4ph

That was fast. Mackenzie Blackwood signed a five-year, $26.25 million extension ($5.25 million AAV) with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, following the trade that sent him out of the San Jose Sharks organization Dec. 9. “When we acquired Mackenzie a few weeks ago, we wanted to let him get to Denver, get acclimated to his new team, new city and then in due time we’d reach out to him and his representatives,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in a team statement. “We are thrilled to get this deal done now and have Mackenzie under contract for the next six years.” Blackwood has three wins through his first four games with the Avalanche with .931 Save %. His new deal starts after the contract the San Jose Sharks gave him back in 2023 — two years at $2,350,000 million AAV — expires at the end of this season. It also makes Blackwood the clear No. 1 netminder for the Avalanche in the coming years, alongside back-up Scott Wedgewood’s $1,500,000 million AAV over the next two years. “As I said when we acquired him, we feel like Mackenzie has just gotten better and better every year and he has come in and done a great job with us in his first few starts,” MacFarland said. “He’s a big body, athletic goaltender who is still young and still growing as a goaltender. Stylistically, he has fit really well with how we play and has been a perfect fit in our dressing room as well.” After the trade, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier revealed that he considered keeping Blackwood, but concluded, “He probably played his way out of what we would be looking for, especially, he’s going to want some term.” It looks like Grier made the right call. San Jose’s net is likely up-and-coming star Yaroslav Askarov’s in the coming years, and while Askarov has just a $2 million AAV in the next two years after this season, he might be a very expensive RFA in the summer of 2027, if he’s as good as the Sharks project. “My job is to look down the road too,” Grier stressed, “and how much money do you want in the net?” So while the vibes of a Askarov-Blackwood duo might have been out of control — “He’s a beauty,” Yaroslav Askarov told SJHN — it’s a salary cap league, first and foremost. This article first appeared on San Jose Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.Strategic reforms necessary to address fx illiquidity, inflation, sluggish growth — Experts

Epic Games Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale: Deals on Star Wars Outlaws, Assassin's Creed and other gamesLas Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the season due to a broken collarbone, head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed on Monday, leaving the Raiders with a short week to determine their starter. Minshew suffered the injury when he was sacked and landed on his left shoulder late in the fourth quarter of Las Vegas' 29-19 home loss to the Denver Broncos. Former starter Aidan O'Connell, who was sidelined by a thumb injury in Week 7, could return off injured reserve in time for the Raiders (2-9) to face the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs (10-1) on Friday in Kansas City. "We'll see if Aidan is good to go," Pierce said. "He's been ramping up." O'Connell entered the 21-day practice window on Monday as the Raiders determine when to activate him. "Seeing him able to grip the ball comfortable, hopefully, no pain there, and just being able to be efficient," Pierce said. "To put a player out there that's hurting or injured still, that's not to the benefit of the player or our team." O'Connell, 26, has played in four games this season, starting two (both losses). He is 52 of 82 (63.4 percent) for 455 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. As a rookie last season, O'Connell started 10 of 11 games, going 5-5, and completed 213 of 343 passes (62.1 percent) for 2,218 yards, 12 TDs and seven interceptions. The Raiders selected O'Connell in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. "Obviously at the quarterback position, you've got to be smart," Pierce said. "I think with Aidan, his future's much brighter looking ahead. ... I'll have to really rely on our doctors and medical staff." Desmond Ridder replaced Minshew and went 5 of 10 for 64 yards. Ridder, 25, has appeared in three games this season for Las Vegas and is 16 of 26 (61.5 percent) for 138 yards and one TD. Ridder played the previous two seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, who selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft. For his career, he is 338 of 529 (63.9 percent) for 3,682 yards, 15 TDs and 12 interceptions in 22 games (17 starts, 8-9 record). Minshew, 28, completed 25 of 42 passes for 230 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Broncos. He finished his first season with the Raiders with 2,013 yards, nine TDs and 10 picks on 66.3 percent passing. He joined the Raiders in free agency after stints in Jacksonville (2019-20), Philadelphia (2021-22) and Indianapolis (2023) and won the starting job in camp. But he was benched multiple times for O'Connell as the Raiders struggled as a team. --Field Level MediaCleveland-Cliffs (NYSE:CLF) & DeFi Technologies (OTC:DEFTF) Financial Analysis

