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NoneThe 49ers’ season is over. Ignore the nonsense being pushed about this team winning out and making the playoffs. Cue the famous Jim Mora Sr. soundbite: “Playoffs? Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.” And yet there is so much to play for in the season’s final five games. The beauty of the NFL is that every week, everyone is playing for their jobs. You’re either getting better or getting worse, and you don’t want to be in the latter category ahead of what should be a dramatic, resetting offseason in Santa Clara, Calif. So, in the final weeks, the young players who are now given a shot at serious playing time because of injury or a depth chart reshuffle need to point their arrows up. The older players, whose arrows might be pointing down, need to level out. Coaches have five weeks to prove they’re not this team’s problem. Oh, and then there’s the $60 million-per-season question that still needs to be answered. The 49ers brass — Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, and CEO Jed York chief among them — have not wavered on their commitment to quarterback Brock Purdy. (By all accounts, York has not wavered on Shanahan or Lynch, either.) The money for a massive contract extension is budgeted for this upcoming offseason. But, at the risk of over-legitimizing it, the question of whether the Niners should hand Purdy that massive new contract still lingers among the fan base and the media. And it’s not just the unhinged portions of those groups pushing that idea, either. That’s not to be overlooked. As we found out with the Trey Lance draft pick, the Niners’ brass can be influenced by both fans and the media. (We’ll all take the L on that one.) So, while the money is ready, the contract hasn’t been drawn up just yet, and it’s more than fair to say that Purdy’s arrow, perhaps for the first time in his short NFL career, is pointing down. It’s on him in the final five games to flip it and make paying him a no-brainer decision for everybody. Yes, $60 million a year is an eye-watering number. Blame inflation. It seems like just yesterday that Jimmy Garoppolo signed a market-setting deal that paid him $27 million per season. Now we’re doubling it? Maybe Garoppolo isn’t the best example, but it’s easy to see why this kind of number sits wrong with so many people. However, the NFL’s salary cap — which rose 13 percent from 2023 to 2024 — has added nearly $100 million since the 49ers signed Garoppolo in 2018. And it’s not as if the importance of competent quarterbacking has diminished since then. These days, high-school quarterbacks spark eight-figure contract bidding wars. I understand the concerns about paying a quarterback top-of-the-line money for not top-of-the-line production, but not everyone gets a Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. This is a league where Dak Prescott makes $60 million per season, Tua Tagovailoa makes $53 million, Trevor Lawrence makes $55 million, and Kirk Cousins makes $45 million. The market is set. It’s not hard to figure out where Purdy fits. The 24-year-old quarterback might be having a down year, but he’s still a hell of a player. His scrambling ability is a critical reason why the Niners have not yet been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The coaches’ All-22 film is far more forgiving of his play than the zoomed-in broadcast view. Either way, what’s the alternative to paying Purdy for the 49ers? Draft another quarterback? For every Purdy, there’s a Lance. There’s a C.J. Beathard, too. Sign 2023’s backup quarterback Sam Darnold to a short-term mid-tier deal (somewhere in the $35 million-per-year range)? In the best-case scenario, you’ll have to pay him like Purdy — more than Purdy, in fact — in a year or two. Worst-case scenario, everyone (who can be fired) is fired for letting Purdy walk out the door and not having a viable replacement. Personally, I would have no problem with delaying Purdy’s signing for as long as possible. Make him play out the fourth and final year of his rookie contract at $1.19 million, and then go full Cousins and franchise tag him once or twice. But that’s an easy tactic to take in Madden or a column. It’s a bit more challenging to pull with a quarterback you have to see every day. Nothing says “We trust you to lead this team,” like having a guy on a temp-worker contract. The word “toxic” comes to mind. The Niners believe in rewarding their best players with market-setting contracts. They should. But they should have learned a lesson from this past summer that it’s in no one’s best interest to delay that gratification. I imagine they’ll sign Purdy to his new deal shortly after the season. No fuss, no muss. The young quarterback must find a way in the final five weeks to ensure that such an agreement on his value extends beyond the team facility. ©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at mercurynews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Essential technology, done right (PRNewsfoto/Marvell Technology Group Ltd.) SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRVL), a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025. Net revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $1.516 billion , $66 .0 million above the mid-point of the Company's guidance provided on August 29, 2024 . GAAP net loss for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $(676.3) million, or $(0.78) per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was $373 .0 million, or $0.43 per diluted share. Cash flow from operations for the third quarter was $536.3 million . "Marvell's fiscal third quarter 2025 revenue grew 19% sequentially, well above the mid-point of our guidance, driven by strong demand from AI. For the fourth quarter, we are forecasting another 19% sequential revenue growth at the midpoint of guidance, while year-over-year, we expect revenue growth to accelerate significantly to 26%, marking the beginning of a new era of growth for Marvell," said Matt Murphy , Marvell's Chairman and CEO. "The exceptional performance in the third quarter, and our strong forecast for the fourth quarter, are primarily driven by our custom AI silicon programs, which are now in volume production, further augmented by robust ongoing demand from cloud customers for our market-leading interconnect products. We look forward to a strong finish to this fiscal year and expect substantial momentum to continue in fiscal 2026." Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2025 Financial Outlook GAAP diluted EPS is calculated using basic weighted-average shares outstanding when there is a GAAP net loss, and calculated using diluted weighted-average shares outstanding when there is a GAAP net income. Non-GAAP diluted EPS is calculated using diluted weighted-average shares outstanding. Conference Call Marvell will conduct a conference call on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 1:45 p.m. Pacific Time to discuss results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025. Interested parties may join the conference call without operator assistance by registering and entering their phone number at https://emportal.ink/4fngg8m to receive an instant automated call back. To join the call with operator assistance, please dial 1-800-836-8184 or 1-646-357-8785. The call will be webcast and can be accessed at the Marvell Investor Relations website at http://investor.marvell.com/ . A replay of the call can be accessed by dialing 1-888-660-6345 or 1-646-517-4150, passcode 47973# until Tuesday, December 10, 2024 . Discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Non-GAAP financial measures exclude the effect of stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition and divestiture-related costs, restructuring and other related charges (including, but not limited to, asset impairment charges, recognition of future contractual obligations, employee severance costs, and facilities related charges), resolution of legal matters, and certain expenses and benefits that are driven primarily by discrete events that management does not consider to be directly related to Marvell's core business. Although Marvell excludes the amortization of all acquired intangible assets from these non-GAAP financial measures, management believes that it is important for investors to understand that such intangible assets were recorded as part of purchase price accounting arising from acquisitions, and that such amortization of intangible assets that relate to past acquisitions will recur in future periods until such intangible assets have been fully amortized. Investors should note that the use of intangible assets contributed to Marvell's revenues earned during the periods presented and are expected to contribute to Marvell's future period revenues as well. Marvell uses a non-GAAP tax rate to compute the non-GAAP tax provision. This non-GAAP tax rate is based on Marvell's estimated annual GAAP income tax forecast, adjusted to account for items excluded from Marvell's non-GAAP income, as well as the effects of significant non-recurring and period specific tax items which vary in size and frequency, and excludes tax deductions and benefits from acquired tax loss and credit carryforwards and changes in valuation allowance on acquired deferred tax assets. Marvell's non-GAAP tax rate is determined on an annual basis and may be adjusted during the year to take into account events that may materially affect the non-GAAP tax rate such as tax law changes; acquisitions; significant changes in Marvell's geographic mix of revenue and expenses; or changes to Marvell's corporate structure. For the third quarter of fiscal 2025, a non-GAAP tax rate of 7.0% has been applied to the non-GAAP financial results. Marvell believes that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provides important supplemental information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to Marvell's financial condition and results of operations. While Marvell uses non-GAAP financial measures as a tool to enhance its understanding of certain aspects of its financial performance, Marvell does not consider these measures to be a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Consistent with this approach, Marvell believes that disclosing non-GAAP financial measures to the readers of its financial statements provides such readers with useful supplemental data that, while not a substitute for GAAP financial measures, allows for greater transparency in the review of its financial and operational performance. Externally, management believes that investors may find Marvell's non-GAAP financial measures useful in their assessment of Marvell's operating performance and the valuation of Marvell. Internally, Marvell's non-GAAP financial measures are used in the following areas: Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the costs associated with the operations of Marvell's business as determined in accordance with GAAP. As a result, you should not consider these measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of Marvell's results as reported under GAAP. The exclusion of the above items from our GAAP financial metrics does not necessarily mean that these costs are unusual or infrequent. Forward-Looking Statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause our actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "forecasts," "targets," "may," "can," "will," "would" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, the statements describing our financial outlook and future period revenues. These statements are not guarantees of results and should not be considered as an indication of future activity or future performance. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: risks related to changes in general macroeconomic conditions, or expectations of such conditions, such as high or rising interest rates, macroeconomic slowdowns, recessions, inflation, and stagflation; risks related to our ability to estimate customer demand and future sales accurately; our ability to define, design, develop and market products for the Cloud, 5G markets, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) markets; risks related to our dependence on a few customers for a significant portion of our revenue, particularly as our major customers comprise an increasing percentage of our revenue, as well as risks related to a significant portion of our sales being concentrated in the data center end market; risks related to higher inventory levels; risks related to cancellations, rescheduling or deferrals of significant customer orders or shipments, as well as the ability of our customers to manage inventory; our ability to realize the expected benefits from restructuring activities; the risk of downturns in the semiconductor industry or our customer end markets; the impact of international conflict (such as the current armed conflicts in the Ukraine and in Israel and the Gaza Strip ) and economic volatility in either domestic or foreign markets including risks related to trade conflicts or tensions, regulations, and tariffs, including but not limited to, trade restrictions imposed on our Chinese customers; our ability to retain and hire key personnel; our ability to limit costs related to defective products; risks related to our debt obligations; risks related to the rapid growth of the Company; delays or increased costs related to completing the design, development, production and introduction of our new products due to a variety of issues, including supply chain cross-dependencies, dependencies on EDA and similar tools, dependencies on the use of third-party, business partner or customer intellectual property, collaboration and synchronization requirements with business partners and customers, requirements to establish new manufacturing, testing, assembly and packing processes, and other issues; our reliance on our manufacturing partners for the manufacture, assembly, testing and packaging of our products; risks related to the ASIC business model which requires us to use third-party IP including the risk that we may lose business or experience reputational harm if third parties, including customers, lose confidence in our ability to protect their IP rights; the risks associated with manufacturing and selling products and customers' products outside of the United States ; our ability to secure design wins from our customers and prospective customers; our ability to complete and realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions, divestitures and investments; decreases in gross margin and results of operations in the future due to a number of factors, including high or increasing interest rates and volatility in foreign exchange rates; severe financial hardship or bankruptcy of one or more of our major customers; the effects of transitioning to smaller geometry process technologies; risks related to use of a hybrid work model; the impact of any change in the income tax laws in jurisdictions where we operate and the loss of any beneficial tax treatment that we currently enjoy; the outcome of pending or future litigation and legal and regulatory proceedings; risk related to our Sustainability program; the impact and costs associated with changes in international financial and regulatory conditions; our ability and the ability of our customers to successfully compete in the markets in which we serve; our ability and our customers' ability to develop new and enhanced products and the adoption of those products in the market; supply chain disruptions or component shortages that may impact the production of our products including our kitting process or may impact the price of components which in turn may impact our margins on any impacted products and any constrained availability from other electronic suppliers impacting our customers' ability to ship their products, which in turn may adversely impact our sales to those customers; our ability to scale our operations in response to changes in demand for existing or new products and services; risks associated with acquisition and consolidation activity in the semiconductor industry, including any consolidation of our manufacturing partners; our ability to protect our intellectual property; risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (or future pandemics) which have impacted, and for which lingering effects may continue to impact our business, employees and operations, the transportation and manufacturing of our products, and the operations of our customers, distributors, vendors, suppliers, and partners; our maintenance of an effective system of internal controls; financial institution instability; and other risks detailed in our SEC filings from time to time. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect our business described in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed by us from time to time with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Marvell To deliver the data infrastructure technology that connects the world, we're building solutions on the most powerful foundation: our partnerships with our customers. Trusted by the world's leading technology companies for over 25 years, we move, store, process and secure the world's data with semiconductor solutions designed for our customers' current needs and future ambitions. Through a process of deep collaboration and transparency, we're ultimately changing the way tomorrow's enterprise, cloud, automotive, and carrier architectures transform—for the better. Marvell ® and the Marvell logo are registered trademarks of Marvell and/or its affiliates.

A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul The people that president-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All of them could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a new political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans’ health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. If Congress approves, prominent environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will helm the team. Here’s a look at the nominees’ potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Israeli strikes without warning in central Beirut kill at least 15 as diplomats push for cease-fire BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 15 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon’s capital continue without warning. Diplomats are scrambling to broker a cease-fire but say obstacles still remain. The current proposal calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon in the months of fighting that have turned into all-out war. Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Election reform advocates had hoped for a big year at the ballot box. That's because a historic number of states were considering initiatives for ranked choice voting or to end partisan primaries. Instead, voters dealt them big losses in the November elections. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota all rejected proposed changes to their voting systems. In Alaska, a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting appears to have narrowly fallen short. The losses in many states came even though election reform supporters raised more than $100 million, easily outpacing opponents. Supporters say they aren't giving up but plan to retool their efforts. The week that upped the stakes of the Ukraine war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation. Winter storms and rain sweep across the US while a new system is expected to arrive for Thanksgiving HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — A major storm continues to drop heavy snow and record rain in California, causing small landslides and flooding some streets. Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, blizzard or winter storm warnings were in effect Saturday from parts of the Northeast to central Appalachia. The storm on the West Coast arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands, before moving through Northern California. Another storm system is expected to arrive for Thanksgiving week and linger into Tuesday in the Pacific Northwest, dumping rain as well as snow in the higher elevations. That is according to the National Weather Service. Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight Most people taking popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight have shed significant pounds. But obesity experts say that roughly 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not see robust results with the new medications. The response to the drugs varies from person to person and can depend on genetics, hormones and differences in how the brain regulates energy. Undiagnosed medical conditions and some drugs can prevent weight loss. Experts say it can take experimentation to help so-called nonresponders find results. Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 37 people PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A senior Pakistani police officer says fighting between armed sectarian groups in the country's restive northwest has killed at least 37 people. The overnight violence was the latest to rock Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and comes days after a deadly gun ambush killed 42 people. The officer said Saturday that armed men torched shops, houses and government property overnight. Gunfire is ongoing between rival tribes. Although Sunnis and Shiites generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, tensions remain in some areas, especially Kurram. Doctor at the heart of Turkey's newborn baby deaths case says he was a 'trusted' physician ISTANBUL (AP) — The Turkish doctor at the center of an alleged fraud scheme that led to the deaths of 10 babies says he was a “trusted” physician. Dr. Firat Sari is one of 47 people on trial accused of transferring newborn babies to neonatal units of private hospitals, where they were allegedly kept for prolonged and sometimes unnecessary treatments in order to receive social security payments. Sari said patients were referred to him because people trusted him and he did not bribe anyone involved with Turkey’s emergency medical phone line. Sari, said to be the plot’s ringleader, faces up to 583 years in prison. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August.iRobot to Present at Upcoming Investor Conferences

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CIBC Asset Management Inc Purchases New Shares in Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITCI)

Article content Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lashed out at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a day after two separate protests in Montreal became violent Friday night. Recommended Videos Trudeau’s hometown was the sight of demonstrations for a second straight day, organized by the groups Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles. The city is hosting about 300 delegates from NATO members and partner countries over four days, where the discussion is expected to focus on Ukraine, climate change and the alliance’s future. However, the pro-Palestinian and anti-NATO protesters converged and smashed windows, clashed with police and set two vehicles on fire , reports the Montreal Gazette . One person was seen setting fire to an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Three people were arrested, accused of assaulting and obstructing cops. Trudeau said he condemned the violence in a statement released at noon on Saturday. “What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling. Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them,” he wrote. “The RCMP are in communication with local police. There must be consequences, and rioters held accountable.” What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling. Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them. The RCMP are in communication with local police. There must be consequences, and rioters held accountable. On social media, critics of Trudeau — including Poilievre — juxtaposed the Prime Minister, who was captured on video dancing at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto, with images of the violent and antisemitic behaviour in Montreal. Terrorism on our streets and Trudeau doesn't care. Pro-Hamas riots are taking place in Montreal, meanwhile Trudeau is at a Taylor Swift concert displaying his cringe dance moves. pic.twitter.com/0wpXUgRNFa Nothing can explain the current situation in Canada better than these two events that happened simultaneously. On the left: Montréal is burning and Hamas supporters are also burning effigies of Jews on the streets. On the right: Justin Trudeau, crime minister of Canada, is... pic.twitter.com/4IsOFxBf6N “You act surprised. We are reaping what you sowed,” Poilievre began his response to Trudeau in a lengthy post on X. “This is what happens when a Prime Minister spends nine years pushing toxic woke identity politics, dividing and subdividing people by race, gender, vaccine status, religion, region, age, wealth, etc.” You act surprised. We are reaping what you sowed. This is what happens when a Prime Minister spends 9 years pushing toxic woke identity politics, dividing and subdividing people by race, gender, vaccine status, religion, region, age, wealth, etc. On top of driving people apart,... https://t.co/FkEAPCnY6g Poilievre continued, pointing out how the Prime Minister continues to drive people apart and “systematically break what used to bring us together, saying Canada is a ‘post-national state’ with ‘no core identity.'” “You erased our veterans and military, the Famous Five and even Terry Fox from our passport to replace them with meaningless squirrels, snowflakes and a drawing of yourself swimming as a boy,” Poilievre added. The Opposition Leader then turned to border security and rampant criminality affecting the country. “You opened the borders to terrorists and lawbreakers and called anyone who questioned it racist,” he wrote. “You send out your MPs to say one thing in a mosque and the opposite in a synagogue, one thing in a mandir and the opposite in a gurdwara. “You have made Canada a playground for foreign interference. You allowed Iran’s IRGC terrorists to legally operate here for four years after they murdered 55 of our citizens in a major unprovoked attack. “You passed laws that release rampant offenders from prison within hours of their 80th arrest. “And what is the result? Assassinations on Canadian soil, firebombings of synagogues, extremist violence against mandirs and gurdwaras, over 100 churches burned or vandalized (with barely any condemnation from you), all for a total 251% more hate crime.” All on Trudeau’s watch, he added, before taking a swipe at the PM for having a good time at the Taylor Swift concert on the same day as the riots. “And, while you were dancing, Montreal was burning,” Poilievre wrote. “We won’t let you divide us anymore. Call an election now,” he demanded. “We will fire you and reclaim our citizenship, our values, our lives, our freedom and, most of all, our country.”UCF will attempt to shake off a dreadful offensive performance when it collides with LSU on Sunday afternoon in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The Knights (4-1) couldn't get anything going against No. 19 Wisconsin on Friday, going 21-for-62 from the field (33.9 percent) and just 2-for-17 from 3-point range (11.8 percent) en route to an 86-70 loss. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with 13 points while Keyshawn Hall and Dior Johnson added 11 apiece for UCF, which never led and fell behind by as many as 23. Knights coach Johnny Dawkins is hoping that his team's struggles don't carry over into the meeting with the Tigers (4-1). "We have to do better offensively," Dawkins said. "We have to space the floor better. We have to balance our offense between our perimeter and our bigs. Those are things that we didn't do consistently (on Friday)." LSU also needs to clean things up after committing 15 turnovers in a 74-63 setback against Pitt on Friday. Tigers forward Jalen Reed doesn't believe giving the ball away will be a lingering issue. "I feel like a lot of our turnovers were more on us than them," Reed said. "I feel like a lot of the turnovers were careless, but we're a better team than that and I feel like we'll take care of the ball better moving forward." Reed and Vyctorius Miller each posted 14 points in the loss to the Panthers, with Reed also hauling in seven rebounds. Cam Carter chipped in 11 points. Carter is putting up a team-leading 16.4 points per game. Jordan Sears (12.0 points per game), Reed (11.0) and Miller (10.2) also have scoring averages in double figures. Ivy-Curry (16.8 points per game), Hall (16.2) and Darius Johnson (13.0) have been leading the way for UCF. Sunday marks the first-ever meeting between the Knights and Tigers. --Field Level Media

S.Korea political upheaval shows global democracy's fragility - and resilience

Caprock Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials ( NYSE:VMC – Free Report ) by 25.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,041 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 416 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC’s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $511,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 19.9% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,320,570 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,332,431,000 after buying an additional 884,580 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,130,537 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $533,551,000 after acquiring an additional 330,433 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Vulcan Materials by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 1,369,530 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $342,971,000 after acquiring an additional 91,318 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Vulcan Materials by 3.4% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,332,649 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $331,404,000 after purchasing an additional 43,294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, XN LP lifted its position in shares of Vulcan Materials by 21.6% during the second quarter. XN LP now owns 519,647 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $129,226,000 after purchasing an additional 92,388 shares in the last quarter. 90.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Stephens cut their price objective on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Vulcan Materials from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, November 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $349.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vulcan Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.46. Vulcan Materials Price Performance VMC stock opened at $284.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $261.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $254.72. The stock has a market cap of $37.59 billion, a PE ratio of 44.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.81. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $209.60 and a one year high of $298.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 2.02. Vulcan Materials ( NYSE:VMC – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The construction company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.34 by ($0.12). Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The firm had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.29 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Vulcan Materials will post 7.2 EPS for the current fiscal year. Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Monday, November 4th will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 4th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. Vulcan Materials’s payout ratio is 29.02%. About Vulcan Materials ( Free Report ) Vulcan Materials Company, together with its subsidiaries, produces and supplies construction aggregates primarily in the United States. It operates through four segments: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Calcium. The company provides crushed stones, sand and gravel, sand, and other aggregates; and related products and services that are applied in construction and maintenance of highways, streets, and other public works, as well as in the construction of housing and commercial, industrial, and other nonresidential facilities. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vulcan Materials ( NYSE:VMC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Vulcan Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vulcan Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Check out the report card from Nebraska's 44-25 win against Wisconsin on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Who can name Nebraska's last 100-yard rusher in a game, before Emmett Johnson achieved the feat Saturday? Johnson ran like he had something to prove, repeatedly shedding the first Badger to get to him. His best run of the day may have been a 19-yard burst in the third quarter when he patiently followed pulling linemen Ben Scott and Henry Lutovsky. Dante Dowdell has a knack for the end zone, scoring three times. (Trivia answer: Chubba Purdy ... against Wisconsin last year). Dylan Raiola has his rhythm back. He spent most of the game hovering around a 70 percent completion rate, which is reminiscent of his first four or five games. The ball is getting out of his hands quicker, and those pitch-and-catches are finally going for big gains. One of his best throws of the day was originally ruled a touchdown on a fade ball to Isaiah Neyor, but replay confirmed he didn't get a foot down. Jahmal Banks had a great TD snag in which he leaped, snared the ball and got his toes down. John Bullock's second tackle for loss of the game stopped Wisconsin's Tawee Walker on fourth-and-1 midway through the third quarter, and it felt like an early dagger for the home team. Bullock was a standout on senior day. The Huskers had some open-field tackling issues but held their own on third- and fourth-down situations. Darrion Dupree was a nice change-of-pace option for the Badgers, averaging 7.5 yards on his seven attempts. Wisconsin found success early on slant passes, including one that went to Vinny Anthony for 42 yards after Isaac Gifford whiffed on a tackle. After that, Braedyn Locke was able to open it for deep balls, including touchdown tosses of 24 and 58 yards. Wisconsin's Vinny Anthony had a big day, racking up six catches for 128 yards and Locke threw for more yards than he has in his past five games. A cool moment for DeShon Singleton, who came down with an interception in his final game at Memorial Stadium. Brian Buschini is having a great season, and Saturday was another notch on his belt. First, he ripped a 52-yard punt that flipped field possession, and he followed that up with a 49-yard boot that went out of bounds at the Wisconsin 3-yard line. Equally as impressive was kicker John "ol' reliable" Hohl, who made all three of his field goals and stayed clean on extra points. Oh, and how about Jacory Barney's 55-yard kick return to open the game? NU's third phase is trending up after a turbulent stretch. A question we might not ever get an answer to: Why was Matt Rhule forced to use a challenge to review Wisconsin's first-quarter touchdown? Don't all scoring plays get reviewed automatically? In a similar situation later in the game, Wisconsin was spared from using a challenge for officials to take another look at a Nebraska touchdown, which was reversed. Also, the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Micah Mazzccua for spiking the ball on a touchdown felt unnecessary. Nebraska scored a touchdown on its first possession of a game for the first time since the Northern Iowa game. A true tone-setter. There's plenty to unpack from Holgorsen's play sheet — it's no coincidence it only took him two games to pop a 100-yard rusher. And, 44 points for a team that has scored 20 (twice), 17, 7 and 14 in its past five games. That'll do. For the first time in 49 days, Nebraska won a football game. That was a long 49 for everyone involved. This one is a little more cathartic than usual, too, as the Huskers finally wrapped their arms around a bowl berth. It also takes a big bite out of the pressure NU faces on Black Friday vs. Iowa, which is no longer a "must-win." Get local news delivered to your inbox!By Trevor Hass, The Boston Globe In an unpredictable season filled with surges and setbacks, consistency has eluded the Boston College football team. The Eagles, who have been on the hunt for a complete game ever since a drubbing of Duquesne in Week 2, finally found one Saturday against North Carolina. BC dominated on both sides of the ball, running away with a resounding 41-21 triumph at Alumni Stadium. The Eagles (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) intercepted three passes, stopped the Tar Heels (6-5, 3-4) on their first 10 third-down attempts, and commanded possession. Boston College is bowl eligible for the eighth time in nine seasons and has won five games at home for the first time since 2018. “It hasn’t been perfect, don’t get me wrong, but these kids have really worked hard for us,” first-year coach Bill O’Brien said. “I’m very happy for them. It’s very well earned.” On the 40-year anniversary of the Miracle in Miami , and with members of that team in attendance, BC put forth a throwback performance. O’Brien said he showed the final drive to his team Friday to hammer home what playing until the very end looks like. “There’s a lot of tradition here at Boston College,” O’Brien said. “For those guys to be here meant a lot to our program.” The Eagles played inspired, together football from the start. They orchestrated two methodical 13-play scoring drives to open the game, overpowering the Tar Heels at the line of scrimmage. The first drive ended with a 49-yard Liam Connor field goal that crept over the crossbar, and the second yielded a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Grayson James. Boston College did its damage primarily in the air in the first half. UNC prioritized stopping the run, and Lewis Bond (9 catches, 81 yards) and the Eagles took advantage. “We got things going early,” James said. “We played our brand of football.” A 24-yard touchdown run from Johnathan Montague Jr., on a well-disguised end-around, pushed the margin to 17-0 at 9:05 of the second quarter. North Carolina got on the board when Chris Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to make it 17-7. BC ensured UNC didn’t keep momentum for long. After closing out the half poorly in a loss to Southern Methodist the week prior, the Eagles finished it with conviction Saturday. “We’ve had these leads throughout the season,” BC linebacker Joe Marinaro said. “We need to keep building those leads, make them insurmountable leads, and keep the foot on the gas. That’s something we know we’ve needed to improve on this year, and I think we did a really good job of that today.” Marinaro intercepted a Jacolby Criswell pass and returned it 18 yards to the UNC 32, eliciting the one of the most enthusiastic celebrations of the season from the BC sideline. Marinaro, a former walk-on who became a captain this season, continues to fill in admirably with BC short at linebacker. The pick paved the way for an 18-yard TD pass from James (18 for 27, 192 yards) to Reed Harris with 40 seconds left in the half. James aired the ball out past two defenders to where only the 6-foot-5-inch Harris could corral it. “I don’t think anything can replace experience,” James said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better every game that I played in, and every practice as well. Game reps are paramount. I’m comfortable with the guys out there, and they’re comfortable with me.” Donovan Ezeiruaku sacked Criswell on UNC’s next possession, and Carter Davis picked off a pass in the end zone to cement the Eagles’ 24-7 halftime advantage. BC neutralized star running back Omarion Hampton — who entered the day second in the nation in rushing yards — by holding him to 23 yards on six carries in the first half and 53 yards total on 11 attempts. The Eagles limited the ACC’s top running attack to -3 rushing yards in the half and held a 240-77 edge in net total yards, while dominating possession 20:33 to 9:27. Boston College kept it rolling early in the third quarter, as an Isaiah Farris 52-yard punt return set up a 27-yard Connor field goal to make it 27-7 heading to the fourth. The Eagles extended the margin to 34-7 with 12:38 left, when pressure from Neto Okpala led to a 78-yard pick-6 from Ryan Turner. “Ryan Turner has gone from the bottom of the depth chart to the top of the depth chart,” O’Brien said. “He’s earned it. He’s stuck with it. It hasn’t been easy for him.” Kye Robichaux (23 carries, 93 yards) added an 8-yard TD rush in the final minutes. UNC scored twice in the game’s last 2:09, on two rushes from Davion Gause, but the outcome had been decided long before that. The defensive line dictated the action, as the Eagles finished with seven sacks and kept Criswell out of rhythm. BC racked up 420 net total yards, to just 212 for UNC, as the Tar Heels averaged 1.4 yards per rush and had 13 total first downs. “The D-line played really well,” O’Brien said. “They probably played their best game.” It was just one game, but it showed how dangerous this Eagles team can be when everything is clicking. Boston College welcomes Pittsburgh (7-3, 3-3) to town next Saturday at 3 p.m. to close out the regular season . The Eagles have bigger goals, but this one served as a milestone as they know they’ll be playing into December. “We feel like we’ve left a couple weeks out there on the table,” center Drew Kendall said. “We just had to go out there and execute for a full 60 minutes, and that’s what we did today.” Get the latest Boston sports news Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Be civil. Be kind.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary , drank in ways that concerned his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox employees who spoke with NBC News. Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set. One of the sources said they smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month and heard him complain about being hungover this fall. None of the sources with whom NBC News has spoken could recall an instance in which Hegseth missed a scheduled appearance because he’d been drinking. "Everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes before he went on the air,” one of the former Fox employees said. On Sunday night, the New Yorker detailed concerns about Hegseth’s drinking at two jobs he held at veterans’ nonprofits before joining Fox. “A previously undisclosed whistle-blower report on Hegseth’s tenure as the president of Concerned Veterans for America, from 2013 until 2016, describes him as being repeatedly intoxicated while acting in his official capacity — to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization’s events,” the magazine reported. According to the New Yorker, Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Hegseth, responded: “We’re not going to comment on outlandish claims laundered through The New Yorker by a petty and jealous disgruntled former associate of Mr. Hegseth’s. Get back to us when you try your first attempt at actual journalism.” This account of Hegseth’s time at Fox News is based on NBC News interviews with three current and seven former Fox employees, all of whom asked not to be named due to fear of retaliation. Three current employees said that his drinking remained a concern up until Trump announced him as his choice to run the Pentagon, at which point Hegseth left Fox. “He’s such a charming guy, but he just acted like the rules didn’t apply to him,” one of the former employees said. A spokesperson for the Trump transition team said: “These disgusting allegations are completely unfounded and false, and anyone peddling these defamatory lies to score political cheap shots is sickening. As a decorated combat veteran, Pete has never done anything to jeopardize that, and he is treating his nomination as the most important deployment of his life.” Parlatore, Hegseth's lawyer, referred NBC to the statement from the Trump transition spokesperson. Fox News did not respond to requests for comment. Round-the-clock duties The former colleagues’ descriptions of Hegseth’s behavior while he was employed at Fox News raise questions about his ability to carry out the round-the-clock duties involved in managing the Pentagon and its 3 million civilian and military employees. A secretary of defense is generally working at all hours and might need to respond to a crisis that arises suddenly at night or on a weekend. In February 2023, while traveling in Manila on the kind of trip that often requires socializing with other high-level officials, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was awakened at 3 a.m. local time for a phone call about a Chinese spy balloon flying over the continental U.S. Similarly, the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel began around midnight Eastern Time. And the Department of Defense is responsible for protecting U.S. cities and infrastructure from potential airborne threats similar to the 9/11 attacks. At any time, day or night, the secretary of defense might be called upon to decide whether a civilian aircraft should be shot down. The wrong decision either way could mean the death of innocent people. “For the sake of national security, I really hope he has stopped drinking,” one of the former Fox employees said. “He should not be secretary of defense,” another former Fox employee said. “His drinking should be disqualifying.” In 1989, the Senate rejected then-President George H.W. Bush’s nominee to be defense secretary, former Sen. John Tower , R-Texas, in part over concerns about Tower’s history of drinking. As a co-host, Hegseth needed to be at work early on weekend mornings. For a show that began at 6 a.m. ET, his female co-hosts would come in around 4 a.m. to prepare and have their hair and makeup done; male co-hosts typically arrived around 5 or 5:15 a.m., 45 minutes before they went on air, three sources said. One current and two former Fox employees said they felt like they needed to “babysit” Hegseth due to his drinking and late nights. “We’d have to call him to make sure he didn’t oversleep because we knew he’d be out partying the night before,” one of them said. Another said, “Morning TV is stressful, and more times than not Pete made it even more stressful.” Hegseth sometimes arrived with only 20 minutes or less before the show began, according to those three sources, stressing out his colleagues. They said Hegseth’s makeup would sometimes need to be done while he was on set because his late arrival left his colleagues with such a small amount of time. The sources could not say whether his lateness was caused solely by drinking. The whistleblower report detailed in the New Yorker alleged repeated instances of Hegseth drinking heavily at work events, including a team outing to a strip club in Louisiana in November 2014 in which he became so inebriated that he “had to be restrained” from climbing on stage to dance with the strippers. Hegseth drank heavily at some social events with Fox News colleagues as well, according to two former employees, with one of the former colleagues saying he would get “absolutely wasted.” Last month, the Monterey California police department released records of a 2017 investigation into an accusation that Hegseth sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel room following a Republican women’s convention. The accuser, identified in the records as “Jane Doe,” believed someone may have slipped something into her drink. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and he was never charged. “This police report confirms what I’ve said all along,” Hegseth’s lawyer Parlatore told NBC News last month. “The incident was fully investigated and police found the allegation to be false, which is why no charges were filed.” Hegseth has also confirmed that he paid the woman an undisclosed settlement. Parlatore previously told NBC News that Hegseth “ultimately decided to enter into a settlement for a significantly reduced amount” at the “height of the MeToo movement.” Parlatore also said that his client was “innocent collateral damage in a lie that the Complainant was holding onto to keep her marriage intact.”Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona

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