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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Josh Hoover passed for four touchdowns to help TCU beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 34-3, on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl. Hoover was 20 for 32 for 252 yards with an interception. Eric McAlister had eight catches for 87 yards and a TD for the Horned Frogs (9-4). TCU’s defense also had a solid day, holding Louisiana-Lafayette (10-4) to 209 yards, including 61 on the game’s final possession. Ben Wooldridge was 7-for-20 passing for 61 yards for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He also threw an interception. The Horned Frogs put together a fast start. Hoover found DJ Rogers for a 3-yard TD pass, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive on the game’s opening possession. After Lou Groza Award winner Kenneth Almendares missed a 54-yard field goal for Louisiana-Lafayette, TCU went right back to work. McAlister’s 1-yard touchdown reception finished a 10-play, 63-yard drive and gave the Horned Frogs a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Kyle Lemmermann kicked two field goals and JP Richardson added a 20-yard touchdown reception as TCU opened a 27-0 halftime lead.

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On Saturday, Palestinian militant group Hamas released a video featuring Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage, pleading for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to facilitate his release. The video, lasting over three minutes, shows Alexander visibly distressed and addressing his family, Israeli leaders, and Trump. Edan's mother, Yael, spoke at a rally in Tel Aviv, describing the mixture of hope and despair brought by the video. She called for swift action from Israeli officials to negotiate with Hamas and secure the hostages' release, emphasizing the emotional toll on their families. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled the video as cruel psychological warfare. Efforts are underway to negotiate a ceasefire and secure the hostages' release, with Hamas leaders heading to Cairo for talks. Meanwhile, families and international leaders are urged to intensify efforts for a resolution. (With inputs from agencies.)'Missing from Fire Trail Road' focuses on missing Indigenous womenNoneStock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records

This week, Minister of Racing Winston Peters announced the end of greyhound racing in the interests of animal welfare . Soon after, a law to criminalise killing of redundant racing dogs was passed under urgency in Parliament . The next day, the minister introduced the Racing Industry Amendment Bill to preserve the TAB's lucrative monopoly on sports betting which provides 90 percent of the racing industry's revenue. "Offshore operators are consolidating a significant market share of New Zealand betting - and the revenue which New Zealand's racing industry relies on is certainly not guaranteed," Peters told Parliament in support of the Bill. But offshore tech companies have also been pulling the revenue rug out from under local news media companies for years, and there has been no such speedy response to that. Digital platforms offer cheap and easy access to unlimited overseas content - and tech companies' dominance of the digital advertising systems and the resulting revenue is intensifying. Profits from online ads shown to New Zealanders go offshore - and very little tax is paid on the money made here by the likes of Google and Facebook. On Tuesday, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith did introduce legislation to repeal advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays. "As the government we must ensure regulatory settings are enabling the best chance of success," he said in a statement. The media have been crying out for this low-hanging fruit for years - but the estimated $6 million boost is a drop in the bucket for broadcasters, and little help for other media. The big bucks are in tech platforms paying for the local news they carry. Squeezing the tech titans In Australia, the government did it three years ago with a bargaining code that is funnelling significant sums to news media there. It also signalled the willingness of successive governments to confront the market dominance of 'big tech'. When Goldsmith took over here in May he said the media industry's problems were both urgent and acute - likewise the need to "level the playing field". The government then picked up the former government's Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, modelled on Australia's move. But it languishes low down on Parliament's order paper, following threats from Google to cut news out of its platforms in New Zealand - or even cut and run from New Zealand altogether. Six years after his Labour predecessor Kris Faafoi first pledged to follow in Australia's footsteps in support of local media, Goldsmith said this week he now wants to wait and see how Australia's latest tough measures pan out . (The News Bargaining Incentive announced on Thursday could allow the Australian government to tax big digital platforms if they do not pay local news publishers there) Meanwhile, news media cuts and closures here roll