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is spin galaxy legit Jump aboard The Business Journal time machine once again, delving into our newspaper archives to see what was happening in the Central Valley 10, 20 and 30 years ago. Two Fresno marketing agencies that previously joined forces announced a new name 10 years ago this month: Archer & Hound Advertising. The agency — No. 2 on our 2024 list of Marketing Agencies/PR Firms with 30 employees — was born from a 2013 merger between Multi Marketing Corp and Maverick Marketing. Fresno’s EYE-Q Vision Care had a role in the merger as owner of Maverick Marketing, which combined its traditional media and advertising experience with Multi-Marketing Corp’s strategic marketing services and digital and social media experience. Archer & Hound wasted little time making its market, named Agency of the Year for 2014 by the Fresno Advertising Federation. “We knew the coming together of the two agencies would be great, but what we have grown to become, in just a short amount of time, is much more than that,” said Dave Blanchfield, owner of Archer & Hound Advertising. Jordan Naffziger, 7, was shopping with his father Marc at the former Toys R Us store on Shaw and Marty avenues in Fresno in December 2004, trying to find a present for his sister but “always seeing the same stuff.” It’s that lack of change perhaps that had Toys R Us that year try placing display cases in their 685 U.S. stores at a kid’s eye level, so they can see what their favorite toys look like outside the box. It was a last ditch effort, as Toys R Us also announced earlier that year that it may sell off its stores, waiting to make a decision until after the holiday season. A decision was finally made, albeit in 2017, to file for bankruptcy protection. The local locations closed in spring 2018. The brand — known for the Geoffrey the Giraffe mascot — does live on as a section inside some Macy’s stores, including at Fashion Fair Mall. The new owner is also planning dozens of new “flagship” Toys R Us stores, announcing plans last week to expand into Panama in 2025. A year after Cherry Hill Corp. opened a casket-manufacturing plant in Corcoran with the promise of hiring up to 100 workers, the facility had all but closed its doors by December 1994. You could say the business was dead on arrival. Based in New Jersey, the casket maker opened the plant with help from a $80,000 loan from Corcoran’s community development program. Corcoran officials could not raise a single soul when trying to call Cherry Hill Corp. There was some disagreement on just how productive the facility was. A Kings County economic development official said they only turned out a few cremation caskets on site. The Corcoran City Manager was not even sure about that. Jump aboard The Business Journal time machine once again, delving One of my favorite sections of our weekly newspaper is In this festive season, as I gather with friends and The multi-family investment market in the Central Valley has slowedThe AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . DENVER (AP) — Travis Hunter made a pair of proclamations Thursday: He’s for sure entering the NFL draft after this season, but not until he sees Colorado all the way through the College Football Playoff — if the Buffaloes make it there. The first was already a given for the draft-eligible junior who plays both receiver and cornerback. The second is a risk-reward play for a projected high first-round pick who averages around 120 snaps a game. In years past, it took two extra postseason wins to capture a national title. Now, it could take up to four additional contests. That’s more of a chance to shine, but also more chance for an injury. “I don’t think nobody will opt out because you’re showing NFL teams that you’re more focused on something else, other than the team goal,” Hunter said of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. “So I don’t think players are going to opt out of the playoffs.” Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders chatted Thursday in a set of Zoom calls about turning around the program at Colorado (from 4-8 last season to bowl eligibility), chasing a Big 12 title, turning pro — Hunter acknowledged he will “for sure” — and, of course, the Heisman race, where Hunter is currently the odds-on favorite in an award each wants to see the other win. RELATED COVERAGE Coach Spencer Danielson says 12th-ranked Boise State must seize moment and respect 2-win Wyoming No. 12 Boise State heads to Wyoming hoping to maintain No. 4 seed in College Football Playoff No. 4 Penn State tries to keep playoff picture out of focus in prep for tough trip to Minnesota “He’s deserving of it, and if it’s between me and him, I want him to get it,” said Sanders, whose 16th-ranked Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 16 CFP ) travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face Kansas (4-6, 3-4) this weekend. “He does a lot of amazing things that have never been done before.” Countered Hunter: “I know he wants me to win it, but I also want him to win as bad as I want to win it.” Hunter is a generational talent shining on both sides of the ball. As a receiver, he has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, he has picked off three passes, even though teams are reluctant to throw his direction. Like he did in high school and now in college, he believes he can do both on the next level. But he understands the trepidation of the NFL team that picks him. “They don’t want their top pick to go down too early,” Hunter said. “I like when people tell me I can’t do it, because they just motivate me to continue to do what I want to do.” Sanders is turning in a stellar season as well with 27 touchdown passes, one away from tying Sefo Liufau for the most in a single season in program history. He’s projected to be one of the first QBs off the draft board. The future certainly looks bright at Colorado thanks to the legacies Sanders and Hunter under coach Deion Sanders. But that’s a point to ponder later. “I can’t think too much forward past Saturday,” Shedeur Sanders cracked. “The main thing is winning the Big 12 championship. That’s the main thing we’re focused on.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins LLP reminds investors that a class action was filed on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ASP Isotopes Inc. ASPI securities between October 30, 2024 and November 26, 2024. ASP Isotopes is a development stage advanced materials company focused on the production, enrichment, and sale of isotopes. For more information, submit a form , email attorney Aaron Dumas, Jr., or give us a call at (800) 350-6003. The Allegations: Robbins LLP is Investigating Allegations that ASP Isotopes Inc. (ASPI) Misled Investors Regarding its Uranium Enrichment Technology and Facility According to the complaint, during the class period, defendants failed to disclose that the Company: (1) overstated the potential effectiveness of its enrichment technology; (2) overstated the development potential of its high assay low-enriched uranium facility; and (3) overstated the Company's nuclear fuels operating segment results. Plaintiff alleges that on November 26, 2024, market research firm Fuzzy Panda Research published a report that alleged the Company is "using old, disregarded laser enrichment technology to masquerade as a new, cutting-edge Uranium enrichment." The report revealed a series of experts interviewed stated the Company's reported cost estimates and timeline for building its HALEU uranium facilities was misleading to the point of being "delusional." The report further alleged the Company had significantly overstated the significance of its agreement with TerraPower, which was only a "non-binding" memorandum of understanding entered into to "put pressure on [TerraPower's] real suppliers." The report quoted a former TerraPower executives as stating that ASP Isotopes was "missing the manufacturing; They are missing the processes as well; They still have to develop the HALEU...the most important part." On this news, the Company's stock price fell $1.80 or 23.53%, to close at $5.85 per share on November 26, 2024, and continued to fall on the subsequent trading date, falling $0.83 or 14.19%, to close at $5.02 per share on November 27, 2024. What Now : You may be eligible to participate in the class action against ASP Isotopes Inc. Shareholders who want to serve as lead plaintiff for the class must submit their application to the court by February 3, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here . All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses. About Robbins LLP : Some law firms issuing releases about this matter do not actually litigate securities class actions; Robbins LLP does. A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002. Since our inception, we have obtained over $1 billion for shareholders. To be notified if a class action against ASP Isotopes Inc. settles or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact: Aaron Dumas, Jr. Robbins LLP 5060 Shoreham Pl., Ste. 300 San Diego, CA 92122 adumas@robbinsllp.com (800) 350-6003 www.robbinsllp.com https://www.facebook.com/RobbinsLLP/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/robbins-llp/ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af960bd5-1ae2-4ed3-afe3-591b09ab920b © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

New Market Trends Unveiled: Should Investors Be Worried? Discover What Analysts Say

Colorado adds record insurance coverage for Sanders and Hunter with both playing in Alamo BowlSTOCK RISES OVER 2.8% AT ITS HIGH FOR THE DAY Today, at 10:21 AM on November 26th , a significant trading signal occurred for Eli Lilly & Company LLY as it demonstrated a Power Inflow at a price of $784.63 . This indicator is crucial for traders who want to know directionally where institutions and so-called "smart money" moves in the market. They see the value of utilizing order flow analytics to guide their trading decisions. The Power Inflow points to a possible uptrend in Lilly’s stock, marking a potential entry point for traders looking to capitalize on the expected upward movement. Traders with this signal closely watch for sustained momentum in Lilly’s stock price, interpreting this event as a bullish sign. Signal description Order flow analytics, aka transaction or market flow analysis, separate and study both the retail and institutional volume rate of orders (flow). It involves analyzing the flow of buy and sell orders, along with size, timing, and other associated characteristics and patterns, to gain insights and make more informed trading decisions. This particular indicator is interpreted by active traders as a bullish signal. The Power Inflow occurs within the first two hours of the market open and generally signals the trend that helps gauge the stock’s overall direction, powered by institutional activity in the stock, for the remainder of the day. By incorporating order flow analytics into their trading strategies, market participants can better interpret market conditions, identify trading opportunities, and potentially improve their trading performance. But let's not forget that while watching smart money flow can provide valuable insights, it is crucial to incorporate effective risk management strategies to protect capital and mitigate potential losses. Employing a consistent and effective risk management plan helps traders navigate the uncertainties of the market in a more controlled and calculated manner, increasing the likelihood of long-term success If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for LLY , Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts. Market News and Data are brought to you by Benzinga APIs and include firms, like TradePulse.net, responsible for parts of the data within this article. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. After Market Close UPDATE : The price at the time of the Power Inflow was $784.63 . The returns on the High price ( $806.87 ) and Close price ( $789.25) after the Power Inflow were respectively 2.8% and 0.5%. That is why it is important to have a trading plan that includes Profit Targets and Stop Losses that reflect your risk appetite. Past Performance is Not Indicative of Future Results © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Packers with a sore throwing shoulder

NBA fans received an early look at the upcoming conversation between three of the greatest players in the sport on Tuesday. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant sat down for an "NBA OGs Convo" where they discussed their legacies and picked which skills they'd want to add from each other on NBA Today . The league previously announced that the full conversation will air on ABC on Christmas Day. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Clara Strack scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Teonni Key had 16 points and 13 rebounds and No. 14 Kentucky defeated Arizona State 77-61 on Tuesday in the Music City Classic to remain unbeaten. Kentucky nearly had four players with double-doubles as Georgia Amoore added 20 points and nine rebounds and Amelia Hassett had eight points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (6-0), who shot 42% and scored 13 points off 14 Arizona State turnovers. Jalyn Brown scored 16 points and Nevaeh Parkinson added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Sun Devils (3-3). Arizona State shot just 30%. The Sun Devils cut a 19-point deficit to 11 after three quarters but a 6-0 burst with baskets by Key, Amoore and Strack built the lead back to 15 midway through the fourth. Kentucky led 42-23 at halftime after outscoring the Sun Devils 27-9 in the second quarter, scoring the first 13 points of the period with Struck putting in the final seven in the run. A couple ASU free throws later, the Wildcats went on an 11-2 run capped by a Hassett 3 and the lead was 20. Strack scored 14 points and Key 10 in the half. The teams continue play in the Music City Classic on Wednesday with Kentucky playing No. 19 Illinois and Arizona State facing South Dakota. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that state Attorney General Ken Paxton testify in a whistleblower lawsuit at the heart of impeachment charges brought against him in 2023. The court on Friday said Paxton’s office does not dispute any issue in the lawsuit by four former Paxton employees and agreed to any judgment in the case. “In a major win for the State of Texas, the state Supreme Court has sided with Attorney General Paxton against former OAG employees whose effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the agency has wasted public resources for years," a statement from Paxton's office said. An attorney for one of the plaintiffs declined immediate comment, and a second attorney did not immediately return a phone call for comment. The former employees allege they were improperly fired or forced out for bringing to the FBI allegations that Paxton was misusing his office to protect a friend and campaign donor, who in turn, they said, was helping the attorney general to conceal an extramarital affair. The Supreme Court ruling noted that the Texas governor and Legislature have expressed a desire to hear testimony from the witnesses prior to agreeing to appropriate funds to settle the lawsuit. The court said forcing Paxton, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Chief of Staff Lesley French Henneke and senior advisor Michelle Smith to testify earlier could improperly be used for legislative purposes in deciding any appropriation. Under the preliminary deal , Paxton agreed to apologize to the former employees for calling them “rogue” employees, settle the case for $3.3 million and ask the state to pay for it, prompting the state House to reject the request and begin its own investigation, leading to the vote to impeach him. Paxton was ultimately acquitted after a Senate trial. The Supreme Court termed its ruling conditional upon the lower trial court complying with the decision, while saying it is “confident the trial court will comply” with the order. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

McCormick Place is called the nation’s largest convention center, but reputed Outfit guys, ex-cons and criminals have another name for it: A haven. The kind of guys who populate a prison yard have been getting work at McCormick Place for decades, especially through the small but politically powerful riggers union that sets up some of Chicago’s biggest trade shows, including the Chicago Auto Show. There’s a man working there who has ties to reputed organized crime figures and who helped run a heroin ring while locked up in Leavenworth. There’s also a mobster’s son, a convicted felon, who beat a murder rap. There’s a guy who looted $40,000 from a Catholic church where he worked on the side as a bookkeeper. And there’s a former state senator who is a convicted ghost payroller. “When the guys got out of jail, that was where they sent them to work,” said Robert Cooley, a former mob attorney turned federal informant whose cooperation helped decimate the Outfit. The Outfit had great influence at the lakefront convention center in the 1970s and 1980s, Cooley said. And its influence is still felt there. This year, the longtime president of the Machinery Movers, Riggers and Machinery Erectors Union Local 136 was charged with accepting a free Harley-Davidson bike from a pension fund manager. Despite the charge, the president, Fred Schreier, and other union officers he’s allied with are seeking re-election next month. “We do not believe the indictment will hurt the re-election campaign,” union attorney Marc Pekay said in a letter to the Chicago Sun-Times. Their opponents include a man once accused of running illegal gambling at McCormick Place and then giving jobs at the convention center to deadbeats to pay their debts. The man, Charles O’Connell, was never charged. The Sun-Times has obtained a list of riggers who work at McCormick Place, which gives a first-time look at some of the people who help run one of Chicago’s key economic engines. While the cast of characters may raise some eyebrows, it will come as no surprise to people who work or exhibit at McCormick Place. When asked about the ex-cons and reputed mobsters who have worked as riggers, Pekay, the union attorney, wrote, “The riggers do not discriminate or do checks on individuals, but merely serve the secured jobs of thousands of men. . . . This question impugns the integrity of hardworking and functioning individuals.” McCormick Place visitors pump an estimated $1.6 billion each year into Chicago’s economy. The convention center is run by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, a government agency known as McPier, which lures groups to stage conventions and trade shows in Chicago. Those groups hire companies, such as Freeman Decorating Co., to set up the exhibitions. Those companies hire carpenters, electricians and riggers to set the shows up and take them apart. A former McPier executive said some McCormick Place managers have been aware of the shady folks working as riggers in recent years. McPier’s current chief, Leticia Peralta Davis, said the agency has no control over who is hired by the companies that set up the trade shows. But she said Mayor Daley and Gov. Blagojevich are pushing for more labor reforms at McCormick Place so Chicago remains the convention king. Riggers typically are paid $24.15 an hour to move large machines or items. Becoming a rigger and getting steady work can require clout or connections, critics say. The convention center is the biggest source of jobs, but riggers also work at Rosemont’s convention center and at hotels. They even moved the presses at the Sun-Times’ new printing plant. Of course, many of the 350 members of the riggers union are hard workers with clean pasts, union members emphasize, calling the rogues a few bad eggs. Thousands more people are hired as riggers temporarily under permits. McCormick Place itself has a history of corruption that goes well beyond the riggers union. Just three months ago, Scott Fawell, the former head of the agency that runs McCormick Place, was indicted for allegedly fixing an $11.5 million contract to oversee the convention center’s $800 million expansion project. Fawell is already behind bars for political corruption while he worked in the secretary of state’s office under George Ryan. Insiders say a culture of corruption permeates McCormick Place. Take the story of one exhibitor, told by Robert Cappiello, industry vice president for the National Hardware Show. The exhibitor watched the contents of his booth loaded onto a freight elevator but he wasn’t allowed on. He went to meet the elevator, but when the doors opened, “nothing came out,” Cappiello said. “The whole booth was gone.” There’s no evidence the riggers were involved. But such stories of thefts, ghost-payrolling, bookmaking and other wrongdoing abound at McCormick Place. The riggers are no exception, and some have pasts rife with a certain colorful history. Sharon Campagna, wife of a late union official, worked in the riggers office for 16 years before she says she was forced out. She knows all about the riggers. “When I first met these people, I thought, ‘You must have to have a record to get into the union,’ ” Campagna joked. Good news, bad news Charles “Chuck” O’Connell has no criminal record, but he was in hot water with Freeman Decorating Co., the national firm that puts on the most conventions and trade shows at McCormick Place. Freeman said in court records that it fired O’Connell, its longtime riggers foreman, in 1997 for ghost-payrolling. O’Connell was taking bets on sporting events from employees at McCormick Place, Freeman said in court records. O’Connell allegedly put deadbeat gamblers on the payroll to cover their debts to him during the late 1990s. O’Connell allegedly received “numerous unsigned Freeman Decorating payroll checks upon which he forged the recipient’s signature and then deposited the forged payroll checks into his personal bank accounts,” a Freeman lawyer said in court records. But it wasn’t all bad news for O’Connell, 57, of Bensenville. He never was charged with any crime, saying