HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Trey Fort had 27 points in Samford's 97-90 win against Alabama A&M on Saturday night. Fort added five rebounds for the Bulldogs (10-3). Collin Holloway shot 4 of 5 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to add 16 points. Julian Brown shot 4 for 5 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points. The Bulldogs (4-8) were led by Anthony Bryant, who recorded 22 points. Alabama A&M also got 21 points and 10 assists from Bilal Abdur-Rahman. Quincy McGriff also had 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .No. 13 seed Tarleton State wins inaugural FCS playoff game, beats Drake 43-29

Mr Martin was comfortably elected on the first count after topping the poll in the Cork South Central constituency, and was hoisted into the air by his sons Cillian and Micheal Aodh. The exit poll put his party on 19.5%, behind its Civil War rival-turned coalition partner Fine Gael at 21%, and the largest opposition party Sinn Fein at 21.1%. Speaking immediately after his election, a jubilant Mr Martin predicted: “It transpires that we’ll probably exceed that exit poll prediction above the margin of error [of 1.4%] – we could be looking at 21.9% now.” He said the day following the poll had been a “rollercoaster”, reflecting that the party had been “left wondering ‘where were we?'” after the exit poll. Asked about that possibility he would become Taoiseach as the leader of the largest party in the next coalition, he told reporters he was now awaiting the national results – which could take days to finalise. He added: “That remains to be seen, obviously, in terms of the results the length and breadth of the country.” He further warned that the election remains “extraordinarily competitive” and added: “There’s going to be a lot of twists and turns.” Mr Martin thanked the people of Cork South Central for re-electing him, adding that he feels a “huge sense of responsibility”. “I will also be grateful to them for enabling me to have the honour of representing them in Dail Eireann – that is my first task, a representative of Cork South Central and advance the interests of Cork more generally.” He also thanked his family, saying: “I want to thank my wife Mary who really worked night and day when I was around the country, leading the campaign with Micheal Aodh and Aoibhe and Cillian.” Speculation has begun on what parties or independents may join with Fianna Fail – and Fine Gael – in a future coalition. Both those parties have ruled out a coalition with Sinn Fein. Turning to that process of government formation, he said he would like to see that happen faster than in 2020 – when it took several months. That process resulted in Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, two parties forged from opposing sides of Ireland’s Civil War of the 1920s, agreeing to set aside almost a century of animosity and share power. The Greens joined as a junior partner, but early indications showed the party could be facing an electoral wipeout. Mr Martin said: The Greens, to their credit, didn’t buckle over the four and a half years. “Being in government can be difficult for any political party. “It is to the credit of the Greens that they went into government. We had challenges, we had different priorities of three political parties, but this government went full term, and I think Ireland was for the better for that.” Taking the previous formation talks into consideration, Mr Martin predicted the future will involve very difficult negotiations between parties: “It will be challenging. This is not easy.” He said there has to be “real clarity” around a programme for government before forming a coalition. Asked how important it is to form a government before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, Mr Martin said: “I think we have to... to be honest with you, in the best interests of Ireland in the first instance.” Fianna Fail had campaigned on a message of stable financial management in the face of potential economic shocks caused by policy decisions from the next US administration. Asked why he felt Fianna Fail was underestimated in the polls, he said: “Look, I’m not going to go on about polls but I would have had a better evening last night if they had been more accurate.” He added: “I mean the polls give Fianna Fail heart attacks all the time.”Micron Technology, Inc. Reports Results for the First Quarter of Fiscal 2025HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Trey Fort had 27 points in Samford's 97-90 win against Alabama A&M on Saturday night. Fort added five rebounds for the Bulldogs (10-3). Collin Holloway shot 4 of 5 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to add 16 points. Julian Brown shot 4 for 5 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points. The Bulldogs (4-8) were led by Anthony Bryant, who recorded 22 points. Alabama A&M also got 21 points and 10 assists from Bilal Abdur-Rahman. Quincy McGriff also had 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle. If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. What is Connections? The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common. Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem... Mashable Team49ers QB Brock Purdy resumes throwing but status for this week remains unknownNebraska warming to what's-next mentality after latest cold finish at Iowa

