who has gotten back to their cabin and realizes their key is either inside or lost somewhere on the ship will appreciate this option. That's especially true during times when Guest Services, the place where you go to get a new key, is busy. Currently, many US cruise ports use facial recognition when ships arrive instead of making people show their physical passports. Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered.
Despite intense AI arms race, we’re in for a multi-modal future
Kate Beckinsale puts on a very leggy display in white fur coat as she poses for snaps with her beloved pink-dyed cat
Who won the Powerball? Winning $256 million lottery ticket sold in New York
Way up high: Dorothy’s ruby slippers fetch record $32.5 millionOTTAWA - A Canadian diplomat who visited Abousfian Abdelrazik while in Sudanese custody says the Montreal man told him he did not know why he was being held and that he wanted to return to Canada. Abdelrazik, who is suing Ottawa over his detention, came to Canada from Sudan as a refugee, settling in Montreal and later becoming a Canadian citizen. He was arrested in September 2003 while in his native country to see his ailing mother. Officials from Canada’s intelligence service travelled to Sudan the following month to interrogate Abdelrazik about suspected terrorist links. David Hutchings, senior official at Canada’s mission in Khartoum at the time, met with Abdelrazik in December 2003. Hutchings said in Federal Court today that during the consular visit, Abdelrazik seemed “puzzled and mystified” as to why he was in prison. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024.
Police say searchers in Pennsylvania don't expect to find woman in sinkhole aliveThis is my third time honoring what I see as the year's most important scientific and technological advances. In 2022, my theme was the principle of "twin ideas," when similar inventions emerge around the same time. Just as Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray both arguably conceived of the modern telephone in 1876 (and, by some accounts, on the same day!), the U.S. saw a cluster of achievements in generative AI, cancer treatment, and vaccinology. In 2023, my theme was the long road of progress. My top breakthrough was Casgevy, a gene-editing therapy for patients with sickle-cell anemia. The therapy built on decades of research on CRISPR, an immune defense system borrowed from the world of bacteria. View: 2024 in photos: Wrapping up the year This year, my theme is the subtler power of incremental improvement, which has also been a motif of technological progress. Although nothing invented in 2024 rivals the gosh-wow debut of ChatGPT or the discovery of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, this year witnessed several advancements across medicine, space technology, and AI that extend our knowledge in consequential ways. An Ingenious Defense Against HIV Around the world, 40 million people live with HIV, and an estimated 630,000 people die of AIDS-related illness every year. The disease has no cure. But whereas patients in rich developed countries have access to medicine that keeps the virus at bay, many people in poor countries, where the disease is more widespread, do not. This year, scientists at the pharmaceutical company Gilead announced that a new injectable drug seems to provide exceptional protection from HIV for six months. In one clinical trial of South African and Ugandan girls and young women, the shot, which is called lenacapavir, reduced HIV infections by 100 percent in the intervention group. Another trial of people across several continents reported an efficacy rate of 96 percent. Clinical-trial results don't get much more successful than that. This... Derek Thompson
Ruben Amorim makes Manchester United request after Ed Sheeran’s post-game interruptionATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.