On a recent Saturday night on Sunset Boulevard, a pair of black 1940s low-riders guided the diverse, sold-out crowd into the Comedy Store. Cypress Hill hung out in the green room. Los Angeles photographer and director Estevan Oriol oversaw six cameras and the taping of George Perez’s debut hour special, “Misunderstood,” presented by Foos Gone Wild. “There were no fights,” Perez enthuses. “And,” with the mark of a successful Perez show traditionally measured in beer sales, “they sold out of 805s, Coors Lights and Peronis!” Originally from Orange County (“the Republican L.A.,” he calls it), Perez’s material combines deeply personal narrative with sociopolitical insight. Before releasing “Misunderstood” in 2025, he headlines New Year’s Eve at the two-year-old Stand Up Comedy Club. He’s already working on new material for the occasion. “That club has my culture all around it,” he says of the Bellflower venue. “Mexicans walk there; they don’t even drive. It’s by houses, apartments, by downtown, and every time I go there, it sells out. And I don’t even do Friday and Saturday. I do Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and I love that club. I love the crowd. It’s dark and comics like to hang out.” In Orange, Perez adored Cheech and Chong and was joking for his family by age 13. Later, he kept his construction co-workers cracking up. A girlfriend dragged him to an underground Wednesday comedy show at a Fullerton club called Rio. He recalls the warm-up comedians on the show being pretty corny. Toward the end when a headliner put his roasting skills against anyone in the crowd, Perez took the challenge. “I went up there, I beat him, and I got the itch that day,” he recalls. “Then the next day, I quit construction.” The show was hosted by Edwin San Juan (“SlantEd Comedy”), who mistook Perez for a ringer. The two remain close to this day. Perez recently bought a swap meet bootleg DVD of the 2001 evening labeled, “George Perez’s first time doing comedy.” Within eight months, he made his television debut on “LATV Live,” the primetime flagship series of L.A.’s first bilingual station. Early grinding involved “the craziest s—,” including shows for 30 people at tweaker houses where his cousin sold meth and a spot called the Wild Coyote, “the Mexican Apollo” where Felipe Esparza, Gabriel Iglesias and Ralphie May hung out. He started setting up chairs and doing bringer shows at Casa Latina in Rosemead. A year later, he was hosting to 300 people every Tuesday as well as doing spots at the Hollywood Improv. Whatever the venue, Perez knew tickets had sold well when venue managers laughed, “The Coronas are done! You did your job!” Audiences and industry reacted with surprise. “You thought [I] was going to talk about drive-bys, tortillas and lowriders and [I’m] up there talking about Shakespeare,” Perez says. He subverted stereotypes about growing up in the streets, got deep about being a young dad and discussed politics as a lifelong local. Perez appeared on MTV, Showtime and Comedy Central before a previous version of his life caught up to him. Before comedy, he had been a gang member since seventh grade. There was vandalism, carjacking, gun charges and a steadfast refusal to walk from fights. Perez was a felon at 18, the same year his son was born. Nearly two years later, he recalls, “The guy that I beat up sees me on MTV’s ‘Yo Mama,’ and he’s like, ‘That’s the guy that beat me up!’ ” Then the gang unit raided the strip club he was DJing at. “I fight it, I lose, and I’m in prison. There’s no more freedom of speech. So the comedian is completely gone. I’m now in survival mode.” He did three years. Guards remembered seeing him perform at the Ontario Improv. Everyone knew he was on TV. He did perform inside sometimes, including for the warden and 500 inmates. Most tattoos he sports today, he got as an inmate . He hid tobacco up his ass in a latex glove so he could sell it. He also saw riots, an OD, murder and fights, during one of which he lost a tooth. He continues experiencing nightmares and PTSD. When he got out in 2009, he met iPhones and his new baby daughter. “Prison was the best thing for me; it humbled me,” he says. “There’s no more fighting. There is only using your words. It showed me discipline and being sober in there, I got to look outside myself and realize all the people that I hurt, that love me. I learned in prison when you make a mistake, you confess to it, you fix it and you grow.” Fifteen years later, Perez’s credits include Netflix, HBO and the film “Taco Shop” with Carlos Alazraqui, Esparza and Brian Huskey. He records his first-hand “George Perez Stories” podcast and YouTube videos in a studio wallpapered with every vinyl comedy album he can find. His own January 2024 vinyl album “This Cholo Is Crazy” even featured sketch and music. Something else had happened that he didn’t address for years. “I dig deep,” he says of the impetus for “Misunderstood.” “I had a son that passed away because the babysitter left him in the tub.” He wasn’t allowed to attend services. Following three years out on parole, he tangled with cocaine. “Drugs would numb me and I wouldn’t think about my son and the bad things that have happened to me in my life, friends that I’ve lost.” Today he continues to be more honest about past tragedies and new growth than ever. At most, there’s a little tequila now and then to celebrate. His time in prison, journeys with addiction and struggles with mental health; all of it part of Perez’s artistic expression. “I just started writing. I’m no longer up there going, ‘Latinos make some noise!’ It’s, ‘This hurts, and I have to find a way out.’ It’s personal.” “I mean, you can’t cancel me. I went to prison for three years when my comedy was in its prime, came out and I’m doing better than I was before. I’m not looking to be on a sitcom. I want to be an artistic comedian. When someone sees me onstage, like, ‘This guy looks like me. He’s gone through the same thing I’ve gone through.’ That’s what I want to accomplish.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto appears on a timetable to decide on where to sign either before or during baseball's winter meetings in Dallas, which run from Dec. 8-12. Soto met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations said last week, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were not announced. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

The final scene of “ Wicked ” is a cinematic triumph. A defiant Cynthia Erivo soars through the skies, circling above Oz and belting “Defying Gravity” as her enemies look on in awe. It inspires tears and applause, even sending audiences jumping from their theater seats as Erivo nails those high notes. But you don’t have to buy a ticket to witness it now. The full four-minute conclusion to the first part of Universal’s smash hit is currently available on social platforms like X and TikTok for free. That’s because fans can’t seem to stop taking photos and recording full, minutes-long clips of Erivo and her co-star Ariana Grande going toe-to-toe in the Emerald City. Some of this piracy (and make no mistake, that’s what it is) serves to document the feverish embrace of all things “Wicked.” Others are meant to convey other forms of adoration. There is grainy footage of a moviegoer trying to belt the same notes as Erivo during her big number. There are hundreds of posts of Grande’s performance of “Popular,” another hit from the original musical, where fans praise the pop queen’s comedic chops and dancing ability – many of which are labeled with the banner “Spoiler!” There are also countless videos of a surprise cameo made by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Glinda and Elphaba in the original Broadway production of “Wicked.” These videos and photos have been live and garnering millions of views, and the film has only been in theaters for five full days. “Wicked” is hardly an exception. Supercuts of all the sex scenes between Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in A24’s “Queer” have been on X since early September. Shirtless, bloodied Paul Mescal rowing an ancient ship in “Gladiator II” is thirstily posted to TikTok, one that says the movie is “for the girls.” How is this getting past studios, who are equipped with huge anti-piracy teams and armies of lawyers? For that matter, how is this getting past community guidelines on the social media platforms where copyrighted material is being posted? “Something has happened post-pandemic where movie theater behavior has really changed,” said one top film executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The executive is referring to the younger audiences who have become more emboldened to share this lengthy material from the sanctity of the cineplex, where phones are supposed to be banned. “They have a different relationship with the material, it’s all just content to them,” sighed the executive, who (along with two other industry sources) pointed to a watershed moment for this kind of behavior. It was the July release of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Marvel’s superhero mashup which helped rescue the 2024 box office and preserved the A-list luster around Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. “Something really happened with that movie,” said the source, specifically pointing to Reynolds and “Deadpool & Wolverine” director Shawn Levy. Both men shared and interacted with social media content pirated from theaters over opening weekend –- many of which featured ecstatic crowds reacting to cameos from Channing Tatum, Wesley Snipes and Jennifer Garner. A spokesperson for Reynolds did not return requests for come and Levy had no comment. A source familiar with Levy’s thinking said he never intentionally shared material shot in theaters and is strongly opposed to piracy. Universal Pictures did not comment on the “Wicked” piracy, but a source with knowledge of the company said internal teams are active in removing the illegal footage in most cases. Another interesting wrinkle that’s enabling this form of piracy is corporate infrastructure. Filmmakers and cybersecurity experts who spoke with Variety agreed that, while the major studios have anti-piracy teams in place, they have a sole focus: ensuring that full movies do not appear on global torrents, where users can get copies of stolen movies with decent-to-flawless picture and sound quality. These teams are not equipped to play “whack-a-mole,” as one insider put it, across hundreds of thousands of social media posts. There are even corners of the business that believe this content free-for-all actually encourages moviegoing in younger people. A subgenre of the “Wicked” posts, for instance, is a “Before and After” challenge. Fans take video as they head into a screening, and then again as credits roll and the music of “Defying Gravity” fades out. Their tear-soaked faces and bashful sobs make for great fodder and inspire other users to do the same. One marketing and PR guru who spoke with Variety said this is just the natural evolution of age-old promotional gimmicks, comparing it to filming a preview audience’s faces for an upcoming horror movie so their twisted expressions and screams can be spliced into TV ads. The Motion Picture Association, which represents the studios’ interests in D.C., had no comment on the matter. In January, Bloomberg reported that the economy suffers around $30 billion in losses per year – and around 250,000 jobs – because of pirated content. On an experiential level, not everyone is happy to let this guerrilla recording continue. Cinemas have passionate defenders. “Show your ‘Wicked’ part 1 photos,” one X user wrote on Nov. 23, photographing the film’s title card (which appears in the same font as the original “The Wizard of Oz,” an Easter egg for fans). The official X account for theater chain Alamo Drafthouse responded to the post, saying “Or, don’t do that.” Others called the move “so illegal.” Screenwriter Nic Curcio commented that “Wicked” is “bringing so many good things into this world, my favorite being the mass public shaming of bad behavior at the movies, baby!” At the end of “Wicked,” Elphaba may no longer be subject to the laws of physics, but it turns out there are still some social norms you can’t defy.Turn $500 Into $1 Million by 2026 With These 8 Dogecoin (DOGE) ReplacementsBUENOS AIRES (AP) — Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario. The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team, which lost 1-0 on Monday to host Newell’s Old Boys in the traditional under-13 competition. The team also played Tuesday. Lionel Messi took his first steps as a footballer in the Argentinian club in Rosario, 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of capital Buenos Aires. Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play. Lionel Messi did not attend. Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played with his friend Benjamín Suárez, son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, Messi’s teammate and close friend at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami. Messi and Suárez are in Rosario after Inter Miami’s early elimination in the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they watched a friendly game of Inter Miami’s U13 team against Unión at the same sports complex. The youth tournament in Argentina brings together eight teams from North and South America. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer Advertisement

Romania's pro-European Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was leading in the first round of presidential elections Sunday according to exit polls, with the far right not yet assured of a place in the second round, despite a breakthrough in support. With 25 percent of the vote according to two exit polls, Ciolacu appeared to be well ahead of far-right challengers looking to capitalise on this EU member's concerns about inflation and the war in neighbouring Ukraine. The same exit polls gave second place to centre-right former journalist turned small-town mayor Elena Lasconi at 18 percent, with two far-right candidates scoring 15 and 16 percent. In the absence of an outright winner in the first round -- scoring more than 50 percent -- the top two candidates go through to a second-round run-off in the poor NATO member on December 8. Ciolacu, a Social Democrat, is leading a field of 13 contenders in the race to take over from President Klaus Iohannis in the largely ceremonial post. He welcomed the exit polls putting him in the lead, but said all the votes would have to be counted before he knew who he would face in the second round. Lasconi too, was cautious. "The scores are very tight, it's not yet time to celebrate," said the 52-year-old politician. Far-right leader George Simion, 38, who some had forecast might take second place, is for the moment in fourth. Exit polls put him just behind the 62-year-old pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu. But Simion said Sunday evening: "We'll see the results of the ballot boxes at 11:00 pm (2100 GMT)." Ciolacu's party has shaped Romania's politics for more than three decades, and as he voted Sunday he promised stability and a "decent" standard of living. But political analyst Cristian Parvulescu told AFP: "The far right is by far the big winner of this election." Simion saw his popularity surge by tapping into voter anger over record inflation while promising more affordable housing. Looking for a new election breakthrough for European far-right parties, Simion warned of possible "fraud" and "foreign interference" when voting. But he added: "I am happy that we are giving Romanians hope and the prospect of a better future." The stakes are high for Romania, which has a 650-kilometre (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has become more important since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022. The Black Sea nation now plays a "vital strategic role" for NATO -- as it is a base for more than 5,000 soldiers -- and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said. Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election has further "complicated" Romania's choice, political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP. Known for his fiery speeches, Simion is a Trump fan who sometimes dons a red cap in appreciation of his idol. Simion opposes sending military aid to Ukraine, wants a "more patriotic Romania" and frequently lashes out against what he calls the "greedy corrupt bubble" running the European Union. Having campaigned hard to win over Romania's large diaspora working abroad, he said the country had only "minions and cowards as leaders". Pirvulescu predicted that if Simion reached the second round his AUR party would get a boost in the December parliamentary election. "Romanian democracy is in danger for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989," he said. "I'm really afraid we'll end up with Simion in the second round," 36-year-old IT worker Oana Diaconu told AFP, expressing concern about the far-right leader's unpredictable nature and attacks on the European Union. The campaign was marked by controversy and personal attacks, with Simion facing accusations of meeting with Russian spies -- a claim he has denied. Ciolacu has been criticised for his use of private jets. Some observers had tipped Lasconi, now mayor of the small town of Campulung and head of a centre-right opposition party, as a surprise package. Sunday's exit polls appeared to suggest they were right. During campaigning, she had said she wanted a future "where no one has to pack their suitcases and leave" the country and for "institutions that work". bur/js-jj/United Rentals Inc. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitorsAlthough iOS comes with a native Apple Music app, there are some third-party apps that offer even better experiences for those who subscribe to Apple’s streaming service. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber and want to find out how to better enjoy your music library, check out some of the best iOS apps with Apple Music integration. SongCapsule Instead of working as an alternative player to Apple Music, SongCapsule (formerly known as Next DJ) brings features that will help you rediscover your current music library. The app uses algorithms to generate smart playlists and Magic DJs — which contains a mix of songs from your favorite artists and genres. Although it’s always a good thing to discover new songs, sometimes we have great songs in our library that end up being forgotten after some time. That’s why one of my favorite features of SongCapsule is the Forgotten Songs playlist, which does exactly what the name suggests. It brings together all your favorite songs from the past in one place. You will also find other smart playlists with the most played songs from specific artists and genres, not to mention the playlist with songs you added to your library but never played them. Playlists are automatically generated based on your Apple Music data and updated each time you open the app. SongCapsule is available on the App Store for $4.99 as a one-time purchase. The app has versions for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. SongCapsule Quiz From the same developers as SongCapsule, SongCapsule Quiz is a game inspired by iPod’s Music Quiz, but now with a “fresh and modern approach” designed for the streaming era. As the name suggests, the player had to guess the name of the song that was playing. Once you’re ready to play, just tap Start Quiz, and the game will start playing the songs. To make things more interesting, you can achieve a score of up to 1,000 points per round. The faster you choose the right song, the more points you get. The game shows you all the songs you guessed correctly with their respective points, as well as the ones you got wrong. You can share your score with your friends on social networks. But more than that, the game integrates with Apple’s Game Center. SongCapsule Quiz is available on the App Store . You can try it for free, although there’s a Deluxe version available through a subscription or lifetime purchase. Marvis Maybe you’re someone who is subscribed to Apple Music but doesn’t like the official Music app. The Marvis app is a great alternative to the official Apple Music app as it brings all the features you expect to let you explore your music library by albums, playlists, genres, and more. The home screen of the app can be customized with just the sections you need and the way you want. For instance, you can choose from Recently Played songs, Most Played songs, Loved songs, Top Charts, New Releases, Radio Stations, and more to make your Home experience unique within the app. Another interesting feature of the Marvis app is a side menu that can be accessed with gestures, which is great for when you have to use the phone with just one hand. You will also find a great and intuitive interface that works both in portrait and landscape mode. Marvis is available on the App Store for $9.99 as a one-time purchase — and it offers an additional integration with Last.fm that can be unlocked with a $5.99 in-app purchase. The app works with iPhone and iPad. Soor Just like Marvis, Soor is another alternative to the official Apple Music app for iOS — and it also brings cool features for users who are not satisfied with the default iPhone Music app. Soor’s interface is highly customizable, with options to change the Home sections, set a light or dark theme, rearrange the playlists, and more. In addition to your local music library sections such as albums and playlists, you can also add For You, New Songs, Hot Tracks, and other sections directly from Apple Music. With a feature called Magic Mix, you can create Genius-like playlists with filters for artists, albums, genres, composer, play count, and others. The app also comes with multiple widgets for the iOS home screen, which is great for customizing your iPhone while also making it easier to access your favorite songs. This includes Now Playing, Magic Mix, and Music Collection widgets. It even has Cover Flow. Soor is available on the App Store for $6.99 as a one-time purchase. The app is compatible with iPhone and iPad. Don’t forget to read the full Soor review here on 9to5Mac . MusicHarbor Apple Music doesn’t provide a way to follow your favorite artists in order to track their latest and upcoming albums and songs, but MusicHarbor does just that. Instead of offering suggestions or working as an alternative player to Apple Music, MusicHarbor is built for users who know exactly who they want to follow. You just open the app, search for artists and start following them — and MusicHarbor does the rest. The app brings a list of all albums released by each artist, and it also shows any upcoming content, such as singles and video clips. You can also enable push notifications to be notified whenever one of the artists you follow releases a new song. Furthermore, MusicHarbor has a button that redirects you to a web page with the latest news about the artist and a dedicated tab to show any scheduled concerts. There are also widgets, iCloud data sync, and theme options available for users. You can try MusicHarbor for free on the App Store , but some features require in-app purchases to be unlocked. You can use it on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Longplay Longplay is also an interesting app that was introduced this year to let users rediscover their music library. Unlike all the other apps on this list, Longplay is focused on exploring entire albums and playlists that you have — excluding those that you’ve added only some of its songs to the Apple Music library. Once you open the app, it shows only the artwork from your albums and playlists. You can rearrange the main app view by selecting only albums or playlists, or using one of the smart “Sort by” options. There are no extra options or anything that makes you think about where to start. All you need to do is tap into an album or playlist and start listening to it. By long pressing the albums, Longplay offers options to play it in shuffle mode or to use AirPlay. It’s a fun app, and Apple Music users should give it a try. Longplay is available on the App Store for $5.99 as a one-time purchase. The app has versions for iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Vision Pro. NowPlaying NowPlaying helps you discover the stories behind the songs and albums you’re listening to. You can see at a glance when the album was released, its ranking in the charts, and even how many versions of the album have been released. All in a super-pleasant interface. More recently, the developers launched a version of the NowPlaying app for Apple TV, which focuses exclusively on albums and encourages users to explore music as “complete works rather than isolated tracks.” NowPlaying is also available for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and even Apple Vision Pro. You can try the app for free , although there’s a Gold version that can be unlocked through in-app purchases. Wrap-up With these apps, you can definitely have a whole new experience with Apple Music. You can replace the official Music app or rediscover songs you don’t even remember right now. It’s worth mentioning that although these apps work best with an Apple Music subscription, they also work with songs purchased from the iTunes Store or synchronized from a computer to the Music app. Buy new AirPods at a discountDENVER — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's "America's Got Talent" meets "American Idol," with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it's never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at "Dream Team" status given the men's side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023. The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. "We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport," said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. "We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world." Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores. "Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That's something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok, the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado's two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. "If a receiver is running around, I'm thinking, 'OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,'" Daniels explained. "They're like, 'No, you can't.' I'm just like, 'So I'm supposed to let this guy just run?!' I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn." The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. "I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. "I'm not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, 'I played NFL football for five years. I'm popular. I have a huge name.' I'm still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise." Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It's his way of working on avoiding a "defender" trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. "You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the 'Redeem Team' led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, 'That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. "Everybody thinks, 'Yeah, the U.S. just wins,'" Daniels said. "But we work hard all the time. We don't just walk in. We don't just get off the bus thinking, 'We're going to beat people.'" Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Palantir Technologies Inc. ( NYSE:PLTR – Get Free Report ) insider Alexander C. Karp sold 1,007,496 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.96, for a total value of $64,439,444.16. Following the sale, the insider now owns 6,432,258 shares in the company, valued at approximately $411,407,221.68. This trade represents a 13.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . Palantir Technologies Trading Down 1.2 % Shares of PLTR stock opened at $61.36 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $139.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 306.79 and a beta of 2.70. Palantir Technologies Inc. has a 12-month low of $15.66 and a 12-month high of $66.00. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.04. Palantir Technologies ( NYSE:PLTR – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $725.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $705.11 million. Palantir Technologies had a return on equity of 9.94% and a net margin of 18.01%. The company’s revenue was up 30.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.03 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Palantir Technologies Inc. will post 0.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PLTR Institutional Trading of Palantir Technologies Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Palantir Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Palantir Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palantir Technologies during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 747.1% in the third quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 737 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 650 shares during the period. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Palantir Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.65% of the company’s stock. Palantir Technologies Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Palantir Technologies Inc builds and deploys software platforms for the intelligence community to assist in counterterrorism investigations and operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company provides Palantir Gotham, a software platform which enables users to identify patterns hidden deep within datasets, ranging from signals intelligence sources to reports from confidential informants, as well as facilitates the handoff between analysts and operational users, helping operators plan and execute real-world responses to threats that have been identified within the platform. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Palantir Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Palantir Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .By HALELUYA HADERO, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. Related Articles “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case. The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”None

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, Thursday the recent escalation of violence between Yemen and Israel, which resulted in the deaths of at least three people and injured dozens. The Israeli targeted critical civilian infrastructure, including Red Sea ports, power stations and Sana’a International Airport, where World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at the airport with the high-level UN delegation when the strikes occurred. According to a UN spokesperson, Stéphanie Tremblay, the airstrikes pose a to regional stability and freedom of maritime navigation. “Today’s airstrikes follow around a year of escalatory actions by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the region that threaten civilians,” she said. The UN warned that further escalation in the region could undermine mediation efforts led by Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to reach a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Yemen. The WHO Director-General, who was at Sana’a airport during the airstrikes, the scene on X saying “As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a...the airport came under aerial bombardment,” he wrote The strikes damaged the air traffic control tower and the departure lounge, just meters from where Tedros and his team stood. The World Food Program Director Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep concern about the risk of further escalation and urged all parties to cease military actions and exercise restraint. He also emphasized the importance of respecting international law, including humanitarian law, and protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure. The and their Additional Protocols, which form the core of international humanitarian law, prohibit attacks on civilians, hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure. They also require parties to conflict to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution in their military operations. The international community has been urged to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure amidst what has been a “deepening humanitarian catastrophe” in Yemen. Laws of Burgos put into effect The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse. However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. from the Library of Congress. Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas.Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol.Learn more about . World Bank created On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. about the history of the World Bank.Elevate your food photography: Join FujiFilm’s exclusive ‘Foodtography Tours’ in Sydney with TikTok star Adrian WidjonarkoRyunosuke Okazaki Presents 'Oracle' at Tang Contemporary Art Hong Kong

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