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live bet HAMILTON, N.Y. (AP) — Dejour Reaves' 20 points helped Iona defeat Colgate 79-73 on Sunday. Reaves also contributed nine rebounds and six steals for the Gaels (4-8, 1-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Yaphet Moundi added 13 points while finishing 6 of 8 from the floor while they also had five rebounds. Adam Njie had 12 points and shot 5 of 11 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 1 for 4 from the line. The Raiders (3-10) were led in scoring by Nicolas Louis-Jacques, who finished with 27 points. Jalen Cox added 16 points, four assists and two steals for Colgate. Parker Jones also had seven points and two steals. Reaves scored 11 points in the first half for Iona, who led 36-32 at the break. Iona used a 7-0 run in the second half to build an eight-point lead at 43-35 with 16:42 left in the half before finishing off the win. Up next for Iona is a matchup Sunday with Harvard at home. Colgate hosts Army on Thursday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .PIANA TECHNOLOGY'S ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) REPORT UNDERSCORES ITS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION

ECP allows transfer of 3 PML-N MNAs’ petitions to former LHC judgeChuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken a significant step in its regulatory scrutiny of blockchain gaming projects by issuing a Wells notice to CyberKongz, a prominent NFT gaming platform. This development underscores growing tensions between blockchain innovators and federal regulators over the intersection of NFTs, utility tokens, and securities laws. See here for our discussion on some previous SEC NFT enforcements. SEC Targets NFTs and Utility Tokens On December 16, CyberKongz revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the SEC’s Division of Enforcement approached the project with a concerning message: blockchain games featuring an ERC-20 token alongside NFTs must register the token as a security. A Wells notice is a formal notification indicating the SEC’s intention to consider enforcement actions based on its findings. Recipients typically have 30 days to respond to the notice, after which the SEC may decide to pursue formal charges. CyberKongz warned that this action could have far-reaching implications for the blockchain gaming industry, particularly for projects that integrate NFTs with utility tokens. Overview of CyberKongz and its Banana Token CyberKongz started as a unique and randomly generate collection of 1000, 34×34 pixelated NFT gorillas now known as the Genesis Collection. CyberKongz were the first to introduce and popularize a number of innovative NFT mechanics, such as unique tokenomics for their utility token $BANANA, which led to breeding and Babies. Each Genesis Kong produces 10 $BANANA every day until March 18th 2031. The total $BANANA produced for entire collection over the 10 year contract is 36,500,000 $BANANA. Anyone who holds any two Genesis Kongz in their wallet and burn 600 $BANANA receives an incubator to breed a baby. Each baby is unique and owns randomized items with different rarities. The project features many other creative aspects as well. According to its website: “CyberKongz is driven by community, utility, and of course the main life source of any ape, $BANANA! $BANANA is the utility token that fuels the CyberKongz ecosystem. It is NOT an investment and has NO economic value.” Of course the SEC does not place much emphasis on disclaimers such as this. Rather, it focuses on the totality of the facts and circumstances and the economic realities of any tokens. CyberKongz Pushes Back In its response, CyberKongz signaled its intention to challenge the SEC’s position. The project also criticized the SEC for what it described as a “complete lack of understanding of blockchain technologies,” citing “unjust accusations and information inaccuracies” that have plagued the agency’s engagement with the blockchain space. CyberKongz further stressed the importance of defending against the SEC’s stance for the benefit of the wider blockchain gaming ecosystem. Zooming Out: What’s at Stake? The CyberKongz Wells notice highlights the challenges faced by blockchain projects as they navigate the SEC’s evolving approach to enforcement. If the SEC’s position is upheld, it could set a precedent requiring NFT gaming platforms that incorporate utility tokens to register those tokens as securities. The SEC is not the only federal regulator with an eye on blockchain gaming. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a report on Banking in Video Games and Virtual Worlds, warning of increased scrutiny and enforcement of financial services in games that mimic traditional banking and payment systems. See here for our analysis of the report. As the battle between CyberKongz and the SEC unfolds, the case is likely to draw significant attention from the blockchain community, regulators, and legal experts alike. For now, CyberKongz prepares to defend its project and principles in what could be a pivotal case for the blockchain gaming sector. Blockchain gaming companies that have concerns about whether NFTs they have issued or plan to issue implicate securities laws should seek advice from a knowledgeable attorney, based on the specific facts of their offering. In some cases, certain actions can be taken to minimize the risk of an enforcement. Listen to this post

