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UNITED NATIONS — Myanmar’s desperate military junta is ramping up attacks on villages that have fallen to opposition groups, carrying out beheadings, gang rapes and torture, with women, children and the elderly among the victims, the U.N. independent human rights investigator for Myanmar said in a new report. Thomas Andrews, a former U.S. congressman from Maine, said in the report to the U.N. General Assembly circulated Friday that the junta has responded to military defeats and the loss of territory by using sophisticated weapons against civilians and seeking to destroy towns that it cannot control. Calling Myanmar “an invisible crisis” because the world's attention is focused elsewhere, he said, “Escalating atrocities against the people of Myanmar are being enabled by governments that allow, or actively support, the transfer of weapons, weapons materials, and jet fuel to junta forces.” Andrews didn’t name the governments. But he praised Singapore for cracking down on weapons transfers that has led to a 90% reduction by Singapore-registered companies, and said sanctions imposed by the United States on junta-controlled, state-owned banks have disrupted military supply chains. The U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar lamented, however, that their actions remain an exception. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . He called on all countries to address Myanmar’s “devastating human rights and humanitarian crisis” by stopping the flow of weapons to the junta, stepping up humanitarian aid to millions in need, and supporting efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for human rights violations. Myanmar is racked by violence that began when the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and brutally suppressed nonviolent protests. That triggered armed resistance and combat across the country, with the military increasingly using airstrikes to counter the opposition and secure territory. The army is on the defensive against ethnic militias in much of Myanmar as well as hundreds of armed guerrilla groups collectively called the People’s Defense Forces, formed to fight to restore democracy. The military has said in the past that it only attacks legitimate targets of war and has accused the resistance forces of being terrorists. Andrews called the military junta’s plan to hold an election in late 2025 “a farcical parody” and “thinly veiled attempt to create an impression of legitimacy and relieve international pressure.” He warned, “Not only is this fraudulent attempt outrageous, it is dangerous, as it could lead to even greater levels of instability and violence.” He ticked off grim statistics: Over 3.1 million people are displaced by conflict and the junta’s human rights violations, and 18.6 million people need humanitarian assistance, including 13.3 million facing emergency levels of food insecurity. He said the junta's military forces have killed more than 5,800 civilians, destroyed over 100,000 homes and other civilian structures, and have kept more than 21,000 political prisoners languishing behind bars. “Junta troops have killed civilians in ground assaults, including the mass killing of individuals already in the custody of junta forces,” Andrews said. “Victims have been tortured, raped and beheaded, and their bodies burned." Andrews, a human rights fellow at Yale Law School who was appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, said the situation was most “desperate and dangerous” in Rakhine state in western Myanmar. Last November, the Arakan Army, which is seeking autonomy from Myanmar’s central government, began an offensive against the military in Rakhine and has gained control of more than half of its townships. The Arakan Army, which is the well-armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, is also a member of the armed ethnic group alliance trying to topple the military. In the report, Andrews said: “The Arakan Army has been implicated in grave human rights abuses, including indiscriminate attacks, killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrests.” He also said the military has responded to the Arakan Army's steady losses in Rakhine by attacking civilians and raising tensions between the ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya communities. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long considered the Rohingya Muslim minority to be “Bengalis” from Bangladesh even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982. In August 2017, attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on Myanmar security personnel triggered a brutal campaign by the military, which drove at least 740,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh. The military is accused of mass rape, killings and burning thousands of homes. Meanwhile, the military junta has conscripted thousands of Rohingya men and deployed them to the front lines to fight the Arakan Army, he said. And Rohingya militant groups have “cynically aligned with the junta” and committed human rights abuses against the ethnic Rakhine population. “Hundreds of thousands of people in Rakhine State are completely cut off from humanitarian assistance and threatened by exposure, starvation and disease,” Andrews warned. “Failure to act immediately to provide emergency humanitarian aid will be a death sentence for untold numbers of innocent men, women and children.” A month ago, he said, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh where 1 million Rohingya refugees live, called on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to convene a conference with all key players in the Rohingya crisis. Yunus has pressed for their repatriation to Myanmar. Andrews urged Guterres to call a conference that could help “seize the attention of a distracted world and mobilize the resources and action necessary to save the many lives that hang in the balance.”ORONO, Maine (AP) — Caleb Mead ran for 113 yards and a touchdown and New Hampshire beat Maine 27-9 on Saturday in a season-ending contest for both teams. The Wildcats (8-4, 6-2 Coastal Athletic Association) spotted Maine to a 9-0 lead when Joey Bryson kicked a 39-yard field and Carter Peevy threw an 8-yard touchdown to Montigo Moss, all in the first quarter. But midway through the second, the Wildcats took control and proceeded to score 27-straight points to clinch the win. Denzell Gibson ran it in from the 1 to end a 13-play, 81-yard drive that lasted 6:08 to reduce the deficit to 9-7 with 11 seconds left before halftime. On the first play from scrimmage after the break, Mead ran for a 57-yard touchdown for a 14-9 lead. Nick Mazzie kicked field goals of 21 and 22 yards and Seth Morgan ran it in from the 7 with 2:03 left to end it. Peevy threw for 168 yards for Maine (5-7, 3-5). ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP collegebasketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lopsided, shutout loss has left the beat-up New Orleans Saints limping into the final two games of a lost season — and into a rather cloudy future beyond that. Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi figured that a visit to playoff-bound Green Bay would be a tall order for his injury-riddled squad, whose prominent missing players included starters at quarterback, running back and receiver. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.sp jili 。

Justin Baldoni had reached his peak. Earlier this month, the actor and director of "It Ends with Us" appeared at a ceremony in New York City to accept a global Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices, a nonprofit organization that advocates for women and girls. "It Ends with Us," a film adaptation of the popular romance novel by New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover , grapples with the disturbing patterns of domestic violence. The award seemed like a fit for Baldoni, whose career has been shaped by publicly revealing his private flaws and "undefining masculinity" − a term he frequently invoked. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni feuded. Next came the smear campaign, she alleges. Then, a stunning downward turn . A-list actress Blake Lively, Baldoni's co-star in "It Ends with Us," accused him of sexual harassment in a complaint filed with the California Department of Civil Rights that surfaced Saturday. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. In a statement provided to The New York T i mes , Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman called Lively's allegations "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media." He said that Baldoni's production company Wayfarer Studios "only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity." But backlash was swift. By Monday, Vital Voices rescinded his award. Baldoni's podcast co-host, masculinity-focused feminist and journalist Liz Plank , publicly announced she had quit in an open letter, writing that "we all deserve better." His male co-star Brandon Sklenar and Hoover spoke out in support of Lively on Instagram. The moves demonstrate Hollywood's lowering tolerance for allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace nearly a decade after the #MeToo movement sent shockwaves through studio offices and lots alike. Justin Baldoni allegedly showed Blake Lively naked pictures of women, added sex scenes and improvised kisses In late summer, during the press tour for "It Ends with Us," eagle-eyed fans speculated about a feud between Baldoni and Lively. They questioned why Baldoni walked the red-carpet solo, not with other cast members, on Aug. 9 at the New York City premiere. Then, fans noticed all of Baldoni's co-stars had unfollowed him on Instagram. But nobody, it seems, expected the allegations that were laid out by Lively's legal team in the account that surfaced Saturday. The allegations include showing videos and images of nude women, discussing his past pornography addiction, detailing personal sexual experiences, describing his genitalia, improvising kisses, talking to Lively's trainer about her weight, entering her trailer while she was naked, adding sex scenes and making personal, physical and sexual comments. The complaint also claims that Baldoni previously ignored sexual consent, and his PR team wrote in submitted text messages that they can "bury anyone." Baldoni, the complaint says, allegedly colluded with a PR team to plant negative stories about the "Gossip Girl" alum after she came forward on set about his apparent behavior. "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," Lively told The New York Times in a story published Saturday. It was a swift turn of events for Baldoni, who built a career off of his progressive views on masculinity after he became a breakout star turn on the Emmy-nominated CW hit Jane the Virgin , which premiered in 2014. Justin Baldoni made career out of fighting against 'rigid gender roles' In 2019, the same year "Jane the Virgin" ended, Baldoni started developing a film adaptation of "It Ends with Us," based off of Hoover's book of the same name. Then, after the height of #MeToo, Baldoni launched "The Man Enough Podcast," a place that "explores what it means to be a man today and how rigid gender roles have affected all people." The show, which featured celebrity guests such as Shawn Mendes , was hosted alongside journalist Plank and Jamey Heath, his Wayfarer Studios production company counterpart, who is also named in Lively's complaint. All of Blake Lively's allegations: Unwanted kissing, smear tactics and more In 2021, he released a book "Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity" which follows the same theme as the podcast. A year later, there was a companion children's book "Boys Will Be Human: A Get-Real Gut-Check Guide to Becoming the Strongest, Kindest, Bravest Person You Can Be." His Instagram bio includes a note about domestic violence prevention, which reads: "If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Visit @nomoreorg for more information." The No More Foundation , a domestic and sexual violence prevention organization, was promoted by Baldoni during the "It Ends with Us" press tour. The film was expected to confront harmful definitions of masculinity and culminate in his pursuit of mainstream fame. At the box office, "It Ends with Us" grossed $148.5 million . In the online war between Lively and Baldoni, many initially saw the latter as a winner. Justin Baldoni podcast co-host quits after Blake Lively sexual harassment allegations Then, Saturday came. The mountain Baldoni spent years climbing in Hollywood had turned to quicksand. His podcast co-host Plank quit publicly Monday, writing in a lengthy statement on Instagram, "I will miss you, the listeners, so much," telling fans of "Man Enough" they "deserve better." In an Instagram post about his Vital Voices award earlier this month , Baldoni wrote, "My hope is that we can teach our boys, while they are still young, that vulnerability is strength, sensitivity is a superpower, and empathy makes them powerful." "Being a boy and a man is amazing and nothing to apologize for. And to value all the beautiful and complicated parts of them that make them human," Baldoni added in his caption. His post read like a personal mission statement: boys should be strong, brave, kind. "I believe with all my heart that once our boys learn to be safe spaces for themselves, our world will finally be a safe space for everyone." By Christmas Eve, Baldoni deleted his post after Vital Voices scrubbed him from its website Monday.Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. 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The good manager: Tackling loneliness in the healthcare workforceSavion Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Josh Hoover threw for 252 yards as TCU pulled away from Arizona in the second half, winning 49-28 on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Horned Frogs (7-4, 5-3 Big 12) scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions, starting late in the first half after the Wildcats (4-7, 2-6) pulled within 14-13. Williams carried nine times for 80 yards, scoring on runs of 1 and 20 yards in the first half. Hoover completed 19 of 26 passes, with one touchdown and one interception, before being pulled midway through the fourth quarter when the Frogs were up by 21. TCU took control after leading 21-13 at halftime, going up 35-13 on a 38-yard reception to JP Richardson midway through the third. Arizona kept its hopes alive, ending a 15-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hunter on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion made it 35-21. But the Horned Frogs responded with another TD drive, capped by a 6-yard run by Cam Cook for a 42-21 advantage. Arizona added a 70-yard fumble return touchdown with one minute to go for the game's final score. Tetairoa McMillan caught nine passes for 115 yards to become the Arizona career leader in receiving yardage with 3,355. He surpassed his receivers coach, Bobby Wade (3,351), at the top spot. The Wildcats' Noah Fifita completed 29 of 44 passes for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, which happened on the game's first snap. TCU promptly scored on a 4-yard run by Trent Battle, and Williams added a 1-yard TD run late in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. But the Wildcats fought back, getting a 17-yard touchdown reception by Hunter and field goals of 53 and 43 yards from Tyler Loop to climb within 14-13 with 1:55 go before halftime. That's almost how the half ended, but the Horned Frogs converted third-and-18 on the ensuing drive and then gained 24 yards on third-and-25 to the Arizona 20. That set up a 20-yard run by Williams on fourth-and-1 with 13 seconds left for a 21-13 lead. --Field Level Media

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lopsided, shutout loss has left the beat-up New Orleans Saints limping into the final two games of a lost season — and into a rather cloudy future beyond that. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lopsided, shutout loss has left the beat-up New Orleans Saints limping into the final two games of a lost season — and into a rather cloudy future beyond that. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lopsided, shutout loss has left the beat-up New Orleans Saints limping into the final two games of a lost season — and into a rather cloudy future beyond that. Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi figured that a visit to playoff-bound Green Bay would be a tall order for his injury-riddled squad, whose prominent missing players included starters at quarterback, running back and receiver. And when New Orleans’ mostly healthy defensive front struggled against a Packers ground game led by running back Josh Jacobs, the rout was on. Nothing “stuck out on film other than a lack of execution and lack of playmaking,” Rizzi said Tuesday after reviewing video of Monday night’s 34-0 loss at Green Bay. “We played against a playoff team, at their place, that has very few holes on their team,” Rizzi added. “It was a little bit of a perfect storm.” Rizzi, a special teams coordinator who has made no secret that he sees his eight-game interim stint as an opportunity to further his head-coaching ambitions, has two more games left in what has been an up-and-down audition. The Saints are 3-3 on his watch, which includes one of New Orleans’ most lopsided losses since the turn of the century. With the playoffs unattainable, and with a lot of reserves pressed into service, the final two weeks will serve primarily as a player-evaluation period heading into the offseason, when there are bound to be myriad changes on the roster and perhaps the coaching staff. Rizzi said the Saints, realistically, have been in evaluation mode “for the last month or so,” but added that there maybe be additional young or practice-squad