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The Nobel Peace Prize Forum with leading experts on global nuclear politics, including three former Nobel laureates, convened to discuss the continued risk of nuclear weapons. Credit: Soka Gakkai mInternational. At this year's Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Oslo, Norway, leading experts on global nuclear politics, including three former Nobel laureates, convened to discuss the risk of growing nuclear arsenals and what must be done to mitigate these risks. The forum 'NUKES: How to Counter the Threat' was hosted on December 11 at University Aula with the support of the city of Oslo, the International Forum for Understanding, and Soka Gakkai International. The Nobel Institute has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on 13 occasions to individuals and groups whose work was in service to the argument for the prohibition of nuclear weapons. This was seen up to the present day with Japanese grassroots organization Nihon Hidankyo, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. When accepting the award, co-chair Terumi Tanaka called for the world to listen to the testimonies of A-bomb survivors and to feel the "deep inhumanity of nuclear weapons." The forum began with the testimonies from two Hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Keiko Ogura was eight years old in Hiroshima. She recalled the trauma she carried with her in the aftermath of the bombing, as she saw people die around her, not yet knowing that they were suffering due to radiation. She and other Hibakusha came forward years later to share their experiences and the direct costs of deploying nuclear weapons. "Before I die, we want to see this planet free of nuclear weapons," said Ogura. "For us, discounting the number of nuclear weapons is nonsense. A single nuclear weapon means destruction of this world." Masao Tomonaga was two years old when Nagasaki was bombed, and his memories of that time are based on his mother's recollections of that day. He followed in... Naureen HossainCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR’s “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. RELATED COVERAGE Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan reveals cancer diagnosis SHR closure leads to a seat shakeup in NASCAR. A look at who is driving where in 2025 Formula 1 in 2025: Close racing, Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari and plenty of new faces Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don’t have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. “Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.” ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Google officials were in town Monday to celebrate what they said was a $930 million investment in the state this year through three data centers in Omaha, Papillon and the still-under-construction center in Lincoln. This year’s investment brings the total capital investment in the state to $4.4 billion, said Karen Dahut, CEO of Google Public Sector. “In addition to supporting our great government customers, in particular those in the national security area, these data centers are critical to making sure that Google’s investment in technologies can be leveragable by those missions,” she said. As part of the giant tech company’s effort to be a good neighbor, officials announced that its philanthropic arm donated $250,000 to the University of Nebraska and $100,000 to the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools. University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold said the Google dollars will help the university expand its new bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence, one of the first of its kind in Nebraska. “We will be investing these dollars in educational programming to understand as best we can how generative artificial intelligence and machine learning needs to touch every one of our educational programs, all of our research programs, and all of our outreach and clinical programs, our extension services," he said. "These dollars ... will give us a very, very solid foundation to build upon that." Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said the money donated to the LPS Foundation will support Spark Summer Learning, a summer camp for elementary students focusing on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). Google’s investment will allow LPS to invest in more state-of-the-art technology and offer scholarships to 40 students, said Gaylor Baird, one of a number of local and state leaders on hand for the event at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Gaylor Baird said the new $600 million data center in northeast Lincoln will support hundreds of construction jobs in the short term and dozens of full-time well-paid positions in the future. In August 2023, Google officials confirmed that the company would build a data center on about 600 acres of land northwest of the 56th Street exit on Interstate 80 that will employ at least 30 people. Plans it submitted to the city indicate it could eventually grow to 2 million square feet of space. Google, through a subsidiary, paid about $18.6 million for the land , and another subsidiary applied for $600 million in state tax incentives. The timeline for construction is not finalized, but a Google spokeswoman said the company hopes to have it operational within the next 12 months. In 2019, Google broke ground on a data center in Papillion and has since created 120 jobs that include full-time positions at the site and for external suppliers, according to Google officials. A data center in northwest Omaha is now operational, and the tech giant also has a data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The campuses are part of the company’s global network on 41 cloud regions that deliver services to large enterprises, startups and public sector organizations. Dahut said the company worked with local agencies to promote the health of the Platte River basin through collaborations with organizations to replenish 120% of the water it consumes. She said a collaboration with Omaha Public Power District enables Google to supply more than 1,000 megawatts of carbon pollution-free electricity to the state and execute “large-scale clean energy deals.” Sen. Pete Ricketts holds up his phone as he speaks during a news conference on Monday at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Google announced it will invest an additional $930 million across its three data center campuses in Nebraska, including the one under construction in Lincoln. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts said the state appreciates Google’s investment, which is appropriate, given Nebraska's location in the middle of the so-called “Silicon Prairie,” residents who believe in hard work, and its support of the U.S. military through Offutt Air Force Base. “I think this is a perfect synergy between what we do here in Nebraska, the people that we have here, and what Google wants to do for our economy and for our country,” he said. “This investment will just continue to build upon that great relationship.” More Nebraskans work two jobs; Election decided by coin toss; Pillen appoints Bohac to NSHS Southwest fans Kylea Stritt (from left), Peg Rice, and Stacey Wilson cheer on their team as the "horsemen" during a Class D-1 first-round match Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Millard West players dogpile on the floor after defeating Lincoln Southwest in five set match during a Class A first-round match Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Lincoln Southwest's Shelby Harding dives to save the ball from hitting the ground in the first set during a Class A first-round match Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Second graders Eli Gonzalez (left) and Shrutoshome Datta look at drawings that first and second grade students made at the Monster Jam Art Show on Wednesday at Elliott Elementary School. The elementary school students made drawings of monsters to be turned into different types of art by Lincoln High School students. Norris players celebrate a point against Lincoln Pius X in a Class B state volleyball tournament match, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (right) talks with supporters, including Darlene Starman of Lincoln, at her campaign office on Tuesday in Lincoln. A cutout of Jesus watches over voters on Tuesday at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lincoln. Katie Goeling (left) fills out her ballot while her son Gunner, 4, holds her hand during Election Day on Tuesday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Malcolm. Abigail Webb votes on Tuesday at F Street Community Center. Nebraska's Rollie Worster (24) shoots a layup while defended by Texas Rio Grande Valley's Marshal Destremau (left) and Trey Miller (right) on Nov. 4 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Allison Weidner (left) autographs a poster for Freeman Public Schools student Godwil Muthiani, 12 (center), after the game against UNO on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Muthiani's sign says, "#3 Allison Weinder is the GOAT! Sorry I'm only 12." Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule speaks to an official after a targeting call on Nebraska during the first quarter of the game against UCLA on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. The call was overturned after review. Nebraska's Dante Dowdell scores against UCLA in the fourth quarter on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Cadet Elena Burgwald (left) and Cadet Mason Beck look up as a B-1B Lancer flies over Memorial Stadium before the UCLA game against Nebraska on Saturday. UCLA's K.J. Wallace (7) defends Nebraska's Jacory Barney (17) as he makes a diving 40-yard catch in the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Memorial Stadium. Lincoln Southeast quarterback Tre Bollen (left) and Tate Sandman react after losing a Class A football playoff game against Millard North on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Seacrest Field. Millard North won 10-3. After the field clears, Norris' Jarrett Behrends (17) kicks his helmet after the Titans fell to Waverly 16-17 in a Class B football playoff game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Waverly High School. A line of people waiting to vote has been normal at the Lancaster County Election Commission Office at 601 N. 46th St., as it was Friday afternoon. The office will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to allow voters to cast an early ballot. If they wait until Election Day, they will need to go to their precinct or drop off their ballots at one of five drop boxes across the city. For more stories about about Tuesday's election, go to Journalstar.com . Iris Gonnerman, 8 (from right), her brother Oliver, 6, and cousin Noreen Milana, 9, wave flags while watching Veterans Parade outside the state Capitol on Sunday. Nebraska's Connor Essegian scores against Bethune-Cookma on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Lincoln Lutheran players embrace one another as threy celebrate defeating Thayer Central in four sets to win the Class C-2 championship match Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center. Covered by a canopy of changing leaves, a car cruises along A street in a neighborhood north of Downtown Lincoln on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. Mild temperatures continue into the mid weeks of November. Wednesday calls for a chance of rain showers before noon with gusty winds. Most days this week are expected to be accompanied by mostly sunny skies and consistent breezes. Norris' Anna Jelinek (left) lifts the the Class B championship trophy alongside Rya Borer on Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center. Superior players celebrate their three set win over EMF during the Class D-1 championship match Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center. Reflected in a ceiling beam, Leyton takes on Shelton in the first set of the Class D-2 championship match Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center. Omaha Skutt's Nicole Ott (left) and Addison West react after a point in the second set during a Class B semifinal match Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Hasan Khalil, owner of Golden Scissors, trims the beard of Vitaliy Martynyuk on Friday at his barbershop in Lincoln. Second-time mother giraffe Allie nuzzles her new calf in the giraffe experience enclosure on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the Lincoln Children's Zoo. Nebraska celebrates during the first set of the match against Minnesota on Thursday at the Devaney Sports Center. Luca Gustafson, 6, rides