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Rutgers looks to pick up steam in clash vs. Seton HallWhen fire threatened a California university, the school says it knew what to doThe US government formally proposed a partial breakup of Google on Wednesday, urging a federal judge to force a sale of the company’s Chrome web browser after a landmark ruling this year found that Google had violated US antitrust law with its search business. The request by the Justice Department and a group of states opens the door to the most significant antitrust penalties for a tech giant in a generation, targeting not only Google’s illegal monopoly in search but also its growing ambitions in artificial intelligence. If approved, the penalties could revolutionize how millions of Americans search for information and potentially disrupt the tight integration among many of Google’s key products and services. Google has promised to appeal. The high-profile case focused on whether the tactics that made Google the default search engine in Chrome – as well as on iPhones, Android devices and more – were anticompetitive, shutting out smaller search engines from the market. In their court filing this week, antitrust enforcers said a spinoff of Chrome, which is used on billions of devices worldwide, could help prevent an illegal monopoly from recurring. “The playing field is not level because of Google’s conduct, and Google’s quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired,” the government lawyers wrote. “The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages.” They added that the court should ban agreements such as Google’s exclusive, multi-year contracts with Apple, Samsung and others that made Google the default search engine on their devices. District Judge Amit Mehta said in an August ruling that such agreements helped cement Google’s dominance in violation of federal law. And Google should be required to syndicate its US search results to other rival search engines for the next decade, officials said in their filing, a move that could put other search alternatives on more even footing with Google. DOJ lawyers called on Mehta to impose a range of other restrictions, some aimed at preventing possible future harm. One such request would require Google to give websites the option not to have their data collected for training the company’s artificial intelligence tools. Testifying in the case last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella warned of a “nightmare” future for AI if Google were permitted to translate the billions of search queries it processes every day into training data for its AI models. Microsoft has struggled to compete with Google using its own search engine, Bing, and is a leading rival to Google in AI thanks to an exclusive partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. In a blog post , Google President and Chief Legal Officer Kent Walker called the government proposal “extreme” and said it would undercut Americans’ security and privacy by making Google share its user data with others. “DOJ chose to push a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership,” Walker said. “DOJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court’s decision. It would break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives.” Walker added that Google intends to present its own proposal to the court in December, “and will make our broader case next year.” ‘A monopolist’ Brought in 2020 under the first Trump administration and continued under President Joe Biden, the DOJ’s Google Search case alleged that Google had used multiple interlocking tactics and products under its control to block out competitors in search such as Bing and DuckDuckGo, leaving consumers with few choices and a less innovative market for search engines. Over the course of a multi-week trial – much of it featuring sensitive testimony behind closed doors by executives from Apple, Microsoft, Verizon and others – Mehta weighed whether Google’s practices had harmed competition in search. He ultimately determined that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, one of the nation’s foremost anti-monopoly laws. “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta wrote in his opinion . The DOJ submission provides a broad menu of penalties that the US District Court for the District of Columbia could impose in response to Mehta’s ruling. The filing kicks off a multi-month fact-finding process that is expected to culminate in a hearing in April, with a final decision expected later in 2025. The DOJ requests promise to shake up a foundational part of the internet and Google’s oldest, most well-known business. On top of the Chrome divestiture, DOJ and state officials also called this week for Google Search to be separated from Google’s Android mobile operating system and the Google Play app store, though not necessarily in the form of a breakup or spinoff. Many of the proposals outlined in Wednesday’s filing were initially previewed in an earlier court submission in October. The proposed Google remedies seek to resolve the biggest antitrust lawsuit to hit the tech industry since the US government prosecuted Microsoft in the 1990s – a historic case widely viewed as paving the way for Google’s own rise in the first place. At the time, US antitrust officials accused Microsoft of illegally bundling its Internet Explorer browser with the Windows PC operating system, a move that allegedly harmed competition by preventing rival browsers such as Netscape Navigator from gaining traction with users. A settlement with the DOJ in that case announced in 2001 required that Microsoft share its programming interfaces with other software developers, effectively opening up its platform and giving other browser makers an opportunity to succeed. Clear parallels The Microsoft case has been credited with paving the way for Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome browsers, which ultimately allowed Google to promote its search engine to billions of internet users. The Microsoft parallels in the Google case are clear, Mehta wrote in his August opinion. “The end result here is not dissimilar from the Microsoft court’s conclusion as to the browser market,” Mehta said. “Just as the agreements in that case ‘help[ed] keep usage of Navigator below the critical level necessary for Navigator or any other rival to pose a real threat to Microsoft’s monopoly,’ Google’s distribution agreements have constrained the query volumes of its rivals, thereby inoculating Google against any genuine competitive threat.” Mehta’s decision came just months after a federal jury in California decided that Google’s app store terms violated US antitrust law and that Google has run an illegal monopoly in Android app distribution. Last month, the judge overseeing that case imposed a three-year injunction forbidding Google from a number of practices, such as the use of terms forcing app developers to use Google’s proprietary payment system for in-app billing. Google has appealed the jury verdict as well as the injunction. Even as Google fights the Justice Department on remedies in the search case, the company is embroiled in another antitrust battle just across the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. There, the DOJ is prosecuting Google in another federal court over claims the tech giant has illegally monopolized the market for digital advertising technology – the complex ecosystem of businesses that determines which ads appear on countless websites across the internet. That case, filed in 2023, went to trial this fall, and closing arguments are expected to take place on Monday.
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It’s been a rough stretch for the 49ers in recent weeks and they are taking out their frustrations on the Bears. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings caught two touchdown catches in the first half, tight end George Kittle has been unguardable and the 49ers went into the locker room at Levi’s Stadium with a 24-0 halftime lead. Kittle has five catches for 138 yards after being held to one catch in last Sunday night’s loss to the Bills and Jennings has five catches for 40 yards. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo ran nine times for 50 yards and a score while also catching two passes for 50 yards. While the 49ers were racking up 319 yards, their defense was holding the Bears in check. The visitors picked up four yards of offense over the first 30 minutes as the 49ers sacked quarterback Caleb Williams four times and limited the Bears to one first down. All that leaves the 49ers in position to end their three-game losing streak and improve their chances of getting back into the playoff race should teams ahead of them stumble.Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Deere DE . And retail traders should know. We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga. Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with DE, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen. So how do we know what these investors just did? Today, Benzinga 's options scanner spotted 16 uncommon options trades for Deere. This isn't normal. The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 43% bullish and 43%, bearish. Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 6 are puts, for a total amount of $301,147, and 10 are calls, for a total amount of $1,023,353. Predicted Price Range Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $185.0 to $470.0 for Deere over the last 3 months. Insights into Volume & Open Interest Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Deere's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Deere's whale trades within a strike price range from $185.0 to $470.0 in the last 30 days. Deere 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot Biggest Options Spotted: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume DE CALL TRADE BEARISH 06/20/25 $265.4 $261.2 $261.2 $185.00 $444.0K 1 17 DE CALL TRADE BEARISH 11/22/24 $41.15 $33.7 $33.75 $397.50 $168.7K 88 50 DE CALL SWEEP BULLISH 06/20/25 $23.0 $22.5 $23.0 $470.00 $138.0K 239 60 DE CALL TRADE NEUTRAL 01/17/25 $43.85 $42.85 $43.28 $400.00 $60.5K 904 20 DE PUT TRADE BULLISH 12/06/24 $7.05 $5.5 $6.1 $430.00 $51.8K 104 89 About Deere Deere is the world's leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment, producing some of the most recognizable machines in the heavy machinery industry in their green and yellow livery. The company is divided into four reportable segments: production and precision agriculture, small agriculture and turf, construction and forestry, and John Deere Capital. Its products are available through an extensive dealer network, which includes over 2,000 dealer locations in North America and approximately 3,700 locations globally. John Deere Capital provides retail financing for machinery to its customers, in addition to wholesale financing for dealers, which increases the likelihood of Deere product sales. In light of the recent options history for Deere, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance. Where Is Deere Standing Right Now? With a trading volume of 1,458,238, the price of DE is up by 1.71%, reaching $445.02. Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought. Next earnings report is scheduled for 83 days from now. Professional Analyst Ratings for Deere In the last month, 4 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $485.0. Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days? 20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access .* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Neutral rating on Deere with a target price of $450. * An analyst from Truist Securities has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Deere, which currently sits at a price target of $538. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Overweight rating for Deere, targeting a price of $475. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Oppenheimer keeps a Outperform rating on Deere with a target price of $477. Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Deere options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro . © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The Real Problem with Recall (Preview)Global stock markets mostly retreated Tuesday as traders eyed looming US inflation data and a key European interest rate call amid global political upheaval. After winning numerous records in the weeks since the November 5 US presidential election, US stocks fell for the second straight day as analysts pointed to profit-taking. But Alphabet jumped more than five percent after Google showed off a new quantum computing chip that it described as a significant breakthrough in the field, arguing it could lead to advances in drug discovery, fusion energy and other areas. The Paris stock market retreated as French party leaders gathered at President Emmanuel Macron's Elysee Palace office to chart a route towards a new government. The euro also fell ahead of the European Central Bank's monetary policy meeting on Thursday. The ECB is expected to lower interest rates by 25 basis points amid weak eurozone growth. Independent analyst Andreas Lipkow said traders were taking a cautious approach ahead of the ECB meeting. The main US indexes struggled as traders eyed US consumer price inflation (CPI) data due Wednesday, which could play a role in whether the US Federal Reserve decides to cut interest rates next week. On Wall Street, "tomorrow's CPI report is in full focus with a looming rate-decision from the Fed coming," analyst Bret Kenwell of trading platform eToro said in a note. Following recent spending and jobs data "traders have felt even more emboldened to bet on a December rate cut, while the Fed has done little... to quiet that expectation," he added. Earlier, stock markets weighed "concerns that China's economic stimulus measures might not have a long-lasting effect", noted Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell. The growth plan comes as Beijing contemplates Donald Trump's second term in the White House. The US president-elect has indicated he will reignite his hardball trade policies, fueling fears of another standoff between the economic superpowers. The Shanghai stock market ended higher but Hong Kong fell. Seoul's Kospi index rallied more than two percent after tumbling since President Yoon Suk Yeol declared short-lived martial law on December 3. On the corporate front, shares in Stellantis rose around one percent on the Paris stock exchange after the car giant and Chinese manufacturer CATL announced plans for a $4.3-billion factory making electric-vehicle batteries in Spain. Walgreens Boots Alliance soared 17.7 percent following reports that it could be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Boeing jumped 4.5 percent as it announced it was resuming production at two Seattle-area plants that had been shuttered for nearly three months due to a labor strike. New York - Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 44,247.83 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 6,034.91 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 19,687.24 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 1.1 percent at 7,394.78 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,329.16 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.9 percent at 8,280.36 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.5 percent at 20,311.28 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,422.66 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 39,367.58 (close) Seoul - Kospi: UP 2.4 percent at 2,417.84 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0529 from $1.0554 on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2773 from $1.2757 Dollar/yen: UP at 151.92 yen from 151.21 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.42 from 82.73 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.1 percent at $68.59 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.1 percent at $72.19 per barrel burs-jmb/nro Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
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Arguments about past presidents shape the nation’s understanding of itself and hence its unfolding future. In recent years, biographies by nonacademics have rescued some presidents from progressive academia’s indifference or condescension: John Adams (rescued by David McCullough), Ulysses S. Grant (by Ron Chernow), Calvin Coolidge (by Amity Shlaes). The rehabilitation of those presidents’ reputations have been acts of justice, as is Christopher Cox’s destruction of Woodrow Wilson’s place in progressivism’s pantheon. In “Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn,” Cox, former congressman and former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, demonstrates that the 28th president was the nation’s nastiest. Without belaboring the point, Cox presents an Everest of evidence that Wilson’s progressivism smoothly melded with his authoritarianism and oceanic capacity for contempt. His books featured ostentatious initials: “Woodrow Wilson Ph.D., LL.D.” But he wrote no doctoral dissertation for his 18-month Ph.D. He dropped out of law school. His doctorate of law was honorary. But because of those initials, and because he vaulted in three years from Princeton University’s presidency to New Jersey’s governorship to the U.S. presidency, and because he authored books, he is remembered as a scholar in politics. Actually, he was an intellectual manque using academia as a springboard into politics. His books were thin gruel, often laced with scabrous racism. His first, “Congressional Government,” contained only 52 citations, but he got it counted as a doctoral dissertation. He wrote it while a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, yet he only once visited the U.S. Capitol 37 miles away. “I have no patience for the tedious toil of ‘research,’” he said. “I hate the place,” he said of Bryn Mawr, a women’s college that provided his first faculty job. He thought teaching women was pointless. Cox ignores the well-plowed ground of Wilson’s domestic achievements — the progressive income tax, the Federal Reserve. Instead, Cox braids Wilson’s aggressive white-male supremacy and hostility toward women’s suffrage. His was a life defined by disdaining. For postgraduate education, Johns Hopkins recruited German-trained faculty steeped in that nation’s statism and belief in the racial superiority of Teutonic people. Wilson’s Johns Hopkins classmate and lifelong friend Thomas Dixon wrote the novel that became the silent movie “The Birth of a Nation.” Wilson made this celebration of the Ku Klux Klan the first movie shown in the White House. During the movie, the screen showed quotes from Wilson’s “History of the American People,” such as: “In the villages the negroes were the office holders, men who knew none of the uses of authority, except its insolences.” And: “At last there had sprung into existence a great Ku Klux Klan ... to protect the Southern country” and Southerners’ “Aryan birthright.” Wilson’s White House gala — guests in evening dress — gave “The Birth of a Nation” a presidential imprimatur. The movie, which became a national sensation, normalized the Klan and helped to revive lynching. Though the term “fascism” is more frequently bandied than defined, it fits Wilson’s amalgam of racism (he meticulously resegregated the federal workforce), statism, and wartime censorship and prosecutions. Dissent was “disloyalty” deserving “a firm hand of stern repression.” Benito Mussolini: “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” Wilson: “I am perfectly sure that the state has got to control everything that everybody needs and uses.” Wilson created the Committee on Public Information to “mobilize the mind of America.” The committee soon had more than 150,000 employees disseminating propaganda, monitoring publications and providing them with government-written content. The committee was echoed in the Biden administration’s pressuring of social media to suppress what it considered dis- or misinformation. Cox provides a stunning chronicle of Wilson’s complacent, even gleeful, acceptance of police and mob brutality, often in front of the White House, against suffragists. And of the torture — no milder word will suffice — of the women incarcerated in stomach-turning squalor, at the mercy of sadists. “Appropriate,” Wilson said. An appropriate judgment from the man who dismissed as empty verbiage the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. Historian C. Vann Woodward, author of “The Strange Career of Jim Crow,” said white-male supremacy was the crux of Southern progressivism. Wilson’s political career demonstrated that it was not discordant with national progressivism’s belief that a superior few should control the benighted many. John Greenleaf Whittier, disillusioned by Daniel Webster’s support of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, wrote of Webster: “So fallen! so lost! the light withdrawn / Which once he wore!” True, too, of Wilson. Will writes for The Washington Post. Get local news delivered to your inbox!None
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Learn More Pika , the Palo Alto-based startup that was one of the early leaders in creating lifelike AI video generation tools, has introduced its latest AI video generator model, Pika 2.0, in what it’s calling a significant update that promises far more user control and customizability for the generated video clips. The announcement comes just weeks after the successful release of Pika 1.5 , which saw widespread adoption and user engagement, positioning the company as a leader in the creative AI space, and days after OpenAI finally released its own AI generator, Sora — originally shown off 10 months ago — to the masses. Pika 2.0 boasts improved text alignment, making it easier than ever to translate detailed prompts into cohesive and imaginative video clips. It enhances motion rendering, delivering naturalistic movement and believable fantastical physics — areas where previous generative AI tools have struggled. The launch of Pika 2.0 underscores Pika’s commitment to making AI video creation accessible, affordable, and user-friendly. Pika 2.0: Designed for individuals and brands to easily make playful social media videos With its focus on individuals and small creators rather than professional studios, Pika distinguishes itself from competitors like OpenAI, which recently debuted its Hollywood-focused Sora model. Pika 2.0 builds on the success of its predecessor, introducing several standout features designed to empower users to create more dynamic and engaging videos. Central to the update is the new “Scene Ingredients” feature, which allows users to upload and customize individual elements like characters, objects, and settings. Advanced image recognition technology ensures these components are seamlessly integrated into scenes, giving creators much more granular control over their content. These updates aim to make the platform more versatile for users seeking to create playful, shareable videos for social media, as well as for brands looking to produce high-quality advertising content without the cost and complexity of traditional production. 11 million users and counting Pika’s appeal has already translated into impressive growth. Over five million users joined the platform in a single month following the release of Pika 1.5, bringing its total user base to over 11 million. Viral features like “Squish It,” “Melt It,” and “Explode It” have driven this surge, with videos generated on the platform amassing more than two billion views. Major brands including Balenciaga, Fenty, and Vogue have tapped into Pika’s tools to create creative social advertisements, further boosting the platform’s visibility. As Pika 2.0 rolls out, the company anticipates even greater adoption by influencers, advertisers, and everyday users alike. Innovation on an affordable budget Pika 2.0 positions itself as a cost-effective alternative to other AI video solutions. While specific pricing details haven’t been disclosed, the platform emphasizes accessibility for non-professionals. This affordability, combined with powerful new features, is expected to drive more users to explore their creativity through AI-generated content. With Pika’s rapid growth and ongoing innovation, the company is poised to play a key role in the broader adoption of AI video technologies. The platform’s user-first approach stands in contrast to the “pro” filmmaker focus of competitors, potentially giving it an edge in attracting a diverse and widespread audience. Founder and CEO Demi Guo has positioned Pika as a tool not just for making videos but for fostering creativity and storytelling in ways that are fun and engaging. As more brands and individuals turn to AI for content creation, platforms like Pika could pave the way for a new era of accessible and dynamic media. If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here . An error occured.
Traveling this holiday season? 10 things the TSA wants you to know
A Taylor Swift fan is spinning on his highest heels a year after catching part of the singer's shoe during her Eras Tour and using the media attention to help his cousin, who is battling cancer. On Nov. 20, 2023, Swift proved her line from "Long Story Short" possible: "If the shoe fits, walk in it 'til your high heels break." Her right Louboutin boot heel busted during her "Lover" era. Before performing the title track, Swift stopped along the stage catwalk to grab the spike and pull it from the red sole. She tossed the glimmering memento into the Rio de Janeiro crowd and the hands of Felipe Conrado. "It was such an unexpected moment − I didn’t understand what was happening when Taylor crouched down in front of me and seemed bothered by something," Conrado, 33, tells USA TODAY. "My instinct was: Raise your hand and catch it! It was like a perfect baseball throw, because the shoe landed perfectly in my hands mid-air." Perfect Christmas gift for Swifties: Celebrate Taylor Swift's unprecedented Eras Tour with USA TODAY's enchanting book Aside from the coveted "22" hat , which Swift gifts to one lucky fan every night, this is the only instance that a concertgoer has received a historic piece of the singer's Eras Tour garb. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. "I'm still speechless to this day," Conrado says. As the once-in-a-lifetime moment blew up on social media − one video posted to Instagram garnered more than 102 million views − an idea came to Conrado. I spent a year covering the Eras Tour: Here's what it was like. "I thought, how can I help my cousin?" he says of Ângela Conrado, who is fighting melanoma. "The family had been working to raise money for her treatment for weeks, and I thought this could shed some light on it." Ângela's diagnosis happened two months before Swift brought her foot-tapping show to Brazil. In a news interview, Conrado said he would sell the heel to pay for chemo. Swifties were split on the decision: On social media, thousands rallied behind his generous heart. The other half advocated for him to #KeepTheHeel. And the story reached the shoe's designer, Christian Louboutin. "(Louboutin) sent me a handwritten letter saying he would help with the treatment," Conrado says. "It was a beautiful and emotional ending to the story. My cousin was thrilled with the incredible support from the fans and is deeply grateful for Christian’s generosity." After 12 chemo sessions spread over a year, Ângela has finished her treatment and is in remission. Conrado was able to keep the red-coated heel. "I plan to create a display frame so I can look at it every day in a secure and protected way, alongside the rest of my Taylor Swift collection ," he says. For now, the shoe piece is hidden in a secret spot. Don't miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat . Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram , TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV .
ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays and Major League Baseball have made some slight adjustments in their 2025 schedule to avoid playing too many games in the summer heat and rain at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The Rays are swapping a home-and-away series with the Angels and the Twins, moving road games to Tampa in April and May and instead playing in Minnesota and Anaheim in July and August. The schedule modifications will keep the Rays — and their fans — from too many uncomfortable dates at Steinbrenner Field. But it also means the Rays will have a schedule that is overburdened with road games in the summer months. The Rays will play at home for 37 of their first 58 games when the weather is somewhat cooler in April/May, but will be on the road for 35 of 51 games in July and August. The April 7-9 series that was originally scheduled for Anaheim will now be played in Tampa on April 8-10. In exchange, the Rays will move three homes games originally scheduled for Aug. 5-7 to Anaheim on Aug. 4-6. That means the Rays will have a 12-game road trip across 14 days from Anaheim to Seattle to Las Vegas to San Francisco. A May 26-28 series against the Twins in Minneapolis will now be played on the same dates in Tampa. In exchange, the Rays will go to Target Field on July 4-6. That will be part of a 10-game road trek from Minnesota to Detroit to Boston right before the All-Star break.The Transportation Security Administration has some reminders for those heading to airports during the holidays. “People seem to forget some of the more common and routine steps that they need to take when packing for a flight or when they are going through a checkpoint, perhaps because they’re focused on being at their destination and not focusing on what needs to happen before getting there,” said TSA officer Christopher Kirchein of John F. Kennedy International Airport. “Travelers sometimes ignore the advice that we give them,” said TeaNeisha Barker, a TSA uniformed adviser. “We are providing guidance so that they get through the checkpoint as simply and conveniently as possible. Not every airport has the same technology, so listen to the guidance we are offering.” “Passengers forget that knives and other weapons are not allowed through our checkpoints. It’s shocking to see so many people with knives,” said TSA officer Aisha Hicks of Philadelphia International Airport. “Weapons of any kind are prohibited through a TSA checkpoint.” TSA officers shared this list of the common things that travelers forget and should remember when coming to a security checkpoint. Ten things that travelers need to remember when preparing to go through the security screening process: • Remember that you cannot bring bottles of water, energy drinks, juice, coffee, soda or any filled insulated reusable container through a security checkpoint. However, they can finish their beverage and bring the empty bottle or container with them. • Remember to bring your ID to the checkpoint. • Remember when TSA officers remind you to remove everything from your pockets that it does not only mean metallic items such as keys and mobile phones, but it means everything, including non-metallic items such as tissues, lip balm, breath mints, etc. • Remember that you cannot bring a firearm through a checkpoint. Instead, pack your unloaded firearm in a locked hard-sided case and declare it at your airline check-in counter and the airline will ensure it is transported in the belly of the plane where nobody has access to it. • Remember that you need to remove your shoes when getting screened and then end up barefoot on the floor. It’s probably a good idea to wear socks. • Remember that children 12 and under are allowed to travel through a TSA PreCheck screening lane with a parent who has TSA PreCheck on their boarding pass. In addition, don’t forget that children up to the age of 18 can also come into the TSA PreCheck lane with their parent if they are on the same airline reservation as their parent. • Remember that passengers that appear 12 and under or 75 and older do not need to remove their shoes and light jacket. • Remember, if you are putting a lock on your luggage, make sure it is a TSA compatible lock so that if TSA officers need to open your luggage, they can unlock it and relock it. If the lock is not TSA compliant, TSA officers who need to open your luggage will cut off the lock, rendering it useless. • Remember that you can bring medications through a security checkpoint, even liquid medication. Just let the TSA officer know that you have liquid medication with you so it can be screened separately. • Remember to get a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license sooner rather than later because REAL ID goes into effect on May 7.
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