players getting longer looks in the final two games. “My big thing this week is to see how we can respond,” Rizzi said. “We’re going to find out a lot about a lot of people.” What’s working Of the Saints’ four punts, three were inside the Green Bay 20 and New Orleans did not allow a single punt return yard. The punt team might have been the only unit that executed its job (even the kickoff unit allowed a 38-yard return). What needs help The Saints had trouble protecting the quarterback (three sacks) and protecting the football (two turnovers). They couldn’t run the ball (67 yards). They couldn’t stop the run (188 yards allowed). They couldn’t pass the ball consistently (129 yards) or stop the pass when they needed to. As former Saints coach Jim Mora once said, they couldn’t do “ diddly poo.” Although rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler largely struggled and was responsible for both New Orleans turnovers, he had enough highlights — including a jumping, first-down pass on third-and-long — to keep him penciled in as the starter if the injured Derek Carr remains unable to play, Rizzi said. “It was definitely a performance where we got to take the good with the bad,” Rizzi said. “We’ve got to get rid of those negative plays.” Stock up New Orleans native Foster Moreau has emerged as one of the Saints’ most reliable offensive players. The sixth-year NFL tight end made two catches for a team-high 33 yards on Monday night, giving him 25 catches for 335 yards this season. His four TDs receiving entering the game remain tied for the team lead. Stock down Rizzi was riding high after two wins to start his interim term as head coach, but Monday night’s ugly loss is the club’s third in four games and took a lot of luster off his candidacy for a longer-term appointment. Injury report Center Erik McCoy left the game with an elbow injury, while guard Lucas Patrick hurt his knee in the closing minutes. Rizzi said McCoy won’t need surgery but could miss the rest of the season. The coach said Patrick needs more tests but is not expected to play again this season. While the chances of Carr (non-throwing, left hand) or top running back Alvin Kamara (groin) playing again this season appear slim, the Saints have declined to rule that out. Rizzi said Carr is getting closer to being able to play and wants the opportunity to go against his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Rizzi said Kamara “is working his tail off to try to come back” this season. “Alvin told me this morning, in my office, that he really would like to play again,” Rizzi said. Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 24 — The number of years since the Saints suffered a more lopsided shutout loss, 38-0 against San Francisco in 2002. Up next The Saints’ home finale against lowly Las Vegas will be an anticlimactic affair bound to generate a level of fan interest similar to, if not less than, a preseason game. But the game will be important to the current regime, which needs victories in each of the club’s final two games to avoid the franchise’s worst record since it was displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and went 3-13. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Advertisement AdvertisementThe San Francisco 49ers claimed running back Israel Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets on Tuesday, one day after placing running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason on injured reserve. The Jets released Abanikanda on Monday after adding Kene Nwangwu to the active roster. Nwagwu had been a practice-squad elevation for the Jets last Sunday against Seattle and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the game. Abanikanda, 22, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Jets in 2023. After running 22 times for 70 yards and catching seven passes for 43 yards in six appearances as a rookie, Abanikanda did not play a regular-season game for New York in 2024, buried on the depth chart behind Breece Hall and others. When the Niners placed McCaffrey and Mason on IR, rookie Isaac Guerendo was left as the only healthy running back on their active roster. In Sunday night's loss at the Buffalo Bills, McCaffrey left the field in pain in the second quarter and was diagnosed with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. Mason also suffered a high ankle sprain in the game. McCaffrey was playing in just his fourth game of the season after missing the first eight because of Achilles tendinitis in both legs. He was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season, when he led the league with 2,023 yards from scrimmage: a league-leading 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns plus 67 catches for 564 yards and seven scores. Mason is the leading rusher for San Francisco (5-7) this season with 789 yards and three touchdowns on 153 carries. It was his third season in the league. --Field Level MediaCES 2025: AI-Powered Tech To Dominate World's Biggest Electronics Trade Show

Okta Inc. is breaking from the pack on a big software-industry trend — and is seeing some early payoff as a result. One hot theme in the software sector is the creation of platforms, or the idea of capturing deeper customer relationships through expansion into diverse areas. It’s something that companies like Microsoft Corp. .css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(54,119,168,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(47,112,157,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(47,112,157,1);}.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-321ztr-OverridedLink.css-321ztr-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:rgba(47,112,157,1);} .css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink{display:inline;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference){.