in a court deposition that he “left Freeman Decorating on a mutual agreement.” It’s unclear whether Freeman reported the alleged crimes to police or McCormick Place officials. When asked about O’Connell, Freeman vice president Doug Van Ort hung up on a reporter. “That’s such old news,” Van Ort said. “Goodbye.” O’Connell eventually got to return to work at Freeman, but as a basic rigger, not a foreman, Van Ort said in a court deposition. “We were very bothered about what Mr. O’Connell had done,” Van Ort said in the deposition. “After I terminated him, we felt like . . . that we were not going to deny him a living wage, so we allowed him to come down at show site and operate as a rigger.” O’Connell declined to comment. He’s seeking election next month as the union’s business agent. McCormick Place officials were apparently never told about the alleged ghost-payrolling, but worry because it could mean conventions and trade shows were overcharged. “If that’s true, that’s extremely, extremely disturbing,” said Leticia Peralta Davis, McPier CEO. “If our customers are getting billed for something that wasn’t delivered . . . we certainly would want to know that.” “Prolific and multifaceted” Inside prison, Thomas “Danny” Bambulas was definitely industrious. He was caught setting up a heroin ring at Leavenworth. Now, Bambulas, 67, of Park Ridge, sets up trade shows. He says he and other ex-cons deserve a chance to make an honest living. “Would they rather me on the street trying to rob people?” asked Bambulas, who has a lengthy criminal record and ties to reputed organized crime figures. “Nobody’s giving me nothing for nothing. I’m working for whatever I’m getting,” Bambulas said. “It’s keeping me out of trouble. My grandchildren, everybody, are very proud of me.” Calling Bambulas “a prolific and multifaceted criminal would be a major understatement,” a federal prosecutor said. Charles Fasano of the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog, said it’s “good public policy” to let ex-cons make a decent living. But he said the riggers union seems to favor a certain type of ex-convict. “It’s not your typical ex-convict, because that would be a black man,” he said. A pair of Roccos Rocco LaMantia is a convicted felon, but he beat the most serious rap against him. He was charged 25 years ago with killing his girlfriend by shooting her in the mouth. Cook County Judge Thomas Maloney, one of the most corrupt judges in state history, acquitted him, and the feds later alleged that the case was fixed. LaMantia is the son of the late top mobster Joseph “Shorty” LaMantia. The son received attention earlier this year when the Sun-Times reported he had helped set up a trucking business that made more than $400,000 from the City of Chicago in its scandal-ridden Hired Truck Program. LaMantia, 45, of Chicago, is a rigger now. A more well-known Rocco was also a rigger at McCormick Place. He’s now in prison. Ernest Rocco Infelice, 80, was sentenced to 63 years in prison in 1993 for running a mob street crew that plotted to murder a bookie who refused to pay street tax. Infelice tried to get a riggers union card, one source recalled, but was denied. He wound up on the rolls as an occasional rigger. The two Roccos just scratch the surface of people tied to the Outfit who have been riggers at McCormick Place. Take Michael J. Swiatek, described in court records as a suspected mob enforcer and a once-frequent visitor to reputed mob boss Joey “The Clown” Lombardo. After his release from prison in the mid-1990s, Swiatek became a rigger at McCormick Place. He said he stopped a couple of years ago because of a bum leg. There’s also the Calabreses, who have been entrenched at McCormick Place for decades, sources said. Nick Calabrese has worked as a rigger, as have his relatives. Nick Calabrese is cooperating with the FBI in its investigation of nearly 20 mob hits, sources said. He also was a major focus of a federal ghost-payrolling investigation at McCormick Place that centered on the riggers, sources said. Pressure from FBI The feds used what they learned from their investigation, among other pressure points, to turn Calabrese into a witness, sources said. The ghost-payrolling investigation has come to a halt, but the FBI is believed to be working on a broader investigation at McCormick Place. A onetime employee of the Calabrese Street Crew, Terry Scalise, a convicted juice loan collector, also found work at McCormick Place after he left prison in 2000. “I wish I was still working there,” said Scalise, 48, of Chicago, who is recovering from back surgery. “If anyone’s looking to hire me, give them my phone number.” A rigger currently on the union rolls, records show, is Charles Miller, 53, of Chicago, a jewel thief with mob ties who was sentenced to prison after robbing a jeweler in Wisconsin. Miller left prison in 1997 and became a rigger. He even filed a workers comp claim after he said he was hurt at McCormick Place. Looting the collection box William Tuzik was a rigger when he swiped $40,000 from All Saints Polish National Catholic Church on the Northwest Side. Tuzik was arrested in 1988 and admitted skimming weekly collections while he was church treasurer. He got 30 months probation and said he made restitution. Tuzik, 64, of Chicago, is still a rigger. He said he was planning to work this past week at Rosemont’s convention center. “Dr. Mengele” It’s not only crooks who work at McCormick Place. There are also crooked cops. Take Joseph Miedzianowski, described as Chicago’s most corrupt cop for running a Miami-to-Chicago drug ring while he was supposed to fight street gangs. Miedzianowski, 51, and his crooked partner, John Galligan, 54, started working as riggers at McCormick Place in the 1980s after they were suspended following brutality complaints. They needed money, so a police official asked a friend at the riggers union to put the cops to work, sources said. After they returned to the Police Department, they continued at McCormick Place on their off-days, sources said. Miedzianowski’s reputation as a wild man from the police force followed him to the convention center, where he got dubbed with an unusual nickname, Dr. Mengele, after the Nazi who experimented on human beings. Miedzianowski started working less and less as a rigger — and it’s now apparent why, a union member said. He probably was too busy running his cocaine operation, the person said. Miedzianowski is serving a life sentence. Galligan was sent away for five years. When Galligan gets out, he would be welcomed back to the riggers, a union source said. In a similar case, Edward Freemon landed a rigging job and other work at McCormick Place in the 1990s after he was released from prison for a drug crime committed while he was a Chicago Fire Department captain. Freemon, 68, of Chicago, now works for another union at McCormick Place. A gentleman and a killer? For most of their relationship, Orville “Orvie” Cochran was a gentleman, opening car doors and pulling out chairs for his girlfriend. But he had another side as well, federal authorities said. Cochran, 54, is charged in a massive racketeering case out of Wisconsin involving drug dealing, bombings and two murders by the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. He is also wanted for questioning in the 1999 murder of fellow Outlaw Tommy Stimac, sources said. Stimac worked occasionally at McCormick Place. Cochran’s past may have come back with a vengeance in February 2000. He was outside the Outlaws’ South Side clubhouse when someone opened fire. Cochran was shot but survived. He fell below the barrage of bullets because he slipped on the ice, a former friend said. “This guy was goddamn lucky,” the ex-friend said. Cochran is on the lam. Before taking off, he was known as a consistent worker at McCormick Place with an eye toward becoming a union leader, sources said. Another Outlaw and rigger, Carl Warneke, is lying low too, but for a different reason. He’s in a prison witness protection program after testifying against his former club members charged in federal indictments in recent years. The riggers union continues to draw on the Outlaws as a source of labor for McCormick Place, but none of those men has been accused of any wrongdoing. Haunted by ghosts Federal investigators have long believed that not everyone is breaking a sweat at McCormick Place. Some are suspected of not showing up but getting paid anyway, sources said. Others apparently work under other names to avoid government scrutiny. A recent federal investigation of ghost-payrolling at McCormick Place involved riggers union president Fred Schreier, sources said. Schreier, 59, of Willow Springs, has not been charged in that investigation. But he was indicted earlier this year for illegally taking a motorcycle from a pension fund consultant who was working with the union. Schreier’s first wife, Pamela, was a niece of Chicago’s late mob boss Anthony “Joe Batters” Accardo. Schreier isn’t the first union leader to let people with shady pasts work as riggers — or find himself in trouble with the law. The late business manager for the riggers and secretary-treasurer Ernest Gibas Sr. and two other union officials were convicted in 1960 of shaking down machinery- moving firms. Charles LaTour, a Gibas associate and union steward in the 1960s, was a convicted robber who was questioned in a 1967 bombing of the Wilmette home of an exposition company executive. Quid pro quo? Absolutely! The union has seen tough times before and weathered challenges to its very existence. In 1998, the riggers and other unions made concessions so McCormick Place would become more competitive with other cities that were threatening to lure conventions from Chicago. In another case, legislation before the General Assembly would have consolidated McCormick Place’s unions and made the workers government employees, rather than employees of contractors. Some union officials feared it would have cut wages and wounded or killed the riggers union. That crisis was averted, thanks to political help in Springfield. The bill was defeated by a narrow margin with help from then-state Sen. Bruce Farley (D-Chicago), who at the time was under indictment as a ghost payroller in the Cook County treasurer’s office. He was later convicted. The riggers remembered Farley’s help when he was released from federal custody in 2001. Farley, 61, of Chicago, found work as a rigger at McCormick Place. “I don’t want to talk about my employment,” Farley said, before hanging up. One union source was more talkative about Farley’s job. “Is that quid pro quo?” he asked. “Absolutely.” “We owed him an opportunity.”Stocks set for strong weekly gain, US yields slip as markets eye Trump policies

BROOKINGS, S.D. — The Montana football team's season came to a close against the same opponent for the second year in a row. The 14th-seeded Grizzlies jumped out to an early lead against third-seeded South Dakota State but couldn't keep pace in a 35-18 loss in the second round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. They had in Texas. The Griz finished the season with a 9-5 overall record after being No. 3 in the preseason FCS Top 25 poll. SDSU improved to 11-2 in front of an announced crowd of 10,376 fans and will host a quarterfinal game next week against No. 6 Incarnate Word, which beat No. 11 Villanova, 13-6, at home on Saturday. "They just had too much for us," Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said. "There was a couple plays that got away. And we didn't get off the field on third down in the first half. Anyway, I thought our guys played hard. We just didn't quite get there today, which is kind of the story of our season." The Griz went 5 of 13 on third down but were 1 of 7 in the first half while falling into a 21-3 deficit. SDSU picked up 7 of 12 but was 6 of 7 in the first half when it scored 21 of its 35 unanswered points after going down 3-0. The game started to get away late in the first half. Angel Johson ripped off a 44-yard run on third-and-6 and Mark Gronowski connected with Griffin Wilde for a 24-yard touchdown on a third-and-18 corner route after the Griz had back-to-back tackles for loss. That put Montana in a 21-3 deficit. "Every time we tried to seize some momentum — especially in the first half, we were up 3-0 — we didn't get off the field," Hauck said. "That was a good job by them. We just didn't win in third down. I think that's probably the real story, especially the first half." Gronowski completed 12 of 16 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Wilde hauled in seven catches for 114 yards and two scores. The Jackrabbits ran for 222 yards on 42 carries as Amar Johnson went for 103 yards and Angel Johnson went for 91 yards. Gronowski ran for two scores. "He's a good quarterback," Montana cornerback Trevin Gradney said. "Spins it well. He can run. I didn't do a good enough job on the back end." Montana had the chance to make it a one-score game before that touchdown when a trio of chunk plays got them to the 21-yard line. Keali'i Ah Yat was picked off at the 3-yard line by safety Tucker Large. The Griz got a break as South Dakota State missed a 44-yard field goal attempt by Hunter Dustman wide left, but the loss of a prime scoring opportunity was a big factor. They didn't score again until there was 9:41 left in the game when Sawyer Racanelli made a catch in one-on-one coverage down the left sideline and dove into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown. That cut the deficit to 35-10. The Griz added a 9-yard touchdown catch by Keelan White with four seconds left to get within 35-18 after Erik Barker caught a two-point conversion. But it was too little too late. "We knew it was going to be an execution game," White said. "Just bottom line, we didn't execute real well." Ah Yat drew the start, played the whole game and completed 19 of 32 pass attempts for 231 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. White led with 68 receiving yards and one score while Racanelli had 66 yards and one score. Ah Yat was the leading rusher with 25 yards on nine carries as Montana's run game was bottled up to 75 yards on 29 attempts. Eli Gillman was held to 12 yards on 10 rushes. "We started him because we thought he'd give us the best chance to win," Hauck said of Ah Yat, who has been in a rotation with Logan Fife for most of the year when he's been healthy. "I thought he played pretty well." The Griz lost the turnover battle 2-1 and were outscored 7-3 in points off turnovers. Jackrabbits linebacker Adam Bock had a pick-6 when Matthew Durrance broke up a pass and Bock ran back the interception for a 40-yard touchdown, putting the Griz down 35-3. That came right after Montana fell down 28-3 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter when Gronowski scored another 1-yard QB sneak, this time on fourth down, to cap a 12-play, 73-yard drive. UM had taken advantage of a turnover to go up 3-0 with a 34-yard field goal from Ty Morrison on its second possession after going three-and-out to start the game. Hank Nuce forced a fumble that Ronald Jackson Jr. recovered at the Griz 48-yard line to set up that drive, which included Ah Yat finding Junior Bergen for 15 yards to convert a fourth-and-6 at the SDSU 34-yard line. Montana's defense couldn't stop SDSU on the next drive, giving up two third-down conversions and allowing a 21-yard pass from tight end Kevin Brenner to Gronowski, who snuck it in for a 1-yard touchdown on the next play. That put the Griz down for the first time at 7-3 with 2:44 left in the first quarter. Montana fell down 14-3 when Gronowski hit Wilde for 38 and 34 yards on back-to-back plays. The second pass went for a touchdown with 12:33 left in the second half. The first one came on a free play as UM jumped offside for the second snap in a row after having SDSU facing a third-and-9. "I don't know if they couldn't see the ball or what," Hauck said. "That was not very good by us. ... He was just clapping his hands twice." Bergen got only one special team return as the Jackrabbits kicked away from him. SDSU's one punt to him was pinned inside the 5-yard line. Safety Ryder Meyer led the defense with 10 tackles while safety Jaxon Lee was second with eight takedowns. The Griz had four tackles for loss, and defensive end Hayden Harris got the lone sack to finish with 9.5 this year. "I didn't think we tackled particularly well today," Hauck said. "Now, when I saw that, I don’t mean it to be like, well, if we'd have tackled better, we'd have won. Maybe we didn't tackle very well because they broke tackles." Frank Gogola is the Senior Sports Reporter at the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. Follow him on X @FrankGogola or email him at . What a grab from ! 👏 TOUCHDOWN, MONTANA! Why not another TD for Griffin Wilde x 🎥 ESPN+ / The Grizzlies attack with an early fumble recovery 🐻💥 x 🎥 ESPN + / . is just that dude 😎 x 🎥 ESPN + / Get local news delivered to your inbox!Arsenal 'incredible' in Sporting thrashing - OsmanFluence Energy, Inc. Announces Closing of Offering of $400.0 Million of Convertible Senior Notes due 2030

Spain's monarch pays tribute to the victims of Valencia floods in his Christmas Eve speechMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban children younger than 16 years old from social media , leaving it to the Senate to finalize the world-first law. The major parties backed the bill that would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts. The legislation was passed with 102 votes in favor to 13 against. If the bill becomes law this week, the platforms would have one year to work out how to implement the age restrictions before the penalties are enforced. Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan told Parliament the government had agreed to accept amendments in the Senate that would bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver’s licenses. The platforms also could not demand digital identification through a government system. “Will it be perfect? No. But is any law perfect? No, it’s not. But if it helps, even if it helps in just the smallest of ways, it will make a huge difference to people’s lives,” Tehan told Parliament. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the Senate would debate the bill later Wednesday. The major parties’ support all but guarantees the legislation will be passed by the Senate where no party holds a majority of seats. Lawmakers who were not aligned with either the government or the opposition were most critical of the legislation during debate on Tuesday and Wednesday. Criticisms include that the legislation had been rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, would not work, would create privacy risks for users of all ages and would take away parents’ authority to decide what’s best for their children. Critics also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of positive aspects of social media, drive children to the dark web, make children too young for social media reluctant to report harms they encountered and take away incentives for platforms to make online spaces safer. Independent lawmaker Zoe Daniel said the legislation would “make zero difference to the harms that are inherent to social media.” “The true object of this legislation is not to make social media safe by design, but to make parents and voters feel like the government is doing something about it,” Daniel told Parliament. “There is a reason why the government parades this legislation as world-leading, that’s because no other country wants to do it,” she added. T he platforms had asked for the vote on legislation to be delayed until at least June next year when a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies made its report on how the ban could been enforced. Rod Mcguirk, The Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman's Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union's executive vice president. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

INVESTOR ALERT: Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Kyverna Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KYTX); DiCello Levitt LLP Encourages Investors with Losses to Discuss Their Options with CounselConsumer Reports: Fraud reports spike 125% due to fake online sales

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Packers with a sore throwing shoulder.Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) said that if President-elect Donald Trump had his Department of Justice go after political enemies, it would be “banana republic stuff.” When asked about January 6 committee members potentially being prosecuted, Goldman said, “Donald Trump’s entire purpose with his selection for the FBI is to do just that and to jail his political enemies, that’s banana republic stuff. It’s not just bad for the political enemies and for a political system, is undermines our entire rule of law. It undermines the credibility of every single prosecution that’s out there, and you see that because defendants all around the country are making these allegations that their prosecutions are political. He’s already undermined the institutions and he will go much further if Kash Patel is confirmed.” Co-host Jonathan Lemire said, “So, congressman, quick follow-up. You speak of political enemies of Donald Trump. You served as lead counsel in the first impeachment trial of Trump when he was in office the last time. Would you be considered a political enemy? Are you fearful that you could be targeted or prosecuted?” Goldman said, “I’ve been on enemy’s lists and, you know, I guess that is a possibility. I welcome that possibility. I hope that they put their attention on me and not the good men and women who are career public servants in the federal government who are just doing their jobs and who are really subject to retribution. I can happily and ably stand up for myself and I have a megaphone here in Congress. I have a speech and debate clause defenses, so yes, if he’s going to attack his enemy, please bring it on, Donald Trump.” Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNENNone

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Packers with a sore throwing shoulder.Oyo: Resist attempt to cause division through religion, Makinde urges Muslims