on. The lid keeps sinking in 2024 "I've worked in the industry for 30 years and never seen a year like it," RNZ's Guyon Espiner wrote in the Listener this week, admitting to "a sense of survivor's guilt." Just this month, 14 NZME local papers will close and more TVNZ news employees will be told they will lose jobs in what Espiner described as "destroy the village to save the village" strategy. Whakaata Māori announced 27 job losses earlier this month and the end of Te Ao Māori News every weekday on TV. Its te reo channel will go online-only. Digital start-ups with lower overheads than established news publishers and broadcasters are now struggling too. "The Spinoff had just celebrated its 10th birthday when a fiscal hole opened up. Staff numbers are being culled, projects put on ice and a mayday was sent out calling for donations to keep the site afloat ," Espiner also wrote in his bleak survey for the Listener . Spinoff founder Duncan Grieve has charted the economic erosion of the media all year at The Spinoff and on its weekly podcast The Fold . In a recent edition, he said he could not carry on "pretending things would be fine" and did not want The Spinoff to go down without giving people the chance to save it. "We get some (revenue) direct from our audience through members, some commercial revenue and we get funding for various New Zealand on Air projects typically," Greive told Mediawatch this week. "The members' bucket is pretty solid. The commercial bucket was going quite well, and then we just ran into a brick wall. There has been a real system-wide shock to commercial revenues." "But the thing that we didn't predict which caused us to have to publish that open letter was New Zealand on Air. We've been able to rely on getting one or two projects up, but we've missed out two rounds in a row. Maybe our projects ... weren't good enough, but it certainly had this immediate, near-existential challenge for us." Critics complained The Spinoff has had millions of dollars in public money in its first decade. "While the state is under no obligation to fund our work, it's hard to watch as other platforms continue to be heavily backed while your own funding stops dead," Greive said in the open letter. The open letter said Creative NZ funding had been halved this year, and the Public Interest Journalism Fund support for two of the Spinoff's team of 31 was due to run out next year. "I absolutely take on the chin the idea that we shouldn't be reliant on that funding. Once you experience something year after year, you do build your business around that ... for the coming year. When a hard-to-predict event like that comes along, you are in a situation where you have to scramble," Grieve told Mediawatch . "We shot a flare up that our audience has responded to. We're not out of the woods yet, but we're really pleased with the strength of support and an influx of members." Newshub shutdown A recent addition to the Spinoff's board - Glen Kyne - has already felt the force of the media's economic headwinds in 2024. He was the CEO of Warner Brothers Discovery NZ and oversaw the biggest and most comprehensive news closure of the year - the culling of the entire Newshub operation . "It was heart-wrenching because we had looked at and tried everything leading into that announcement. I go back to July 2022, when we started to see money coming out of the market and the cost of living crisis starting to appear," Kyne told Mediawatch this week. "We started taking steps immediately and were incredibly prudent with cost management. We would get to a point where we felt reasonably confident that we had a path, but the floor beneath our feet - in terms of the commercial market - kept falling. You're seeing this with TVNZ right now." Warner Brothers Discovery is a multinational player in broadcast media. Did they respond to requests for help? "They were empathetic. But Warner Brothers Discovery had lost 60-70 percent of its share price because of the issues around global media companies as well. They were very determined that we got the company to a position of profitability as quickly as we possibly could. But ultimately the economics were such that we had to make the decision." Smaller but sustainable in 2025? Or managed decline? Kyne did a deal with Stuff to supply a 6pm news bulletin to TV channel Three after the demise of Newshub in July. He is one of a handful of people who know the sums, but Stuff is certainly producing ThreeNews now with a fraction of the former budget for Newshub. Can media outlets settle on a shape that will be sustainable, but smaller - and carry on in 2025 and beyond? Or does Kyne fear media are merely managing decline if revenue continues to slump? "It's slightly terrifying because the downward pressures are going to continue into next year. Three created a sustainable model for the 6pm bulletin to continue. "Stuff is an enormous newsgathering organisation, so they were able to make it work and good luck to them. I can see that bulletin continuing to improve as the team get more experience." No news is really bad news If news can't be sustained at scale in commercial media companies even on reduced budgets, what then? Some are already pondering a 'post-journalism' future in which social media takes over as the memes of sharing