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:200ms,200ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink020);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink030);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink030);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-color:var(--outlineColorDefault);outline-style:var(--outlineStyleDefault);outline-width:var(--outlineWidthDefault);outline-offset:var(--outlineOffsetDefault);}@media not all and (min-resolution: 0.001dpcm){@supports (-webkit-appearance: none) and (stroke-color: transparent){.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-style:var(--safariOutlineStyleDefault);}}}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(54,119,168,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:rgba(54,119,168,1);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:rgba(47,112,157,1);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:rgba(47,112,157,1);}.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink.css-1vykwuz-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:rgba(47,112,157,1);} MSFT and Salesforce Inc. CRM have been pursuing .LYNN — The boys basketball landscape in Lynn remains unchanged. St. Mary’s, for the fifth straight year, won the Walter J. Boverini Lynn Christmas Tournament Saturday with a hard-fought 61-53 win against Lynn Tech at the Spartans’ Tony Conigliaro Gym. Nothing came easily, or cheaply. Calling it a defensive struggle was only half the story. It was a “black and blue” game. There were lots of bodies hitting the court, lots of ferocious physical combat under both baskets. But when it was over, one player stood out: JJ Martinez of the Spartans, who was the tournament MVP. Martinez finished the game with 21 points, the only Spartan to finish with double figures. Seven of those points came in a fourth quarter in which St. Mary’s rebounded from a six-point deficit to the eight-point final score. “They did what they had to do,” said Tech coach Corey Bingham. “But our guys gave it their all. I want them to be tired at the end of the game. I’m proud of them.” St. Mary’s may be the dominant team in this tournament (the Spartans have won seven of eight), but Tech wasn’t intimidated in the least. The Tigers jumped out to an 8-1 lead as the Spartans had trouble getting untracked. In fact, St. Mary’s shot under 50 percent for the game. What saved the Spartans was a distinct height advantage, enabling them to stay in the game with rebounds and putbacks. At 11-2, the Spartans got it going and scored the next 10 points to get back in the game – and stay in the game. From that point until the last minute, the margin was six points – a 48-42 Tech lead with five minutes to go in the game. During that run, Martinez scored five points. St. Mary’s was up by a point (15-14) after a quarter, but Tech had a strong second quarter, led by Travis Sanchez’s eight points to take a 30-25 lead into the lockerroom. Tech went ice-cold in the third quarter, and St. Mary’s led by four (44-40) heading into the fourth. The final quarter was played at a hectic pace, with Martinez taking over. St. Mary’s had a huge advantage with four fouls to give in the last minute and a half, and took them all, thereby bunting Tech’s ability to come back once the Spartans got the lead. St. Mary’s also hit 15 free throws in the quarter.Lopsided loss sinks the reeling Saints further into evaluation mode

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Authored by James Fanell and Bradley Thayer via American Greatness, Whether American presidents are successes or failures is measured by their major foreign and domestic actions. That has been the historical standard by which they are weighed and which defines their legacy. Some presidents are outstanding in every respect. Washington defined the American presidency. Lincoln saved the Union and kept foreign powers, most importantly Great Britain, from intervening to aid the South. Most presidents are heavily mixed; Buchanan employed the Army to suppress the Mormon Rebellion, but his monumental failure was that he did not act to stop the Civil War. Lyndon Johnson’s failure in Vietnam defined his presidency. Richard Nixon had many successes in foreign policy, but Watergate was his demise. Jimmy Carter failed abroad and at home. With just over 40 days left, Americans are nearing the end of the Biden administration, and so it is fitting to provide an assessment of it and to place it in historical context. By any metric from American history and by any objective standard used to measure his predecessors in the White House, the Biden administration has been a catastrophic failure for the American people. Were that it was otherwise. An old man suffering from the horrors of dementia is a tragedy. Biden is not only a dementia patient but also President of the United States. It is clear that now he is more dementia victim than he is president. He cannot stay awake at international meetings and other fora, and he seems to willingly accept the deliberate snubs. Accordingly, as hard as it is to acknowledge, given that he is the President of the United States, world leaders, and Americans know that he has no business being in the nation’s highest office. This impacts all Americans and U.S. national security, and it is important to recognize facts that impact national security as they are, rather than as we would desire them to be. In the years to come, the fiasco of the Biden administration will be explained by multiple factors. We may certainly anticipate that presidential historians will argue that his dementia was debilitating and precluded him from effective leadership, or that his presidency was just a Potemkin Village. Others may assess that Barack Hussein Obama was actually in control through his direct intervention and via surrogates like Susan Rice—who overreached in pushing a radical Marxist agenda. At this point, no matter the causes, it is essential to document the Biden administration’s failures and to learn from them as a cautionary tale about the disastrous impacts of the worst president in American history. Of course, we note that his greatest catastrophes may be yet to come. In domestic policy, Biden destroyed the economy, inflation returned with a vengeance, and America’s borders were opened intentionally. This caused a flood of illegal immigration. Immigration took an unprecedented turn, even an unimaginable one; the U.S. government entered the business of importing people, some 12 to 15 million, and thereby funded the cartels and other criminals and criminal organizations. The true numbers will not be known until Trump comes into office and reveals how this happened and the true impact and parameters of the problem. Another domestic failure has been the massive increase in the federal deficit—one that impacts every American, as well as our national security posture. Likewise, energy security was compromised, and America’s energy independence was lost. These domestic disasters reveal the spirit of the American people was targeted deliberately—in order to usher in a new world order based on the tenets of collectivism and top-down control rather than the principles of individualism, freedom, and liberty. In the realm of foreign policy, the Biden Administration will be remembered for their disastrous and deadly retreat from Afghanistan to the benign neglect of checking the People’s Republic of China (PRC) across the Indo-Pacific. By failing to deter the Russian invasion of Ukraine and by laboring to simultaneously sustain and escalate the war, rather than pressuring both sides to end the conflict, Biden will be held responsible for the deaths and displacement of many millions. Even the recent collapse of governments in Germany and France can be laid at Biden’s doorstep due to his waffling approach to great power politics and NATO’s ineptitude. The Middle East went from stability to war as Israel fights against multiple threats in the wake of the horrific terror attacks on October 7, 2023. In the Indo-Pacific, Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), treated Biden as a supplicant. In no small part because Xi knew that Joe Biden’s administration was compromised via millions from the PRC that flowed in and enriched the Biden family’s coffers. Xi instructed Biden on how to behave, and the Biden administration went along with it when it mattered, such as not laboring to overthrow the CCP at a time of great peril for it. The opportunity cost of the Biden administration was massive. Their actions precluded other strategic choices, priorities, and paths that the U.S. might have taken. For example, the strategic airfield in Bagram, Afghanistan would not have been lost to Chinese influence and occupation. The war in Ukraine might have been deterred, and millions alive and billions of dollars saved for American citizens being hit by deadly hurricanes in North Carolina or fires in Maui. Moreover, America’s arsenal of stockpiled weapons would not have been depleted. Likewise, the CCP would be on the run through a concerted and consistent whole-of-government agenda to roll back the PRC’s advances in their declared “People’s War” against the U.S. Fundamentally, Biden was the return to and the last of the post-Cold War presidents—Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama—those who could do anything they wanted in the domestic and international realms because they were living off the capital their predecessors had accumulated—a strong and prosperous America. In his first term, Trump was different and labored mightily to change course. Now America faces genuine peril at home and abroad. The warnings from the Biden administration are myriad. However, at root, the lesson is how could it have been otherwise when a vile and loathsome individual intent on enriching himself be permitted to be used as a puppet by Obama and the CCP? Biden neither has the merit nor the mettle to be president. He is a vessel filled with personal ambition but does not possess the acumen or virtue to realize his ambition. It had to be given to him by Obama. His legacy is a grotesque one: he proved the “Peter Principle” wrong—that you actually can rise far beyond your level of incompetence. He did his best to destroy the country. He leaves for his successor a dangerous world and an economy in an equally precarious position. Thankfully, Trump and his administration will be up for such a massive task.Expansion of the Construction Industry: A Key Driver Transforming the Outdoor Power Equipment Market 2024Wall Street kicked off the Santa Rally season on a positive note, with all major indices and sectors closing higher in a shortened session ahead of the Christmas holiday. The S&P 500 climbed 1%, extending its gains for a third consecutive session following last week’s volatile Federal Reserve meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 gained 1.3%, nearly erasing last week’s losses. Consumer discretionary stocks, the top-performing sector of the year, led the rally amid light trading volumes. Tesla Inc TSLA surged 7.35%, marking its strongest single-day performance since November. Other standout performers in the S&P 500 included Walmart Inc. WMT , Starbucks Corp . SBUX , and Netflix Inc. NFLX , up 2.4%, 2.8% and 2.5% respectively. The U.S. dollar index posted modest gains, with the greenback hovering near over one-year highs against the euro. Treasury yields remained stable, with the 10-year benchmark at 4.6%, the highest level since May. In commodities, gold edged up 0.4%, while oil prices rose 0.7%. Risk appetite returned to the cryptocurrency market following recent volatility, as Bitcoin BTC/USD jumped 4% to over $98,000. This rally buoyed crypto-related stocks, including Microstrategy Inc. MSTR , MARA Digital Holdings Inc. MARA , and Coinbase Global Inc. COIN , all posting notable gains. Tuesday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs Major Indices Price 1-day %chg Nasdaq 100 21,771.80 1.3% S&P 500 6,032.64 1.0% Russell 2000 2,254.99 0.8% Dow Jones 43,239.42 0.8% According to Benzinga Pro data: The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY rose 1.1% to $601.01. The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average DIA rose 0.8% to $432.44. The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series QQQ rallied 1.3% to $529.94. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF IWM rose 1% to $223.46. The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund XLY outperformed, up by 2.3%; the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund XLU lagged, up 0.5%. Read Next: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Surge Around 5% In Christmas Eve ‘Santa Rally’ Photo via Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Apple App Store exposes children to harmful content despite safety claims, report findsMarkets closed early and volume was thin, but all three main equity benchmarks closed higher on Tuesday to mark the official start of the Santa Claus Rally. Indeed, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the broad-based S&P 500 had their best Christmas Eve showings since 2000 and 2011, respectively, as all 11 sectors ended the holiday-shortened trading session in the green. The closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange sounded at 1 pm Eastern in observance of Christmas Eve , and the bond market shut down at 2 pm. Note that the equity and bond markets have different holidays hours throughout the year. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. There was no incoming data scheduled for release today, and the economic calendar will remain light through the holiday season. The earnings calendar is similarly sparse, though earnings reporting season will be upon us again in less than three weeks. The Santa Claus Rally The "Santa Claus Rally" is a real thing, identified in 1972 by Yale Hirsch, the founder of the Stock Trader's Almanac. As Ryan Detrick of Carson Group explains, "One of the little-known facts about the Santa Claus Rally (SCR) is that it isn’t the entire month of December; it’s actually only seven trading days." It covers the final five trading days of the year and first two trading days of the following year. Here's the good news: December 24 marks the official start of the Santa Claus Rally. "Historically, it turns out these seven days indeed have been quite jolly," Detrick writes, "as no seven-day combo is more likely to be higher (up 78.4% of the time), and only two combos have a better average return for the S&P 500 than the 1.29% average return during the official Santa Claus Rally period." Big tech names once again led stocks higher on Tuesday. Tesla ( TSLA ) led the S&P 500 higher with a gain of 7.4%, while Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) was the second-best-performing stock in the index, rising 6%. And Broadcom ( AVGO ) continued its remarkable rally by adding another 3.2%. Netflix ( NFLX ) added 2.3% after KeyBanc analyst Justin Patterson reiterated his Overweight rating on the streaming giant and raised his 12-month price target to $1,000 from $785. The Nasdaq Composite led the way higher on Christmas Eve, rising 1.4% to 20,031. The S&P 500 added 1.1% to 6,040, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.9% to 43,297. MicroStrategy wants to buy all the bitcoin MicroStrategy ( MSTR ) enjoyed a 7.8% Christmas Eve rally after management said it will ask shareholders to authorize an increase in the amount of Class A common stock in the company from 330 million shares to 10.33 billion shares so it can buy more bitcoin. MicroStrategy officially joined the Nasdaq-100 ahead of the open on Monday but closed the day down 8.8%. MicroStrategy said in October that it would raise $21 billion in equity capital and $21 billion in debt capital to fund $42 billion in bitcoin purchases through 2026. In a preliminary proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it's executing that plan "significantly faster than originally anticipated." Based on MSTR's closing price of $358.18, issuing 10.3 billion new shares would generate more than $3 trillion. The current market value of all the bitcoin trading in the world is just below $2 trillion. Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani said in a recent note that he expects "more visibility and recognition beyond fresh ETF inflows" for MSTR based on its inclusion in the Nasdaq-100, adding that "the market will likely set its sight on S&P 500 inclusion for 2025." Chhugani added that due to changes in accounting rules effective next year, MicroStrategy's unrealized bitcoin gains will help its prospects for inclusion in the S&P 500. "With the Trump 2.0 administration dialing up its crypto focus with the nomination of a crypto friendly SEC chair and appointments of a Crypto/AI Czar," Chhugani concludes, "we believe the MSTR flywheel is going to further accelerate from here." Chhugani has an Outperform rating and a $600 12-month price target for MSTR, implying 67.5% upside from the stock's closing price on Christmas Eve. Related content How to Manage Portfolio Risk With Diversification How to Invest Your Holiday Cash Best Bitcoin and Crypto ETFs to Buy NowJBL BAR, Polk Audio Dolby Atmos soundbars with wireless subwoofer cheapest on Black Friday

