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haha777 link download ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — It doesn’t happen all that often, but when it does, it can seem like a dream come true for sports gamblers: being able to bet on a game after it has already ended. And it has happened again in Atlantic City, where a sportsbook has been fined for taking $25,000 worth of bets on college basketball and hockey games and boxing matches after they were over. In action made public last week, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement fined William Hill Sportsbook $20,000 for bets it wrongly took in 2022 and 2023. The company voided most of the bets after discovering the errors. But others had already been paid out to customers. William Hill operates retail sportsbooks in Atlantic City at the Caesars, Harrah’s and Tropicana casinos. The casinos’ parent company, Caesars Entertainment, did not respond to messages seeking comment Friday and Monday. According to documents from the enforcement division, on Feb. 23 and 24, 2022, it took 42 bets via in-person kiosks on 12 college basketball games after the results were already known. William Hill paid just over $5,000 to customers on six bets before it became aware of the error. The remainder of the bets were voided and the customers’ initial wagers were returned to them. William Hill blamed the error on a sportsbook content supplier, London-based OpenBet, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Similar errors allowed illegal bets on two boxing matches. On June 11, 2022, William Hill took bets on a Chris Kongo-Sebastian Formella boxing match that it had advertised as starting at noon. However, the match began at 11:15 a.m. and concluded at 11:55 a.m. On April 15, 2023, William Hill took bets on a Denzel Bentley-Kieran Smith fight after it, too, had already ended. The company listed the fight as a noon start, but it began at 11:55 a.m. and ended just 45 seconds later with a knockout. The division also fined Amelco, a London-based sports betting technology company, $10,000 for violations including allowing sportsbook PlayUp to take a bet in March 2022 on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg becoming the next U.S. president. Although recent court decisions allowed political betting in last month’s election, it was not allowed at the time the bet was made. PlayUp utilized Amelco and Sportradar as its sportsbook providers. In documents filed with the enforcement division, Amelco said Sportradar listed the U.S. presidential election under a category of bets that Amelco marked as “true,” automatically listing it on its menu of betting markets. Amelco told the division its own trading team failed to recognize the U.S. election as an event that was not authorized to be bet upon. Sportradar said it does not label any of the betting markets in its data feed as authorized or unauthorized, adding it is the responsibility of each sports betting company to make sure they only offer bets that comply with local laws. Sportradar also noted that the division did not assess a fine against it, adding that Amelco was “solely liable” for the violation. PlayUp also accepted two bets worth nearly $700 on a Seton Hall University basketball game on Jan. 18, 2023, in violation of a state law prohibiting bets on New Jersey college teams. PlayUp and Amelco did not respond to requests for comment Monday. The $1 bet on Buttigieg was voided. It’s not the first time this has happened. In November 2021, the division fined the Malta-based sports betting technology company Kambi Group and Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive $1,000 apiece for . And in September, it $33,000 for taking bets on already-completed basketball, golf and mixed martial arts events. ___ Follow Wayne Parry on X at . Wayne Parry, The Associated Press

BETHLEHEM, Pa., Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OraSure Technologies, Inc. (“OTI”) (NASDAQ: OSUR), a leader in point-of-need and home diagnostic tests and sample management solutions, today announced the acquisition of Sherlock Biosciences, Inc., a global health company bringing next-generation diagnostics to consumers and healthcare providers. This acquisition expands OraSure’s innovation pipeline with the addition of Sherlock’s molecular diagnostics platform, which is able to provide rapid results with strong sensitivity and specificity in a disposable format that is well-suited for over-the-counter usage. Sherlock’s first molecular self-test is for Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae (NG) which will expand OraSure’s portfolio of rapid diagnostics for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), subject to regulatory approvals. Test results are expected to be provided in under 30 minutes by analyzing DNA and RNA from self-collected swabs using isothermal amplification. In addition, Sherlock has been developing a pipeline of other molecular tests, along with several next-generation technology platforms, including Ambient Temperature Amplification and CRISPR-based technologies that have the potential to further reduce costs and improve performance of its platforms. Sherlock’s CT/NG self-test is in clinical studies and is expected to be submitted to the FDA by the end of 2025 for review. Subject to regulatory approvals, revenue from Sherlock’s CT/NG test is expected to contribute to OTI’s growth beginning in 2026, benefitting from OraSure’s existing infrastructure, commercial capabilities, and strong customer relationships. OTI estimates that testing for CT/NG represents a total addressable market of more than $1.5 billion. The vast majority of CT/NG tests in the U.S. are processed in a centralized lab, and the introduction of an affordable, rapid self-test has the potential to drive significant incremental market expansion. Additionally, public health channels play a key role in STI screening, which is an area