news and information. How would that pan out? "We might be about to find out," Greive told Mediawatch . "Journalism doesn't have a monopoly on information, and there are all kinds of different institutions that now have channels. A lot of what is created ... has a factual basis. Whether it's a TikTok-er or a YouTuber, they are themselves consumers of news. "A lot of people are replacing a habit of reading the newspaper and listening to ZB or RNZ with a new habit - consuming social media. Some of it has a news-like quality but it doesn't have vetting of the information and membership of the Media Council ... as a way of restraining behaviour. "We've got a big question facing us as a society. Either news becomes this esoteric, elite habit that is either pay-walled or alternatively there's public media. If we [lose] freely-accessible, mass-audience channels, then we'll find out what democracy, the business sector, the cultural sector looks like without that. "In communities where there isn't a single journalist, a story can break or some someone can put something out ... and if there's no restraint on that and no check on it, things are going to happen. "In other countries, most notably Australia, they've recognised this looming problem, and there's a quite muscular and joined-up regulator and legislator to wrestle with the challenges that represents. And we're just not seeing that here." They are in Australia. In addition to the News Bargaining Code and the just-signalled News Bargaining Incentive, the Albanese government is banning social media for under-16s . Meta has responded to pressure to combat financial scam advertising on Facebook. Here, the media policy paralysis makes the government's ferries plan look decisive. What should it do in 2025? To-do in 2025 "There are fairly obvious things that could be done that are being done in other jurisdictions, even if it's as simple as having a system of fines and giving the Commerce Commission the power to sort of scrutinize large technology platforms," Greive told Mediawatch . "You've got this general sense of malaise over the country and a government that's looking for a narrative. It's shocking when you see Australia, where it's arguably the biggest political story - but here we're just doing nothing." Not quite. There was the holiday ad reform legislation this week. "Allowing broadcasting Christmas Day and Easter is a drop in the ocean that's not going to materially change the outcome for any company here," Kyne told Mediawatch . "The Fair Digital News Bargaining bill was conceived three years ago and the world has changed immeasurably. "You've seen Australia also put some really thoughtful white papers together on media regulation that really does bring a level of equality between the global platforms and the local media and to have them regulated under common legislation - a bit like an Ofcom operates in the UK, where both publishers and platforms, together are overseen and managed accordingly. "That's the type of thing we're desperate for in New Zealand. If we don't get reform over the next couple of years you are going to see more community newspapers or radio stations or other things no longer able to operate." Grieve was one of the media execs who pushed for Commerce Commission approval for media to bargain collectively with Google and Meta for news payments. Backing the Bill - or starting again? Local media executives, including Grieve, recently met behind closed doors to re-assess their strategy. "Some major industry participants are still quite gung-ho with the legislation and think that Google is bluffing when it says that it will turn news off and break its agreements. And then you've got another group that think that they're not bluffing, and that events have since overtaken [the legislation]," he said. "The technology platforms have products that are always in motion. What they're essentially saying - particularly to smaller countries like New Zealand - is: 'You don't really get to make laws. We decide what can and can't be done'. And that's quite a confronting thing for legislators. It takes quite a backbone and quite a lot of confidence to sort of stand up to that kind of pressure." The government just appointed a minister of rail to take charge of the current Cook Strait ferry crisis. Do we need a minister of social media or tech to take charge of policy on this part of the country's infrastructure? "We've had successive governments that want to be open to technology, and high growth businesses starting here. But so much of the internet is controlled by a small handful of platforms that can have an anti-competitive relationship with innovation in any kind of business that seeks to build on land that they consider theirs," Greive said. "A lot of what's happened in Australia has come because the ACCC, their version of the Commerce Commission, has got a a unit which scrutinises digital platforms in much the same way that we do with telecommunications, the energy market and so on. Here there is just no one really paying attention. And as a result, we're getting radically different products than they do in Australia." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze flips No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama from Ohio State days before Iron Bowl | Sporting NewsLAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) — CJ Luster II's 20 points helped Stony Brook defeat Rider 72-55 on Saturday. Luster shot 7 for 11, including 6 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Seawolves (3-7). Joseph Octave scored 14 points, shooting 5 for 12 (1 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Ben Wight shot 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 12 points. The Seawolves snapped a five-game losing streak. Jay Alvarez led the Broncs (4-7) in scoring, finishing with 13 points and two steals. Rider also got 13 points, four assists and two steals from Aasim Burton. Tariq Ingraham also had seven points. Stony Brook took the lead with 4:48 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Luster led their team in scoring with 12 points in the first half to help put them up 34-24 at the break. Stony Brook extended its lead to 50-33 during the second half, fueled by a 12-0 scoring run. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Christmas celebrations turned tragic for the family of Singaporeans Edmund Ang, 72, and wife Catharine Ng, 70, who died in a car crash on Dec 22 morning on a highway towards Kuala Lumpur. The limousine taxi they were in crashed into the rear of a chemical trailer truck, killing both passengers and the driver upon impact, said the couple’s family members on Dec 28, the first day of the wake in Singapore. The couple’s youngest son, Mr Christopher Ang, 36, a lawyer, said it was a routine trip that his parents had taken many times before and “nothing out of the ordinary”. Mr Edmund Ang had retired after a long career in the information technology (IT) field, working at companies like IBM and Oracle, while Madam Ng was a housewife. The couple would fly to Kuala Lumpur International Airport and book a limousine taxi service at the airport. This time, they were on the way to spend the holiday with the family of Madam Ng’s nephew, who wanted to be known only as Mr Teo. When Mr Teo, 50, did not hear from the couple, he went to the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur on Dec 23 to check on them. The hotel had no record of them. When he called Mr Ang’s phone, a police inspector from Serdang police station picked up. Mr Teo was informed that his aunt and uncle were at a hospital, but later found out they had already died. He then had to give a police statement, identify the bodies and speak to the Singapore mission in Malaysia to start the process of repatriating the bodies. “It was a shock... It was supposed to have been a pleasant Christmas vacation, but it turned out very differently,” he said, adding that the authorities who assisted were “very responsive” and helpful. Mr Teo said the authorities are still investigating the accident, adding that forensics from the Malaysian police showed that the limousine taxi driver was travelling at high speed. The family will be informed of the outcome of the investigations in the next three to six months, he said. ‘Perfect parents’ The couple’s sons, Christopher and Michael, 38, a civil servant, cut short their overseas trips to rush back to Singapore when they heard the news. At the wake, which continues on Dec 29, white flowers and muted silver decor flanked the two coffins, while a display table with a thick photo album of the couple’s favourite photos was placed in front. Wreaths and condolence flower stands from friends and former colleagues spilt out of the room where the wake was held. The cremation ceremony will take place on Dec 30. Relatives of the couple spoke highly of them, with Christopher describing them as “perfect parents” who doted on them, and even more so after retirement. “My dad and mum gave us everything we wanted and always provided for us,” he said. Though his father travelled a lot for work, Christopher said he always made time for them when he was in Singapore. He described his mother as a diligent and “fantastic tutor” who guided him and his brother in English, mathematics and Chinese. He recalled a Sunday routine where they would always make time to eat a special meal out together, a routine that continued well after it started in their primary school days. “I want them to be known as the best and most loving parents, who were always there for us,” he said, on the verge of tears. Mr Michael Ang had planned to take his parents on a trip to Japan in the coming months. Mr Christopher Ang will join his brother on the trip instead, in honour of their parents. “Now since they are not here, I want to go with my brother,” Christopher said. Mr Teo recalled how his aunt, Madam Ng, took it upon herself to be his young son’s grandmother when Mr Teo’s own mother died in 2022. Like she had done with her own sons when they were young, Madam Ng tutored Mr Teo’s son too. Mr Jeff Wang, a former colleague of Mr Ang at Salesforce in its early days in 2006, described Mr Ang as a pioneer in IT leadership in Singapore, and an influential leader in the field. “I found Edmund to be a compassionate leader and mentor, always patient and willing to share his knowledge and wisdom,” said Mr Wang, who said he was shocked to hear of what happened. “I will miss him, and still appreciate all he did in helping to shape my own career and personal path after we met.”

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — John Buggs III's 15 points helped East Tennessee State defeat Austin Peay 79-57 on Saturday night. Buggs shot 4 for 7 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Buccaneers (6-2). Jaden Seymour scored 13 points and added 11 rebounds. Quimari Peterson had 13 points and went 6 of 11 from the field. The Governors (4-4) were led in scoring by LJ Thomas, who finished with 15 points. Austin Peay also got 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals from Tate McCubbin. Tekao Carpenter also had eight points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Utah Valley defeats Bethesda (CA) 119-59

GARTH Brooks has quietly rescheduled his performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! just days after the show’s abrupt cancellation as the country singer faces rape accusations. Despite warning fans there would be “no rescheduling” of the canceled concert, a change was made last minute for tonight’s show to proceed, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal. Just a few days after Garth’s scheduled performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! was canceled with no explanation , ticket holders were informed that the show will indeed go on. “The Garth Brooks Outdoor Mini-Concert on Monday, November 25th is moving back outside as originally scheduled,” audience company 1iota told fans over the weekend. Other than the internal memo to fans, no announcements have been made on social media announcing the show is back on. The message came as a surprise as just days before, hopeful attendees were told the show was not happening, despite little warning and no explanation as to why. READ MORE ON GARTH BROOKS They were also adamant that the show would not be rebooked for a further date - despite an apparent change of heart just a couple of days later. Tickets were available through the live audience company, 1iota, for weeks as they proudly advertised the country star's appearance. Fans were granted tickets to come see the show at Jimmy’s Hollywood , CA studio but last week, the event was called off. “Unfortunately, the Garth Brooks Outdoor Mini-Concert at Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, 11/25 has been canceled and will no longer proceed as scheduled,” ticket holders were told. Most read in Celebrity The e-mail added: “Television production decisions can fluctuate due to a variety of reasons. “We hate delivering disappointing news, and we hope you will join us in the future for another exciting fan experience. “Unfortunately, in the world of television, these things sometimes happen. This event will not be rescheduled.” The U.S. Sun reached out to Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Garth, 62, for comment. Garth has maintained a low profile since he was accused in a lawsuit of raping his makeup artist. According to the lawsuit filed in early October, the alleged victim said that she started working for Garth back in 2017 after having worked for his wife, country icon Trisha Yearwood , since 1999. She alleged that the assault took place when she and Garth traveled together from his hometown of Nashville to Los Angeles while he performed with soul singer Sam Moore at a Grammy Awards tribute in October 2019. The lawsuit claimed the pair were alone on his private jet for the trip, and he booked just one hotel suite for both of them. She alleges that Brooks appeared naked in the doorway of the suite's bedroom and raped her. The alleged victim then claimed after, he proceeded as though nothing had happened and expected her to do his hair and makeup as normal. In response to the allegations, Garth said in a statement that he is "not the man they have painted me to be.” THREATS, LIES AND TRAGIC TALES “For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars. "It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face,” he said. On the same day the accuser filed the lawsuit, Garth , 62, played a show at his Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on October 4th. “If there was ever a night that I really needed this, TONIGHT was that night! “Thank you for my life!!!!! love, G,” the Friends in Low Places crooner wrote on Instagram with a picture from the concert. Garth allegedly filed a preemptive lawsuit in federal court in Mississippi in September in which both he and the woman were anonymous. In that suit, obtained by The U.S. Sun, Garth, apparently proceeding under the pseudonym John Doe, said the allegations are “wholly untrue.” Read More on The US Sun He then accused the alleged victim of blackmail and extortion and claimed this was an “intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy.” In early November, Garth asked a U.S. District Judge to dismiss the accuser’s claims and direct her to re-file the lawsuit in a federal court.

Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics will attempt to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers at home for the second time in three nights when the teams meet Sunday. Brown scored a season-high 44 points in Boston's 142-105 victory over Indiana on Friday. Brown also had four steals in the win and became the fourth player in franchise history to have at least 40 points and at least four steals in a regular-season game. The others are Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Dee Brown and Antoine Walker. "People don't pay enough attention to (defense), but I feel like I'm one of the best two-way players in the world," Brown said. "I try to hang my hat on that side by doing different assignments, like picking up guys full court, chasing guys off screens, switching onto bigs. That takes a lot of energy." Brown's effort helped the Celtics end a two-game losing streak -- the first time they lost consecutive games this season. "What he is capable of doing, and at his size, you don't see many people picking up full-court like that, guarding the best guards in the world," Boston's Payton Pritchard said. "Usually somebody his size would guard a wing, but he's picking up the best point guards in the world full-court and then, like he said, scoring 25 (per game). "People don't really understand how difficult that really is. They overestimate what that takes. He should definitely be in the All-Defensive Team category because we give him the hardest assignments. It's an exhausting thing, and he's creating havoc and making things tough every night. So they definitely need to take notice." Defense was lacking from Indiana on Friday. The 142 points the Celtics scored are the most given up by the Pacers in a game this season. Boston shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 23 of 56 (41.1 percent) from 3-point range. The Pacers were also outrebounded 52-39. "I mean we didn't get any stops the whole night, and then offensively we didn't shoot the ball well," Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton said. "You give up (18) offensive rebounds and you don't shoot the ball well against Boston, that's what it's going to look like. We get to see them again Sunday. That's the best part about the NBA." The Pacers shot 41.8 percent from the floor and were 11 of 39 (28.2 percent) from 3-point range (28.2 percent). Haliburton led the way with 19 points and nine assists. Bennedict Mathurin added 18 points. Indiana was coming off Thursday's 120-114 loss to Oklahoma City that ended the team's five-game winning streak. "It's a tough situation coming in back-to-back, but it's the NBA schedule," Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle said. "There were so many problems out there (Friday). They cause major problems with their star players and shooting ability. "In the first half, the offensive rebounding was the biggest problem. Untimely, turnovers were a problem as well. They have a lot of underrated guys over there. This is not about excuses. We just have to play better. ... We're going to, obviously, have to be a lot better with everything on Sunday." Sunday's matchup will be the third and final game between the teams during the regular season. Indiana won the first meeting 135-132 in overtime on Oct. 30. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.“His future is not as bright as it once was,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida.

Ireland ran out 22-19 winners in Dublin but the Wallabies have restored pride on their European tour, after a dismal World Cup campaign last year. Australia had chances to win and looked a thoroughly different side to the one that was thumped 40-6 by Wales in September last year. Coach Joe Schmidt has shown the Wallabies have enough firepower to challenge the British and Irish Lions next year when at one stage it looked like the upcoming series would be a completely one-sided affair. How Australia’s players fared against Ireland 1) James Slipper - 6.5 Gave his all for 50 minutes but was penalised for collapsing a scrum just before half-time that led to an Ireland three-pointer. In Dublin in 2022, Slipper made the bold call that he wanted to play against the Lions and at 36 next year, looks set to do so. 2) Brandon Paenga-Amosa - 7 Australia didn’t lose a lineout all night, with Paenga-Amosa having a pleasing end to the tour. It was a major improvement from last week against Scotland. Jake Gordon sprints away for the Wallabies. Credit: AP 3) Taniela Tupou - 7.5 Picked off an intercept and streaked down the field but threw a loose pass to ruin the good work. His scrum work was good but certainly not dominant like we know he can be. Came off after 45 minutes in a more polished performance than some this year. 4) Nick Frost - 6.5 Second on the tackle count for Australia (17). Won five lineouts, the same as Ireland’s James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne. Was excellent in Dublin two years ago and backed that up here. Involved in a nice breakaway link play with Harry Wilson that once again highlighted Frost’s athleticism. 