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circus train Rarely does a college basketball game provide such stark contrast between the sport's haves and have-nots as when Jackson State faces No. 9 Kentucky on Friday in Lexington, Ky. While Kentucky claims eight NCAA Tournament crowns and the most wins in college basketball history, Jackson State has never won an NCAA Tournament game and enters the matchup looking for its first win of the season. Impressive tradition and current record aside, Kentucky (4-0) returned no scholarship players from last season's team that was knocked off by Oakland in the NCAA Tournament. New coach Mark Pope and his essentially all-new Wildcats are off to a promising start. Through four games, Kentucky is averaging 94.3 points per game, and with 11.5 3-pointers made per game, the team is on pace to set a school record from long distance. The Wildcats boast six double-figure scorers with transfer guards Otega Oweh (from Oklahoma, 15.0 ppg) and Koby Brea (from Dayton, 14.5 ppg) leading the team. The Wildcats defeated Duke 77-72 on Nov. 12 but showed few signs of an emotional letdown in Tuesday's 97-68 win over a Lipscomb team picked to win the Atlantic Sun Conference in the preseason. Kentucky drained a dozen 3-pointers while outrebounding their visitors 43-28. Guard Jaxson Robinson, held to a single point by Duke, dropped 20 points to lead the Kentucky attack. Afterward, Pope praised his team's focus, saying, "The last game was over and it was kind of on to, ‘How do we get better?' That's the only thing we talk about." Lipscomb coach Lennie Acuff also delivered a ringing endorsement, calling Kentucky "the best offensive Power Four team we've played in my six years at Lipscomb." Jackson State (0-5) and third-year coach Mo Williams are looking for something positive to build upon. Not only are the Tigers winless, but they have lost each game by nine or more points. Sophomore guard Jayme Mitchell Jr. (13.8 ppg) is the leading scorer, but the team shoots just 35.8 percent while allowing opponents to shoot 52.3 percent. The Tigers played on Wednesday at Western Kentucky, where they lost 79-62. Reserve Tamarion Hoover had a breakout game with 18 points to lead Jackson State, but the host Hilltoppers canned 14 3-point shots and outrebounded the Tigers 42-35 to grab the win. Earlier, Williams, who played against Kentucky while a student at Alabama, admitted the difficulties of a challenging nonconference schedule for his team. "Our goal is not to win 13 nonconference games," Williams said. "We're already at a disadvantage in that regard. We use these games to get us ready for conference play and for March Madness." Jackson State has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2007. The Tigers had a perfect regular-season record (11-0) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2020-21 but lost in the league tournament. Kentucky has never played Jackson State before, but the game is being billed as part of a Unity Series of matchups in which Kentucky hosts members of the SWAC to raise awareness of Historical Black Colleges and Universities and provide funds for those schools. Past Unity Series opponents have been Southern in December 2021 and Florida A&M in December 2022. --Field Level MediaPatriots' Rooting Guide for 2025 NFL Draft Implications of Week 13

Keurig Dr Pepper Declares Quarterly DividendBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela’s attorney general said Friday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela’s attorney general said Friday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela’s attorney general said Friday. In a statement published on Instagram, Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused the officer, Nahuel Gallo, of “being part of a group of people who tried to commit destabilizing and terrorist acts (in Venezuela) with the support of international far-right groups.” In a press conference on Friday, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich described the charges as “another lie” by Venezuela’s government, and said that Gallo should be returned to Argentina “immediately.” The case has ramped up tensions between Venezuela’s socialist government and the right-wing administration of Argentine President Javier Milei, whose embassy in Caracas is currently sheltering five high-profile opposition activists and is surrounded by Venezuelan security forces. Gallo, a corporal in Argentina’s Gendarmería security force, was detained by Venezuelan officials on Dec. 8 after he showed up at an immigration office along Venezuela’s border with Colombia and sought permission to enter the country. Gallo’s relatives said that he had traveled to Venezuela to visit his wife, who is Venezuelan and was in the country to spend some time with her mother. They have published an invitation letter that was sent to Gallo, and said he was on vacation at the time of his arrest. Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Argentina in August after Milei and several other Latin American leaders refused to recognize the reelection in July of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Argentina’s diplomats were expelled, but the five opposition activists, who had sought refuge at the ambassador’s residence to avoid arrest, remained in the building after they were denied safe passage out of Venezuela. The activists, who have been holed up in the embassy since March, recently said that Venezuelan security forces have cut off electricity and water to the residence in a bid to pressure them to leave the building. Venezuela officials have denied those accusations, and said that the activists used the Argentine embassy to plan terrorist acts. The Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal said earlier this week that 19 foreigners are currently being held in Venezuela as political prisoners. In September, two Spanish citizens who were on vacation in the south of Venezuela were arrested and accused of being part of a plot to overthrow President Maduro. They were arrested just days after Spain’s parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of the election. Advertisement Advertisement

The S&P 500 is set to end November well on pace for its best annual gain in a generation, powered by a robust economy, a supportive Federal Reserve and outsized gains for the megacap tech stocks that dominate the blue-chip benchmark. Wall Street analysts, giddy with the prospect of a regulation-burning and business-friendly administration under President-elect Donald Trump, see further gains well into the coming year as well, as the two year bull market gallops into 2025 and beyond. 🚨 Don’t Miss this amazing Black Friday move! Get 60% off TheStreet Pro. Act now before it’s gone 😲 Deutsche Bank analyst Bankim Chadha threw down Wall Street's furthest S&P 500 marker in a note published earlier this week, pegging his end-2025 price target at 7,000 points, a level that would suggest another 16.25% gain from Friday's close. Chadha and his team see "steady robust momentum continuing into 2025, with earnings-per-share growth in the low double digits." They forecast collective profits of $282 a share, $7 ahead of Wall Street's $275 consensus. "We see various aspects of the cycle still to come, including a move from de- to restocking; a pickup in [capital spending] outside tech; a manufacturing recovery; rises in consumer and corporate confidence; a recovery in capital markets and M&A activity; a pickup in loan growth; and rest of the world growth," Chadha and his team predicted in an outline that largely resembles Wall Street's lofty expectations for 2025 stock performance. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Threading that needle will be a complicated task, however, for a Trump administration that could be in conflict with the Fed, in trade wars with its largest partners, and mired in legal challenges to some of its key policy objectives tied to immigration and tariffs. Risks to Wall Street's bullish outlook While the economy is riding solid momentum into year-end, it is also susceptible to a pullback in government spending, as Trump has promised, and to a weakening labor market, which could add to concern that the recession risk it's been able to avoid for the past four years could soon resurface. The merger boom that banks are forecasting could also take time to develop, given that regulatory changes to the financial sector will take time to come into force and could face resistance in a Congress that will be controlled by only narrow Republican majorities. Big takeover deals could also be thwarted by the market's historically high valuations, which continue to suggest the need for a near-term correction should earnings in any of the upcoming quarters fall short of Wall Street's forecasts. Related: Goldman Sachs analyst sees starting point for year-end S&P 500 rally Another risk: Trump's trade policies, as evidenced by his selection of tariff hawk Jamieson Greer as U.S. trade representative and his threat to impose significant tariffs on goods imported from China and from allies in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada treaty. These factors have the potential to both stoke inflation and blunt global growth. Bank of America analysts suggest that Trump's 2018 tariffs clipped S&P 500 profit margins by around 60 basis points, or 0.6 percentage point. A similar impact in 2025 would add a 4% headwind to collective earnings growth. That could keep the Fed from following through on market bets for further 2025 interest rate cuts, removing an important tailwind for stock performance over the first half of the year. U.S. fund flows at record levels "We don’t think the Fed will cut rates as sharply as markets expect," said Jean Bolvin, who heads the BlackRock Investment Institute. "An aging workforce, persistent budget deficits and the impact of structural shifts like geopolitical fragmentation should keep inflation and policy rates higher over the medium term. " Wall Street's broader optimism, however, is not simply an insular view: Global investors are plowing cash into U.S. assets Bank of America's weekly Flow Show report, published Friday, said global investors are "all-in on Trump 2.0" and are positioned for further gains for U.S. assets into the January inauguration. Related: Analyst revamps S&P 500 target for 2025 U.S. stock funds, the report indicated, gathered $55.8 billion in new money last week, the most since March, with record flows into large-capitalization names and the best new allocation for small-cap funds this year. Broader growth forecasts, meanwhile, remain optimistic, with Goldman Sachs predicting a 2.5% advance for the U.S. economy next year. That above-trend forecast is tied in part to a resilient labor market, slowing inflation and robust consumer spending. Consumer confidence is surging In fact, the Conference Board's benchmark index of consumer confidence in November hit the highest levels in more than a year. Chief Economist Dana Peterson cited "more positive consumer assessments of the present situation, particularly regarding the labor market," from Americans participating in the benchmark survey, With consumers feeling flush and prepared to spend the largest amount on record over the holiday season, the economy's most-important driver is firing on all cylinders. The market's most influential sector, meanwhile, is confident enough to spend around $700 billion a year over the coming decade to build out artificial-intelligence data centers and capture the potential of what could be the most impactful technology since the steam engine. More Economic Analysis: Collectively, that should set the table for another leg higher in the current bull market, which began in October 2022 and has added around $20 trillion in value to the S&P 500 benchmark. U.S. valuations are elevated but not as stretched as traditional metrics imply," said Joe Davis, global head of Vanguard's Investment Strategy Group. "And more importantly, the market has been increasingly concentrated toward growth-oriented sectors, such as technology, that support higher valuations." "Ultimately, high starting valuations will drag long-term returns down. But history shows that absent an economic or earnings growth shock, U.S. equity market returns can continue to defy their valuation gravity in the near term," he added. Related: Veteran fund manager sees world of pain coming for stocksBet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images Why Invest in the Materials Sector? The S&P 500 Index ( SP500 ) represents the 500 largest companies in the U.S. It is also owned widely by retail investors in one form or another. Furthermore, the S&P 500 index High Income DIY Portfolios: The primary goal of "High Income DIY Portfolios" Marketplace service is high income with low risk and preservation of capital. It provides DIY investors with vital information and portfolio/asset allocation strategies to help create stable, long-term passive income with sustainable yields. The portfolios are designed for Income-Investors (including retirees or near-retirees). We provide seven portfolios: 3 buy-and-hold, 3 Rotational portfolios, and 3-Bucket NPP Model Portfolio. This includes two High-Income portfolios, two DGI portfolios, and a conservative NPP strategy portfolio with low drawdowns and high growth. For more details or a two-week free trial, please click here . Financially Free Investor is a financial writer with 25 years investment experience. He focuses on investing in dividend-growing stocks with a long-term horizon. He applies a unique 3-basket investment approach that aims for 30% lower drawdowns, 6% current income, and market-beating growth on a long-term basis and he focuses on dividend-growing stocks with a long-term horizon. Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ABT, ABBV, CI, JNJ, PFE, NVS, NVO, AZN, UNH, CL, CLX, UL, NSRGY, PG, TSN, ADM, BTI, MO, PM, KO, PEP, EXC, D, DEA, DEO, ENB, MCD, BAC, PRU, UPS, WMT, WBA, CVS, LOW, AAPL, IBM, CSCO, MSFT, INTC, T, VZ, CVX, XOM, VLO, ABB, ITW, MMM, LMT, LYB, RIO, O, NNN, WPC, ARCC, ARDC, AWF, BME, BST, CHI, DNP, USA, UTF, UTG, RFI, RNP, RQI, EVT, EOS, FFC, GOF, HQH, HTA, IFN, HYB, JPC, TLT either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational purposes only and in no way should be construed as financial advice or recommendation to buy or sell any stock. The author is not a financial advisor. Please always do further research and do your own due diligence before making any investments. Every effort has been made to present the data/information accurately; however, the author does not claim 100% accuracy. The stock portfolios presented here are model portfolios for demonstration purposes. For the complete list of our LONG positions, please see our profile on Seeking Alpha. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Elias Cato scores 23 as Central Arkansas tops UNC Asheville 92-83 in double OTThe Michigan Wolverines pulled off a stunning upset over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2024 edition of "The Game," with the final score settling in at 13-10. Immediately after the contest, a huge fight broke out between the two teams postgame, and Gus Johnson's commentary of the incident resulted in him getting blasted on social media. Immediately after the Wolverines won, their players rushed to the middle of the field to plant their flag on the Buckeyes logo at the center of Ohio Stadium. Unsurprisingly, Ohio State's players didn't take too kindly to that, and it resulted in the huge fight that ensued. 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LOS ANGELES — UCLA football underclassmen carried their seniors off the field after Thursday’s practice as part of Bruin tradition, hoisting them above their shoulders in honor of the work they’ve done in their time with the team. Two days later, 42 players walked in the Senior Day celebration prior to the Bruins’ season finale against Fresno State at the Rose Bowl. Redshirt junior Carson Schwesinger took part in the celebration, indicating the possibility that the Butkus Award-nominated linebacker may not stay for another next season. Schwesinger and head coach DeShaun Foster said the FBS’ leading tackler has not made a decision as to whether he will go to the NFL. “He’s really going to do whatever is best for him in that situation,” Foster told reporters Wednesday. “I completely understand, especially if he gets the Butkus Award, and the way that he came out and performed this season. He deserves to get a shot and go to the NFL.” Receiver J.Michael Sturdivant also walked for Senior Day. Sturdivant, a redshirt junior, was UCLA’s third-leading receiver heading into Saturday’s game with 311 total yards and one touchdown. He averaged 31.1 yards per game. Sturdivant’s ability to stretch the field was underutilized in his two seasons at UCLA after he previously played two seasons at Cal. Offensive lineman Josh Carlin, edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo and defensive lineman Jay Toia each walked with the seniors Saturday and are expected to make a push for the NFL. “Incredibly grateful for the Bruin program, the UCLA program,” Oladejo told reporters Tuesday. “Came in here at the age of 19 and I’m now 21, so I’ve grown here a lot. Grown as a man, matured. Not just on the field but off the field as well. This means a lot to me.” Other notable players who took part in Senior Day: offensive lineman Garret DiGiorgio, quarterbacks Ethan Garbers and Chase Griffin, running back Keegan Jones, receiver Logan Loya, tight end Moliki Matavao and linebacker Kain Medrano. “A game like, this you want to send the seniors off on the right note,” Schwesinger said, “but on top of that, it’s being able to go out there and play competitively. We’re all here because we like to play football and you get a chance to do that, you’ve gotta go out and play your hardest.” Jordan Chiles promotes return Olympic and UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles was in attendance for Saturday’s football game and gave a “4’s up” gesture on the big screen during the second quarter, promoting her return to UCLA. Chiles, a junior who took a year off to train for and compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, will make her return as a Bruin for the upcoming 2025 season. She made the announcement in an interview with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb in early August. Chiles won a silver medal in 2020 to make her the most decorated Olympian in UCLA women’s gymnastics history. She scored three perfect 10s in her 2022 season as a Bruin — two in floor exercise and one on the uneven bars. She won NCAA titles in both events in 2023 and was the runner-up in the all-around at the national championships. UCLA’s gymnastics season begins with its Meet the Bruins event on Dec. 14 at Pauley Pavilion.

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The customary Christmas tree delivery on Nov. 25, 2024, to the Kansas governor's mansion from Fontana marked the beginning of the holiday season. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector) CEDAR CREST — About a year ago, Ed Bartoszek’s mother could ride a tractor through the rows of pines on the family tree farm in Fontana. His mother, Faye, now sits in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in October of last year, but she was able to witness Monday a tree grown at her ’60s-era tree farm tucked into a corner at the governor’s mansion at Cedar Crest. “Getting her up here was most important,” Bartoszek said. It’s the first Christmas tree the Bartoszek family has been able to donate to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly from their farm, Fontana Pines, south of Kansas City. As it was delivered in a horse-drawn carriage and carried by the teen-aged members of the family into the mansion, Ed Bartoszek said he was filled with emotion. “I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s a nice feeling,” he said. The tree was a 9-foot scotch pine, and Ed Bartoszek wandered the four fields of trees on his property to find the right one for Kelly. Members of the Kansas Forest Service, the Kansas Christmas Tree Growers Association and the horses’ current and former owners welcomed the tree Monday alongside Kelly to mark the beginning of the holiday season. The same pair of horses have delivered a Christmas tree to the governor’s mansion off and on for more than a decade. Cecil and Robert Carter, the horse’s former owners, have been a part of the ceremonious delivery during those years, and this year will likely be their last as they sold the business. The horses will carry on with new owners. “It’s a relief,” Cecil Carter said. “The thing that we miss most is being out in the public.” The Carters talked Monday on their drive to Cedar Crest about the politics, or lack thereof, in their business, Cecil said. Each governor is different. Former Gov. Sam Brownback used to like to get into the carriage and hold the reigns, he said. “When I do a job, there’s no political feelings whatsoever,” Cecil Carter said. Race, gender, political beliefs don’t matter to him, he said. Kelly visited with Faye Bartoszek and the rest of the family and posed for photos in her home. She advised Kansans preparing for potentially opinionated holiday gatherings “to do exactly what I’m going to do — and that’s steer away from conversations that are divisive.”AP News in Brief at 6:09 p.m. EST

Quarterback Joe Burrow's home broken into during Monday night game: OfficialsIt was a memorable moment for head coach Kevin O’Connell last weekend in the locker room at Lumen Field in Seattle. After the Vikings earned a 27-24 win over the Seahawks, O’Connell went through his usual routine of handing out game balls to his players. ADVERTISEMENT He recognized kicker Will Reichard and punter Ryan Wright for their prowess on special teams. He recognized safety Theo Jackson, edge rusher Dallas Turner and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel for the impact they made on defense. He recognized receiver Justin Jefferson and quarterback Sam Darnold for making everything go on offense. Just before the Vikings started packing up, right tackle Brian O’Neill took the floor, flipping a game ball to O’Connell to recognize him for becoming the only head coach in franchise history to win at least 13 games more than once. The locker room erupted and appropriately mobbed their leader in celebration. As he reflected Friday on that particular exchange, O’Connell couldn’t help but smile. “Nobody I respect more than Brian O’Neill,” O’Connell said. “To get that from him in that moment was really special.” It’s clear how much respect O’Connell has earned since taking over the Vikings. Ask any of his players about him and they will go out of their way to make a pitch for him winning NFL Coach of the Year. As the current betting favorite in Las Vegas, O’Connell could very well be on his way to winning that annual accolade. Not that any of his players are surprised. They also aren’t surprised that O’Connell has already made franchise history. It’s a testament to the culture he has worked so hard to build over the past few seasons. ADVERTISEMENT “That’s a credit to who he is as a person,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to play under him.” As for O’Connell getting the game ball, Darnold joked that it was long overdue. “It was awesome,” Darnold said. “Just the way that KO approaches every single week, the way that he gets us ready, the way that he keeps everything very relaxed on game day, it helps us go out there and play loose and free.” There’s a chance linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (hamstring) could make his return when the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon. He is being listed as questionable as he works through the final stages of the recovery process. He would need to be activated off injured reserve in order to play, which means the Vikings would have to make a corresponding roster move. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .