Barrister cleared of misconduct calls on head of Bar Standards Board to resign

In this article Loan Affiliate Programs Related USSD transactions reach N2.19tr in H2 2024 amid debt issues December 8, 2024 Nigeria's VAT revenue reaches N1.78tr in Q3 2024, up 14.16% December 8, 2024 Tinubu’s Tax Reform: How it will affect you December 8, 2024 CBN debunks information on sales of FX to BDC operators 3 days ago Mobile money, bank agents vows support for $1tr economy 3 days ago Reps to probe CBN over naira scarcity 3 days ago 0 Comments cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Flag Comment Why are you flagging this comment? I disagree with this user Targeted harassment - posted harassing comments or discussions targeting me, or encouraged others to do so Spam - posted spam comments or discussions Inappropriate profile - profile contains inappropriate images or text Threatening content - posted directly threatening content Private information - posted someone else's personally identifiable information Before flagging, please keep in mind that Disqus does not moderate communities. Your username will be shown to the moderator, so you should only flag this comment for one of the reasons listed above. Flag Comment Cancel Thanks for your feedback! We will review and take appropriate action. Close Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram News Nigeria Metro Politics Africa Europe Asia Americas Opinion Editorial Columnists Contributors Cartoons Lifestyle Music Film Beauty What's New Features Sport Football Boxing Athletics Tennis Other Sports Woman Marie Claire GuardianTV Exclusive Politics Business Appointments Business News Business RoundUp Industry Aviation Capital Market Communications Energy DrillBytes Maritime Money Technology Gadgets Telecoms Social Media Technology Guardian Life Beauty Culture Events Features Food Film Love and Relationships Music Odd News On The Cover Spotlight Style Travel and Places Wellness What's New Guardian Arts Arts Art House Artfolk Revue Literature Theatre Visual Arts Features Gender BusinessAgro Education Executive Motoring Executive Briefs Focus Friday Worship Health Law Media Science Youth Speak Reviews Guardian Angels Advocacy Commentary Corporate Social Responsibility Philanthropy Social Impact Property Environment Mortgage Finance Real Estate Urban Development Saturday Magazine Youth Magazine Just Human Life & Style Love & Life Transition Travel & Tourism Celebrity Brand Intelligence Gardening Weekend Beats Sunday Magazine Ibru Ecumenical Centre Campus CityFile News Feature Living Healthy Diet Living Wellbeing Newspeople #EndSARS Guardian TV Follow Us Home About Us Reviews Terms Advertise With Us © 2024 GUARDIAN Newspapers . ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDDELAND, Fla. (AP) — Luke Bailey threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns with only five incompletions and Drake eased by Stetson 49-10 on Saturday to secure a second straight outright Pioneer Football League title. Davion Cherwin rushed for 161 yards on 11 carries and scored two times for Drake. Jun Ahn and Luke Woodson also had rushing scores. Cherwin scored a 91-yard touchdown, the longest run in the PFL this season, to make it 21-7 early in the second quarter. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Thanksgiving Trends: Turkey Alternatives?US Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky to lead panel overseeing issues affecting daily lives of publicProsecutor: Lions' Williams won't face gun charges

The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Forrest Melton, Ariel Deutsch, Dan Sirbu, and Chanel Idos. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond. Earth Science Star: Forrest Melton Forrest Melton serves as Senior Research Scientist with the Atmospheric Science Branch, and leads the OpenET consortium, which develops a unique satellite-driven support system for water resources management using six satellite-driven models and publicly available data from NASA, USGS and NOAA. OpenET currently provides data for 23 states in the western U.S., delivers data at daily, monthly, seasonal and annual timescales, and has become a necessary tool for domestic and international water managers and agricultural producers ( feature story ). Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Ariel Deutsch Ariel Deutsch is an early career planetary scientist in the Planetary Systems Branch for the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute. She is recognized for being invited to join the Artemis II Science Team to support the Artemis II Lunar Science Objectives. Her Lunar Data Analysis Program grant was selected to improve our understanding of the distribution and abundance of volatiles cold-trapped on the Moon, which include Artemis III candidate landing sites. Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Dan Sirbu Dan Sirbu is a key member of the Exoplanet Technologies group within the Astrophysics Branch. He currently serves as the principal investigator on the Photonic Integrated Circuit High-Contrast Imaging for Space Astronomy (AstroPIC) early career initiative, serves multiple roles on the Multi-Star Wavefront Control (MSWC) project, and is involved in outreach efforts. In recent months, Dan has been the primary operator performing MSWC testing, setting several new performance records demonstrating high contrast imaging of planets around binary stars. Dan’s work also advances NASA’s and humanity’s capability of imaging exoplanets in multi-star systems, including Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to the Sun. Space Biosciences Star: Chanel Idos Chanel Idos serves as the ARC Resource Analyst for the Human Research Program (HRP) in the Space Biosciences Division. HRP is a multifaceted initiative encompassing six Elements and Offices at JSC and three Divisions across two Directorates at ARC. Her exceptional expertise, coupled with outstanding organizational skills and clear, effective communication, have been instrumental in ensuring the seamless operation of HRP activities at ARC. Chanel’s contributions have been pivotal in achieving excellent cost performance for FY24, positioning ARC to enter FY25 in an optimal state.Esports World Cup Foundation offers $20M in partner club expansion

Electromed Stock Soars to All-Time High of $30.17 Amidst Robust GrowthNoneLamorne Morris refuses to recreate 'Wicked' scene from 'New Girl'

Arrest made in 23-year-old woman's murder in Bridgewater Township decades laterFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky has secured the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which wields broad jurisdiction over issues affecting the daily lives of Americans. With the GOP set to take unified control of Congress and the White House next year, Guthrie said he's ready to work on the agenda set forth by President-elect Donald Trump and House Republicans. Guthrie's new role puts him at the forefront of some of the nation's biggest policy discussions. The Kentucky congressman will lead a committee with jurisdiction over the country’s health care system, energy and environmental policies, consumer safety, and telecommunications and technology innovation. “We must work together to restore America’s energy dominance and lower energy prices, protect children’s online safety and ensure America remains the world leader in technological innovation, and protect access to life-saving treatments while lowering health care costs,” Guthrie said late Monday. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the committee will be in “good hands” under Guthrie’s leadership, saying the Kentuckian has the experience and know-how needed to “hit the ground running.” The Kentucky Democratic Party took a dig at Guthrie, saying, in a statement, that while he "may have a new title, Kentuckians can only expect to see more of his out-of-touch agenda at work.” Guthrie's rise to the chairmanship adds to the Kentucky delegation's clout in Congress. Another Kentucky Republican, U.S. Rep. James Comer, will continue as chairman of the House Oversight Committee. Many of Trump's priorities align with the committee's jurisdiction, including his push for government efficiency, Comer said Tuesday while outlining his goals for the committee. "We will advance solutions to make the federal government more efficient, effective, transparent and accountable to the American people,” Comer said. The delegation's influence could expand more. Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky is in the running to chair the House Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over the financial sector. Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, a congressional mainstay from Kentucky for decades, will remain a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. He is a former chairman of the committee. “The general election was a mandate from the American people to lower costs that are crippling family budgets and secure our borders," Rogers said Tuesday. “We must also maintain our commitment to law enforcement and fighting the fentanyl scourge, as we work to make our nation safer.” U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky will continue his push for limited government and fiscal restraint. The lone Democrat in Kentucky's delegation, U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, will be a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. McGarvey, who represents a Louisville-area district, said he will be part of a progressive pushback against "an increasingly extreme Republican majority.” Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell will lead a subcommittee overseeing defense spending as he takes on new roles after relinquishing his long-running post as Senate Republican leader. The role dovetails with his belief that America needs a bulked-up military to deter threats from its adversaries. Kentucky's senior senator also will become chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. That will put McConnell at the center of weighty topics, namely federal elections and voting rights as well as the procedures of the Senate, including the debate around the filibuster. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul will lead the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The new role will put the Kentuckian — a limited-government advocate and longtime skeptic of surveillance programs — in charge of a committee with broad jurisdiction over government operations, including the Department of Homeland Security.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael eye independent TDs as option to secure Dail majority

Barrister cleared of misconduct calls on head of Bar Standards Board to resignA new documentary by German filmmakers is set to offer a less-than-glowing review of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s efforts to establish them as extremely wealthy global influencers and philanthropists since they departed royal life nearly five years ago. “Harry and Meghan set the bar very high,” Ulrike Grunewald, the director of “The Lost Prince,” told The Daily Mail over the weekend . The documentary is set to air in Germany on Tuesday. “They want to be global benefactors who bring about tangible change. So far, they have not lived up to this image at all.” For the 45-minute film, Grunewald wanted to look into whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex succeeded in “finding freedom” by leaving the U.K. and moving to the United States. During their exit, the couple also vowed to become financially independent entrepreneurs and world-renowned thought leaders. To answer questions about the couple’s post-“Megxit” life, Grunewald said she did reporting in the couple’s new hometown of Montecito, looked into the work of their Archewell Foundation and Harry’s involvement in the Invictus Games and examined recent reports that they’ve “separated” — at least professionally. “I was interested in whether Harry and Meghan’s strategies for an independent life are working,” Grunewald said. “After four years, the results are very mixed.” “Now they mainly appear separately, as they were unable to create a functioning image together,” Grunewald said. They have come down to earth.” On one hand, Harry may have found a new sense of personal freedom by leaving the confines of royal life. “To be fair, from his point of view Harry wanted the best for his own family,” Grunewald said. “And sure he has now gained valuable experience in California and learned what it means to have to stand on his own two feet. He would never have been able to do that in the close circle of the royal family.” But Harry now has decide for himself what he has to offer to the world, Grunewald said. Sure, he still carries “the glamor” of being the son of King Charles III and of the late Princess Diana, Grunewald said. “But in the tough atmosphere of the Hollywood industry,” this allure can wear off, she said. Grunewald is likely referring to the couple’s struggles to become Hollywood media moguls. In late 2020, Harry and his American TV actor wife signed multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify, saying that they planned to create “impactful” content “that informs,” “gives hope” and “unlocks action.” But the couple notoriously parted ways with Spotify in 2023, after Meghan only produced one 12-episode podcast and they were branded “grifters” by one of the platform’s executives and star podcasters, Bill Simmons. As for Netflix, they starred in “Harry and Meghan,” their blockbuster 2022 blockbuster docu-series about their acrimonious departure from royal life. But they also began to lose some public good will in both the U.K. and the United States, due to the perception that they had gone too far in publicly criticizing Harry’s royal relatives in the docu-series and in interviews. While lovers of royal gossip also turned Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare,” into a global best-seller, it also became clear that some people started to become uncomfortable with Harry’s choice to reveal family secrets. “People have long memories and few revelations can be more damaging to their image than the private details that Harry and Meghan have made public themselves in the last few years,” Grunewald said. Meanwhile, their Netflix partnership has gone “somewhat downhill,” The Times UK also reported . Harry’s documentary about his work with the Invictus Games failed to make Netflix top 10, and there’s still no sign of Meghan’s Netflix cooking show, which is said to have been finished over the summer. Next week, Netflix releases “Polo,” a documentary series that the couple co-executive produced. But neither Harry nor Meghan appear in the series, which happens to be about an elite sport that most people probably don’t care about. The trailer also tries to market the documentary as a Bravo-like reality TV show about “dirty, sweaty boys ... riding” — hardly “impactful” content that “gives hope” and “unlocks action.” Former British friends of Harry reportedly