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court said the issue of enforced disappearances of citizens should be resolved by calling a general or joint session of the parliament. A six-judge constitutional bench of Supreme Court, headed by Justice AminudDin, and comprising Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Mussarat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, on Tuesday, heard multiple cases. The bench issued notices to the interior minister, the Attorney General of Pakistan, and other parties and sought reports from them. In October 2023, senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan had filed a constitutional petition in the SC to “challenge the illegal and unlawful practice of enforced disappearances”. However, the SC Registrar’sOffice, a month later, returned the petition for being an “individual grievance” and “not raising any question of public importance”. Advocates Sardar Latif Khosa and Faisal Siddiqui appeared on behalf of the petitioner, Ahsan. Justice Mandokhail remarked that the issue should be resolved by calling a general or joint session of parliament. “The court has recognized parliament as supreme, parliament should prove itself to be supreme,” he said. “In my opinion, the missing persons issue is an extremely important one.” He continued: “Missing persons’ cases are being heard in the high courts and SC, people’s lives are at stake, thousands are missing, [and] senior senators like Latif Khosa and Aitzaz Ahsan are standing here. Parliament needs to find a solution to this.” Deputy Attorney General Javed Iqbal Younis informed that the missing persons’ case was discussed in the cabinet a day before. “The cabinet has formed a sub-committee, which will present its recommendations to the cabinet. The government wants to finally solve the missing persons’ issue,” he said. Justice Mandokhail remarked that the issue of missing persons would not be solved through rhetoric alone. Justice Mazhar questioned how many recoveries the Enforced Disappearances Commission had made till now. Justice Hassan inquired if the commission had information on who enforceably disappeared the people. “The missing people who have returned, what have they said? Who picked them up and took them away?” he added. Justice Mandokhail remarked: “Missing persons who return don’t say anything, they say that they went for a vacation to the Northern Areas.” Latif Khosa said that the country had become a “deep state”, upon which, Justice Mandokhail stopped him from speaking and told him to refrain from discussing politics in the court. “Call a general or joint session of parliament to solve this issue.” Advocate Khosa then asked whether the missing persons’ issue should be resolved like the 26th Constitutional Amendment. Justice Mandokhail responded that 26th Amendment would be seen in due course. Khosa said that most of the missing persons’ cases were from Balochistan, to which, Justice Mandokhail said that the people and court were looking towards parliamentarians to resolve the issue. Upon that, Ahsan said that parliament “does not have judicial powers.” Justice Hilali then addressed Advocate Khosa and inquired whether PTI workers had enforceably disappeared, which he affirmed. She asked whether they disclosed who picked them up, to which, Khosa replied that their children would also be taken away. Advocate Siddiqui noted that people’s loved ones have been missing for 10 to 20 years. “At the previous hearing, the court gave an order related to missing persons; today the bench cannot find that order.” “The missing persons order has also gone missing,” Justice Rizvi quipped. Justice Naeem narrated an incident, in which, 25 lawyers appeared in a case of missing persons in Balochistan. Missing persons returned home on the orders of the Balochistan High Court, which also ordered the returned individuals to appear in court. “After returning, those people never appeared in any judicial forum to record their statement. One of the purposes of recording their statement was that if the army is involved, then [General Headquarters] should be written to for a court martial. “If other institutions are involved, then action should be ordered against those involved. If any case of missing persons is to be made an example, then someone from among the returned individuals should have the courage to stand up. “Some missing persons cases also ruin and defame missing persons and the state,” Justice Naeem said, adding that a war of independence is being done in the name of missing persons. “No one in the system is ready to stand up.” Here, Advocate Siddiqui said that after the attorney general’s assurances, 350 people went missing. “The state is obeying previous official court orders.” Ahsan said that the attorney general had given assurances that no citizen would be enforceably disappeared. “We want to move towards a solution in the missing persons’ case,” Justice Khan said. Justice Mandokhail then said: “The solution to the missing persons’ issue is that stakeholders sit together and consider why the issue of missing persons arises. “The court considers parliament supreme, parliament should also consider the same.” Ahsan said those who have returned should be called to court, which Justice Naeem agreed to. The case was adjourned until next week. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Reaves scores 20 points as Iona secures 79-73 victory over ColgateChildren of the wealthy and connected get special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools. Georgetown’s then-president, for example, listed a prospective student on his “president’s list” after meeting her and her wealthy father at an Idaho conference known as “summer camp for billionaires,” according to Tuesday court filings in the price-fixing lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court in 2022. Although it’s always been assumed that such favoritism exists, the filings offer a rare peek at the often secret deliberations of university heads and admissions officials. They show how schools admit otherwise unqualified wealthy children because their parents have connections and could possibly donate large sums down the line, raising questions about fairness. Stuart Schmill, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote in a 2018 email that the university admitted four out of six applicants recommended by then-board chairman Robert Millard, including two who “we would really not have otherwise admitted.” The two others were not admitted because they were “not in the ball park, or the push from him was not as strong.” In the email, Schmill said Millard was careful to play down his influence on admissions decisions, but he said the chair also sent notes on all six students and later met with Schmill to share insight “into who he thought was more of a priority.” The filings are the latest salvo in a lawsuit that claims that 17 of the nation’s most prestigious colleges colluded to reduce the competition for prospective students and drive down the amount of financial aid they would offer, all while giving special preference to the children of wealthy donors. “That illegal collusion resulted in the defendants providing far less aid to students than would have been provided in a free market,” said Robert Gilbert, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Since the lawsuit was filed, 10 of the schools have reached settlements to pay out a total of $284 million, including payments of up to $2,000 to current or former students whose financial aid might have been shortchanged over a period of more than two decades. They are Brown, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt and Yale. Johns Hopkins is working on a settlement and the six schools still fighting the lawsuit are the California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Georgetown, MIT, Notre Dame and the University of Pennsylvania. MIT called the lawsuit and the claims about admissions favoritism baseless. “MIT has no history of wealth favoritism in its admissions; quite the opposite,” university spokesperson Kimberly Allen said. “After years of discovery in which millions of documents were produced that provide an overwhelming record of independence in our admissions process, plaintiffs could cite just a single instance in which the recommendation of a board member helped sway the decisions for two undergraduate applicants." In a statement, Penn also said the case is meritless that the evidence shows that it doesn't favor students whose families have donated or pledged money to the Ivy League school. “Plaintiffs’ whole case is an attempt to embarrass the University about its purported admission practices on issues totally unrelated to this case," the school said. Notre Dame officials also called the case baseless. “We are confident that every student admitted to Notre Dame is fully qualified and ready to succeed,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. The South Bend, Indiana, school, though, did apparently admit wealthy students with subpar academic backgrounds. According to the new court filings, Don Bishop, who was then associate vice president for enrollment at Notre Dame, bluntly wrote about the “special interest” admits in a 2012 email, saying that year's crop had poorer academic records than the previous year's. The 2012 group included 38 applicants who were given a “very low” academic rating, Bishop wrote. He said those students represented “massive allowances to the power of the family connections and funding history,” adding that “we allowed their high gifting or potential gifting to influence our choices more this year than last year.” The final line of his email: “Sure hope the wealthy next year raise a few more smart kids!” Some of the examples pointed to in this week's court filings showed that just being able to pay full tuition would give students an advantage. During a deposition, a former Vanderbilt admissions director said that in some cases, a student would get an edge on the waitlist if they didn’t need financial aid. The 17 schools were part of a decades-old group that got permission from Congress to come up with a shared approach to awarding financial aid. Such an arrangement might otherwise violate antitrust laws, but Congress allowed it as long as the colleges all had need-blind admissions policies, meaning they wouldn't consider a student’s financial situation when deciding who gets in. The lawsuit argues that many colleges claimed to be need-blind but routinely favored the children of alumni and donors. In doing so, the suit says, the colleges violated the Congressional exemption and tainted the entire organization. The group dissolved in recent years when the provision allowing the collaboration expired.

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VANCOUVER — A Federal Court judge has dismissed an appeal by a “deeply religious” British Columbia health executive who said he was wrongfully denied employment insurance after being fired three years ago for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Darold Sturgeon was fired as executive director of medical affairs for Interior Health in November 2021 after refusing to get the vaccine based on his Christian beliefs. He applied for employment insurance benefits but was denied due to being fired for “misconduct,” with appeals to two levels of the Social Security Tribunal also failing, leading him to seek a judicial review in Federal Court in August 2023. The ruling says Sturgeon believed the tribunal should have examined his assertion under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that the term “misconduct” did not apply to his case “because he was exercising his freedom of religion.” Justice William Pentney says “recent, abundant and unanimous case law” defined a specific and narrow role for the tribunal’s appeal divisions, focusing on an employee’s conduct, and not justification for and employer’s policies or compliance with the Charter. The ruling says Sturgeon’s appeal fell “outside the mandate” of the tribunal and he could have challenged Interior Health’s mandatory vaccine police “through other avenues.” These included advancing a Charter claim, lodging a wrongful dismissal suit or labour grievance, or complaining to the British Columbia Human Rights Commission. “The point is, there were other avenues available to pursue the Charter question; this decision does not cut off the only avenue of relief,” the ruling says. It added of Sturgeon, who represented himself, that “no one has doubted that he acted based on his understanding of his religious obligations,” and that he had “ably advanced his arguments.” “However, despite his sincere and thoughtful arguments, the binding jurisprudence requires that I find against him,” the ruling says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press

MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acentra Health , a technology and health solutions and services company dedicated to accelerating better outcomes for its government and commercial healthcare clients and the populations they serve, announced the company and its employees raised $31,000 in contributions to support relief efforts in the southeastern United States following the devastation from hurricanes Helene and Milton. More than half of the total funds raised during the corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign were provided as a company match to support the American Red Cross’ hurricane response. “As Americans gather to give thanks and celebrate this holiday season, we know that many others are still struggling to rebuild from the devastating loss of back-to-back hurricanes,” said CEO Todd Stottlemyer. “When the storms hit, Acentra Health employees embraced the opportunity to help our neighbors in need through donations of cash, food, and essential items, as well as hands-on volunteer work. I am thankful to work alongside so many who live out our company’s core value of passionately serving our communities.” The company’s Acentra Health Cares program invited employees to support the hurricane relief campaign in two meaningful ways, either by donating to a hurricane relief cause of their choosing or by volunteering with organizations that align with the company’s core value of passionately serving local communities. Employees were also encouraged to use their Acentra Health volunteer time off benefit, which provides up to eight hours of annual paid leave for volunteering. In response, Acentra Health matched employee donations and donated a set dollar amount for each volunteer activity, further amplifying the positive impact on affected communities. At the campaign’s close on November 15, 2024, Acentra Health employees supported more than 20 organizations providing direct hurricane relief in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, all also states where Acentra Health employees live and work. Employees also logged 176 hours of volunteer work, consisting of hurricane clean-up, sorting supplies, and loading delivery trucks. Acentra Health matched employee contributions in a lump sum to the American Red Cross, for a campaign grand total of $31,000. Acentra Health Cares provides corporate social responsibility opportunities for employees to live the company’s core value of passionately serving its clients, communities, and colleagues through philanthropy and volunteering. The program focuses on making a positive impact on the social determinants of health affecting the individuals and communities where our employees live and work. About Acentra Health Acentra Health combines public sector knowledge, clinical expertise, and technological ingenuity to modernize the healthcare experience for its state, federal, and commercial partners, and the populations they serve. From designing and developing advanced claims, encounter, and provider solutions that drive efficiency and cost savings to delivering clinically focused service models for care management, clinical assessments, and quality oversight, Acentra Health is accelerating better health outcomes. Acentra Health is backed by Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG), a global investment firm. Learn more at acentra.com . Media Contact : Janice Moore Vice President, Corporate Communications 703-214-3552

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams keep doing just enough to win, and a team that appeared to be rebuilding this season has climbed all the way to the brink of another playoff berth. The Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with their fourth straight victory since Thanksgiving. Their 19-9 win over the New York Jets in sub-freezing temperatures was not dominant — they trailed 9-6 entering the fourth quarter, and they were outgained by nearly 100 yards — but Los Angeles still matched its largest margin of victory this season and continued to look like a looming nightmare for any postseason opponent. The Rams have now won eight of 10 since their bye week, when they were 1-4 and the NFL world wondered whether they would trade Super Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp or even quarterback Matthew Stafford to spur their roster reboot. Los Angeles decided not to punt its season, and Sean McVay's team has driven from last to first. “You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” McVay said Monday. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship. Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.” The Rams also have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay — an achievement that shouldn’t get lost in the recent successes of a franchise that had 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before it rolled the dice and hired a 30-year-old head coach back in 2017. After winning it all in February 2022 and then having the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history, the Rams have made the most of their time in between true powerhouse status and a major rebuild. They also started slowly last year, entering their bye at 3-6 before a 7-1 finish. The Rams can become the first team in NFL history to make back-to-back postseason appearances after being three games under .500 each year. These Rams don't stand out on either side of the ball, although their talent level appears to be higher on offense than defense. Instead, they've mastered a delicate balance of complementary football — the offense and defense covering each other's weaknesses and setting up their teammates for success. The Rams have scored more than 30 points just once all season, and they managed only 31 points in their last two games combined. Their defense has allowed only one touchdown in the past two games — but right before that, Josh Allen and the Bills racked up 42 points and 445 yards in the most recent of a few defensive stinkers from LA this season. The Rams keep winning anyway, and now they can clinch McVay's fourth NFC West title by beating Seattle in two weeks. “Fortunately, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things to happen if you just handle your business,” McVay said. Kyren Williams and the offensive line are driving the Rams' offense. After a slow start caused partly by McVay being forced to abandon the running game when the Rams repeatedly fell behind early, the 2023 Pro Bowler has surged to career highs of 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with his 122-yard performance in New York. Stafford's 110 yards passing were his fewest with the Rams and the second-fewest in his 16-year career from a full game. Sunday's weather was a major factor, but the Rams must throw the ball effectively to somebody other than Puka Nacua. Kupp has just 193 yards receiving in his past five games combined. Defensive back Jaylen McCollough made a career-high nine tackles in only 31 snaps. The undrafted rookie continues to be a remarkable find, earning playing time alongside veteran safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl and fellow rookie Kam Kinchens. CB Cobie Durant didn't play for the second straight week despite being cleared to return from his bruised lung. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon got every snap in place of Durant, who started LA's first 13 games. McVay praised Witherspoon's recent play when asked why Durant didn't get on the field in New Jersey. The Rams' improved health, particularly on both lines, is the key to their surge. McVay reported no new injuries out of the road trip following Tyler Higbee's successful season debut. 12-1 — The Rams’ record in December with Stafford as their starter over his four years in LA. The Rams need to win at least one of their final two games to wrap up their first NFC West crown since 2021. They host eliminated Arizona on Saturday night, but can't clinch the division unless the Seahawks lose to moribund Chicago. The Rams are currently the NFC's third seed, but that doesn't matter a whole lot because both the third and fourth seeds will have to play one of the NFC North's two powerful wild-card teams in the opening round. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFLWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday announced that he is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump , an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings , including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities. The decision leaves three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. “I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” Biden said in a statement . “Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.” Reaction was strong, both for and against. A Trump spokesperson called the decision “abhorrent.” “These are among the worst killers in the world and this abhorrent decision by Joe Biden is a slap in the face to the victims, their families, and their loved ones.” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung. “President Trump stands for the rule of law, which will return when he is back in the White House after he was elected with a massive mandate from the American people.” Heather Turner, whose mother was killed during the 2017 robbery of a Conway, South Carolina, bank, blasted the decision in a social media post, saying Biden didn’t consider the victims of these crimes. “The pain and trauma we have endured over the last 7 years has been indescribable,” Turner wrote on Facebook, describing weeks spent in court in search of justice as “now just a waste of time.” “Our judicial system is broken. Our government is a joke,” she said. “Joe Biden’s decision is a clear gross abuse of power. He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Some of Roof’s victims supported Biden’s decision to leave him on death row. Michael Graham, whose sister Cynthia Hurd was killed by Roof, said Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the U.S. means Roof is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people who were doing something all Americans do on a Wednesday night — go to Bible study,” Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” The Biden administration in 2021 announced a moratorium on federal capital punishment to study the protocols used, which suspended executions during Biden’s term. But Biden actually had promised to go further on the issue in the past, pledging to end federal executions without the caveats for terrorism and hate-motivated, mass killings. While running for president in 2020, Biden’s campaign website said he would “work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level , and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.” Similar language didn’t appear on Biden’s reelection website before he left the presidential race in July. “Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden’s statement said. “But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president, and now president, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.” He took a political jab at Trump, saying, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.” Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has spoken frequently of expanding executions. In a speech announcing his 2024 campaign , Trump called for those “caught selling drugs to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.” He later promised to execute drug and human smugglers and even praised China’s harsher treatment of drug peddlers. During his first term as president, Trump also advocated for the death penalty for drug dealers . There were 13 federal executions during Trump’s first term, more than under any president in modern history, and some may have happened fast enough to have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus at the federal death row facility in Indiana. Those were the first federal executions since 2003. The final three occurred after Election Day in November 2020 but before Trump left office the following January, the first time federal prisoners were put to death by a lame-duck president since Grover Cleveland in 1889. Biden faced recent pressure from advocacy groups urging him to act to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The president’s announcement also comes less than two weeks after he commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and of 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The announcement also followed the post-election pardon that Biden granted his son Hunter on federal gun and tax charges after long saying he would not issue one, sparking an uproar in Washington. The pardon also raised questions about whether he would issue sweeping preemptive pardons for administration officials and other allies who the White House worries could be unjustly targeted by Trump’s second administration. Speculation that Biden could commute federal death sentences intensified last week after the White House announced he plans to visit Italy on the final foreign trip of his presidency next month. Biden, a practicing Catholic, will meet with Pope Francis, who recently called for prayers for U.S. death row inmates in hopes their sentences will be commuted. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has long called for an end to the death penalty, said Biden’s decision is a “significant step in advancing the cause of human dignity in our nation” and moves the country “a step closer to building a culture of life.” Martin Luther King III, who publicly urged Biden to change the death sentences, said in a statement shared by the White House that the president “has done what no president before him was willing to do: take meaningful and lasting action not just to acknowledge the death penalty’s racist roots but also to remedy its persistent unfairness.” Madeline Cohen, an attorney for Norris Holder, who faced death for the 1997 fatal shooting of a guard during a bank robbery in St. Louis, said his case “exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. Holder, who is Black, was sentenced by an all-white jury.The aching Steelers still control their destiny in the AFC North. Their grasp, however, is slipping

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. Victims' families and former colleagues share relief and anger Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the killer's execution "would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden's move distressing and a "complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Tim Timmerman, whose daughter, Rachel, was thrown into a Michigan lake in 1997 to keep her from testifying in a rape trial, said Biden's decision to commute the killer's sentence offered families “only pain.” "Where’s the justice in just giving him a prison bed to die comfortably in?” Timmerman said on WOOD-TV. Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post. “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Corey Groves, whose mother, Kim Groves, was murdered in a 1994 plot by a New Orleans police officer after she filed a complaint against him, said the family has been living with the “nightmare” of her killer for three decades. “I have always wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison and have to wake up every morning and think about what he did when he took our mother from us," Groves said in a statement through his attorney. Decision to leave Roof on death row met with conflicting emotions Families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church have long had a broad range of opinions on Roof's punishment. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Risher, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out federal death row. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Risher said in a statement. Risher, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said during a Zoom news conference that families “are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come.” Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director, said Biden was giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of their political motivations to kill. “When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Politicians and advocacy groups speak up Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden has shown "the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” One inmate's attorney expresses thanks — and his remorse Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” But Ed Dowd Jr., the U.S. attorney in St. Louis at the time of the robbery and now a private attorney, criticized Biden's move. “This case was a message to people who wanted to go out and shoot people for the hell of it, that you’re going to get the death penalty,” Dowd said. Now, "Biden is sending a message that you can do whatever you want and you won’t get the death penalty.” ___ This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rev. Sharon Risher's name. ___ Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri; Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed. Jeffrey Collins And Ali Swenson, The Associated PressNone

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