ServiceTitan to Announce Fiscal Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results on January 9, 2025

Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 11 SMUSpecial counsel moves to abandon election interference and classified documents cases against TrumpMore Aussies homeless as housing crisis worsens

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took part in some light throwing on Monday after missing his first career game because of an injury and the 49ers are hoping he can return this week. Purdy hurt his throwing shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. Purdy underwent two MRIs last week that showed no structural damage. But Purdy he felt discomfort after making a few throws at practice on Thursday and was shut down for the game at Green Bay on Sunday that San Francisco lost 38-10 . Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy made it through the session without pain and will rest on Tuesday and hopefully be able to return to practice on Wednesday as the Niners prepare to play at Buffalo this coming week. “We rested it throughout the weekend hoping that would help,” Shanahan said. “He threw lighter today to see if that rest helps and the rest did help him. So we’ll see again, going through the same things we did last week. We’re going to let him rest all the way up to Wednesday. We’ll see how it feels on Wednesday and then we’ll take the exact same course throughout the week. Hopefully it responds better this week than it did last week with the rest.” Brandon Allen went 17 for 29 for 199 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble in his first start since the 2021 season. Allen would play once again if Purdy is unable to go on Sunday at Buffalo. Purdy wasn't the only star player missing for the 49ers on Sunday with defensive end Nick Bosa missing the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique and left tackle Trent Williams out with an ankle injury. “Just waiting to see how they respond,” Shanahan said. “They didn’t respond great last week. That’s why they weren’t able to go. Nick and Trent are both in the same boat. ... We’ll evaluate as this week progresses and hopefully it turns a better corner than it did last week.” In other injury news, linebacker Dre Greenlaw will return to practice this week for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl last season. Greenlaw will likely need at least a couple of weeks of practice before being able to return to play. Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano will be shut down for the rest of the season after his knee injury didn't fully heal. Feliciano's three-week practice window ended Monday and the Niners decided to keep him on injured reserve instead of activating him. Left guard Aaron Banks, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and receiver Jacob Cowing all remain in concussion protocol to start this week and their status is unknown. Right guard Dominick Puni (shoulder) and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (knee) underwent MRIs on Monday and the team is waiting for results. Cornerback Renardo Green (neck) and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) are day to day. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens is expected to return to practice this week after missing the past four games with a groin injury. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNAU football drops out of FCS bracket, falling to Abilene Christian in 1st roundTrump has been blasting away on Truth Social. First off, Trudeau flew down to Mar-a-Lago to meet with him and they're smiling in the picture. The tweet (or whatever you call it) is mostly upbeat. Separately, Trump went on a rant about BRICS countries and not using the dollar. This is a canard, Trump will be long dead (and so will I) before BRICS countries have any kind of institutions in place to launch a collective currency. Yes, they'll probably add to gold reserves and do more bi-lateral trade but these things move at a glacial pace. That said, his line of thinking here doesn't exactly jive with an effort to weaken the dollar, which is a risk I'm mulling . Still, this is sound and fury, signifying nothing. Here's how CFR senior fellow Brad Setzer sums it up:

11. SMU Mustangs 11-2 (8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season) What's next: at No. 6 Penn State, State College, Pa., Dec. 21, Noon ET Head coach: Rhett Lashlee (three seasons, 29-11 overall) About Lashlee: The 41-year-old is enjoying success in his first college head coaching gig and has guided the Mustangs to back-to-back 11-win seasons. He was offensive coordinator at SMU from 2018-19 before heading to Miami for two years and returning to take the head job. He was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year this season. Resume SMU notched ranked wins over then-No. 22 Louisville and then-No. 18 Pitt but really served notice while racking up 66 points in a win over TCU. The Mustangs lost two games by a total of six points: 34-31 to Clemson in the ACC title game and 18-15 to BYU. Postseason history This is SMU's first trip to the playoffs during the CFP era. The Mustangs have lost their past four bowl games, including two under Lashlee. The program had a memorable run in the early 1980s behind stars like Eric Dickerson and Craig James but numerous NCAA violations sank the Mustangs and they eventually served a two-year death penalty. The road to Atlanta SMU hits the road for the first-round matchup at No. 6 Penn State. The winner advances to play No. 3 Boise State (12-1) in the quarterfinals in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. Names to Know QB Kevin Jennings He threw for 304 yards and three TDs in the ACC title game, his fourth game over 300 yards passing this season. Jennings had a strong regular season with 2,746 yards and 19 TDs in the air and four scores on the ground. He can hurt teams with his feet, proven by a 113-yard outing against Louisville. "What is new now is the amount of criticism I receive from everyone. I get a lot of comments and messages from people on social media always criticizing everything after each game," Jennings said. RB Brashard Smith Stellar runner averaging 5.9 yards per carry to go with 1,270 yards and 14 TDs on the ground. LB Kobe Wilson Stands out against both the run and the pass, leading the team in tackles (110) and adding three sacks and two interceptions. S Isaiah Nwokobia He has enjoyed an outstanding season with 91 regular-season tackles and three interceptions while patrolling the back end. He has nine career interceptions. DT Jared Harrison-Hunte A force with 6.0 sacks, one interception and 38 tackles. He's in his first season with SMU after four at Miami. He has 15 career sacks. --Field Level Media

A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a previous broadcast and will be updated. Monday's ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women's championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. 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. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. RELATED: Fresno State to play San Jose State women's volleyball team amid transgender athlete claims He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 - making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts on Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge's order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year.Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 11 SMUMore Aussies homeless as housing crisis worsensMILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo was available for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Washington Wizards Saturday night after missing one game with swelling in his left knee. Antetokounmpo sat out the Bucks' 106-103 NBA Cup victory at Miami on Tuesday. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

3rd Gen Female Idol Draws Massive Interest With Her Live Visuals On The Big ScreenMikel Arteta returned from a visit to see Arsenal’s owners over the international break determined to turn up the temperature and ignite his side’s stuttering title challenge. The head coach was in an animated mood as he warmed up for a crucial run of fixtures, with the emphasis on playing with fire in the belly in Saturday afternoon’s home game against Nottingham Forest. Arteta talked of the intensity going up in training this week and he has emerged from a trip to the USA for talks with the club’s hierarchy confident that Arsenal, whose injury problems have eased after four games without a win in the league, can cut a nine-point gap to Liverpool at the top. “It’s a joy to have the owners that we have,” Arteta said. “I’m very open and critical with myself and try to put things on the table straight away. I think it’s very important that we all feel comfortable and uncomfortable. “And this sport and the demands that we have sometimes put the temperature up a little bit, sometimes bring it down and everybody needs it. I’m the first that needs that. And not only from the owners – from the coaches, from the players, media, it’s great to have that. So you are always seeking to be the best and evaluate and judge yourself in the right way.” Arteta does not mind the pressure going up. He grinned when he was asked about the temperature at the club now. “Very good,” Arteta said. “Like Mallorca in June.” Expectations have gone up and Arteta suggested he would be in trouble if he did not live up to them. “It’s about delivering with that expectation time and time and time again. Which is only one way to fulfil that expectation: winning big trophies, that’s it. Anything else is going to be ...” Arteta trailed off and made a choking sound. Arsenal hope to have Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard available, and Riccardo Calafiori is back training after a knee injury. But Ben White faces an extended spell on the sidelines after surgery and Takehiro Tomiyasu has a knee problem. It has been a challenging period and Arsenal have been rocked by the , their sporting director. Edu is expected to join the network of clubs spearheaded by Evangelos Marinakis, Forest’s owner. “I can talk about what we are doing right now,” Arteta said, “and I’m going to be very much involved in that process because we want to find the right person first of all. The right person has to be someone who is able to cooperate and make each other better and take us to a different level.” Arteta had urged his players to show their teeth after the two weeks ago. He saw a mentality shift in that game. “Last year we were losing 2-0 [at Chelsea] and we score for 2-2,” he said. “Just watch the footage of how we celebrate the goal. This season you go out there and score 1-0 and look how we celebrate the goal. It is about raising expectations higher. You are not satisfied. This team wants more and more, that even if we win and win and win they are going to be willing to do more.”