were left in “appalled hysterics” over the “tacky” new series, while a Hollywood executive cautioned that the couple were “running out of last chances” to prove they can make compelling TV that is not about themselves, the Daily Beast reported. The Daily Mail preview about the new German documentary doesn’t address whether it looks into Meghan’s other commercial endeavors, including the premiere of her Netflix cooking show which could coincide with the launch of her new life-style brand, American Riviera Orchard. But Meghan’s company has been the subject of numerous reports about bureaucratic difficulties with the US trademarks office and questions over whether she has the business savvy to get her line of strawberry jam and other products ready to sell. Harry and Meghan also may be struggling in other areas of their post-Megxit life, according to “The Lost Prince.” For one thing, the couple don’t appear to have “integrated” themselves into Montecito’s elite social circles, Grunewald told the Daily Mail. “The cultural life is very lively, but everything often takes place in closed circles and Harry and Meghan rarely take part in these activities,” Grunewald said. “They seem have isolated themselves a lot.” In the past four years, Harry and Meghan, together or separately, have turned up at a few star-studded events in and around Montecito and Santa Barbara. For example, in 2023, they attended Kevin Costner’s annual star-studded fundraiser for local first responders at his estate near Santa Barbara. More recently, they appeared at the September launch of a new book store near their Montecito home, owned by celebrated literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and cosmetics mogul Victoria Jackson, said to be a good friend of Meghan’s. Their Montecito neighbors Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres also joined the party, though DeGeneres has recently left California and established a new home in the U.K. Nonetheless, Grunewald’s documentary suggests that Harry and Meghan don’t spend much time in Montecito. A neighbor, Richard Mineards, told Grunewald that the couple haven’t set out to “put down particularly deep roots” in the area. Every once in a while, they’re seen at the local market or on walks — always with security guards in tow. “Sometimes you will see her at the farmers’ market or with a dog, but generally you don’t see her and you just don’t see much of him,” Mineards said. As for the Archewell Foundation, Grunewald argues that the nonprofit, launched with great fanfare in 2020, doesn’t seem to be effectively organized, while the Invictus Games appears to be a bright spot in the couple’s portfolio — even if the filmmaker said that Harry is little more than “a figurehead.” Harry founded the International sports competition for wounded veterans and service people. Jack Royston, the royal reporter for Newsweek, is reportedly interviewed for “The Lost Prince” and says, “I believe that Invictus is genuine and authentic work. Harry is completely devoted to it.”Published 22:11 IST, November 23rd 2024 In the name of open economy, we allowed other countries to get an advantageous playing field in the country and this has to stop, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday. Bengaluru : In the name of open economy, we allowed other countries to get an advantageous playing field in the country and this has to stop, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday. Jaishankar was delivering a virtual keynote address at the 8th India Idea Conclave at Bengaluru. This year, the conclave, organised by India Foundation, is exploring the theme, ‘building Brand Bharath’. “In the name of globalisation, we actually hollowed out the manufacturing. SMEs have been hurting for the last 30 years because they see unfair competition, see subsidised goods coming into the country. If we cannot protect them, they cannot compete,” he said. According to Jaishankar, under Modi’s ‘Brand Bharath’, this is being done differently as 'Make in India' has moved from aspiration to an assertion. “Look at semi conductors industry. We understand today semi conductor will be a make or break for a country like India,” he said, adding that where India that is Bharath is doing things differently is in taking the hard calls were necessary. One such call is being prudent on foreign direct investments (FDI), said Jaishankar. “I can tell you, in every FDI negotiation, we think very long, very hard. We are very concerned both about the social fabric and employment consequences of an FDI, as well as its national security implications,” the Minister said. He added that the Modi government will never sign an FDI if these are not addressed. “And I think that is the departure from the past,” he said. The minister also said since PM Modi took over, if he has to pick a region where India has really built a Brand Bharath, it would be the Middle East. According to him, traditional belief is that if a country does well with Israel, it will lose all other players in the region. But he pointed out that India has proved this conventional wisdom wrong in the last 10 years. “Today, Brand Bharath is seen as an ambitious brand. We are not just one among many willing to go with the flow. We will take the hard calls, put in resources, and we will stay in touch with the contemporary world... Under PM Modi, that really has been the big change, which is why our brand is different,” said Jaishankar. The India Idea Concalve concludes on November 24. Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. 22:11 IST, November 23rd 2024

NoneCardinal Tagle receives recognition from NY-based media

Five years ago, the U.S. women's national team were being feted in Washington, D.C., one of several celebratory events to commemorate their fourth Women's World Cup title. The trophy offered a fresh reminder that they are one of most established teams in the broader sports landscape – they remained the gold standard in women's soccer, as well as one of the most dominant teams in American sports. In attendance that day was the equally impressive, if lesser-known, Cognosante founder and CEO Michele Kang. An immigrant from South Korea who moved to the U.S. as a student, she achieved one particular version of the varied American dream – joining the nation's billionaire class. In a nation that Forbes reports has a record 813 billionaires , one can get away with building a successful medtech company but otherwise keeping a low profile. One of the things that deep pockets can afford you, though, is the opportunity to change your professional interests in short order. "Other than [a] brief stint in the elementary school days, I was not really aware," she said at a press conference in New York on Tuesday. "I was not really a fan, but once I got exposed to women's soccer right after the 2019 World Cup, when the players came back and there was a celebration, I learned about the presence of the professional league and actually, the team in the D.C. area, and I was blown away. As I started getting involved, I just saw an incredible potential and where it was vs. where it could be and I was really very surprised that there was just so little investment appreciating the potential. So just like what I did in my other professional career, when I believe in something, I just jump in, so I did with my head first." Tom Daschle, the former Democratic senator from South Dakota who served as the senate minority leader from 2001 to 2003, introduced Kang to Steve Baldwin, a tech executive who was the Spirit's managing owner. Baldwin set up a dinner between Kang and Spirit players Andi Sullivan and Aubrey Kingsbury and by Dec. 2020, Kang had a 35% stake in the Spirit. It was one of the first meaningful investments in an NWSL team since the 2019 World Cup, which serves as the origin story of many of the league's owners, around two-thirds of whom have come on board in the last three years. That moment is also the start of Kang's origin story in sports, joining the ranks of visible billionaire owners, a legacy she can add to on Saturday as the Spirit chase their second NWSL Championship against the Orlando Pride (8 p.m. ET, CBS , Paramount+ ). Kang is doing so, though, as the first women's soccer mogul, boasting a multi-million dollar global portfolio that's emblematic of the rapid rise of women's sports as a whole. The battle for the Spirit Kang's initial investment in the Spirit marked her first venture in sports, but her stint as an unknown quantity was fairly short-lived. Eight months after she joined the Spirit's ownership group, The Washington Post published the first of several reports detailing abusive behavior from then-head coach Richie Burke that Baldwin turned a blind eye towards. As the NWSL underwent a reckoning on abusive behavior across the league , Kang launched a bid to take control of the Spirit. "I became aware of some of these issues starting in April of this year, as many staff and players approached me to confidentially share their own stories that reflected how toxic our workplace culture had become," she wrote in a statement that September . "Over the past five months, I have worked very hard to convince my co-owners that fundamental changes were needed to provide a safe and professional workplace for our players. Those efforts were met with denial, evasion, and outright hostility. ... It is time for the Spirit to turn the page on this sad chapter in its history and bring in new leadership to chart a new path." Kang then became locked in a months-long battle to control the Spirit with Baldwin, who agreed to sell the club as part of the NWSL's investigation into Burke, but was dragging his feet doing so. He resigned as the Spirit's managing partner and CEO within days of Kang's statement, but the players called upon him to sell the club to Kang just hours after his announcement. "The person we trust is Michele," the players said in a statement . "She continuously puts players' needs and interests first. She listens. She believes this can be a profitable business. ... Please sell to Michele at a reasonable price." The power struggle continued as the Spirit won their first NWSL Championship in 2021 and through the winter. Baldwin tried to sell to billionaire Todd Boehly (yes, THAT Todd Boehly ) and retail executive Jennifer Tepper Mackesy, who reportedly bid $25 million to acquire the club, forcing Kang to increase her offer to $35 million. She then led what Baldwin described as a "coup" and Sports Business Journal called the deal of the year , converting non-voting, non-equity investors into full shareholders that formed a new majority ownership group that supported her campaign. By Feb. 2022, Baldwin agreed to sell to Kang, who became the first woman of color to serve as the majority owner of an NWSL club. It marked an impressive first impression from someone who was once an unknown quantity in women's soccer, which had long been a sport where players advocated for themselves but had few allies in leadership positions. Kang's leadership is one reason why the experiences of the Spirit's up-and-coming stars vary greatly from the squad's veterans, staying true to her promise about putting the players first three years ago. "I was actually talking about this to Brit [Ratcliffe] and Aubrey [Kingsbury] today, about how different things were when they were rookies – like, completely different," rookie Hal Hershfelt said on Thursday. "They were still living with host families. ... I feel like being a part of this club that pushes the agenda of how important women's sports should be and how much we should be rewarded for the work that we put in is just something so special and it's so cool that that's honestly all I know as a rookie. It kind of puts things into perspective that our older players, our veteran players didn't always have. That's what makes me feel extra grateful when we have an owner like this now – it's the reason that me, Croix [Bethune] and Makenna [Morris], all of our rookies, that's all we know right now." Kang has spent the years since living up to the beliefs the Spirit players said she had, including a transformative one – that women's soccer could be a profitable business. Kang's women's soccer empire Kang's first acts as the Spirit's majority owner focused on obvious upgrades like moving into the training facilities and stadium owned by MLS' D.C. United on a full-time basis, but the team continued to make splashes. They landed a front-of-jersey sponsorship deal with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 2022 season, with Kang previously serving on the center's International Committee of the Arts. In May 2022, Trinity Rodman was rewarded for her rookie of the year campaign by becoming the first NWSL player to sign a contract worth $1 million. She took another bold step over the last year by landing UEFA Women's Champions League winner Jonatan Giraldez as the head coach, reportedly quintupling his Barcelona salary to get the deal done. "I first had to fly to Barcelona and I spent like, I don't know, six hours in Barcelona with, actually, my general manager [Mark Krikorian] and others," Kang told CBS Sports Golazo Network 's Morning Footy on Tuesday. "We started from the vision. We started from the day-to-day operations and we started on how we can do this together and why somebody like Jona, who's already so established and so successful, should come to the U.S. – very different, no family and all that. It was a very long process, but it took several months, it took visits and it took sharing and debating the vision and the future of women's sports and I'm just very grateful that he took the pledge. He had faith in us, not only just me but the club and the NWSL and the U.S. women's game." Kang's outlook on women's sports is unflinchingly ambitious, to the point where she's building a women's soccer empire at what feels like breakneck speed. Her big splashes over the last year and change include launching Kynisca Sports International, the first multi-team ownership group dedicated specifically to the women's game and includes France's Olympique Lyonnais and England's London City Lionesses. She launched an innovation hub in August that is dedicated to expanding sports science research on female athletes and has invested in the U.S.' Olympic bronze medal winning rugby team, women's athletic footwear brand IDA Sports and media company Just Women's Sports. Most recently, she made a $30 million donation to U.S. Soccer that is dedicated to fueling development for young female athletes, as well as resources for women in coaching, refereeing and technical staff roles. The billionaire's empire is a long list of first-of-its-kind investments but as much as Kang can be commended on her ingenuity, she is remarkably clear-eyed about how her plans just make plain business sense. "I think that at the end of the day, it's not any different from any other businesses, right?," Kang said at a press conference on Tuesday. "Any particular business or industry can't be successful just focusing on only one part of the value chain. There needs to be all the elements present, even though you may take up only part of the entire value chain. The other components of the value chain need to be there." A vision for the future Though Kang's empire is vast, it can be summarized quite simply. "What you see is what you get," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone told CBS Sports on Tuesday. "This isn't a facade, this isn't a front. She truly cares and is so passionate about women's sports and specifically women's soccer." Kang has perfected the act of putting her money where her mouth is, as her commitment to the Spirit players in 2021 and her successful attempt to bring Girladez to the NWSL proves. The same is true for her recent gift to U.S. Soccer, which began with "what was supposed to be a short breakfast that turned into a very long breakfast" during the Paris Olympics, according to U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson. "We started talking about the need to invest in the ecosystem to invest in all of the things that pay off, long term, and we outlined our plans at U.S. Soccer to do those things and shared that's not where people traditionally give money," Batson told CBS Sports. "She's like, 'But that's the important stuff,' so that's how this all came to be." By Kang's own admission, investing in the women's soccer pipeline does not just make business sense on its own – it also protects the initial investment she made in the Spirit nearly four years ago. "As an owner on a day-to-day basis, I experience what's needed for the team and the league and so forth," Kang said. "[NWSL owners] came in specifically to invest and grow this sport and we have been doing that. So the results, I have to say, [are] pretty spectacular in terms of viewership growing, the attendance growing, sponsorship and all the above so this is all great but this is not going to be permanent unless the pyramid structure and ecosystem is there. "I get the question: 'You're in England, you're in France. How do you compare those countries' soccer systems vs. the U.S.?,' and I have to say, one of the major differences is actually the youth system – youth academies, youth development. There [are] a lot more structured and well thought out programs, everything in Europe relative to the U.S. so I felt there was some need there. Also even in the NWSL, we're talking a lot about expansion and we want to give more opportunities but we don't want to lower the quality by just expanding and right now, one of the limiting factors is not even the players. It's really the number of coaches, the number of referees, preferably also but not exclusively female coaches and referees and I felt that it's about time that we paid attention to it otherwise collectively, we're not going to be able to maintain this momentum, let alone improving and creating even bigger momentum for all of us." Kang also described the donation as "deeply personal" for her, not only because she's become the type of die-hard soccer fan who wants to be left alone even as people try to network with her in a stadium suite, choosing instead to watch every moment of every game. Her growing women's soccer empire offers Kang a chance to pay it forward. "I'm an immigrant to this country and I feel very grateful that this country has given me an opportunity to pursue and achieve my dream," Kang said. "There are so many young girls and women whose passions are playing soccer and playing the game for their country, the teams and I want to make sure and I want to give back whatever I can to help those young girls and women in this country and around the world to have a shot at achieving their dreams. Soccer happens to be where my passion is right now and I want to do everything I can to provide that environment so that they can go for and pursue their dreams." Kang may still be a relative newcomer to women's soccer, but she has seemingly breezed through any learning curves that come with the territory. Along the way, she has earned the plaudits of mainstays like Parlow Cone, a youth international who went on to win a World Cup and Olympic gold as a player and an NWSL Championship as a coach before becoming the federation's president. "If you would've told me five years ago that being in this position would enable me to work with this team, to go and do what we're doing right now, I would've thought you were crazy," Parlow Cone said. "To have Michele doing what she's done today, impacting the lives of women and girls – it's really even hard to put into words and imagine that I live it every single day in the ecosystem but to really think about the impact, not only today but for years to come, long after my presidency is done, is honestly mind-blowing." Sandra Herrera contributed to this report.BIT Mining Limited to Hold Annual General Meeting on January 7, 2025

Shohei Ohtani wins his third MVP and first in the NL following a historic offensive season with the Los Angeles Dodgers