where OraSure has a strong presence. “The acquisition of Sherlock represents the next step in OTI’s innovation strategy,” said Carrie Eglinton Manner, President and CEO of OraSure. “Sherlock brings valuable capabilities with an advanced molecular platform that aims to deliver lab-like accuracy in a format that expands access to diagnostic insights through convenient, effortless tests. We are excited to welcome Sherlock’s talented team to OTI and believe that Sherlock’s unique capabilities will contribute significantly to the expansion of our pipeline of diagnostic tests in infectious disease, sexual health, and beyond.” Conference Call Information OraSure will host a conference call to discuss the acquisition of Sherlock Biosciences at 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. A webcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations page of OraSure’s website at https://orasure.gcs-web.com/events-and-presentations . Please click on the webcast link and follow the prompts for registration and access at least 10 minutes prior to the call. The webcast will be archived on OraSure’s website shortly after the call has ended and will be available for approximately 90 days. To participate in the live conference call, please follow the link below to pre-register. After registering, you will be provided with access details via email. https://register.vevent.com/register/BIb938f5bae2a442d9acdb83f4bdd9286d About OraSure Technologies, Inc. OraSure Technologies, Inc. (“OraSure”) transforms health through actionable insight and powers the shift that connects people to healthcare wherever they are. OraSure improves access, quality, and value of healthcare with innovation in effortless tests and sample management solutions. OraSure, together with its wholly-owned subsidiary, DNA Genotek Inc., is a leader in the development, manufacture, and distribution of rapid diagnostic tests and sample collection and stabilization devices designed to discover and detect critical medical conditions. OraSure’s portfolio of products is sold globally to clinical laboratories, hospitals, physician’s offices, clinics, public health and community-based organizations, research institutions, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and direct to consumers. For more information on OraSure Technologies, please visit www.orasure.com Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Federal securities laws, including with respect to products, product development and manufacturing activities, the Company’s acquisition of Sherlock, revenue growth, cash flow, increasing margins and other matters. Words such as “expects,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “could,” “may,” “should,” “will” or other similar words and expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results. Known and unknown factors that could cause actual performance or results to be materially different from those expressed or implied in these statements include, but are not limited to: the Company’s ability to integrate Sherlock's business and achieve the intended benefits of the acquisition on the timeline expected or at all; Sherlock’s ability to seek and obtain regulatory approval for products in development; the Company’s ability to satisfy customer demand; ability to reduce the Company’s spending rate, capitalize on manufacturing efficiencies and drive profitable growth; ability to achieve the anticipated cost savings as a result of the Company’s business restructuring, including from insourcing third party manufacturing and exiting microbiome services; ability to market and sell products, whether through the Company’s internal, direct sales force or third parties; impact of significant customer concentration in the genomics business; failure of distributors or other customers to meet purchase forecasts, historic purchase levels or minimum purchase requirements for the Company’s products; ability to manufacture or have manufactured products in accordance with applicable specifications, performance standards and quality requirements; ability to obtain, and timing and cost of obtaining, necessary regulatory approvals for new products or new indications or applications for existing products; ability to comply with applicable regulatory requirements; ability to effectively resolve warning letters, audit observations and other findings or comments from the FDA or other regulators; the impact of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic on the Company’s business, supply chain, labor force, ability to successfully develop new products, validate the expanded use of existing collector products, receive necessary regulatory approvals and authorizations and commercialize such products for COVID-19 testing, and demand for the Company’s COVID-19 testing products; changes in relationships, including disputes or disagreements, with strategic partners or other parties and reliance on strategic partners for the performance of critical activities under collaborative arrangements; ability to meet increased demand for the Company’s products; impact of replacing distributors; inventory levels at distributors and other customers; ability of the Company to achieve its financial and strategic objectives and continue to increase its revenues, including the ability to expand international sales and the ability to continue to reduce costs; impact of competitors, competing products and technology changes; reduction or deferral of public funding available to customers; competition from new or better technology or lower cost products; ability to develop, commercialize and market new products; market acceptance of oral fluid or urine testing, collection or other products; market acceptance and uptake of microbiome informatics, microbial genetics technology and related analytics services; changes in market acceptance of products based on product performance or other factors, including changes in testing guidelines, algorithms or other recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other agencies; ability to fund research and development and other products and operations; ability to obtain and maintain new or existing product distribution channels; reliance on sole supply sources for critical products and components; availability of related products produced by third parties or products required for use of the Company’s products; impact of contracting with the U.S. government; impact of negative economic conditions; ability to maintain sustained profitability; ability to utilize net operating loss carry forwards or other deferred tax assets; volatility of the Company’s stock price; uncertainty relating to patent protection and potential patent infringement claims; uncertainty and costs of litigation relating to patents and other intellectual property; availability of licenses to patents or other technology; ability to enter into international manufacturing agreements; obstacles to international marketing and manufacturing of products; ability to sell products internationally, including the impact of changes in international funding sources and testing algorithms; adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates; loss or impairment of sources of capital; ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; exposure to product liability and other types of litigation; changes in international, federal or state laws and regulations; customer consolidations and inventory practices; equipment failures and ability to obtain needed raw materials and components; cybersecurity breaches or other attacks involving the Company’s systems or those of the Company’s third-party contractors and IT service providers; the impact of terrorist attacks, civil unrest, hostilities and war; and general political, business and economic conditions, including inflationary pressures and banking stability. These and other factors that could affect the Company’s results are discussed more fully in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the Company’s registration statements, Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the SEC. Although forward-looking statements help to provide information about future prospects, readers should keep in mind that forward-looking statements may not be reliable. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no duty to update these statements.Lark Hotels Forms Joint Venture With Life House, Adding More Than 50 Properties to North American Portfolio

IRVINE, Calif. , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OrthAlign, Inc. today announced a significant milestone with the successful first clinical use of its Lantern Hip handheld technology. The procedure was performed by Edwin Su, MD, a renowned orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, NY . "The first clinical case of Lantern Hip is a monumental achievement for our team and the surgeons involved with this project," said Eric Timko , CEO of OrthAlign. "This expansion of our flagship platform to include hips not only enhances our product portfolio, but also positions us for significant growth in both the hospital and the ambulatory surgery center (ASC). We're excited to kick off the new year with Lantern Hip and showcase its impact at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting," says Eric Timko . Lantern Hip is the latest evolution in hip technology, built upon the success of over 375,000 OrthAlign procedures worldwide. Next-generation sensors, powered by accelerometers and gyroscopes, are designed to provide an accurate and simple solution to navigate cup placement and measure changes in leg length and offset. The system enables the surgeon to choose their preferred implant, and is accessible to any site of service. "Lantern Hip allows me to personalize cup position for each patient," said Dr. Su. "I can compare the functional pelvic plane (FPP), the anterior pelvic plane (APP), and the coronal plane during live cup navigation, so I can place the implant in the best position for function and stability. With its triple-sensor technology, Lantern Hip also allows me to feel confident in my leg length and offset restoration. The system was simple for me and my team to integrate into our workflow during our first case, and I expect this will make a positive impact on other surgeons' experience too." OrthAlign will continue to offer surgeons the opportunity to experience Lantern Hip firsthand through webinars and demonstrations at industry events throughout 2025. For inquiries about upcoming events or to schedule a product demonstration, contact your local OrthAlign representative. Visit www.orthalign.com/lanternhip to view the Lantern Hip introductory video. Lantern Hip is indicated for use in direct anterior total hip arthroplasty procedures with the patient in the supine position. About OrthAlign, Inc. OrthAlign is a medical device company with a focus on delivering practical, cutting-edge technologies for orthopedic surgery. With a commitment to innovation and excellence, OrthAlign provides surgeons with user-friendly, cost-effective solutions to help improve patient care in joint replacement. In 2023, the company celebrated a record-breaking year with over $50 million in global revenue, reflecting its dedication to growth and leadership in the industry. Driven by the belief that everyone deserves exceptional healthcare, OrthAlign is committed to making empowering technologies accessible to all. LANTERN ® and ORTHALIGN ® are registered trademarks of OrthAlign, Inc. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orthalign-inc-announces-first-cases-using-lantern-hip-the-next-evolution-in-total-hip-replacement-technology-302336610.html SOURCE OrthAlignSmart Home Market to expand by USD 188.3 Billion (2024-2028), driven by rising interest in home automation, with a report on AI-driven transformation - TechnavioSocial Security now pays out more money than it brings in, so payments rely largely on a trust fund built up by the Social Security Administration. That fund is projected to run out of money by the mid-2030s, which has led politicians in both parties to debate how Social Security should change to avoid a shortfall. Prior to the election, the Harris campaign claimed then-candidate Donald Trump would cut Social Security, but President-elect Donald Trump has promised he will protect the program. Pam and other VERIFY readers sent us emails asking if Trump can unilaterally change or even end Social Security. Can the president change Social Security? No, the president cannot change Social Security. The president cannot unilaterally change Social Security, including how it’s funded, how much it pays beneficiaries or how it’s taxed. Congress can, however, make changes to Social Security, and the president can make suggestions to Congress. “Social Security’s tax rate and benefits are set by law,” Bankrate says. “So to tweak them, Congress must first change the law, and the president then needs to sign it.” Social Security falls into a part of the federal budget called mandatory spending, according to the U.S. Treasury . Mandatory spending does not require an annual vote by Congress; instead, existing laws mandate the spending and determine how much should be spent each year. In this case, the Social Security Act requires the government to provide payments to beneficiaries based on the amount of money they’ve earned and other factors, the Treasury says. The law, last amended in 2019, will continue to determine how much beneficiaries are paid and therefore how much the government spends on Social Security each year until the law is amended again. Though the president can’t change Social Security on their own, they can propose changes to Congress. Since Republicans will have majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives in the next Congress, they may vote to amend the law per Trump’s proposals. Other laws and policies may also impact Social Security’s finances, even if they don’t directly pertain to Social Security. These include some executive actions the president can do without Congressional approval. For example, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) says mass deportations may negatively impact Social Security’s finances because it would reduce the number of immigrant workers paying into the trust fund. Trump has proposed eliminating income tax on Social Security payments, which would also require Congress to pass legislation. The CRFB, the Tax Policy Center and the Tax Foundation all project that the proposal would make Social Security run out of money sooner because those taxes fund future Social Security payments. Additionally, the president can remove the current Commissioner of Social Security and appoint a new one, the Society of Actuaries says. The Commissioner of Social Security is responsible for administering Social Security programs, but does not have the individual power to change how Social Security works.

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Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rulesWith Trump facing fewer obstacles today than in 2016, he’s got a lot of green space ahead of him

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is warranted because of the “overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. The Manhattan district attorney, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Merchan hasn’t set a timetable for a decision. Merchan could also decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He and his lawyers said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes.WASHINGTON, D.C. — Elon Musk, bouncing between meetings on Capitol Hill with his young son on his shoulders, and Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with large groups of lawmakers on Thursday about a significant effort to slash government spending once President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. “It’s a new thing and this is a new day in Washington, a new day in America,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said of the incoming Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, before entering a meeting with Musk, Ramaswamy and top Republican congressional leaders. Johnson said the “brainstorming session” was “the beginning of a journey” and wouldn’t produce detailed plans this week. Musk declined to answer reporters’ questions as he smiled and walked quickly ahead of the speaker with his 4-year-old son. But the pair of wealthy business leaders who Trump named to run the new unofficial agency have offered some public hints about where they might target their efforts — particularly in firing or pressuring government workers to quit, reversing regulations and eliminating areas of funding. What does DOGE mean for Maryland? Their plans could have an outsized impact in Maryland . With about 160,000 civilian federal jobs, the state is home to the headquarters of the Social Security Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Census Bureau and more. It also relies heavily on federal funding that pads about a third of the state budget — which is already strapped for cash in the coming years — and provides aid to local organizations. A DOGE social media account on X, which Musk owns, has specifically singled out funding at the National Institutes of Health. Headquartered in Bethesda, the national medical research agency makes major investments in health research across the state, with Maryland as one of its major beneficiaries. A post from DOGE last week claimed NIH spent $1.8 billion “studying racism” in 2024 through grants with names like “examining anti-racist healing in nature.” A Baltimore Sun review of the data referenced in the post indicates the $1.8 billion were actually funds from the 1992 through 2025 fiscal years. Maryland institutions have received the fifth-most amount of those funds, primarily because of research conducted at Johns Hopkins University, which was also the fifth-largest individual recipient of funds in the country. The Johns Hopkins grants, at least for the category referenced by DOGE, have focused on researching health disparities, including in areas like cancer, suicide, pediatrics and reproductive health. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat and member of the Appropriations Committee that would have more authority to determine government spending than the unofficial DOGE, said he would defend the kind of funding that’s been identified so far. “Everyone agrees government should work more efficiently. But by targeting science, MAGA Republicans are ultimately going after efforts to develop life-saving cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s and threatening public health,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “Our nation’s research should remain grounded in science, not driven by politics, which is why I will always fight to protect the integrity of our public health agencies as well as the people who drive them forward.” A Johns Hopkins spokesperson did not return a request for comment Thursday. U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, a Democrat whose Baltimore-based district includes the campus, also did not immediately return a request for comment. Who’s joining the DOGE caucus? Maryland’s mostly Democratic federal delegation has not joined or publicly supported DOGE as a few other congressional Democrats have. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has been named the chair of a new DOGE subcommittee on the House Oversight Committee when the next session begins in January. U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, of Florida, became the first Democrat to join the caucus. In a hearing Thursday about the assassination attempts against Trump this year, Moskowitz said he joined because he wants to reform the Department of Homeland Security, including removing from its control the U.S. Secret Service that came under fire after Trump was shot in July. Those kinds of changes will be easier said than done, he noted. “Everyone wants to protect their sacred cow,” Moskowitz said during the hearing. ‘A lot of change’ coming to Washington, speaker says While Johnson claimed there was “an enormous amount of waste, fraud and abuse in the government,” efforts to identify and eliminate federal spending is far from new, and spending has ultimately increased under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Musk has said he plans to reduce the $6.8 trillion budget by $2 trillion, a figure that would require drastic cuts. And though entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security are major cost-drivers, Greene told reporters after one of the meetings Thursday that “no one wants to hurt Americans in that category.” The closed-door meetings included both small and large groups of House members and senators. Republicans will control both chambers once the next session of Congress begins Jan. 3 and before Trump takes office Jan. 20. “You’re going to see a lot of change around here in Washington and the way things are run,” Johnson said. ©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

COLUMBUS, Ohio—After readers submitted hundreds of nominations in more than two dozen categories, it’s time for the public to weigh in on who deserves to win a 2024 Sloopy Award. Voting for Capitol Letter’s annual Ohio politics award is now open, with readers being able to choose the winner from the top nominees in more than two dozen categories, including: Biggest Windbag Most Power-Hungry Lawmaker Funniest Politician Biggest Political Surprise And more! Cast your votes here in as many categories as you wish. We will accept votes until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15. We’ll then announce the winners in the Friday, Dec. 20 edition of Capitol Letter. Thanks to everyone who submitted the 666 (!!!) nomination forms we received this year. We’re grateful for our readers, and we remind this year’s award nominees that the Sloopys are intended (by us, anyway) to be in good fun. Here are the previous Sloopy Award winners by year: 2023 2022 2021 2020 RECOMMENDED • cleveland .com Proposal making it easier to sue police, government workers moves a step closer to Ohio voters: Capitol Letter Dec. 5, 2024, 8:00 a.m. Ohio House poised to pass bill requiring cities to pay millions more for police pensions Dec. 3, 2024, 2:40 p.m. 2019 2018 Jeremy Pelzer covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.Stock market 11-22-24: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record

NoneSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Once-promising seasons hit new lows for the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers last week. Another late-game meltdown sent the Bears to their sixth straight loss and led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus. The 49ers suffered their second straight blowout loss and more crushing injuries to go from Super Bowl contenders to outside the playoff picture in a matter of weeks. The two reeling teams will try to get back on track on Sunday when the Bears (4-8) visit the 49ers (5-7) in Chicago's first game under interim coach Thomas Brown . “I told them a minute ago after practice there is no confidence loss at all as far as what I think about them,” Brown said Wednesday. “I don’t care what anybody else thinks about them. I think we have a very talented football team. It’s about just putting the work in every single day to give us an opportunity to win.” The Bears are hoping to get an emotional boost from the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history. Over the last 10 seasons, teams with interim coaches are 13-11 in their first game with the new coach. Those teams had a .284 winning percentage at the time they fired their coaches. “I wouldn’t say a new voice was needed. I would say there was change that was needed," rookie quarterback Caleb Williams said, pointing to a need for more accountability and better communication. The Niners came into the season as the favorites to get back to the Super Bowl from the NFC after losing the title game to Kansas City last season. But a series of key injuries, bad losses and spotty play have left them in last place in the NFC West with only slim hopes of even reaching the postseason. San Francisco lost 38-10 to Green Bay and 35-10 to Buffalo in back-to-back weeks and lost star running back Christian McCaffrey to a knee injury last week that will sideline him for at least the rest of the regular season. The Niners already lost key players Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Hargrave to season-ending injuries and are preparing to be without stars Nick Bosa and Trent Williams for a third straight week. “It’s just been a rocky mountain for real with the injuries and other stuff we’ve had to go through this season,” receiver Deebo Samuel said. “Our record don’t show how really good we are as a team. We're still believing in this locker room.” Chaotic education Williams described Eberflus’ firing as “interesting” and “tough” and vowed to “roll with the punches” while insisting the chaos and turnover of the past few weeks could help him handle similar situations in the future. Just 12 games into his NFL career, the prized quarterback is on his second head coach and third offensive coordinator, though Brown will continue to call plays. How does he keep the faith that his career is in good hands with this organization? “The first part is understanding I can’t control,” Williams said. “Even if I understand or don’t understand, that doesn’t matter. I have to roll with the punches like I said before. I don’t control everything.” Guerendo's chance With McCaffrey and Jordan Mason injured, the Niners running game will turn to rookie Isaac Guerendo . The fourth-round pick has 42 carries for 246 yards and two TDs this season and will be making his second start in either college or the pros. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the progress Guerendo has made since training camp makes him ready for his new role as he sees him running with more “urgency.” “I think it takes guys some time,” Shanahan said. “You start to get a feel for it the more, if you’ve got the right stuff, the more you get reps, the more you can adjust to it. How hard you’ve got to hit stuff, how quick those holes close, how when there is a hole how you have to hit it full-speed and can’t hesitate at all or it closes like that. We’ve seen that stuff get better in practice and we’ve seen it carry over into games.” Stop the run San Francisco's usually stout run defense has been anything but that this season. The Niners have struggled to slow down the opposition on the ground all year with the problem getting worse recently. The 49ers allowed 389 yards rushing the past two weeks. “It’s been so frustrating because I know what is supposed to look like,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “That’s not it.” Stopping the run also continues to be a sore spot for Chicago. The Bears rank 25th overall against the run and 29th in yards allowed per rush after another difficult outing last week. They gave up 194 yards, including 144 in the first half as the Lions grabbed a 16-0 lead. Losing veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a torn pectoral muscle last month did not help. He was injured in a Week 9 loss at Arizona and is expected to miss the remainder of the season after having surgery. ___ AP Sports Writer Andrew Seligman contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Josh Dubow, The Associated Press

Iowa QB Cade McNamara slams 'ridiculous' rumorsAfter spending decades as a Texas prison inmate, Arnulfo Ayala flinched last month when a captain at the newly reopened Bartlett Unit extended an arm to shake the confessed killer’s hand. The professional gesture felt unfamiliar to Ayala, who’s grown accustomed to waking up to the sound of corrections officers yelling at him and calling him inmate number 936516. But at Bartlett — the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s newest prison — everything has seemed different. The food is tastier. The dorms are brighter and roomier. The walls are painted with colorful murals. And Ayala’s ideas for innovative programs to help fellow inmates prepare for life outside of prison are taken seriously. Ayala confessed to killing Raul Marin and in 2000 was sentenced to 35 years in prison in exchange for pleading guilty to murder, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Ayala is scheduled to be released in 2034, unless he is paroled earlier. He was turned down for parole in 2021. “Back in the day, when you’d go to prison, you were more likely to get worse there,” said Ayala. “You delved into the negative environment, and when you went back into the world, you corrupted your community. With units like this, we have the opportunity to reverse that.” RELATED COVERAGE Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network pleads guilty to fraud charges Dismantling of two New Jersey human trafficking rings leads to charges against seven, AG says Defense makes closing argument in murder trial of Cash App founder Bob Lee The Bartlett facility reflects one piece of TDCJ’s so-called “ 2030 Vision,” an ambitious effort to refocus the state’s massive prison system on rehabilitation rather than punishment. The agency hopes that by 2030, 95% of inmates have jobs lined up prior to their release and the life skills they need to avoid another prison sentence. This year, 24% of inmates had jobs before their release. The plan also aims to improve abysmal prison staffing levels by creating career counseling programs and establishing a more positive work-life balance for employees. Re-opened in October, Bartlett will eventually house 1,049 male inmates, most of whom will be in the last year of their sentence, preparing to reenter the free world. The prison sits about an hour north of Austin on 60 acres of land in Williamson County. Bartlett’s dorm-style housing is designed to be more comfortable than the typical prison cell, with comfortable couches and 55-inch televisions in the common areas. A portion of housing is reserved for military veterans at all stages of their sentence who will participate in special programming, such one where they prepare shelter dogs for adoption. Inmates will enroll in courses according to their interest. Options include culinary arts, computer programming and electrical lineman training, and each offer certifications that will help inmates land jobs. They’ll also receive interview preparation, resume reviews and financial literacy training with the hope that they’ll secure a job before they leave prison. Bartlett was previously a privately operated men’s prison, but it shuttered in 2017 due to declining inmate populations. Since the COVID-19 pandemic ended, Texas’ inmate population has steadily increased, and it is slated to continue rising over the next decade. Bartlett’s reopening also comes as the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission is reviewing the operations of the state’s criminal justice system. In a September report, the Sunset Commission, which routinely reviews the performance of state agencies and identifies problems within them, found the prison system has a dangerous staffing crisis, outdated record-keeping practices and a lack of oversight on rehabilitation programs as key issues affecting the agency. Department leaders have presented the 2030 plan as one way to address some of those shortcomings. “We recognize that we need a culture shift,” said agency spokesperson Amanda Hernandez. “We are here to do that and make it happen.” Renewed focus on rehabilitation For decades, the Texas prison system’s guiding philosophy has shifted back and forth between punishment and rehabilitation depending on the political climate and how high crime rates are. During the tough-on-crime era of the 1980s, Texas built more prisons and took a punitive approach to crime. But a class-action lawsuit resulted in a judge finding that the conditions of confinement violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The ruling required the state to reduce overcrowding and improve prisoner rehabilitation and recreational programs. In 1989, the Legislature passed a comprehensive criminal justice bill that expanded the state agency’s responsibility to include administering rehabilitation programs and reintegrating former felons back into society. The 1989 legislation created the modern-day Texas Department of Criminal Justice by merging the Department of Corrections, the Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Texas Adult Probation Commission. In the 2006 sunset commission’s review of TDCJ, the agency found that TDCJ needed more significant investment from the state to improve recidivism rates and effectively rehabilitate former felons. The following year, the state invested $241 million on rehabilitation and diversion programs instead of spending money on additional prison beds. As a result, recidivism rates fell by more than 6%. “You go through different cycles,” said Marc Levin, chief policy counsel on the Council on Criminal Justice. “(Gov.) Ann Richards put in all these substance abuse facilities because drug treatment was a big priority. Then there was a change in attitudes and in 2003 there was a recession, so money was cut for treatment.” Levin said that in recent years, there has been bipartisan support for rehabilitation. And the nationwide labor shortage following the COVID-19 pandemic makes former inmates an attractive talent pool as well. At Bartlett, employers will come in for job fairs, and inmates will also participate in job interviews through Zoom. The state partners with about 1,110 employers who are open to hiring former felons. “The idea is to pilot these programs, see what is working, how do we fix it and expand it to other units,” Hernandez said. Preparing for reentry On the day of their release from Bartlett, inmates will don a new suit to mark the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. They’ll ring a liberty bell in front of their fellow inmates before they step out of the prison. To make the transition easier, inmates will serve as peer educators, offer additional support, helping their fellow inmates learn communication skills that they will need in any workplace. Field ministers will offer emotional and spiritual support to inmates and help them reconnect with their values. “One of the greatest things I heard when I got here was hope,” said Michael Thorne, an inmate who also serves as a field minister. “The church here is named Chapel of Hope to help others prepare for their exit.” Michele Deitch, a senior lecturer at University of Texas at Austin’s School of Law and LBJ School, said that creating more comfortable living conditions has been found to decrease violence and improve employee retention. “I really hope the change in mindset will reverberate throughout the agency,” Deitch said. “It’s something that will achieve better public safety outcomes and personal outcomes for people who are incarcerated.” TDCJ officials said they will also look to hire former inmates to work for the agency. Several inmates in Bartlett said they would like to return upon their release. Ayala said he hopes to return to prison as a case manager. “I’ve been in here almost half my life,” Ayala said. “I know the potential that’s behind these walls. A lot of people don’t know how to reach that potential.” ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.Blinken announces aid for Sudan and talks about AI risks at UN Security Council

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