After Trump’s win, Black women are rethinking their role as America’s reliable political organizersThe Civil Services and Government Development Bureau’s Institute of Public Administration, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, represented by Qatar Digital Academy, has organised a workshop titled, ‘Generative Artificial Intelligence: Work and the Future of Jobs’. The workshop was held remotely using Teams platform, with the participation from employees of the public sector in the Gulf Co-operation Council countries. It focused on providing a comprehensive overview of generative artificial intelligence concepts and its importance in reshaping the labour market, as well as the new roles and jobs that will emerge as a result of this technology. The workshop also covered various topics, including the definition of artificial intelligence and its fundamentals, and applications of deep learning such as natural language processing and computer vision, in addition to discussing strategies for utilising artificial intelligence (AI). The workshop highlighted the potential of generative artificial intelligence in enhancing various sectors such as healthcare, education, and industry, while also addressing the importance of ethical frameworks and ensuring transparency when using these technologies. The workshop is part of the initiative ‘Innovative and Modern Training Solutions Aligned with Remote Learning and Training Trends’, in co-ordination with the GCC General Secretariat. Related Story MoPH discusses ethics of AI use in health research

Shadow finance minister Jane Hume has responded to the latest Newspoll which revealed Anthony Albanese is the weakest Prime Minister in decades, despite holding a lead against Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as preferred leader. The poll conducted for The Australian, which was released on Sunday night, found Mr Albanese had continued to fall behind Mr Dutton on the key characteristics deemed crucial to run the country, losing points in seven of the nine categories. The PM dropped to 56 per cent when respondents were asked if they agreed he had a vision for Australia's future, while Mr Dutton surveyed stronger, rising from 59 per cent to 61 per cent. Despite the positive results for the Opposition Leader, he still lost three points to the Labor leader in terms of who would make the better PM (45 per cent to 38 per cent). Ms Hume said the trend was “overwhelming” after the current Labor government failed to uphold its election promises and continued to let down the Jewish community. “The trend is overwhelming here. People are feeling poorer under Anthony Albanese and he has broken his promises,” Ms Hume told Sky News host Peter Stefanovic. “Three years ago he came to government saying that you would be better off under Labor, that he would reduce energy prices by $275 and yet they've gone up by as much as a thousand ... that you'd have cheaper mortgages under Labor and yet an average mortgage these days now costs around $30,000 more per household. “If you are feeling poorer, it is because you are poorer.” Ms Hume said the living standards in Australia had backtracked by 8.7 per cent in the last two-and-a-half years, adding households were experiencing the “longest household recession” in half a century. The shadow minister said while polls tend to only “move at the margins”, there was certainly a message “loud and clear” message emerging from the latest Newspoll. Ms Hume said Australian voters wanted a “decisive leader”, one who would take the country to a “better place”. “They want to see a leader that isn't going to head off to a Katy Perry or a Taylor Swift concert that isn't going to appear on an ABC gameshow or head off to a holiday house in Copacabana,” she said. “They want to see a leader that is doing right by them, that has a plan for the economy that is simply more than increased migration or increased government spending, which is making the economy weaker and your personal circumstances worse, keeping inflation higher for longer.” On being decisive and strong, the PM dropped from 49 per cent agreeing back in June to 44 per cent in December, while Mr Dutton remained at 60 per cent. That statistic comes amid the government continuing to come under pressure from Australians and the Coalition over antisemitism in the country and the accusation Labor was not taking a strong enough stance on incidents such as the Melbourne synagogue fire. Ms Hume said the “confronting” firebombing of the Melbourne synagogue last week exposed how leadership was “sorely lacking” after the Jewish community turned to the government for decisive action. She said antisemitism in Australia had gotten “progressively worse” as it had become “emboldened and, indeed, enabled” by the Albanese government as it had failed to take the lead on the issue. “We certainly agree that there is work that needs to be done to ensure the protection of our Jewish community, a loved Jewish community, a Jewish community in Australia that has contributed to our economic well-being and prosperity for decades is now being singled out and persecuted,” Ms Hume said. “That is unfair and unreasonable. “We need to make sure that the laws that we have already are being responded to, that we are enacting those laws. And if the laws are inadequate, well, then they need to be strengthened.”