Fitness fans were impressed by a 'brilliant' sports bra from Next , which was both 'comfortable' and 'supportive'. One happy shopper branded it 'the best' they'd worn, and another was pleased to find it 'held everything in place whilst training'. Next said its high impact sports bra was "perfect for action addicts" and had been "constructed with extra full coverage, durable fabrics and moisture-wicking technology". The non-wired and non-padded bra also featured interchangeable straps to provide a racer back option when needed. The sports bra , currently available in black or white, costs £26. Sizes ranged from 32B to 42G. READ MORE: Dunelm slashes 20% off 'easy to assemble' bookcase with 'extra space for toys' Amanda gave the sports bra five-stars and said: "These bras are excellent. I'm large busted (34FF) and they are really supportive. I am perimenopausal too and can have sore breasts quite often. They help with this massively - I even wear for work. As with all sports bras I've tried they feel very tight around the back when buying normal size so if this would be an issue perhaps size up." Black Next Active Sports High Impact Non Pad Bra An anonymous review read: "Absolutely the best sports bra I’ve worn. I tried a few high impact bras and this Next bra came out tops. I’m 5ft 9ins and low chested. This bra lifts and supports when I’m running. Excellent quality and great value." Kala said: "Holds me secure in all activities, horse riding, jogging, weights and cardio." Lindsey added: "Very comfy and being big chested, holds everything in place whilst training." Joanne's review read: "Brilliant bras, comfortable and keep things from bouncing around while doing exercise." Janet said: "Very comfortable and supportive," while Diane added: "Excellent fit and style great for running." Jacqui wrote: "I found this high impact bra perfect for me as a DD+ lady. It fully encases my bust including up under the arms, preventing any unnecessary bulging and provides full support my HIIT gym workouts." Susan wrote: "Comfortable to wear, doesn't move when exercising. Bit pricey for such a plain design hence 4 stars." Tina also awarded four stars and said: "Great bra , just a little tight in the back. However, I have added a bra extender and it's fine." Elsewhere, GymShark has slashed 50 per cent off its everyday seamless sports bra - now priced at £15 instead of £30. Adidas also has its active seamless micro-stretch scoop lounge bra on sale, down from £23 to £11.50.

Putin apologizes for crash but stops short of saying Azerbaijani plane was shot down

Stock market today: Wall Street slips as technology stocks drag on the market NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped as Wall Street closes out a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 fell 1.6% Friday and the the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 475 points, or 1.1%. The Nasdaq composite is down 2%. Technology stocks were the biggest drag on the market. The S&P 500 is still headed for its second consecutive annual gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. 10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025 NEW YORK (AP) — As the calendar changes to 2025, you might be thinking about how to approach your relationship with money in the new year. Whether you’re saving to move out of your parents’ house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated. If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO — although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger. So says a new poll from NORC at the University of Chicago. It finds that about 8 in 10 Americans say that the person who committed the killing has “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of responsibility for the Dec. 4 shooting of Brian Thompson. Still, some see suspect Luigi Mangione as a heroic figure. About 7 in 10 adults say coverage denials or health insurance profits also bear at least “a moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s death. Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot is projected to soar above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal. Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is worth an estimated $1.15 billion. The prize has evoked headlines across the country, despite the nation's top 10 jackpots already having boasted billion-dollar payouts. Jonathan Cohen is the author of the book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.” He says he expects jackpots to continue to grow in size. Larger payouts attract more media attention, increase ticket sales and bring in new players. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Richard Parsons, prominent executive who led Time Warner and Citigroup, dies at 76 NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, has died. He was 76. Parsons died Thursday at his Manhattan home. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. Financial services company Lazard confirmed his death. Parsons was a longtime member of the company's board. His friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder’s company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder’s board for 25 years. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen has targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said Thursday's bombardment took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. At least three people were reported killed and dozens injured in the Sanaa airport strike. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finnish police say authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. It was the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure. Police and border guards boarded the Eagle S and took control as they investigate damage to the Estlink-2 undersea power cable. The cable brings electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea. The cable went down on Wednesday. The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Both have been termed sabotage.

