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How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Wednesday, December 4

Kansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn't work out so well

Wade Taylor IV poured in 24 points, Manny Obaseki put his team ahead for good with a fastbreak dunk and No. 20 Texas A&M staved off Rutgers 81-77 to take fifth place at the Players Era Festival on Saturday in Las Vegas. In a game with seven ties and 10 lead changes, the Aggies (6-2) took a 78-77 lead when Solomon Washington pulled out a defensive rebound and heaved it up court for Obaseki to convert a two-handed slam with 2:12 to play. Rutgers lost a pass out of bounds, and Taylor made two free throws for a three-point game. Rutgers freshman star Dylan Harper went to the rim in the final seconds but had his shot blocked by Washington. Washington had 11 points, five rebounds and four blocks for Texas A&M. Henry Coleman III and Obaseki also finished with 11 points. For Rutgers (5-3), Ace Bailey led the way with 24 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Jeremiah Williams scored 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and Harper had 18 points. Centers Emmanuel Ogbole and Lathan Sommerville each fouled out. Texas A&M scored nine of the last 12 points of the game after trailing by as many as nine earlier in the half. A 10-0 run early in the first half, capped by Washington's three-point play, gave the Aggies a 17-9 lead. Rutgers ensured Texas A&M would not lead by more than eight, as Bailey (13) and Harper (eight) combined for 21 of Rutgers' 34 first-half points. After Sommerville put up five straight points for Rutgers, the Aggies made three free throws in the final minute for a 40-34 halftime lead. Rutgers' 13-0 sprint early in the second half flipped the lead to 47-42 in its favor. Harper made a 3-pointer to get things going and Williams scored three straight buckets -- a dunk in transition, an easy layup and an offensive rebound and putback. Bailey's second 3-pointer at 12:51 put the Scarlet Knights up 63-54, but Texas A&M scored the next eight points. Then, down 65-62, Taylor made the Aggies' first 3-pointer of the game to tie it at the 8:21 mark. His team had missed its first 11 tries from long range. Texas A&M won despite going 2 of 15 from the arc (Rutgers was 6 for 26) and being outrebounded 42-35. --Field Level Media