5) Jeremy Williams - 6.5 A solid 59-minute shift from someone who was not in the Wallabies frame last year. Did his job at the lineout and will feature next year against the Lions after a good spring tour. 6) Rob Valetini - 8 Valetini’s bad games are few and far between. Made 14 carries - four more than any other Australian player - to go with 10 tackles. Was almost yellow-carded for a forearm while carrying the ball into his former Brumbies teammate Mack Hansen. Pictured next to Hansen after the match, with the latter enjoying a Guinness. 7) Fraser McReight - 8.5 One of his best games in a gold jersey. Pulled off three turnovers at critical moments that gave the men in gold a major energy lift. Only blemish was an inaccurate, rushed pass to Tom Wright that was put down with four minutes to go with the Wallabies searching for a match-winning try. Tim Horan described McReight’s timing at breakdowns “amazing”. Topped the tackle count with 21. 8) Harry Wilson - 7.5 The sight of red headgear in space is becoming more common as Wilson and Frost combined with Ireland on the back foot. 13 tackles and 10 carries rounded out a productive day for the skipper. After not featuring for the Wallabies at last year’s World Cup, it has been some turnaround. 9) Jake Gordon- 7 A reasonable 61-minute shift with no major issues. Kicked high in midfield for Suaalii, a play which we could see more of during the Lions series. Service was solid as always and gets to rucks quickly. 10) Noah Lolesio - 7 Nailed all his kicks at goal, including a 48-metre penalty in the final quarter of the match. His wrap-around and service out the back in the lead-up to Jorgensen’s try was outstanding and shows what he’s capable of at this level. The Wallabies have lost their final game of 2024 to Ireland. Credit: AP 11) Max Jorgensen - 7 Finished off a nice team try in the 18th minute to put Australia up 8-0 but barely got his hands on the ball after that. Eight tackles across his 80 minutes. 12) Len Ikitau - 7 Tried to get into the game but didn’t have as big an impact as other games on the tour. Is No.12 his best position? Jury is out. How the Wallabies backline shapes for the Lions will be fascinating. Made more tackles than any Wallabies back (13). 13) Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii - 6 Certainly not as spectacular as he was on debut. Put a huge shot on Keenan early. Not as effective winning balls back from restarts. Five carries for 15 metres. Threw the ball away with three minutes to go and the Wallabies searching for a five-pointer. Got found out a few times defensively in the notoriously difficult No.13 channel. 14) Andrew Kellaway - 7 Ever reliable. Won a turnover and made nine carries for 25 metres. Great try-saving tackle that knocked the ball clean out of an Ireland player’s hand. 15) Tom Wright - 6.5 Standard showing without any major highlights. Ran the ball for more metres (42) than any Wallaby. Threw the final pass for Jorgensen’s try. 16) Billy Pollard - 5: No dramas with any throws after coming on with 23 minutes to go. 17) Isaac Kailea - 5.5: A late replacement with Angus Bell ruled out ill. Footwork into contact a highlight. Made eight tackles in his 30-minute stint on the park. 18) Allan Alaalatoa - 6: Did his job and the stuff no one looks closely at. Gave Ireland prop Cian Healy a hard time. 19) Lukhan Salakaia-Loto - 5: Came on with 21 minutes to go. No real highlights. Seven tackles. 20) Langi Gleeson - 5: Same boat as Salakaia-Loto, coming on with six minutes to go. 21) Tate McDermott - 6: Ireland kept a close eye on McDermott in a period where the home side had a lot of the ball. 22) Tane Edmed - n/a: Beaming with pride at becoming Wallaby No.709, Edmed’s debut only lasted three minutes as he came off for a Head Injury Assessment. He looked shattered. “Are you serious?” Edmed said as he walked off. 23) Harry Potter - n/a: Came on with 95 seconds to go. Not enough time for any wizardry.Max Brooks scores 26 points and UMass-Lowell secures 92-83 victory over DartmouthRoseville DFLer’s residency challenged, case could impact control of the House

New Jersey State Senator John Bramnick joins ‘Cavuto Live’ to discuss his call for a limited state of emergency over unanswered questions about alleged drone sightings. A New Jersey state Senator is calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency to ground all drones as a way of getting to the bottom of ongoing reports of unmanned craft swarming the Garden State in recent weeks. State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican , told "Cavuto Live" on Saturday that he also wants the FAA to join in the state of emergency as the public becomes increasingly frustrated with a lack of answers as to what is going on in the skies. Bramnick says he has contacted Murphy about enacting a state of emergency but has not gotten a response. State Sen. Jon Bramnick is calling for a limited state of emergency due to mysterious drone sightings. (Bobby Bank/Getty Images, left, and Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press, right.) DRONE MYSTERY BEFUDDLES NEW JERSEY OFFICIALS, FRUSTRATES RESIDENTS "I've gotten silence and we met with the