The 27-year-old achieved the feat with a 23-yard run during the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ crushing 41-7 success at Lincoln Financial Field. Barkley is 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams, ahead of next week’s regular season finale against the New York Giants. Single-season rushing record in reach. @saquon @Eagles pic.twitter.com/iSHyXeMLv1 — NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024 However, he could be rested for that game in order to protect him from injury ahead of the play-offs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept alive their dreams of reaching the play-offs by overcoming the Carolina Panthers 48-14. Veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield produced a dominant performance at Raymond James Stadium, registering five passing touchdowns to equal a Buccaneers franchise record. he BAKED today 👨‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/eFX9fd1w5P — NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024 The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC conference number two seed for the post season with a 40-14 success over the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. Josh Allen passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another. Buffalo finish the 2024 regular season undefeated at home, with eight wins from as many games. The Indianapolis Colts’ hopes of reaching the play-offs were ended by a 45-33 defeat to the Giants. FINAL: Drew Lock accounts for 5 TDs in the @Giants victory! #INDvsNYG pic.twitter.com/N8HJYth09F — NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024 Malik Nabers exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns and Ihmir Smith-Marsette broke a 100-yard kick-off return to give the Giants their highest-scoring output under head coach Brian Daboll. Quarterback Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and accounted for a fifth on the ground to seal the win. Elsewhere, Mac Jones threw two touchdowns to help the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans 20-13, while the Las Vegas Raiders beat the New Orleans Saints 25-10.NoneOrioles owner David Rubenstein sees the intersection of political trials and public perception as a dicey one. Rubenstein, a Baltimore native and lawyer who advised the late President Jimmy Carter, appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday to promote his new book, “The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency.” The conversation quickly turned to the incoming presidency and second term of President-elect Donald Trump . While discussing a bitter election in which both major parties feared the other returning to power in 2025, the interviewer asked Rubenstein what lessons could be learned from the clash between politics and the law — especially the multiple legal challenges Trump faced. “I think there is a feeling among many people that it wasn’t a good idea to indict the president of the United States,” Rubenstein said. “I think the trial in New York where Trump was convicted, I think really helped him in his election effort. And I think there are many people who are Trump supporters who believe that the indictments that came out of the special prosecutor Jack Smith were really political as well.” Meanwhile, people in the Justice Department feel the indictments were fair and correct, according to Rubenstein, whose Nantucket estate has been used by the Biden family for Thanksgiving. But Trump supporters believed they were completely political, leading to a feeling that both sides were talking past each other, he said. “I hope going forward that the Justice Department is not seen as political because one of the strengths of this country has been the rule of law, and I hope that the Justice Department that’s coming in now will continue that tradition,” Rubenstein said. Trump has said he wants to fight against the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice and nominated Pam Bondi as attorney general after former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration . Bondi is a former Florida attorney general and represented Trump during his first impeachment trial. She also supported his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump said on Truth Social last month. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.” Rubenstein also pointed out Trump’s opportunity with a second term. As an author who has examined presidential histories, the Orioles owner noted that Trump’s inauguration next month will mark a rare moment for the country. “Clearly, we’re going into some uncharted waters because we have a president coming back who had been president before. That hadn’t happened since Grover Cleveland was reelected in 1892, and Trump has got more power than I think many people would have thought by the virtue of his victory size,” Rubenstein said. “And I do think he’s going to act like he’s got a mandate, and Washington is bracing for what’s going to happen.” Maryland is also bracing for a second Trump term. Comptroller Brooke Lierman and state Senate President Bill Ferguson, both Democrats, cautioned earlier this month that Trump’s incoming administration could exacerbate the state’s financial pressures, as it stares at a nearly $3 billion deficit. They are especially concerned about Trump’s promises to reduce the federal workforce, an industry upon which Maryland relies. But some Republicans say the state is too reliant on the federal government. House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, of Allegany County, said the government “is not designed to be an industry.” “Government is designed to provide services that are needed and necessary in the most efficient way possible for the benefit of its citizens,” he said. “Folks of both parties have lost sight of that in Washington, D.C., and we’ve certainly lost sight of it in Annapolis, Maryland.” Although many Democrats in Maryland and across the country have shared concern and apprehension about a second Trump administration — especially his campaign rhetoric on retribution — Rubenstein struck a more optimistic tone. He mentioned how Abraham Lincoln faced fierce criticism and rose above it, and Rubenstein said he thinks presidents have to rise above criticism. “And, hopefully, when you don’t have to worry about politics anymore in a second term, for example, you can rise above all the concerns you’ve had,” he said. “When you’re president of the United States, if you carry resentments too long, it can affect other people adversely. So I think in the case of President Trump, for example, clearly he has some resentments, but I think overall, I think he’s going to rise above that in the second term.” ©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.