to school Tuesday with the bike bus at Riley Elementary School. Each Tuesday, students can bike to school with adult chaperones along a specific route. Wahoo's Braylon Iversen celebrates with Warrior players after they defeated Auburn in a Class C-1 state semifinal game Friday in Wahoo. Lincoln Fire Fighters Association member Andy Evans works to assemble a headboard during a bed-building day hosted by Sleep in Heavenly Peace on Saturday at Hampton Enterprises. Volunteers helped build 20 beds for children in need. A Lincoln firefighter sprays water on to the roof from a ladder truck as they battle a fire at the former Village Inn at 29th and O streets the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on Microchip Technology . Looking at options history for Microchip Technology MCHP we detected 10 trades. If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 70% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 20% with bearish. From the overall spotted trades, 7 are puts, for a total amount of $647,449 and 3, calls, for a total amount of $215,668. What's The Price Target? Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $47.5 to $87.5 for Microchip Technology during the past quarter. Volume & Open Interest Development In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Microchip Technology stands at 373.38, with a total volume reaching 5,381.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Microchip Technology, situated within the strike price corridor from $47.5 to $87.5, throughout the last 30 days. Microchip Technology Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days Biggest Options Spotted: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume MCHP PUT SWEEP BEARISH 12/20/24 $3.1 $2.95 $3.0 $70.00 $430.3K 489 1.4K MCHP CALL SWEEP BULLISH 02/21/25 $4.9 $4.7 $4.9 $70.00 $98.0K 584 212 MCHP CALL SWEEP BEARISH 02/21/25 $2.3 $2.2 $2.18 $77.50 $76.7K 140 751 MCHP PUT SWEEP BULLISH 12/20/24 $2.05 $2.0 $2.05 $67.50 $49.6K 1.1K 435 MCHP PUT SWEEP BULLISH 05/16/25 $7.8 $7.6 $7.6 $70.00 $41.0K 298 314 About Microchip Technology Microchip Technology became an independent company in 1989 when it was spun off from General Instrument. More than half of revenue comes from MCUs, which are used in a wide array of electronic devices from remote controls to garage door openers to power windows in autos. The company's strength lies in lower-end 8-bit MCUs that are suitable for a wider range of less technologically advanced devices, but the firm has expanded its presence in higher-end MCUs and analog chips as well. In light of the recent options history for Microchip Technology, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance. Current Position of Microchip Technology Trading volume stands at 3,162,874, with MCHP's price down by -1.88%, positioned at $68.54. RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching oversold. Earnings announcement expected in 65 days. Professional Analyst Ratings for Microchip Technology 5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $88.4. Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access .* An analyst from Susquehanna persists with their Positive rating on Microchip Technology, maintaining a target price of $90. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Buy rating for Microchip Technology, targeting a price of $82. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Rosenblatt keeps a Buy rating on Microchip Technology with a target price of $90. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Piper Sandler keeps a Overweight rating on Microchip Technology with a target price of $85. * An analyst from Evercore ISI Group downgraded its action to Outperform with a price target of $95. Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely. If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Microchip Technology, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Denver Shines Brightly this New Year's Eve

Appotronics Highlights Role of Laser Technology in Automotive Industry at Prestigious US Trade ConferenceHoliday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status toteUS President-elect Donald Trump's proposals to impose sweeping tariffs on imports could counter earlier efforts to cool inflation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday, warning that consumer prices could rise. Her comments at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit come as Trump has vowed broad tariffs of at least 10 percent on all imports, and higher rates on goods from China, Canada and Mexico. Imposing broad-based tariffs could "raise prices significantly for American consumers and create cost pressures on firms" which rely on imported goods, Yellen said when asked about Trump's plans. She cautioned that this could weigh on the competitiveness of certain sectors and increase costs to households. "This is a strategy I worry could derail the progress that we've made on inflation, and have adverse consequences on growth," she said. But she defended efforts by President Joe Biden's administration to impose targeted tariffs on Chinese goods to counter unfair trade practices by Beijing. She has previously raised concern over China's industrial overcapacity -- which risks a flood of underpriced goods into global markets and could undermine the development of key US industries. On Tuesday, Yellen also expressed regret that the United States has not made more progress on the country's deficit, saying she believes it "needs to be brought down, especially now that we're in an environment of higher interest rates." She stressed the importance of an independent Federal Reserve too, saying that countries perform better economically when central banks are allowed to exercise their best judgment without political influence. Trump has said that he would like "at least" a say over setting the Fed's interest rate. "I think it's a mistake to become involved in commenting on the Fed and certainly taking steps to compromise its independence," said Yellen. "I believe it tends to undermine the confidence of financial markets and, ultimately, of Americans in an important institution," she added. Yellen noted that she has spoken with Trump's Treasury chief nominee, billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, congratulating him on his nomination. bys/bjt Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.

The common murre, a large black-and-white seabird native to northern waters, has become far less common in Alaska over the past decade due to the impacts of climate change. A study published Thursday in Science reveals that a record-breaking marine heat wave in the northeast Pacific from 2014 to 2016 triggered a catastrophic population collapse, wiping out four million birds -- about half the species in the region. Strikingly, they have shown little signs of rebounding, suggesting long-term shifts in the food web that have locked the ecosystem into a troubling new equilibrium. "There's a lot of talk about declines of species that are tied to changes in temperature, but in this case, it was not a long term result," lead author Heather Renner of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge told AFP. "To our knowledge, this is the largest mortality event of any wildlife species reported during the modern era," she and her colleagues emphasized in their paper. The finding triggers "alarm bells," Renner said in an interview, as human-caused climate change makes heat waves more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. With their dapper, tuxedoed look, common murres are sometimes called the "penguins of the north." Their slender wings power them across vast distances in search of food and make them expert divers. But even these hardy seabirds were no match for an unprecedented environmental catastrophe. The largest marine heat wave ever recorded began in the late fall of 2014, spanning a massive swath of the northeast Pacific Ocean from California to Alaska. It persisted for over two years, leaving devastation in its wake. During this time, some 62,000 emaciated murres washed ashore along the North American Pacific coastline -- dead or dying from starvation. Experts point to two key reasons for the bird deaths: elevated ocean temperatures reduced both the quality and quantity of phytoplankton, impacting fish like herring, sardines, and anchovies -- the mainstay of the murre diet. At the same time, warmer waters increased the energy demands of larger fish, such as salmon and Pacific cod, which compete with murres for the same prey. "We knew then it was a big deal, but unfortunately, we couldn't really quantify the effects," explained Renner. For years after the event, breeding colonies failed to produce chicks, complicating efforts to assess the full impact. Earlier estimates pegged the number of deaths at around a million, but a more robust analysis -- drawing on data from 13 murre colonies -- revealed the toll was four times higher. "It is just so much worse than we thought it was," Renner said of the new findings. The marine heat wave didn't just impact common murres. Pacific cod stocks collapsed, king salmon populations dwindled, and as many as 7,000 humpback whales perished. Yet the crisis created an uneven playing field: some species emerged unscathed, while others even thrived. Thick-billed murres, which often share nesting cliffs with common murres, were largely unaffected, possibly due to their more adaptable diet, Renner noted. For common murres, however, the fallout lingers. Despite nearly a decade since the heat wave, their numbers show no sign of bouncing back -- and the losses may well be permanent. Part of the reason lies in the long-term decline of some of their prey. Another factor is murres' survival strategy relies on numbers: they aggregate in massive colonies to protect their eggs from opportunistic predators like eagles and gulls. With their populations slashed, these birds have lost their critical safety buffer. Still, Renner offered a glimmer of hope. While addressing global warming is essential for curbing long-term climate change, conservation efforts can make a difference in the short term, she said. Removing invasive species like foxes and rats from murre nesting islands could also provide the beleaguered birds with a fighting chance. ia/desCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR's “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. People are also reading... Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don't have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. "Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.” AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Will Howard took jabs at Indiana coach Curt Cignetti , mocking his famous, “Google me” line while pretending to put out a cigarette on the sidelines during Ohio State football’s win Saturday . He praised the Hoosiers’ coach postgame, but the Buckeyes’ quarterback made it evident his team was aware of the hype surrounding IU entering the matchup. Latest Ohio State Buckeyes news Ohio State’s Will Howard reveals motivation heading into the Michigan game Ohio State’s seniors reveling in one last chance to beat Michigan: ‘This is what we came back for’ Buckeyes and Ohio State fans celebrate big win over Indiana with ‘Carmen Ohio’ (video) What Ohio State football coach Ryan Day said after win vs. Indiana Who are The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports when it comes to fan happiness? See our list and how we ranked them. Will Howard with a message for Indiana after the game pic.twitter.com/LAzIptzMKOStock futures are flat Sunday ahead of shortened trading week: Live updates

Luke Humphries defeats Luke Littler to retain Players Championship Finals title

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 4:49 p.m. ESTCartoon: Preventing Polio

MIND TECHNOLOGY, INC. REPORTS FISCAL 2025 THIRD QUARTER RESULTSA majority of social media influencers don’t verify information before sharing it with their audiences, a study published Tuesday by the UN’s scientific and cultural arm found, underscoring concerns that some of the biggest online figures can uncritically spread misleading claims. According to the UNESCO study , 62 per cent of surveyed creators said they don’t vet the accuracy of content before sharing it with their followers. Roughly one-third of influencers said they shared information without checking its validity if it originated from a source that they trusted, while 37 per cent said they verified information with a fact-checking site before circulation. The study, which surveyed 500 digital content creators across 45 countries and territories in August and September 2024, included creators with more than 1,000 followers. While only 12 per cent of the surveyed influencers said they produced content about “current affairs/politics and the economy,” UNESCO warned that “the low prevalence of fact-checking highlights their vulnerability to misinformation, which can have far-reaching consequences for public discourse and trust in media.” Rather than verifying information, more than four in 10 influencers said they evaluated a source’s credibility by “popularity” — the number of likes and views it had received — while one in five said trusted friends and experts were the most common factor in determining an online source’s credibility. Only 17 per cent said documentation and evidence was their top factor in gauging credibility. “The prevalent lack of rigorous critical evaluation of information highlights an urgent need to enhance creators’ media and information literacy skills, including identifying and using reliable fact-checking resources,” UNESCO said. The study comes in the wake of the 2024 US presidential election, in which social media influencers played a key role as an information source for voters. During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris harnessed social media influencers and podcasters with millions of followers, including Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper, to appeal directly to voters. A recent report from the Pew Research Center found that almost 40 per cent of young Americans aged 18 to 29 “regularly” get their news from influencers, most of whom have never been employed by a news organization. And a separate survey from Pew found that more than half of American adults “at least sometimes” get their news from social media. “But unlike journalists who are often equipped with skills and tools to assess sources’ credibility and verify facts, digital content creators often lack formal training in these areas, which can lead to challenges in ensuring the accuracy of their content,” UNESCO said. Online influencers generally do not rely on official sources of information, such as government-issued reports and documents, the UNESCO study found. Roughly six in 10 influencers deferred to their own personal experiences as a source of information, while nearly 40 per cent used their own research and interviews with knowledgeable sources. Mainstream news and online sources tied for third, accounting for 37 per cent each. To this point, 69 per cent of the surveyed influencers believed they were promoting “critical thinking and digital literacy” despite not engaging in thorough fact-checking or source evaluation. “Everything I post is based entirely on material drawn from my own life experiences,” Zhang Zhaoyuan, a China-based influencer, told UNESCO in an interview. Still, others were more scrupulous in their presentation of information. Kassy Cho, a UK journalist with more than 30,000 followers on Instagram, told UNESCO she often looks to mainstream media “just to understand like what is going on around the world” as a jumping-off point. Influencer promoted mis- and disinformation has posed a thorny challenge for governments. Earlier this year, false claims that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing their neighbors’ pets and eating them exploded on social media, amplified by right-wing influencers and the Trump campaign. While city officials attempted to fact-check the baseless claims, they were outmatched by viral claims that led to bomb threats, school closures, and a community largely under siege. In September, a Justice Department indictment alleged that a suite of major conservative influencers — including Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, and Dave Rubin — assembled by Tenet Media unwittingly took in millions of dollars from Russia to promote divisive narratives that achieved the Kremlin’s goals. While the influencers were not accused of wrongdoing by the Justice Department, the indictment highlighted how opaque the sector is. Social media platforms have also largely removed guardrails preventing the spread of misinformation. Elon Musk’s X, for instance, relies on “Community Notes” to address misleading or altogether false information, and seldom removes content. The platform’s efforts are often undermined by Musk himself, who has gutted the platform’s moderation team since acquiring the company in 2022 and often uses his personal account to promote misinformation. Similarly, while YouTube prohibits the monetization of videos that include demonstrably false claims that risk undermining trust in electoral and democratic processes, the Google-owned company has still profited from content that champions election misinformation. And while Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, imposes penalties on users who share fact-checked content, the platform does not remove the posts. Unlike their counterparts in the mainstream media, online influencers are not obligated to divulge the source of their funding or whether their content was sponsored. The UNESCO study confirmed that influencers are not always upfront about funding. While 53 per cent of respondents said they had created sponsored content or endorsed brands and products, 7 per cent said they didn’t disclose their sponsorships, instead presenting content “as if it were unsponsored.”