state police [who] have no information. Can you imagine? The Department of Defense must have some serious secret if we can't get any information on car-sized drones flying over our military bases." A series of unidentified drone sightings near U.S. military installations and over residences have been spotted in New Jersey since mid-November, including President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course, which is causing alarm. Apparent drones have also been spotted in New York City, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, among other states, as well as over three US airbases in the UK. White House national security communications adviser John Kirby has said many of the purported drone sightings are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft and that there is no evidence of a national security or public safety threat. Map showing some of the places where mystery drones have been spotted in Northeastern USA in December 2024. (Fox News) FORMER GOVERNOR SPOTS MYSTERY DRONES IN MARYLAND, BLASTS FEDS FOR LACK OF TRANSPARENCY Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday said the government doesn't have the authority to shoot down drones and believes reports of some sightings are cases of mistaken identity. The apparent lack of transparency about the situation has fueled conspiracy theories and raised national security concerns that a foreign entity may be behind the mysterious sightings. The government’s dismissal of witness reports is also irking residents who believe the government's answers are insufficient. Some have threatened to take matters into their own hands and shoot them down. "Every time someone comes out of the top secret briefing, we get the same answer," Bramnick said. "’Well, we need more information,’ but apparently it's not a threat. Now, I don't know how they're determining that. The Defense Department must be speaking to someone because they're surely not speaking to any of the residents in New Jersey." A photo taken in the Bay Shore section of Toms River of what appear to be large drones hovering in the area at high altitudes in New Jersey on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. The drones seemed to be well above the 400 feet height FAA regulations allow. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "The Department of Defense has to explain why they don't know what a car-sized drone is doing, where it came from, where it's going. Is it sinister? Is there some sort of threat? Don't you think the Department of Defense should have that information? The technology is there." Bramnick says that the state does not have the proper equipment or resources to deal with drones. He notes that the Garden State only has two state helicopters , and when one of those choppers was sent up to investigate a drone, its lights turned off and it fled. "Now, that's an indication that the drone is not here for a good purpose, otherwise I assume somebody operating the drone would tell the state police what they're doing. That's why we have to ground all drones at this time," Bramnick added. Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.Predatar cleans and validates backups and snapshots for recoverability

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Public Act 103-0879, amending the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, late this summer. The act imposes new responsibilities on Illinois employers pertinent to E-Verify and workplace verification and also preempts local government requirements. It goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025. Some of the act’s amendment provisions are: Preempting the state, its political subdivisions, or any unit of local government from requiring an employer to use E-Verify Establishing new training obligations for employers and their authorized agents when enrolling in E-Verify Establishing new procedures that employers enrolled in E-Verify must follow when receiving Tentative Non-Confirmations (TNCs) or no-match letters from agencies such as the Social Security Administration Specific procedures to comply with state law when an inspecting entity (such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) conducts an I-9 audit While public reporting described this legislation as an attempt by Illinois to bar the use of E-Verify unless required by federal law, the Illinois Department of Labor issued a fact sheet/FAQ clarifying that the act doesn’t restrict an employer’s ability to participate in E-Verify, but requires an employer to comply with the act’s requirements when doing so. Illinois’ amended act adds to a growing patchwork of state E-Verify laws, making compliance more challenging for U.S. employers operating across multiple states. Some states, such as Florida and Tennessee, mandate the use of E-Verify for most employers operating within the state. Others, such as Indiana, require certain employers to participate in E-Verify. The Illinois law, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, comes at a time when federal immigration enforcement is expected to increase upon President-elect Donald Trump’s January inauguration.