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4mn411 LAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Boise State did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. “Utah State is reviewing the court’s order," Doug Hoffman, Aggies associate athletic director for communications, said in an email. "Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on.” San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sportsColorado hands No. 2 UConn second straight loss in Maui

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Will Utah State or Boise State forfeit vs. San Jose State in the Mountain West semifinals?Anxiety about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high on list of American's concerns Limiting your news consumption may help ease stress and anxiety More than before, Americans surveyed say they'll make mental health resolutions for 2025 FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Should you cut back on doom scrolling in 2025? Worries about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high among many people's lists of worries at the end of 2024, according to a poll that is part of American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly opinion poll series. The survey included 2200 U.S. adults. Reducing news consumption may be beneficial for your mental health , experts say. "If current events seem overwhelming it may be time to limit your news consumption,” Dr. Marketa Wills , medical director of the APA, said. “While we like to stay informed, the news can also impact our mental health, and being mindful of that impact is important," Wells said in a news release. According to the APA's research, American adults have remained most anxious about the economy and gun violence throughout 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, more than 1/3 of Americans surveyed (33%) say they will make mental health-related New Year’s resolutions, which is a 5% increase from last year. In fact, the increase is the highest result the APA has collected since it began asking the question in 2021. As usual, many people report that they will pledge to be more physically active in 2025; other resolutions focus on participating in mentally healthy activities. Spend more time in nature (46%) Meditation (44%) Focus on spirituality (37%) Take a social media break (30%) Journaling (29%) “A new year brings with it new opportunities but also renewed concerns about the very important issues that impact our lives,” Wills said, adding that “any time of the year, mental health matters. Staying mindful of how we’re doing while taking active steps to care for ourselves is a terrific resolution.” More information The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has more on stress and anxiety management. SOURCE: American Psychiatric Association (APA), news release, Dec. 13, 2024; APA, press release, Dec. 18, 2024 If you make resolutions, consider starting or re-starting a practice that will nurture your mental health, such as meditating or taking a break from social media.‘MAGA Is Not My Mortal Enemy’: Prominent Left-Wing Pundit Cenk Uygur ‘Optimistic’ After Trump Win

New Hampshire courts hear two cases on transgender girls playing girls sportsAP News Summary at 3:17 p.m. ESTDo stores have to accept returns in New York? Here are the rulesAP News Summary at 3:17 p.m. EST

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When the Minnesota Vikings had two of their key special teams players go down in the game against the Indianapolis Colts, there were real concerns that the special teams unit would take a massive dip. Thanks to the front office and special teams coach Matt Daniels, it's been solid throughout the last three games. When they made the move to fortify both kicker and long snapper, they chose to sign Jake McQuaide to the practice squad and not the active roster. On Wednesday, the cleared that up with McQuaide out of elevations. Vikings make three roster moves The Vikings made three roster moves on Wednesday to ensure that they could use McQuaide this upcoming week against the Arizona Cardinals. Signed LS Jake McQuaide to the active roster Signed TE Nick Muse to the practice squad Waived OLB Gabe Murphy from the active roster Adding Muse to the practice squad was only a matter of time after the Vikings waived him on Monday, which also happened to be his birthday . He was essentially activated from injured reserve for the game that Josh Oliver was out. We aren't sure if Oliver will return on Sunday afternoon but it feels likely. Murphy was also activated from injured reserve on Monday but it appears a move to the practice squad is in his future. He has yet to play a down for the Vikings due to the knee injury but should be in a good spot to develop on the practice squad. The Vikings will need to make room for one of Jones and Murphy on the practice squad, as the signing of Muse brings them up to 16. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.10 Consumer Discretionary Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session2024 marked a watershed year for the US autonomous vehicle industry with the ride-hailing market also experiencing a fresh boost after a slowdown in 2022 and 2023. Advertisement According to Straits Research, the global autonomous vehicle market size was pegged at $23.36 billion in 2024, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.1% during 2025 and 2033 to reach $65.30 by 2033. Advertisement Europe, with strong government support and increasing demand for AVs led the pack among countries worldwide, with Germany and the UK particularly standing out. Europe was followed by North America, where, apart from favourable government policies, the presence of industry leaders is expected to provide an impetus to demand in the coming years. According to Autonomous Vehicle Pilots Across America, over 50% of US cities are preparing to develop their roads for self-driving vehicles. takes a look at all the major developments that the industry leaders underwent in the last year, and what lies ahead for them in 2025. Waymo emerges as the frontrunner in robotaxi services Alphabet-owned Waymo emerged as the frontrunner in the autonomous driving industry as the company announced an investment of $5 billion into the self-driving startup. Waymo unveiled its sixth-generation Waymo Driver system and with 800 self-driving vehicles in operation currently in California and Phoenix, Waymo became the only AV company to be collecting fares in the US. In 2025, the company will expand its robotaxi services to Austin, Atlanta, and Miami, with rides available via the Uber app. The company also announced its first international foray in Tokyo, with a start made by collaborating with Japan-based taxi operator Nihon Kotsu. It will commence test rides in early 2025. It has also partnered with Hyundai in October for the integration of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 SUV into the AV startup’s fleet of vehicles. The Waymo Ioniq 5s will also begin testing by late 2025. According to a , Waymo co-CEOs Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, told employees at an all-hands meeting in November that they should scale up as aggressively as possible but do so with safety at the forefront of all their efforts. Therefore, simultaneously, to assure the public of safety in its service, the company has developed a large public affairs operation, published more detailed safety reports in 2024, and is working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, first responders and authorities in the cities where it operates. Will Tesla finally deliver on its AV promises in 2025? While Waymo has made strides towards commercialisation and mainstream adoption, Tesla still lags behind. Tesla’s robotaxi promises remained unfulfilled in 2024, even though Tesla CEO Elon Musk did reveal the look and feel of the company’s “dedicated robotaxi” in October. Called Cybercab, the company plans to produce the robotaxi by 2027. At the same event, Tesla also unveiled the ‘Robovan’, its autonomous bus, however, despite these innovations, Tesla has not yet obtained permits for commercial robotaxi services in key US markets. While bullish investors say Tesla will deliver on its driverless technology promises as early as next year, looking at Tesla’s missed deadlines on robotaxis, critics have their doubts. Musk, on the other hand has attributed the delays to US regulations. Current regulations cap the number of self-driving vehicles a manufacturer can deploy at 2,500 annually under special exemptions. Efforts to increase that limit to 100,000 have repeatedly failed in Congress due to legislative gridlock. On a Tesla earnings call on Oct. 23, Musk said he would use his sway with now President-elect Donald Trump to establish a “federal approval process for autonomous vehicles.” Separately, after the US elections on November 18, that Trump’s transition team had signalled plans to prioritise the development of a federal framework for fully autonomous vehicles. Tesla’s stock reacted positively to the news, surging over 5% on trading platforms like Robinhood in what can be seen as a signal for the road ahead for Tesla with Trump in power. However, in a for Internet and Society, AV policy expert Bryant Walker Smith has rejected the idea that regulatory hurdles have curtailed the robotaxi business. “AVs can be — and in fact are — lawfully deployed and regulated under existing federal statutory law,” he said, highlighting Waymo’s example. How Zoox’s unique approach shows promise Amazon-backed Zoox has shown promise with its self-driving shuttles. These vehicles, described as “toasters on wheels,” lack a steering wheel or driver’s seat and feature inward-facing seats, making them ideal for urban environments. In 2024, Zoox secured permits to carry passengers in Foster City, California, expanding to Las Vegas and San Francisco through its Zoox Explorers program. According to CNBC, in March, the company expanded the environmental conditions its AVs can handle on public roads to include “nighttime driving, driving under light rain and damp road conditions, and at speeds up to 45 mph. The company’s leadership, including CEO Aicha Evans, has focused on scaling operations while maintaining safety standards. Zoox is now aiming to offer free rides to a wider group of the general public early next year, before opening up to paying customers and the general public, CNBC said. The service will start in Las Vegas and expand to San Francisco, the company told CNBC. It will begin with an early rider program called Zoox Explorers, allowing select users to ride in a Zoox for free and provide feedback. A recent hire, Zheng Gao, formerly Tesla’s autopilot hardware lead, signals Zoox’s commitment to attracting top talent. GM’s withdrawal from the AV sector stunned industry Despite growing demand for robotaxi services in the US, GM stunned industry observers by announcing its withdrawal from the sector earlier this month. “Cruise was making great progress in the robotaxi space, but deploying a fleet involves significant operational complexities,” GM CEO Mary Barra explained during a call detailing the strategic shift. The Detroit-based automaker will now concentrate on developing “personal autonomous vehicles” rather than pursuing robotaxi ventures. GM has not yet disclosed how many of Cruise’s 2,300 employees will transition to its broader technology team. Cruise founder Kyle Vogt, who sold the company to GM in 2016 and departed in late 2023, criticized the decision on X, writing, “If it wasn’t obvious before, it is now: GM doesn’t get it.” The road ahead for autonomous vehicles In 2024, though the AV industry overall still faced a lack of sufficient capital to support technology, investment announcements like Alphabet’s added a milestone. S&P Global Mobility’s September 2024 describes sales of autonomous vehicles growing slowly in the US. According to S&P Global Mobility’s September 2024 Autonomy forecasts, in 2034, sales of autonomous light vehicles in the US is forecasted to reach about 230,000 autonomous mobility-as-a-service units, suggesting a market share of less than 1.5% per year a decade from now. In mainland China, development is progressing more quickly. In that market, S&P forecasts potentially 1.5 million autonomous vehicles sold in the country in 2034, or about 5% of light-vehicle sales. Europe is expected to advance more slowly than the US, however, with sales beginning later than either the US or mainland China and rising to only 37,000 units in 2034. “Will autonomous vehicle technology prove to be as elusive as a strong hydrogen economy, something for which scale deployment seems perpetually 15 to 20 years in the future? Investment and expansion in 2024 are encouraging in the US market, but challenges remain,”

Kinkead Dent and diverse ground game powers UT Martin past New Hampshire, 41-10 in FCS 1st roundCharities are being inundated with requests for help as the means fewer donations this festive season. or signup to continue reading Before COVID-19, Share the Dignity would collect around 140,000 bags for their Christmas Appeal, just 10,000 fewer than were needed. Now, they are collecting just 85,000 . "While you think that you're doing a great job, the need just keeps getting greater and greater," Rochelle Courtenay, the founder and managing director of Share the Dignity, said. "It was once upon a time where we could fill the need but now we just can't - it just seems so far removed from what we can actually do." Share the Dignity, which provides period products for women fleeing domestic violence or experiencing homelessness, is running its annual Christmas appeal across a number of locations in Bendigo, including Bunnings Epsom and Mazda. They are asking for bags packed with hygiene and period products to be distributed to charities throughout Bendigo and the country. "Every single bag brings joy and hope to one person, right? So better than nothing," Ms Courtenay said. Share the Dignity asked for seven basic products in each donated bag: shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap and period products. Other items like chapsticks or reusable water bottles were encouraged if they fit the gifter's budget, but Ms Courtenay said the luxury of a sweet-smelling cosmetic was always popular. "Every time we talk to somebody they're like, 'oh I got this beautiful perfume in there and it smelt so lovely', or it was a doTERRA oil, or it was a cream - it's always the smells that they talk about," she said. The appeal ends on Saturday, November 30, but for those who would like to help beyond the deadline, bags could be mailed in or bought online at their website. Glenda Serpell said demand had been growing each year since she founded Sunshine Bendigo, which helps young families in crisis. This Christmas, the charity has chosen to provide food hampers in addition to toy hampers in recognition of demand for help, Ms Serpell said. "People are really struggling," she said. "Families are doing it tough and are really struggling to provide those essential items for their families." In spite of rising cost-of-living pressures, Ms Serpell said the community and local businesses had kept giving generously. Sunshine Bendigo has even been able to close their doors to new donations to both drives. The non-profit was working on 400 food hampers donated by PRD Real Estate, and 550 hampers filled with new toys donated by the community. They've had to put a cap on the number of both types of hampers they can provide because of the physical demands of putting them together, according to Ms Serpell. "We've put out the call for new toys and the community's responded by being overwhelmingly generous," she said. Journalist at the Bendigo Advertiser. Email me at georgina.sebar@austcommunitymedia.com.au Journalist at the Bendigo Advertiser. Email me at georgina.sebar@austcommunitymedia.com.au DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Israel's military said yesterday it had killed two Hamas commanders, pressing its north Gaza offensive a day after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants over the offensive. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said an air strike on the territory's north killed five Hamas members including two company commanders "who participated in the October 7 massacre" last year. Medics said dozens were killed or missing after an overnight Israeli raid on Beit Lahia and nearby Jabalia, which are among the targets of a sweeping Israeli assault on north Gaza. A separate air attack targeted the Kamal Adwan Hospital – one of the few partially functioning medical facilities in the besieged territory's north. Residents claimed that Israeli soldiers yesterday set fire to residential buildings in Beit Lahiya to prevent families from returning to the area. Israeli gunboats have also fired at a fishing boat off the coast of Gaza City, killing one person and wounding another, report Al Jazeera online. Biden, in a statement later on Thursday responding to the ICC's arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, called them "outrageous", vowing to "always stand with Israel against threats to its security". China, which like Israel and the United States is not a member of the ICC, urged the court to "uphold an objective and just position". The Palestinian Authority and Hamas both welcomed the warrants, reports AFP. However, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said yesterday that Netanyahu would be detained if he arrives in Ireland. The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards yesterday described the arrest warrant as the "end and political death" of Israel, in a speech. More than 44,056 people have been killed in Gaza in more than 13 months of offensive.UBS cuts price target on Bayer on weak outlook