Market Trading Guide: LTIMindtree, Tata Motors are among 5 stock recommendations for MondayBob Menendez, who resigned as New Jersey's senior senator after his conviction on federal bribery charges, is asking the court to delay his scheduled Jan. 29 sentencing. Attorneys for the former Democratic congressman urged the judge Thursday to postpone the hearing due to the upcoming trial of his wife, Nadine Menendez, who's also accused of accepting cash, gold bars and luxury cars in exchange for political favors. The lawyers claim that Bob Menendez's sentencing, which would take place nine days into Nadine's trial, " poses an unnecessary and overwhelming risk of poisoning the proceedings" against her. " It is inevitable that Senator Menendez’s sentencing will be covered by every major (and minor) news organization, with particularly intense focus among media in New York and New Jersey," defense attorneys Adam Fee and Avi Weitzman wrote. "... In the modern age of social media and wall-to-wall news coverage, it is simply not realistic to expect that the jurors — even if instructed to avoid media coverage of the case or 'related cases' — could miss the news of a sentence actually being imposed on Nadine’s husband and co-defendant." Fee and Weitzman also cited Nadine's ongoing health issues as a reason for the request. Her trial was postponed in July as she underwent treatment for breast cancer. "Given Nadine’s medical situation, Senator Menendez often tends to his wife’s physical and emotional needs," the letter continued. "Sentencing him during his wife’s trial will of course take a tremendous emotional toll on both Senator Menendez and his family. We submit that the need for our system to reflect compassion for those charged and convicted of crimes weighs in favor of adjourning the Senator’s sentencing until after Nadine’s trial concludes." Barry Coburn, a lawyer representing Nadine, also sent a letter to Judge Sidney H. Stein supporting the request Thursday. The Menendez corruption scandal broke in 2023, when federal prosecutors indicted the senator and his wife. The couple allegedly used Menendez's political influence to meddle in matters benefitting three New Jersey businessmen, as well as the Egyptian and Qatari governments . They received numerous gifts for these services, including mortgage payments and Formula 1 tickets. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) assumed Menendez's seat after an easy victory in November . Gov. Phil Murphy (D) appointed the senator early to replace George Helmy, who had held position for just under three months following Menendez's resignation. Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt | @thePhillyVoice Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Have a news tip ? Let us know.

Peter Dutton will use a private Coalition meeting to calm MPs fearful that Labor’s teen social media ban is a Trojan Horse for government control of the internet, ahead of a sitting week in which the major parties plan to ram the legislation through parliament. On Friday Coalition MPs were called to a Monday morning gathering in Canberra, party sources said, where Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman planned to field questions about Labor’s proposed law to ban children under 16 from platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman will face concerned MPs. Credit: Louise Kennerley Right-wing Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic have been sharply critical of the bill’s potential to require Australians to give tech giants their IDs and the power it would give the eSafety Commission, which is a federal agency that will be charged with overseeing the ban. But doubts about the bill, which was only released last week, have expanded from the pair to more mainstream Coalition MPs, setting up the meeting as a test of the opposition leader’s authority after he hauled his party room into line on abortion earlier this month. On Sunday night, the MPs were informed Monday’s meeting was cancelled, with the conversation to take place on Tuesday as part of the Coalition’s party room meeting. The Coalition leadership remains confident of overwhelming support for the bill inside the party, according to several opposition sources speaking anonymously about internal dynamics. Dutton, whose office declined to comment, plans to hear out his concerned colleagues but ultimately expects the party to back the bill, allowing it to pass parliament this week. The opposition rode a wave of conservative and libertarian campaigning against Labor’s misinformation bill in recent months before the government dropped its plan to crack down on falsehoods online on Sunday. Some of the groups and people behind that campaign, including One Nation, the Libertarian Party and former Coalition MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly, have launched an email crusade about the social media age barrier that has resulted in complaints flooding into MPs inboxes. They endorse the view of X owner Elon Musk, who wrote on the platform last month that the ban “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians” because it could require users to prove their identities before accessing major online services. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was asked about the need to hand over ID in a Labor caucus meeting last week and said her laws would not force people to give ID documents to social media giants, dismissing the prospect as a right-wing scare campaign. However, the government has not announced the technology that would be used to prove a user’s age. ‘A red flag’ LNP MP Garth Hamilton said Labor had rushed the legislation and sent mixed signals about details such as which platforms would be included. The Wiggles successfully lobbied to allow YouTube to remain while Snapchat will be banned, though both apps now also have a TikTok-style feed of clips. “The tests for this bill are that it should not be a proxy for digital ID [to be required to access the internet] and that it actually responds to parents’ needs,” Hamilton said.