LEONARD QUART: Post-election rumination

CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It's unclear if it's drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what's behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey's new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they're looking into what's happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she's glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn't buy what the governor said, that the drones aren't a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there's the notion that people could misunderstand what they're seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they're looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin's view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That's not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Golden reported form Seattle.Vikings staying on track and in control behind DarnoldMINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 13, 2024-- Digi International (Nasdaq: DGII, www.digi.com ), a leading global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity products and services, announces the nomination of two new members to its Board of Directors: Valerie Heusinkveld and Allison West Hughes. In addition, Sally Smith, a Digi director since 2018, has announced her intention to retire from the Board at the conclusion of the company’s annual meeting to be held on February 3, 2025. The election of Ms. Heusinkveld and Ms. Hughes will be voted on by the company’s stockholders at that same annual meeting. Ms. Heusinkveld served as Chief Financial Officer of Cradlepoint, Inc., a provider of bundled cellular hardware and connectivity and monitoring software solutions, from 2012 until her retirement in 2021. Previously, she served as Chief Financial Officer of Purcell Systems from 2007 to 2012. As a former Chief Financial Officer at high technology companies, she has extensive high technology industry knowledge and leadership experience in both financial and operational matters. The company believes this experience would provide the Board with expertise in such areas as finance, operations, hardware and solutions sales models with a focus on annual recurring revenue (ARR), as well as mergers and acquisitions, internal controls, risk management and auditing. Ms. West Hughes has served as Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Corporation since July 2022, initially focused on digital acquisition and adding responsibility for small and medium business in July 2024. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President, Global Digital Go to Market at ServiceNow, a cloud computing platform software company servicing businesses of varying sizes, from July 2021 to June 2022, after having served as Vice President from April 2020 and previously serving as Area Vice President from 2018. She has extensive high technology industry knowledge and leadership experience and brings expertise in such areas as sales and marketing and operations. The company believes her expertise in marketing and selling subscription-based offerings resulting in annual recurring revenue, as well as working with customers of varying degrees of scale would be valuable as the company executes on the expansion of recurring revenue-based solutions offerings across its business. “We want to thank Sally for her commitment to Digi and her assistance in helping the company grow and advance its mission. While her contributions were significant and will be missed, we are thrilled to nominate both Valerie and Allison to our Board of Directors,” said Satbir Khanuja, Ph.D., Non-executive Chairman of the Board, Digi International. “Their extensive experience in technology, innovation, ARR and financial strategy aligns with Digi's commitment to driving IoT advancements and delivering value to our stakeholders. We are confident their leadership will strengthen our ability to deliver on our vision as we continue expanding our global presence and driving Digi’s renaissance as a leading solution provider in the IoT space.” The nomination of Heusinkveld and Hughes underscores Digi's dedication to fostering innovation and sustaining Digi’s excellence in technology innovation and customer-centricity. Additional Information and Where to Find It Digi International has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Definitive Proxy Statement”) with respect to its solicitation of proxies for Digi International’s 2025 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”). The Definitive Proxy Statement contains important information about the matters to be voted on at the 2025 Annual Meeting. STOCKHOLDERS OF DIGI INTERNATIONAL ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT DIGI INTERNATIONAL HAS FILED OR WILL FILE WITH THE SEC BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DIGI INTERNATIONAL AND THE MATTERS TO BE VOTED ON AT THE 2025 ANNUAL MEETING. Stockholders are able to obtain free copies of these documents and other documents filed with the SEC by Digi International through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov . In addition, stockholders are able to obtain free copies of these documents from Digi International by going to Digi International’s Investor Relations page on its website at www.digi.com . Participants in the Solicitation The directors, executive officers, and employees of Digi International may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Digi International in connection with 2025 Annual Meeting. Digi International has also engaged Alliance Advisors LLC to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the 2025 Annual Meeting and to provide related advice and informational support. Information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the 2025 Annual Meeting is included in the Definitive Proxy Statement. About Digi International Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII) is a leading global provider of IoT connectivity products, services, and solutions. It helps companies create next-generation connected products and deploy and manage critical communications infrastructures in demanding environments with high levels of security and reliability. Founded in 1985, Digi has helped customers connect more than 100 million things and counting. For more information, visit www.digi.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213612450/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact: Peter Ramsay Global Results Communications digi@globalresultspr.com 949.307.5908 KEYWORD: MINNESOTA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS) SEMICONDUCTOR SECURITY OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE NETWORKS INTERNET MOBILE/WIRELESS HARDWARE ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION SOURCE: Digi International Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/13/2024 05:50 PM/DISC: 12/13/2024 05:48 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213612450/enNone

THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES clinched the NFC East division title on Sunday, handing the Dallas Cowboys a humiliating 41-7 defeat while the Buffalo Bills secured the second seed in the AFC with a 40-14 crushing of the New York Jets. The Cowboys were already eliminated from playoff contention and without top receiver CeeDee Lamb with a shoulder injury, but it was their defense that struggled. Eagles starting quarter-back Jalen Hurts missed the game due to concussion. Kenny Pickett got the start but had to leave the game in the third quarter with a rib injury with Philadelphia 24-7 up. That meant third-choice Tanner McKee took over under the center and two of his four passes were for touchdowns. The real damage to the Cowboys, who gave up four turnovers, was done by the Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley who put up 167 yards on 31 carries to pass the 2,000 yard mark for the season. Barkley, who has 2,005 yards needs to put up 101 yards next week to break Eric Dickerson’s record for the most rushing yards in a season, set for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The win means the Eagles are guaranteed at least the number two seed in the NFC. The Bills take the second seed in the AFC, behind the Kansas City Chiefs, after taking care of business against the New York Jets. The Bills led 12-0 at the half before their quarterback Josh Allen took total control of the game with touchdown passes to Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman either side of a rushing score from James Cook. Allen, who threw for 182 yards, had opened the scoring with a one-yard rush. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions and was sacked four times. The Indianapolis Colts were eliminated from playoff contention after falling 45-33 to the 3-13 New York Giants. While the Giants had nothing to play for, quarterback Drew Lock enjoyed himself — he matched his career high of four touchdown passes and rushed for another score as the Giants ended their 10-game losing streak. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their post-season hopes alive as Baker Mayfield threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-14 rout of the Carolina Panthers. Later on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings, searching for the top seed in the NFC, take on NFC North divisional rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Washington Commanders would book a playoff berth if they can beat the Atlanta Falcons in Sunday night’s game.

( MENAFN - Gulf Times) HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met Friday with the visiting US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The two sides discussed the strategic relationship between the two countries, ways to strengthen and support it, as well as the latest developments in Gaza and occupied Palestinian territories, and the situation in Syria. They also addressed other topics of joint interest. Both parties stressed the importance of ensuring Syria's unity and pursuing a peaceful transition of power through an inclusive Political process based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, while enhancing efforts to protect civilians and combat terrorism. MENAFN13122024000067011011ID1108992055 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lando Norris ignored team orders and handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, while Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was stripped of the pole position. His penalty elevated George Russell to first on the grid. With McLaren eyeing its first F1 constructors' title in 26 years and Russell close behind for Mercedes, Norris was told by the team over the radio to “finish in this order,” ahead of Piastri. He chose to gift his teammate the win anyway, easing off to the right on the exit of the final corner and then swooping back across in front of Russell, who finished third. “The team told me not to do it, but I thought I could get away with it and we did,” Norris said. "Honestly, I don’t mind. I’m not here to win sprint races. I’m here to win races and the championship, but that’s not gone to plan." Norris was paying Piastri back for doing the same in the sprint race in Brazil when Norris was still fighting Verstappen for the drivers’ title. “I made my mind up in Brazil when it happened,” Norris said. “I needed to do something to give it back.” Piastri said he hadn't expected Norris to take the risk. “I was aware it could happen. I was a bit surprised that with George half a second (away) it did,” Piastri said. “It just shows off our teamwork and the lack of egos within the team.” It continues a season where McLaren’s race tactics have often been a talking point, such as when Norris and Piastri swapped for the lead in Hungary after a lengthy and often awkward radio exchange with the team. On Saturday, Norris started on pole position and kept the lead at the start as Piastri squeezed past Russell for second. As Russell repeatedly attacked Piastri, Norris dropped back instead of building a lead. That put Piastri within one second of Norris, allowing the Australian to use the DRS overtaking aid for extra speed. Russell said he found the McLaren teamwork “pretty infuriating” while stuck behind Piastri and also objected to what he saw as late moves from Piastri to defend the position. “Hopefully we can have a proper race (on Sunday) rather than this team orders stuff,” Russell said. The F1 champion thought he'd secured his first pole position since the Austrian GP in June, but a lengthy stewards' inquiry gave him a one-place penalty for driving “unnecessarily slowly” in an incident with Russell, who moved up to first on the grid. The Mercedes driver complained over the radio that it was “super dangerous” that he'd had to avoid Verstappen, who was ahead of him on the racing line as both drivers prepared for their final runs of qualifying. The stewards agreed Verstappen was going too slowly as he tried to cool his tires but didn't apply the usual three-place penalty because neither driver was trying to set a fast time. Verstappen hadn't been much of a factor in the sprint but he returned to form in qualifying, beating Russell by just .055 of a second on his last run. “Crazy. I mean, honestly, I didn’t expect that,” Verstappen said. “We did change a bit on the car but I never thought it would make such a swing in performance.” Norris was .252 off the pace and lines up third, with Piastri fourth, followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren increased its lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship to 30 points, and has both of its drivers ahead of the Ferraris on the grid. Teams can earn a maximum 88 more points from the grand prix in Qatar and next week’s Abu Dhabi GP. Red Bull dropped to 67 points behind McLaren in the standings as Verstappen — crowned the drivers' champion for the fourth time last week in Las Vegas — finished eighth and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was last after a pit stop to change his car's nose. AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing