777pub download apk A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul Donald Trump's health team picks include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling an agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans’ health, from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to be Trump's health secretary is anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He says his task is to “reorganize” federal health agencies. They employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans’ daily lives. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Israeli strikes in central Beirut kill at least 20 as diplomats push for a cease-fire BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 20 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon’s capital continue without warning. Diplomats are scrambling to broker a cease-fire but say obstacles still remain. The current proposal calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon in the months of fighting that have turned into all-out war. Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Election reform advocates had hoped for a big year at the ballot box. That's because a historic number of states were considering initiatives for ranked choice voting or to end partisan primaries. Instead, voters dealt them big losses in the November elections. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota all rejected proposed changes to their voting systems. In Alaska, a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting appears to have narrowly fallen short. The losses in many states came even though election reform supporters raised more than $100 million, easily outpacing opponents. Supporters say they aren't giving up but plan to retool their efforts. The week that upped the stakes of the Ukraine war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation. US reels from rain and snow as second round of bad weather approaches for Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. is reeling from snow and rain while preparing for another bout of bad weather ahead of Thanksgiving that could disrupt holiday travel. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia are also starting the weekend with heavy precipitation. Meanwhile thousands remain without power in the Seattle area after a “bomb cyclone” storm system roared ashore the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight Most people taking popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight have shed significant pounds. But obesity experts say that roughly 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not see robust results with the new medications. The response to the drugs varies from person to person and can depend on genetics, hormones and differences in how the brain regulates energy. Undiagnosed medical conditions and some drugs can prevent weight loss. Experts say it can take experimentation to help so-called nonresponders find results. Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 37 people PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A senior Pakistani police officer says fighting between armed sectarian groups in the country's restive northwest has killed at least 37 people. The overnight violence was the latest to rock Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and comes days after a deadly gun ambush killed 42 people. The officer said Saturday that armed men torched shops, houses and government property overnight. Gunfire is ongoing between rival tribes. Although Sunnis and Shiites generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, tensions remain in some areas, especially Kurram. Hydrate. Make lists. Leave yourself time. And other tips for reducing holiday travel stress Travel, especially during the holiday season, can be stressful. But following some tips from the pros as you prepare for a trip can make for a smoother, less anxious experience. One expert traveler suggests making a list a week before you go of things you need to do and pack. Cross off each item as you complete it during the week. Another tip is to carry your comfort zone with you. That could mean noise-canceling headphones, playlists meant to soothe airport travelers, entertainment and snacks from home. Carry a change of clothes and a phone charger in case of delays. Stay hydrated. Leave extra time. And know your airline's rules. Downloading the airline's app can help with that. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August.

INDIANAPOLIS – When the concept of the NFL’s most dangerous offense is broached, the image that first comes to mind likely depends on the age of the beholder. It could be Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins or perhaps Kurt Warner’s Los Angeles Rams. Maybe it’s Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts or Tom Brady’s New England Patriots. For the youngest observers, it’s likely Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs. Each of those units – no matter the era in which they played – had one thing in common: an explosive passing game that put video game numbers on the stat sheet week in and week out. The Detroit Lions – this year’s highest scoring NFL offense – certainly have that capability. But this is a team that very much reflects the personality of its head coach – former NFL tight end Dan Campbell. In addition to the aerial exploits of quarterback Jared Goff and his fleet of receivers, the Lions (9-1) boast the league’s third-ranked rushing offense. Two players – Jahmyr Gibbs (796 yards, eight touchdowns) and David Montgomery (595 yards, 10 touchdowns) – already have surpassed the 500-yard rushing mark, and Detroit is not afraid to get down in the trenches and bully the opposition when the situation calls for it. “We had a joint practice what, two years ago with them, and I think what stood out is that they are a physical, tough team,” Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “They come in with a mentality. So it starts with that. It comes from their head coach. He's done a great job with that culture. Then you look at their skillset, right? They've got two really good running backs. Their offensive line is – I mean compared to a lot of the great offensive lines that have played. “So up front, they can run the ball. They can protect. The quarterback is playing – I mean, if he has three incompletions in a game, that's a shocker to him. So they're just very effective. They're very efficient. They've got playmakers on the perimeter. ... If they don't score every series, they're upset. So very explosive that way, and it's a great challenge for us.” Indianapolis has won its last two meetings against Mahomes and the Chiefs in large part by being the more physical team on the field. The Colts ran the ball efficiently in both a 2019 victory at Arrowhead Stadium and a 2023 upset at Lucas Oil Stadium. That helped keep the Kansas City offense on the sideline, and the Indianapolis defense made some big plays at opportune times to further limit the damage. That won’t be a simple formula to replicate Sunday against the Lions. Detroit has the fifth-ranked run defense in terms of total yards and is 11th with an average of 4.3 yards allowed per carry. So keeping the ball out of the Lions’ hands will take significant effort. And when Detroit has possession, it’s absolutely lethal. The Lions average 33.6 points per game and have topped the 40-point barrier four times – including two 52-point showings in the past four weeks, against the Colts’ AFC South rivals Tennessee and Jacksonville. Detroit put up a massive 645 yards of total offense last week against the Jaguars, and its 46-point margin of victory marked the third time this year it has won by more than 35 points. This is domination often witnessed in the college game but rarely at the pro level. “Obviously, they play hard for all four quarters,” Indianapolis defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. “They play really well together, especially offensively. On the offensive line, they do a really good job working with each other, communicating. They’ve got a lot of great skill players. They’ve probably got one of the best running back duos in the league. Obviously, Jared Goff is playing at a very high level. “So, defensively, we’ve got to be on a lot of our keys and our technique. We’ve just got to continue to communicate better and just make sure that everybody, especially in the run game, are in their gaps and their fits.” Left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee) did not practice again Thursday, increasing the chances Indianapolis will again start three rookies on the offensive line. Right tackle Braden Smith (foot) was upgraded to full participation. Defensive end Tyquan Lewis (elbow) and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) were full participants for the second straight day. Wide receiver Josh Downs (calf) and cornerback Kenny Moore II (knee) were added to the report but were full participants Thursday. Cornerback Terrion Arnold (groin) was added a limited participant for the Lions and was the only player on Detroit’s 53-man roster who was not a full participant.Byfield scores in 200th career game as Kings hold off Kraken for 2-1 win

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Javon Small scored five of his 31 points in overtime and Tucker DeVries added key free throws late in regulation and finished with 16 points as West Virginia beat No. 3 Gonzaga 86-78 in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday. Small's layup with under 2 minutes left in OT gave West Virginia a 79-75 lead. After a Gonzaga miss, Sencire Harris hit two free throws to make it a six-point lead. With 27.1 seconds left, Harris made a steal and scored on a dunk for an eight-point lead, putting the game out of reach. Amani Hansberry scored a career-high 19 points and Toby Okani added 10 for West Virginia (3-2). Braden Huff scored 19 points and Khalif Battle 16 for Gonzaga (5-1). Takeaways Gonzaga showed its depth, outscoring the West Virginia bench 30-2. West Virginia’s only loss was by 24 points at Pitt, but the rebuild under Darian DeVries is showing promise. Key moment Gonzaga turned it over at midcourt late in regulation when Tucker DeVries poked it away from Nolan Hickman and raced the other way before getting fouled. DeVries made two free throws with 5.9 seconds left to tie it at 71-all. Battle inbounded the ball and got it back, but lost control on a drive as time expired. Key stats The shorter Mountaineers outrebounded Gonzaga 42-36 and shot 50% in the second half, battling the Zags to a draw in the paint. Nembhard had 12 assists and just one turnover in 43 minutes, but was 1 of 10 from the field. Up next West Virginia will play Louisville on Thursday in the winner's bracket. Gonzaga faces No. 14 Indiana on the consolation side. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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No climate deal better than ‘bad’ one, say NGOsVPN concerns After November 30, it will be impossible for ordinary internet users to access all banned websites, including X The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) has officially informed that after the end of this month, all unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPN) will be completely blocked across the country. In a briefing to the Senate Committee on IT and Telecom, the PTA chairman said that individuals and organisations related to software houses, call centres, banks, embassies, freelancers and others should register their VPN on the PTA’s website. After November 30, it will be impossible for ordinary internet users to access all banned websites, including the X (formerly Twitter). I frequently express my views to ensure responsible use of social media. That is why when a new debate related to VPNs started, I thought it appropriate to review the situation internationally. Two years ago, a new law was introduced in India that required VPN service providers based in India to keep the logs of their users for at least five years. Local VPN service providers are required to share the data with law enforcement agencies. Similarly, the Indian government is trying to control the use of WhatsApp by anti-social and criminal elements. The use of a VPN is not prohibited in the UAE, but using a VPN to access prohibited content is a strictly punishable offence under Emirati laws. Under the guidelines issued by the UAE Telecom & Digital Regulatory Authority, the usage of VPNs for illegal access to prohibited websites, changing IPs for unlawful purposes, copyright infringement, defamation and dissemination of fake news is strictly forbidden with a heavy penalty of imprisonment and a fine not less than Dh500,000 and not exceeding Dh2,000,000 or either of these two penalties. Even making illegal WhatsApp audio or video calls through VPN is a punishable cybercrime in the UAE and some other countries. After studying the internet laws of various countries including China, the UK, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, South Africa, I came to know that technically there is no ban on VPNs, but some restrictions are being enforced to prevent illegal use of VPNs. On the other hand, in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, concerns are being raised about the threats to national security and social harm due to the unrestricted free use of VPNs. I mentioned in my column published in these pages on March 22 this year that the Canadian parliament has introduced the Online Harm Act, under which the Digital Safety Commission of Canada is being established to combat extremism and violent terrorism through internet-based social media content. I further highlighted in my column on April 26 that due to the Great Firewall of China, there is no room for any external force or local facilitator to take any step against the country’s security. On May 31, 2017, I presented some suggestions including internet registration and a code of conduct for social media, which can be implemented to prevent the dissemination of hateful content on the Internet. The misuse of the internet by extremist elements in Pakistan has increased a lot. Undoubtedly, impersonating identity on the internet through VPN is a major hurdle to combat cybercrimes. However, with the recent announcement by the PTA, many genuine concerns are arising at a larger scale: if X (Twitter) is banned by the government, then why are our rulers, public bodies and the authorities continuously using it? Under which act of parliament is the PTA authorised to restrict VPNs and what will be the penalty for using an unregistered VPN after November 30? What were the factors behind the recent fatwa declaring VPN illegal religiously? In my view, our authorities have made a huge mistake by not taking stakeholders into confidence and by not conducting a vigorous public awareness campaign regarding the VPN issue. There is a dire need for the PTA to review the November 30 deadline immediately. Being a democratically responsible state, no such action should be taken without legislation in parliament. The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council. He tweets/posts @RVankwani

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Major League Soccer will conclude its 29th season on Saturday, when the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls face off in MLS Cup, the league’s championship match. Ahead of Saturday’s final, MLS commissioner Don Garber gave his annual “state of the league” address, touting the growth of the league at home and abroad. In a subsequent Q&A with the assembled media, Garber, who has headed MLS since his appointment in 1999, addressed a wide range of topics, even breaking a bit of news in the process. Advertisement Here, then, are the highlights from Garber’s remarks. Quotes have been lightly edited for length and clarity. MLS schedule change Garber broke a bit of news during the Q&A portion, confirming that MLS will “not be playing during the 2026 World Cup.” MLS will also take off “for a portion” of the 2025 Club World Cup, clarifying that it would be a “specific break, not a full one.” Garber said the league is still finalizing details for its break for the Club World Cup, which will be played in the U.S. next summer from June 15 to July 13. Any changes would have to be approved by the MLS board of governors, which is set to meet next week. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico and will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The 48-team tournament will be hosted jointly by 16 cities across the three countries, with a record 104 games played. MLS paused for the World Cup group stage in 2010, for two weeks in 2014 and for nine days in 2018. Earlier during his state of the league address, Garber confirmed the league is weighing potential schedule changes which could have an impact on what the MLS schedule looks like in 2026. The Athletic previously reported the league was weighing a move to a fall-spring calendar used by many European leagues. “It’s important to point out that the league, in 2004 and 2005, and then again in 2014 and 2015, looked at a schedule change,” Garber said. “I think now we could be the only league, or one of only two leagues in the world that works on our schedule. But it’s complicated. We’re across three time zones, multiple weather factors, we’re traveling across a continent, and making those changes is something we’ve got to be very, very thoughtful about. I do think that we are considering, more than ever before, this opportunity to change, but it’s not something that we’re ready to talk about right now.” Advertisement Club World Cup Garber was at the draw for the Club World Cup, which took place in Miami on Thursday. Two MLS clubs — Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders — will compete in the tournament, which will be played across the United States next summer. Miami’s draw included Brazilian club Palmeiras, historic Portuguese club Porto and Egyptian club Al Ahly. Seattle landed with some significant global giants, including Paris St-Germain and La Liga powerhouse Atletico Madrid. While clubs like Seattle and Miami are high-spending sides within MLS, their roster values pale in comparison to other clubs, globally. Seattle and Miami’s place in this tournament is surely a rare opportunity for the league to leave a stamp internationally — and to sell itself to a domestic audience that will be able to compare MLS teams against top clubs from around the world. That could backfire, of course, if results go badly. On Friday, Garber was asked whether he feels MLS’ clubs are truly equipped to compete on a global stage. His answer felt grounded in reality and did not do a ton to inspire confidence. “I was at the draw yesterday,” said Garber, “and I saw something in the news today about transfer market values of each club (in the tournament) and clearly, MLS teams are at the lower quadrant of transfer market value. And that’s something, over time, that I hope will continue to grow as our teams are investing more in players and hopefully generating more revenue to justify that expense. “We’re working on ways that we can provide each team with some opportunity to be more competitive,” added Garber. “Talk about that a bit at our next board meeting, which is next Thursday. So stay tuned on that factor.” Garber also alluded to potential changes the league could make in terms of roster construction and spending but stopped short of giving any specifics. “There’s discussions going on (about that),” Garber told reporters, “But I wouldn’t put it in the category of significant. MLS is constantly, every year, looking at ways that we could incentivize our teams to use their resources better, to be very, very productive and efficient. We’re in the middle of a collective bargaining agreement with the (Major League Soccer Players Association) and we’ve got a great relationship with them, but I don’t anticipate anything significant happening in the next couple of years.” Advertisement What is the right metric for Apple and audience comparisons to linear? On a media tour ahead of MLS Cup over the last few days, Garber has continued to express optimism around the league’s media deal with Apple. The commissioner has also been more open about his desire to share numbers that might give the public a better idea of how the partnership is going, but said that the industry is still figuring out how to gauge streaming numbers. At some point, Garber said, “we and Apple and the rest of the streaming world” will determine a measurement that will “become the norm.” “This is a new world for all of us,” Garber said. “We have decades and generations of Nielsen ratings, of traditional measurements of how people consume sports. There’s a couple of people have a box in their house, and those people have that box turned on, and that’s the way we measure traditional, linear viewership. As we get into a world of streaming, the entire industry has got to figure out a new metric. Is that metric, average minute audience? Is it unique viewers? How could we figure out the right way to compare the audiences that we’ve had in the past to the audiences that we have now? GO DEEPER MLS took a risk with the timing of its Apple TV partnership. Did they get it right? “How important is subscriptions to viewership? To us, subscriptions are very important. Somebody’s paying for the opportunity to watch a game, so when they do watch it, it is intentional. That’s leading to this 65-minute time that people are spending on our games. But we are very pleased with the viewership numbers.” Garber speculated whether the league should be measuring audience on a per-game basis, as they did when they had games on ESPN, or whether they should measure nightly audience across games on their streaming app. “We have over a million viewers watching those games on a Saturday night, the collective viewership of those games; we’re proud of that,” Garber said. “That’s way more than we’ve ever had for a regular season match. We’re having more than than that watch our playoff games. ... At some point soon, we’re all going to have a measurement that the industry is going to accept, and we’ll be the first ones to be happy to talk about it.” What is MLS doing to grow the fanbase? If MLS wants its viewership numbers on Apple TV to grow, it needs to find ways to reach new audience, a challenge that is even more difficult when the majority of the product is behind a paywall. The league has said it wants to double its fanbase in coming years, though it hasn’t been specific as to what metric it is using toward that goal. Garber said the league has been studying how it can reach new fans. Advertisement “What does it mean now that we have a direct relationship with a consumer? How could we lean in better to data? How do we have a more structured infrastructure, and investment in that infrastructure for our teams and for our league to be a funnel to collect information about fans and talk to them about what matters to them, so that we can convert them from being a soccer fan to being an MLS fan,” Garber said. “How could we work with Apple to have more content and other partners like Bleacher Report and OneFootball to have more content that would promote and tell the story about our players, similar to what we’re doing with (production company) Box to Box (Films). “And then we’ve got to look at our competitive format. Should that change? Should it stay the same? What are we going to do with our calendar? When could those changes be made? Do we have the same conference set up?... I don’t have an answer to it, but we’re looking at it. Now that we’ll have 30 teams, do we have the same playoff format? Maybe. Maybe we don’t. But all those things will go into a pathway to grow our fan base and make our league more competitive.” On Bruce Arena Garber was asked about San Jose Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena, who joined the club in November. Arena, the winningest coach in MLS history, was forced to resign from his most recent MLS job at the New England Revolution after a league investigation found he’d made “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.” The nature of those remarks has never been publicized. Arena landed in San Jose after completing a league-mandated reinstatement protocol, the specifics of which have never been shared. Arena himself has never specifically addressed the incident in any real detail but expressed remorse for his actions in the aftermath of the investigation. Garber was asked whether the league could shed any light on any of it. “I appreciate the question, but it’s not something that I’m going to talk about,” said Garber. “Obviously Bruce would not have been approved to coach in Major League Soccer if he didn’t satisfy whatever standards and things that we wanted him to satisfy. Much more than that, I’m not going to comment.” Open Cup/Leagues Cup chatter The Leagues Cup, MLS and Liga MX’s joint venture that includes every team in both leagues, suffered a bit of a letdown in year two, failing to recapture the Messi-inspired magic of the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2023. Some of those issues stemmed from the format of the tournament itself, which led to a bevy of matches played between MLS sides, sort of defeating the competition’s stated purpose of pitting one league’s clubs against the others. The tournament, played in the middle of the MLS season, felt more like a burden for some MLS clubs. Advertisement Changes could be afoot — ESPN and others have reported that MLS may limit which clubs participate, choosing to send some to the U.S. Open Cup instead. MLS has in recent years also revised its approach to that tournament, the oldest competition in American soccer. On Friday, Garber addressed both tournaments, saying that the league would like teams to play in at least one tournament each season, and for some clubs to participate in multiple competitions. “We will participate in the US Open Cup again next year,” Garber said, “We will likely have more teams (than 2024) ... but it is going to be nearly impossible for all teams to be able to participate in all tournaments, it’s just not enough games during the schedule, with or without any change in the calendar.” Of the changes to Leagues Cup, Garber didn’t provide specifics but seemed to hint that it would be geared toward more rivalry play between the MLS and Liga MX sides. “We need more MLS versus Liga MX matches,” Garber said. “That was really the point of the Leagues Cup in the in the beginning. ... We’ve been trying to figure out a way to get this right. I think we really got it right with the Leagues Cup. It worked super well in the first year. That was not just about Messi, it was just the way the tournament laid out. And we’re looking at modifications that will, I think, make it more focused on what it is that we’re trying to achieve, which is this great rivalry between our two leagues.” (Top photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)The Future of Cybersecurity Jobs: Trends and Salaries in 2025

The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. —NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win , it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games . They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. —College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. —NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. —College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. —College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. —NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. Story continues below video —College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes . Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama . Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. —NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. —NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals , who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills , who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. —NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs , who won their first 15 games to start the season. —Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. —Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship . AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Iran restores access to WhatsApp and Google Play after they were banned amid protestsPeople who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) as children and grow up in less advantaged neighborhoods may have a larger volume of inflammation and brain tissue loss on imaging than those who grow up in more advantaged neighborhoods, according to a study published in the November 27, 2024, online issue of Neurology . MS rarely develops in children. About 5% of people with MS are diagnosed before age 18. In addition to neighborhood location, worse brain imaging outcomes were also seen among people who self-identified as Black or Latino, those from families where the parents had lower education levels, and those who had public health insurance , which is used as a marker of low household income. "Our findings suggest that social disadvantage in childhood can have lasting effects on MS severity," said study author Kimberly A. O'Neill, MD, of New York University Grossman School of Medicine. "Childhood is a critical time for exposure to environmental factors associated with increased susceptibility to MS, such as passive smoke, pollution and low sunlight exposure. More studies are needed to understand which and how factors in disadvantaged neighborhoods increase the risk for MS severity in young people ." The study involved 138 people with an average age of 20 who were diagnosed with MS before age 18, known as pediatric onset MS. They had been diagnosed with MS for an average of four years. All had brain scans to measure areas of brain inflammation and injury due to MS and brain volume loss. Researchers collected information on social factors that may impact a person's health, including self-reported race and ethnicity, type of health insurance , parents' education level, and the degree of neighborhood advantage or disadvantage. Social factors associated with disadvantage correlated with a greater volume of inflammatory lesions in the white matter of the brain and also with greater black hole volume, which is a sign of irreversible loss of brain tissue. Together, the identified social factors accounted for 26% of the difference in white matter lesion volume and 23% of the difference in black hole volume among participants. Once all factors were taken into account, having public health insurance was the strongest predictor of having greater amounts of inflammation and tissue loss. People with public health insurance had average white matter lesion volume that was larger than people with private insurance. They also had average black hole volumes larger than those with private insurance. The researchers found that the differences were not explained by how soon children were seen by a neurologist, how quickly they were started on medication for MS or how effective their medications were at slowing their disease progress. "This suggests that access to health care does not explain the more severe disease burden shown in the brain scans of people in disadvantaged groups in our study," O'Neill said. "While these are associations and not causes, many of these groups have historically been underrepresented in MS research and our work here is just beginning." A limitation of the study is that researchers used the address of the children at the time of their diagnosis but did not have information on any prior addresses. Additionally, only a few types of social factors were studied. More information: Neurology (2024).

US President-elect Donald Trump wants a "just, sustainable, and secure peace in Ukraine." Ending the killings on the territory of our country will be one of the priorities of the new administration in the White House. At the same time, Trump understands that previous attempts to reach peace agreements between Russia and Ukraine, including the Minsk agreements, have "failed miserably," so he is not going to follow this path. This was stated by Keith Kellogg, Trump's nominee for the post of US Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, on Fox Business . "The president is very consistent in what he wants, which is to stop the killing and bring peace to the region. It's not his only international priority, but he wants a peace that is just, that is sustainable, that is secure," the Trump team representative assured. Kellogg also emphasized that there have been previous attempts at peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. All of them, including the Minsk process, "failed miserably." Therefore, the candidate for the post of special representative emphasized, that Trump is not going to follow the same path. "He understands the importance of the relationship he has with his allies, including Vladimir Putin. And he's the person who can bring that to fruition – I really believe he will in the relatively near future," Kellogg emphasized. Earlier, Trump's special representative Kellogg said that Ukraine and Russia are ready for peace talks. In his opinion, all that is missing is a "referee" who could "break up" the two warring parties. Kellogg will visit Ukraine in early January 2025 to "gather facts," at least that's what Reuters sources said . Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!