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fb777 05 South Carolina apparently has its backup plan for quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Monday afternoon, Ohio State transfer quarterback Air Noland announced he has committed to South Carolina after taking a visit to USC over the weekend. A former four-star prospect out of Fairburn, Georgia, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound prospect signed with Ohio State last December despite holding offers from more than half of the SEC. But while sitting behind Buckeyes’ starter Will Howard, Noland did not record any stats in his true freshman season. So he entered the transfer portal, and will enroll at South Carolina with four years of eligibility remaining. The move is surprising considering that the Gamecocks already have a great quarterback in LaNorris Sellers , who head coach Shane Beamer has only raved about — even going so far as to say he was the best player in college football after he helped the Gamecocks beat Clemson. Perhaps it is a move for the future — there’s a chance Sellers could enter the NFL Draft after next season — or perhaps its just to ensure depth at the position. South Carolina’s transfer portal additions for 2025 ▪ OL — Nick Sharpe (Wake Forest) ▪ TE — Jordan Dingle (Kentucky ▪ Edge — Jaylen Brown (Missouri) ▪ DT — Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M) ▪ LB — Shawn Murphy (FSU) ▪ QB — Air Noland (Ohio State) This story was originally published December 23, 2024, 5:52 PM.Matthew Hooton: What it will take for things to be looking up in 2025

How NORAD’s Santa tracker has given anxious kids ‘screams and giggles and laughter’ for decadesHow major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 12/26/2024

Woman Who ‘Popped Out the Womb a Chiefs Fan’ Dances With Travis KelceLos Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards was ruled out for Saturday's road game against the New England Patriots with an ankle injury. Fellow Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins is close to returning from a four-game absence because of a knee injury, as he was listed questionable to play. Offensive lineman Trey Pipkins III (hip) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out for Saturday. Edwards, 29, has gained 365 yards rushing this season with four touchdowns, including two in Los Angeles' 34-27 victory over the Denver Broncos on Dec. 19. Dobbins, 26, gained 766 yards with eight TDs in 11 games (nine starts) during his first season with the Chargers. Dobbins joined the Chargers in the offseason while coming off an Achilles tear with the Ravens last season. The Chargers also have running backs Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins on the depth chart. Vidal, a rookie, has 131 yards in eight games this season, while Haskins has just 26 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. The Chargers (9-6) can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie against the Patriots. --Field Level MediaAP Business SummaryBrief at 3:48 p.m. EST

A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also sought to be CEO and in an email outlined a plan where he would “unequivocally have initial control of the company” but said that would be temporary. He grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.Georgia is turning to backup Gunner Stockton at quarterback in CFP quarterfinal against Irish

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Image: https://i216.goodao.net/uploads/16.png A brief on the knowledge of Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) SPDs are an essential feature in electrical devices since they shield equipment from voltages that are considered high. These transient durations of a few cycles in the current are due to various reasons such as lightning strikes, power outages, or switching operations and can result in catastrophic degradation of electrical components thereby resulting in high costs of repair and lost production. SPDs reduce this risk by blocking all extra voltage from imposing itself on the delicate apparatus hence giving the system a long life and high efficiency. Image: https://i216.goodao.net/uploads/24.png The Demands for AC SPDs for Solar Systems [ https://www.mlele.com/high-quality-onccy-440v-4p-ac-solar-surge-protection-device-ac-spd-t1t2-imax-50ka-product/ ] Those who have installed solar power devices understand that despite being innovative, environmental, and economical appliances, they are vulnerable to risks such as electrical surges. Indeed, even in integration of solar panels into existing power systems, amplifies the system's susceptibility and its intricacies. A special kind of SPD called an AC SPD is capable of solving these issues and guarding against both direct and other kinds of surges. An AC SPD such as the Premium 440V 4p incorporated in these solar energy systems, means that the systems shall be more reliable and efficient and able to power through any climatic or environmental condition. 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This kind of emphasis leads to a product that, beyond having an inherent sturdiness, can perform uniformly across its lifespan. Some of the conditions that we come across in day-to-day usage can be very harsh, weather changes or even usage of the equipment for very many hours or days can easily affect other devices. 4. High Surge Capacity AC SPD has a surge current rating of 50ka this sort of AC SPD can manage the surge currents. With this high surge capacity, it guarantees that even if the power surges to a higher value the device is capable of handling it to protect the equipment connected to it and enhance the overall stability of the system. This feature becomes important especially to solar energy systems since they are sensitive to the surrounding environment. 5. T1+T2 Protection This AC SPD includes all protection levels from T1+T2 which suggests it can overcome all kinds of direct and indirect surges. 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By incorporating this device into systems that deal with solar power, the users can maintain and establish secure energy, especially as it treats any unexpected electrical spikes. With renewable energy being the way to go in the fight against climate change and reduced use of fossil fuels, it would be quite tragic if surge protection were to fail at the most crucial times. The mentioned device called premium 440v 4p ac spd operates to increase the security and productivity of the solar energy systems as well as serves in the advancement of sustainable energy solutions. As we continue to look forward to a cleaner environment, developments such as the Premium 440V 4p AC Solar SPD shall act as the baseline to come up with more reliable and efficient energy solutions. Media Contact Company Name: Zhejiang Mulang Electric Co., Ltd. Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=premium-440v-4p-ac-solar-surge-protection-device-and-ensuring-robust-e ] Country: China Website: https://www.mlele.com/ This release was published on openPR.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Jacksen Moni's 25 points helped North Dakota State defeat Wisconsin-Stout 91-62 on Friday for its sixth straight win. Moni shot 9 for 13 (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Bison (9-4). Treyson Anderson scored eight points and added seven rebounds. Darik Dissette shot 3 of 3 from the field to finish with eight points. Carson Hoffman led the Blue Devils in scoring, finishing with 11 points. Justin Nelson added nine points and Dominic Croci recorded eight points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .IT Asset Disposition Market to grow by USD 14.85 Billion (2024-2028), driven by stricter data security regulations, with AI driving market transformation - TechnavioBrad Treliving Avoids Disastrous Free Agent Signing for the Maple Leafs

SF Dems pass new assault, harassment policiesSenior students in Surrey high schools will get a chance to take online classes next school year, in the board's latest strategy to free up classroom space. "Hybrid learning is a blend of face-to-face and online learning for students and in our context, for kids in the senior Grades 10, 11 and 12," explained Perry Smith, assistant superintendent for Guildford-area schools. Exploring hybrid learning is motivated by a "capital crunch" trustee Bob Holmes says the district is facing, as student enrolment outpaces available school space. While the permanent implementation of hybrid classes would be new, students got a taste for the model during the pandemic years when schools were running classes virtually. As well, teachers became accustomed to the model and likely have learned lessons to improve on this time around, district staff suggested. "We identified many benefits of hybrid learning in our secondary schools," Smith said, pointing to research on the topic to support the claim. The superintendent explained that students will have a choice of going home for their online blocks, staying at school in shared spaces or being out in the community, for example, at a library. For those students who do not have access to internet services or personal electronic devices, technology will be provided so the opportunity is more inclusive, Smith said. He added that the district would receive a grant to make this possible. "While there is a side benefit for students to get ready for the 21st century, as previous speakers have mentioned, the reality is that this was driven because we have such a shortage of space," chair Gary Tymoschuk said. The issue of overcrowding in Surrey Schools can be seen at nearly every school, with trustee Laurie Larsen noting Walnut Road Elementary, that is set to receive a prefabricated module. "They have had one playground for 800 students because the other playground has been cordoned off, they have no greenspace, they have no adequate parking for parents, visitors or for staff. Staff are double parking so they all have to know which teacher is in front of them so they can let them know when they have to leave," Larsen said. The trustee added that prefabs do not provide everything. "We appreciate the modulars, I don’t want to say that we don’t but the modulars do only give the classroom," Larsen said. "They don’t give the gym space, they don’t give any extra outdoor space, they don’t give any library space and especially for the gym so in that school, they have to have three assemblies for every event.. because the gym is too small and the occupancy is just over 300 people." Walnut Road also has nine portables on school site and with the addition of the modulars, whether those portables will remain on site is still unknown. According to the board, affording to relocate the portables may be a challenge. Staff recommended for the board to approve the implementation of up to three senior level courses in a hybrid learning model at secondary schools as a trial for next school year, available on an optional basis. The board unanimously passed the motion.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A lead organization monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel's “near-total blockade,” after the U.S. asked for its retraction, U.S. officials told the Associated Press. The move follows public criticism of the report from the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The rare public dispute drew accusations from prominent aid and human-rights figures that the work of the U.S.-funded Famine Early Warning System Network , meant to reflect the opinion of unbiased international experts, has been tainted by politics. A declaration of famine would be a great embarrassment for Israel, which has insisted that its 15-month war in Gaza is aimed against the Hamas militant group and not against its civilian population. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Moni scores 25 in North Dakota State's 91-62 win against Wisconsin-StoutThe Dallas Cowboys are shutting down CeeDee Lamb for the rest of the season after the star wideout played through a shoulder injury for nearly two months. Lamb initially sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder on Nov. 3 but has not missed any of the Cowboys' first 15 games this season. "Additional examinations and scans this week on CeeDee Lamb's shoulder have determined that his injury has now progressed to a point that he will be listed as ‘Out' for the remaining two games of the season," a team spokesperson said in a statement to media outlets. "He will undergo a process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder, is not currently expected to require surgery and is projected to make a full recovery." The Cowboys (7-8), eliminated from playoff contention, face two division rivals to close the season. They visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and will host the Washington Commanders in Week 18. Lamb, 25, hauled in 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns this season. It marked his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, and he may be selected to a fourth straight Pro Bowl for his efforts. Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million contract extension in August, covering the 2025-28 seasons. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern.The Mets were busy in the weeks leading up to their , but it had been oddly quiet in Queens since Soto’s momentous introductory news conference on Dec. 12. That finally changed this week, with reports that the Mets have to keep left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea in Queens following a terrific, breakout campaign for the 32-year-old southpaw. Beyond their pursuit of Soto, one of the biggest storylines for the Mets entering this winter was how they would rebuild their rotation. In Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana, New York had its three top starters from 2024 hitting free agency at the same time. In response, the Mets first signed right-hander Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal. Then, not long after Severino inked a surprising, three-year deal to lead the A’s rotation as the franchise transitions to Sacramento, the Mets signed a second starting pitcher — and not one that many expected. Clay Holmes, the recent bullpen standout for the Yankees, agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets and will attempt to transition back to a starting role he has not occupied since his rookie year with Pittsburgh in 2018. Montas and Holmes represented two intriguing steps toward assembling a new rotation, as both came with considerable questions based on their recent performance and roles. But their signings appeared to be a vote of confidence in the club’s pitching development infrastructure, which has begun to prove its mettle with the successes of Severino and Manaea, among others. The starting pitching market . But as a tidal wave of big contracts and blockbuster trades involving front-end arms came and went, Manaea remained unsigned. Meanwhile, having added Montas, Holmes and another depth piece in Griffin Canning, the new Mets rotation had started to take shape. Add an effective holdover in lefty David Peterson and, perhaps most importantly, a hopefully healthy Kodai Senga, and the Mets appeared to have the foundation for a solid starting staff. But for a club with World Series aspirations — and one that just gave $765 million to Soto — it felt light. Manaea changes that. The true upside for this staff still hinges largely on Senga’s durability, as he offers the most impactful potential. But Manaea solidifies the middle of New York’s rotation and helps balance out the questions present in Montas’ and Holmes’ profiles. And with top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat potentially knocking on the door in 2025, the Mets also have a healthy amount of depth in case of injury or underperformance. Manaea’s massive deal to stay in Queens is another pivotal plot point in a major-league career that has spanned both coasts but began in the heartland. Relatively unknown to scouts as a high schooler growing up in a small town in northwest Indiana, Manaea stayed close to home for his collegiate career, heading to Terre Haute to play for a strong Indiana State program. He won a rotation job as a freshman and broke onto the national radar with an even bigger sophomore season in 2012. The buzz in scouting circles built further that summer, when Manaea was spectacular pitching in the prestigious Cape Cod League, skyrocketing his prospect stock to the point that he entered the following spring as a legitimate candidate to be the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. Injuries limited Manaea’s velocity and consistency as a junior. While his supreme talent still enabled a sterling 1.47 ERA against mid-major competition, teams became wary of investing in the breakout southpaw at the very top of the draft. As a result, Manaea fell to Kansas City with the 34th pick. The Royals demonstrated their belief in his potential by giving him a $3.55 million signing bonus, figure awarded to any player in the 2013 draft. Just two years later, Manaea was traded to the A’s as the primary prize in the return for Ben Zobrist, who helped the Royals win the World Series later that same year. In Oakland, Manaea established himself as a reliable big-league starting pitcher, with his brightest moment coming in 2018, when he against the Red Sox. Following a stellar 2021 campaign in which he amassed 191 strikeouts over 32 starts, Manaea was the fourth and final major piece dealt during Oakland’s dramatic roster teardown entering the 2022 season. Not long after Chris Bassitt was traded to the Mets, Matt Olson to the Braves and Matt Chapman to the Blue Jays, Manaea was sent to the Padres. Joining an ascendent Padres club seemed to offer a big stage on which Manaea could thrive in the final year of his contract before free agency. Instead, the left-hander took a sizable step back in San Diego. His 4.96 ERA in 2022 ranked 59th out of 62 pitchers who tossed at least 150 innings. He failed to crack the Padres’ playoff rotation and was blasted by the Phillies in a disastrous relief appearance Rather than hitting the open market as a premier rotation option, as previously projected, Manaea entered free agency on a far less optimistic note. He remained on the West Coast, signing a two-year, $25 million deal with the Giants in hopes of reestablishing his value. And though he bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen in San Francisco, Manaea pitched well enough to opt out after 2023 and test the free-agent waters again. This time, an East Coast club came calling: the Mets, in need of rotation reinforcements, offered him a two-year-with-an-opt-out pact similar to the one he signed with San Francisco, this time for $28 million. And in Queens, Manaea flourished. On a delightful 2024 Mets club that had no shortage of lovable characters, Manaea was a fundamental part of the team’s success both on and off the field. The key turning point for him individually came in late July, when he watched eventual NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale dominate at Citi Field and in hopes of roughly replicating the challenging arm angle that Sale has long featured. Having long succeeded on the basis of deception and careful command of his arsenal, more so than overpowering opponents, this adjustment took Manaea’s funk to a whole new level. He had been solid over the first four months of the 2024 season, but this mechanical tweak, in conjunction with his leaning heavier into his sinker usage, unlocked a different version of him down the stretch. In Manaea’s next outing and first with his lower arm slot, he struck out 11 Minnesota Twins across seven scoreless innings in his best start of the season. The splits are stark: 20 starts before dropping his arm slot: 106 IP, 3.74 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 22.6% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate, .671 OPS allowed 12 starts after: 75 2/3 IP, 3.09 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 28.4% strikeout rate, 6.2% walk rate, .538 OPS allowed This new-and-improved Manaea sustained into October, with the grand finale of his breakout coming in NLDS Game 3, when he blanked the Phillies for seven frames before departing to a raucous Citi Field in the top of the eighth. He also showed well in a win over the Dodgers in NLCS Game 2 before faltering in his second run-in with the eventual champs in Game 6. By that point, though, Manaea had earned the trust and adoration of the Mets faithful. With his fantastic season ensuring he would opt out and become a free agent for the third straight winter, it was no guarantee that he would find his way back to the Mets. In the end, a reunion was in store. The Mets' chapter of Manaea’s career will not be a one-year fling. As for the rest of this winter, maybe the Mets have another big rotation addition in store; Corbin Burnes is still out there, after all, and Steve Cohen’s spending power remains more formidable than that of any other team owner. The trade market is still active, with ace-level arms such as Luis Castillo and Dylan Cease reportedly available for the right price. More likely, the next stage of the Mets’ winter will shift the focus back to their position-player group. That starts first and foremost with free agent Pete Alonso, whose potential landing spots seem to diminish by the day, given the recent flurry of transactions involving first basemen. Pairing one of the best hitters on the planet in Soto with another MVP candidate in Francisco Lindor makes the top of the Mets’ lineup as dangerous as any. Rising slugger Mark Vientos and franchise staple Brandon Nimmo represent stellar bats as well. Beyond those four, though, questions remain regarding the potency of the lineup as currently constituted — especially if Alonso lands elsewhere. As important as retaining Manaea was, weighing whether or not to keep Alonso in Queens looms as a far more consequential decision.

Millions of people across the country are expected to shop in-store and online, looking for last-minute sales and deals. Many of them turned out through the weekend and on Monday at the outlet stores and other shops in Vacaville. The National Retail Federation estimates that 157.2 million people planned to shop the last weekend before Christmas, up from $141.9 million just last year. The Federation also says because Thanksgiving was held during the last week of November, people had less time to shop making these final days before Christmas a critical time for final shopping tasks. That was the case for the Favre family from Novato, who were happily scooping up bargains at the Reebok outlet store Monday. “We wanted a time when we could all go shopping together,” explained Michelle Farve. “And we figured there wouldn’t be as many shoppers on a weekday as there was on the weekend.” Husband Gary Favre agreed. “It was tough getting off work before now,” he said, insisting they hadn’t procrastinated. “Besides, it’s better this way,” said daughter Lauren Favre, a student at College of Marin who is now home on holiday break. “This way, I can go out with them and point out what I want!” According to the Federation, 69.5 million people say they plan to shop in-store and online. But no matter where or how people shop, they’re hoping to find a good deal. There were plenty of deals, said Dixon resident Lorena Maya, who made a quick trip to the outlets to help her sons Adriel and Itzae purchase a gift for their dad. “They wanted to give him something instead of just a gift card,” she explained. A recent federation survey also showed that clothing or accessories and toys were the most purchased items so far this holiday shopping season. That was the case of Dana Rodriguez of Sacramento who turned out to find last minute items at the outlets. “I’m mostly done with my shopping this year but I can’t resist a bargain,” she said with a laugh. “I’m mostly looking for stocking stuffers now.” Earlier this month, U.S. Census Bureau stats saw overall retail sales climbing with November numbers up 0.7% seasonally adjusted month over month and up 3.8% unadjusted year over year. That compared with increases of 0.5% month over month and 2.9% year over year in October. November’s core retail sales as defined by NRF — based on the Census data but excluding automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants — were up 0.4% seasonally adjusted month over month and up 3.8% unadjusted year over year.