“I fully agree with Peter Dutton’s concerns about the impacts of social media, and they are long-held. But Labor has had a long time to get details right [and] the utter confusion on the detail is a red flag.” Coleman, who first proposed a teen ban in an April interview with this masthead at a time when Labor opposed such a change , told opposition MPs last week that the government could use a “double-blind tokenised approach” suggested by the eSafety Commission last year. That would allow a third party to verify a user’s age on a social media platform without revealing the identity information used to do so, while another option could force companies that operate app stores, such as Google and Apple, to take on the role. Labor announced the ban early this month after years of claims that social media was harming children’s mental health, much of which is disputed by the technology giants, and argued that it would bolster parents’ ability to reject pestering from kids to go online. But detractors including Ben Thompson, the boss of major Australian tech firm Employment Hero, said on X that bill would make it harder for children with special needs to make friends online. “Not to mention that it’s a Trojan Horse for digital ID and further censorship,” he said. On Sunday, Greens communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young called advocates for the ban well-intentioned, but said the bill was rushed compared to the government’s halting approach to gambling reform. “The government and the opposition are ramming through a ban on social media that was introduced on Thursday,” she said on ABC’s Insiders . “We’ve got a joke of a Senate inquiry for three days tomorrow. But they can’t do gambling ... Talk about priorities.” Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter .

Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $16.95 Million Stake in Otter Tail Co. (NASDAQ:OTTR)

People gather outside the negotiation room during the UN COP29 conference in Baku on Nov 23. BAKU - The world’s most climate-imperilled nations stormed out of consultations in protest at the deadlocked UN COP29 conference on Nov 23, as simmering tensions over a hard-fought finance deal erupted into the open. Diplomats from small island nations threatened by rising seas and impoverished African states angrily filed out of a meeting with summit host Azerbaijan over a final deal being thrashed out in a Baku sports stadium. “We’ve just walked out. We came here to this COP for a fair deal. We feel that we haven’t been heard,” said Mr Cedric Schuster, the Samoan chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). An unpublished version of the final text circulating in Baku, and seen by AFP, proposes that rich nations raise to US$300 billion (S$404 billion) a year by 2035 their commitment to poorer countries to fight climate change. COP29 host Azerbaijan intended to put a final draft before 198 nations for adoption or rejection on Nov 23 evening, a full day after the marathon summit officially ended. But, in a statement, AOSIS said it had “removed” itself from the climate finance discussions, demanding an “inclusive” process. “If this cannot be the case, it becomes very difficult for us to continue our involvement here at COP29,” it said. Sierra Leone climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world’s poorest, said the draft was “effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world”. An earlier offer from rich nations of US$250 billion was slammed as offensively low by developing countries, who have demanded much higher sums to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions. British energy secretary Ed Miliband said the revised offer of US$300 billion was “a significant scaling up” of the existing pledge by developed nations, which also count the United States, European Union and Japan among their ranks. At sunset, a final text still proved elusive, as harried diplomats ran to-and-fro in the stadium near the Caspian Sea searching for common ground. “Hopefully, this is the storm before the calm,” said US climate envoy John Podesta in the corridors as somebody shouted “shame” in his direction. Earlier, the EU’s climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said negotiators were not out of the woods yet. “We’re doing everything we can on each of the axes to build bridges and to make this into a success. But it is iffy whether we will succeed,” he said. ‘Ripped off’ Mr Ali Mohamed, the Kenyan chair of the African Group of Negotiators, told AFP: “No deal is better than a bad deal.” South African environment minister Dion George, however, said: “I think being ambitious at this point is not going to be very useful. “What we are not up for is going backwards or standing still,” he said. “We might as well just have stayed at home then.” The revised offer from rich countries came with conditions in other parts of the broader climate deal under discussion in Azerbaijan. The EU in particular wants an annual review on global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, which are the main drivers of global warming. This has run into opposition from Saudi Arabia, which has sought to water down a landmark pledge to transition away from oil, gas and coal made at COP28 last year. “We will not allow the most vulnerable, especially the small island states, to be ripped off by the new, few rich fossil fuel emitters,” said German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. Wealthy nations counter that it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. The US earlier in November elected former president Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. A coalition of more than 300 activist groups accused historic polluters most responsible for climate change of skirting their obligation, and urged developing nations to stand firm. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of US$1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Even US$300 billion would be a step up from the US$100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire. A group of developing countries had demanded at least US$500 billion, with some saying that increases were less than met the eye due to inflation. Experts commissioned by the United Nations to assess the needs of developing countries said US$250 billion was “too low” and by 2035 rich nations should be providing at least US$390 billion. The US and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China – the world’s largest emitter – to chip in. China, which remains classified as a developing nation under the UN framework, provides climate assistance but wants to keep doing so on its own voluntary terms. AFP Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell's stirring locker room tribute to his team last week at Seattle was respectfully interrupted by seven-year veteran right tackle Brian O'Neill, who flipped the script on the game ball awards by tossing one to the boss in honor of his second 13-win season in three years. The Vikings have obliterated even the most optimistic of external predictions for this transitional season, taking a sparkling 13-2 record into their matchup against the Green Bay Packers that has made O'Connell the current favorite for the NFL Coach of the Year award. “It’s a credit to who he is as a person, as a coach and as a leader,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to play under him.” The Vikings can not only win the NFC North for a second time in three seasons, but get the No. 1 seed with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC tournament if they beat both the Packers at home on Sunday and the Detroit Lions on the road next week. Don't expect the Vikings to ponder that possibility, though, as tantalizing as it would be. “It can be a very tired cliché to talk about going 1-0 until you’ve systematically built your entire operation daily of just trying to do that every single day,” O'Connell said after Minnesota's eighth consecutive victory . “These guys, it’s not a cliché at that point. It becomes part of your football foundation and the makeup of your locker room, of your leadership, your coaching staff.” The Packers could be forgiven for being less than impressed by the impact O'Connell has made, for a reason beyond simply him coaching their biggest rival. Green Bay enjoyed even better out-of-the-gate success under coach Matt LaFleur, who was hired in 2019 and won 13 regular-season games in each of his first three years. Though they're in third place at 11-4, two games behind the Lions and the Vikings, the Packers too have secured a place in the playoffs even if they can't win their loaded division. They'll likely be the visiting team as long as they're alive this postseason. "I think that just all of us going against one another, it’s forced you to be at your best every week," LaFleur said. “You can’t afford a slip-up, just to keep up with everybody.” The road team has won each of the past three matchups in this series. The Packers are 0-4 against the teams with the top three records in the NFC: Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia. “We’ve got to be able to go win these games against the really good teams in the league and set ourselves up for the situation we’ll be in for the playoffs,” quarterback Jordan Love said. Aaron Jones rushed for 93 yards on 22 carries for Minnesota in a 31-29 victory at Green Bay on Sept. 29. Released by the Packers for salary cap relief in favor of their premier free agency addition, the three-plus-years-younger Josh Jacobs, Jones just hit the 1,000-yard mark last week and can't hide from the significance of facing his former team. "They respect you because they were on your team or they've seen the work that you put in, but you want to gain their respect in another way from playing against them, like, ‘Man, this dude is really as good as I thought he was,’" Jones said. Jacobs, for his part, is fourth in the NFL entering Week 17 with 1,216 rushing yards for the most by a Packers player in a season since Ryan Grant (1,253) in 2009. The earlier matchup this season featured seven combined turnovers, four by the Packers and three by the Vikings. Both of these teams are among the NFL's best in the turnover department, with Green Bay at a plus-12 margin and Minnesota at a plus-10. The Packers have allowed a total of three sacks and have committed just two turnovers over their past five games. The Vikings are eagerly anticipating the return of second-year linebacker Ivan Pace, the sparkplug who has missed four games on injured reserve with a hamstring strain. They’ll be cautious with him and the tricky nature of that injury, but getting Pace back in the middle of the action with fellow linebacker Blake Cashman would be a big boost to the play-calling options for defensive coordinator Brian Flores. “He flies around. When he blitzes, he’s as impactful as anybody, and when you can really get him and Cash out there at the same time, they both can really play to their strengths,” O’Connell said. “They’re both really good blitzers. Cash is phenomenal in coverage and reading the quarterback, and when you can kind of pair those guys together, run and pass, that’s when we’re at our best.” Brayden Narveson missed both of his field-goal attempts for Green Bay, from 37 and 49 yards, in the two-point decision at Lambeau Field in Week 4. The Packers released Narveson a couple of weeks later in favor of 11-year veteran Brandon McManus, who has gone 16 of 17 on field-goal tries including game-winners as time expired against Houston and Jacksonville. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLRoivant Sciences Ltd. ( NASDAQ:ROIV – Get Free Report ) COO Eric Venker sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.49, for a total transaction of $1,149,000.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 595,580 shares in the company, valued at $6,843,214.20. The trade was a 14.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Eric Venker also recently made the following trade(s): Roivant Sciences Stock Down 1.7 % Roivant Sciences stock opened at $11.80 on Friday. Roivant Sciences Ltd. has a 12-month low of $9.69 and a 12-month high of $13.06. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $11.91 and its 200 day moving average is $11.52. The company has a market capitalization of $8.59 billion, a PE ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.25. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Roivant Sciences from $12.00 to $12.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Roivant Sciences in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $18.00 price target on shares of Roivant Sciences in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Roivant Sciences has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $17.93. Get Our Latest Stock Report on ROIV About Roivant Sciences ( Get Free Report ) Roivant Sciences Ltd., a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of medicines for inflammation and immunology areas. The company provides Vants, a model to develop and commercialize its medicines and technologies focusing on biopharmaceutical businesses, discovery-stage companies, and health technology startups. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Roivant Sciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Roivant Sciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

In December 2023 a farmer was burning dry grapevines in his vineyard in Deir Mar Moussa, a hill town a dozen miles east of Beirut known for its 18th-century monastery and stands of pine forest. Usually this would be dangerous, given that Lebanon’s hot and dry climate can quickly turn a spark into a conflagration. But on this day the worst was avoided. A device made by a German startup “smelled” the smoke from the farmer’s fire and sent out an alert, allowing authorities to prevent it from spreading. Given the recent explosion of global warming- fueled wildfires across the planet, quick detection is needed more than ever. In this case a device called Silvanet by Dryad Networks identified the unique gas patterns in the air that indicated something in Deir Mar Moussa was burning. As the average global temperature rises and climate change advances, wildfires are becoming more catastrophic — like the Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina wildfire — ravaging communities and releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Burning leaves and undergrowth can go undetected for hours, even days, until smoke is reported to authorities by bystanders or passing aircraft. Since many forest fires smolder long before flames erupt, there’s an opening for a new generation of smoke detection equipment. Dryad’s chief executive, Carsten Brinkschulte, calls his an electronic nose. “If you get to a wildfire when it’s tiny, you have a lot more options that you can do than if you detect it when it’s 2, 3, 5 hectares in size,” he says. “It’s very hard to contain at that point.” And as a logical extension of this, the nascent industry is already drawing up plans for squadrons of firefighting drones that someday may be permanently stationed among the trees, waiting for a signal to quench a fire before it can spread. Annually, wildfires result in an additional 23,000 square miles of lost tree cover than was the case in 2001 — an area slightly bigger than Croatia. Hundreds die in such fires each year, while almost a half-million more lose their homes or are displaced. Each wildfire releases dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere that can increase the chances of disease and death for people hundreds or even thousands of miles away. A study published in October estimated 10,000 more people died each year in the 2010s than in the 1960s as a result of wildfire smoke. And, of course, the more smoke, the worse global warming becomes. According to a study published in the journal Nature, wildfires in Canada in 2023 released about 640 million metric tons of carbon, more than the annual fossil fuel emissions of any country save China, the U.S. and India. Since 2001, carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires have surged by 60%. And if all of that isn’t bad enough, the destruction they wreak on fauna and vegetation can have dire consequences for ecosystems and the scorched landscape left behind. It was in 2018, a particularly bad year for wildfires, when Brinkschulte — a veteran German telecommunications executive — says it occurred to him that existing detection methods weren’t keeping up. Satellites can detect wildfires from space, and cameras can survey areas susceptible to outbreaks, but in both cases fires must already be large enough to produce visible smoke plumes or flames that breach the forest canopy. Brinkschulte says he wanted to create a system that senses fires before they escalate with “a scalable, sustainable business model.” Each of Dryad’s Silvanet sensors is equipped with a metal oxide semiconductor layer that reacts with gases in the air. When hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other gases are present, as they are in the early stages of a fire, they alter the sensor’s electrical resistance, creating a specific “fingerprint,” according to Brinkschulte. AI then analyzes the gas composition in real time. Dryad says the system allows users to geolocate the origin of a fire down to a 320-foot radius of each device. Dryad is by no means alone in this field. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has deployed sensors made by Rockville, Md.-based N5. Called N5SHIELD, they’re now situated across Maui — which on Aug. 8, 2023, suffered a catastrophic fire that claimed at least 102 lives, destroyed over 2,200 structures and caused approximately $5.5 billion in damage. A power line in Lahaina that was damaged by high wind and reenergized after a visual inspection was found by an independent analysis to be a major contributing factor to the disaster. Many of the hundreds of lawsuits filed in the aftermath of the fire allege that the fast-moving inferno was fueled by dry vegetation. Dryad says it has raised $23.8 million, mainly through venture capital equity investments and grants from the European Union. Silvanet is its core product, with more than 20,000 sensors shipped to date. Each one sells for less than $100 each, but customers must also pay a service fee for access to the company’s cloud-based platform. One concern with sensor technology, however, is accuracy. If too sensitive, it could lead to false alerts. And while networks of individual detectors strapped to trees are useful along hiking paths and power lines traversing wooded areas, where fires often begin, they are less effective elsewhere. To quickly detect small fires across broader areas, cameras are needed. Dryad hopes to move beyond detection to actual firefighting, launching autonomous drones that respond to fires like the one that almost happened in Deir Mar Moussa. “We are in a unique position where we detect fires so early, so the drones have a chance of extinguishing them,” Brinkschulte says. In areas where wildfires break out regularly, drones using new fire suppression technology could be stationed, ensuring a rapid, automated response. But Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, cautions against focusing too much on fire detection technologies. While there’s no question that early and accurate detection can help contain certain fires, it’s true only if you have the resources to use the information effectively. And in the right conditions, like when it’s windy, some fires will spread however early you detect them. “No amount of rapid detection is going to change tactics or outcome on some fires,” he says. And more broadly, Wara cautions that as detection technologies help extinguish slow-spreading fires, they could leave fast-spreading fires more vegetation to fuel their growth. If we’re going to have these satellite technologies and cameras and sensors, we need to also invest in controlled burns, he says. “The risk is that we focus too much on detection, but we must not overlook mitigation and prevention,” Wara says. This Bloomberg News story was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Notre Dame forward Danny Nelson scored twice, Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky made 25 saves and the defending champion United States beat Latvia 5-1 on Saturday in the world junior hockey championship. The United States improved to 2-0 in Group A play, while Latvia dropped to 1-1 a day after stunning Canada with a 3-2 victory in a shootout. “We saw some growth in our game today,” coach David Carle of Denver said. ”“Was it perfect? No. A lot of compliments to Latvia and how hard they played. We had to earn every inch of ice we got and that will help us as we move forward in the tournament.” Boston College’s Ryan Leonard, Denver’s Zeev Buium and Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante also scored for the Americans. They will be back in action Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre against Finland, then close group play Tuesday night against Canada. Davids Livsics scored for Latvia. Linards Feldbergs stopped 36 shots after making 55 saves against Canada and stopping all eight attempts in the shootout. In the only other game of the day, Czechia beat Kazakhstan 14-2 at TD Place. Czechia and Sweden are both 2-0 in Group B. Matej Mastalirsky, Vojtech Hradec and Jakub Stancl had hat tricks, with Hradec and Stancl also each assisting on two goals. ___ AP sports:Peter Dutton will use a private Coalition meeting to calm MPs fearful that Labor’s teen social media ban is a Trojan Horse for government control of the internet, ahead of a sitting week in which the major parties plan to ram the legislation through parliament. On Friday Coalition MPs were called to a Monday morning gathering in Canberra, party sources said, where Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman planned to field questions about Labor’s proposed law to ban children under 16 from platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman will face concerned MPs. Credit: Louise Kennerley Right-wing Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic have been sharply critical of the bill’s potential to require Australians to give tech giants their IDs and the power it would give the eSafety Commission, which is a federal agency that will be charged with overseeing the ban. But doubts about the bill, which was only released last week, have expanded from the pair to more mainstream Coalition MPs, setting up the meeting as a test of the opposition leader’s authority after he hauled his party room into line on abortion earlier this month. On Sunday night, the MPs were informed Monday’s meeting was cancelled, with the conversation to take place on Tuesday as part of the Coalition’s party room meeting. The Coalition leadership remains confident of overwhelming support for the bill inside the party, according to several opposition sources speaking anonymously about internal dynamics. Dutton, whose office declined to comment, plans to hear out his concerned colleagues but ultimately expects the party to back the bill, allowing it to pass parliament this week. The opposition rode a wave of conservative and libertarian campaigning against Labor’s misinformation bill in recent months before the government dropped its plan to crack down on falsehoods online on Sunday. Some of the groups and people behind that campaign, including One Nation, the Libertarian Party and former Coalition MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly, have launched an email crusade about the social media age barrier that has resulted in complaints flooding into MPs inboxes.

Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyeama admits his airline staff violate regulations – NCAA claimsWoman cheats mom-in-law of lakhs; booked

Source: Browns, Watson agree to rework contract

Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 996,650 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after buying an additional 91,591 shares during the period. NVIDIA makes up approximately 3.4% of Apollon Wealth Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Apollon Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $121,033,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CGC Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in NVIDIA in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc bought a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of NVIDIA during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, FPC Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of NVIDIA by 900.0% during the 2nd quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 290 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. 65.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insider Activity In other news, Director Tench Coxe sold 1,000,000 shares of NVIDIA stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.26, for a total value of $131,260,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 28,671,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,763,402,713.60. The trade was a 3.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, Director John Dabiri sold 716 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total value of $101,672.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 19,942 shares in the company, valued at $2,831,764. The trade was a 3.47 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,351,886 shares of company stock worth $176,825,650. 4.23% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. NVIDIA Trading Down 2.1 % NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.12. NVIDIA had a net margin of 55.69% and a return on equity of 114.83%. The company had revenue of $35.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.38 EPS. NVIDIA’s revenue for the quarter was up 93.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. NVIDIA Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 5th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.03%. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 1.57%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have weighed in on NVDA. Loop Capital restated a “buy” rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Raymond James upped their target price on NVIDIA from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Wedbush upped their price objective on shares of NVIDIA from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $164.15. View Our Latest Stock Report on NVIDIA NVIDIA Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVDA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .At last, Wilson’s reputation gets dismantling it deservesNone

Ohio State takes control in second half, runs over Indiana, 38-15Natixis Advisors LLC lowered its stake in Aptiv PLC ( NYSE:APTV – Free Report ) by 30.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 62,822 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 27,905 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Aptiv were worth $4,524,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Independence Bank of Kentucky acquired a new position in shares of Aptiv during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Crewe Advisors LLC raised its stake in Aptiv by 94.7% during the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 442 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the period. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its holdings in Aptiv by 44.3% in the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 505 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new stake in Aptiv in the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of Aptiv during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.21% of the company’s stock. Aptiv Stock Up 1.9 % APTV stock opened at $54.38 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $65.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $70.52. Aptiv PLC has a twelve month low of $51.47 and a twelve month high of $91.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.78 billion, a PE ratio of 6.07, a PEG ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently issued reports on APTV shares. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Aptiv from $85.00 to $65.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Fox Advisors downgraded shares of Aptiv from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Nomura Securities raised shares of Aptiv from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Aptiv from $82.00 to $72.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Aptiv from $76.00 to $66.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.29. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Aptiv Aptiv Profile ( Free Report ) Aptiv PLC engages in design, manufacture, and sale of vehicle components in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, South America, and internationally. The company provides electrical, electronic, and safety technology solutions to the automotive and commercial vehicle markets. It operates through two segments, Signal and Power Solutions, and Advanced Safety and User Experience. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Aptiv Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aptiv and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .