jili 50 Steelers WR George Pickens returns to practice, hopeful to play against ChiefsMumbai University Hosts State-Level Workshop On Drone Technology And Its ApplicationsYahoo Sports fantasy analyst Tera Roberts offers up a trio of players for fantasy managers to consider adding for Week 13.

Mitchell scores 32, Idaho defeats Pacific 95-72MILAN — Shoppers laden with bags from Fendi, Loewe, Prada and other designer labels clog the narrow sidewalks of Milan's swankiest shopping street, bringing joy to the purveyors of high-end luxury goods this, and every, holiday season. There's even more to celebrate this year: a commercial real estate company crowned Via MonteNapoleone as the world's most expensive retail destination, displacing New York's Fifth Avenue. The latest version of American firm Cushman & Wakefield's annual global index, which ranks shopping areas based on the rent prices they command, is a sign of Via MonteNapoleone's desirability as an address for luxury ready-to-wear, jewelry and even pastry brands. A man walks past a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The average rent on the Milan street surged to $2,047 per square foot, compared with $2,000 per square foot on an 11-block stretch of upper Fifth Avenue. Via MonteNapoleone's small size — less than a quarter-mile long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the MonteNapoleone District association. "Not everything can fit, which is a benefit," since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive and dynamic, said Miani, whose group also represents businesses on the intersecting side streets that together with Via MonteNapoleone form an area known as Milan's Fashion Quadrilateral. Women look a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The biggest brands on the street make 50 million euros to 100 million euros in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany & Co. is preparing to take up residence on Via Montenapoleone, and longtime tenant Fendi is expanding. The MonteNapoleone District says 11 million people visited the area this year through November, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders vs. window shoppers. The average shopper on Via MonteNapoleone spent 2,500 euros per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world, according to the tax-free shopping firm Global Blue. The street is a magnet for holiday shoppers who arrive in Maseratis, Porsches and even Ferraris, the sports car's limited trunk space notwithstanding. A mannequin is seen Dec. 12 in a shop in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Lights twinkle overhead, boutique windows feature mannequins engaged in warm scenes of holiday fun, and passersby snap photos of expertly decorated cakes in pastry shop displays. A visitor from China, Chen Xinghan, waited for a taxi with a half-dozen shopping bags lined up next to him on the sidewalk. He said he paid half the price for a luxury Fendi coat that he purchased in Milan than he would have at home. "I got a lot," Chen acknowledged. "It's a fantastic place, a good place for shopping." A man waits for a taxi Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleon street in Milan, Italy. A few store windows down, Franca Da Rold, who was visiting Milan from Belluno, an Italian city in the Dolomites mountain range, marveled at a chunky, yardslong knit scarf priced at 980 euros. "I could knit that in one hour, using 12-gauge knitting needles as thick as my fingers, and thick wool. Maximum two hours," Da Rold said, but acknowledged the brand appeal. Buildings are decorated Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Despite upper Fifth Avenue getting bumped to the No. 2 spot on the Cushman & Wakefield list, the organization that serves as the Manhattan street's guardian and chief promoter had praise for MonteNapoleone's achievement. "Milan's investment in its public realm is paying off, which is a win for their shoppers, businesses and city as a whole," said Madelyn Wils, interim president of the Fifth Avenue Association. She also expressed confidence that with new investments and a record year for sales on Fifth Avenue, "we'll be back on top in no time." The holiday season feels a little less jolly considering the amount of waste generated by gift-giving. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the amount of household garbage in the U.S. increases by 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's. After the decorations come down, all that waste heads to landfills, producing a significant contributor to climate change: methane gas. "Greening" the holidays is essential, and one simple tip is to think more about how sustainable the materials are in your decorations, decor, and, of course, gifts. Instead of plastics, you could opt for items that can be reused, are made of renewable materials or natural fibers that boast a smaller environmental impact in both production and durability. Due to consumers' desires for more eco-friendly goods, sustainable materials are among the biggest trends in home decor. Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable—and earth-conscious—home goods that make perfect holiday gifts. Made Trade rounded up a list of sustainable home decor trends in 2025 that offer dozens of creative options for holiday gift-giving. Each trend includes examples of great gifts for the home and advice for ensuring items are sustainably produced or can help create a more eco-friendly space. In the depths of winter's gray days, it's a real gift to see a little green, which is why indoor gardening gifts are a wonderful idea. Not only are they eco-friendly and promote sustainability—the more food you can grow yourself, the less you have to buy—they also foster an appreciation of nature and bring the natural world indoors to enjoy. Sprouting kits and microgreens require minimal amounts of space and sunlight, but a sunny, south-facing window will permit a small herb garden or leafy greens for salads. If you're not sure what kind of light your recipient has access to, go with gifting indoor grow lamps along with the plants, or pick a hardy, low-water houseplant—some can act as natural air purifiers too. When buying gifts for the home, consider what materials the items are made from and how far away they come from—not only are natural materials like rattan, jute, palm leaves, clay, organic cotton and linen, and ceramics more sustainable, but if they are being used by a local craftsperson, gifters are also saving on fossil fuels for the transportation. Plus, you're helping the local economy by supporting local craftspeople, so it's a win-win. Natural fiber pillows, sheets, blankets, and even doormats offer comfort and consideration of the environment. The most sustainable and eco-friendly gift is one you already have, so get creative about reusing materials already in or around your home (raid the recycling bin, find nice pieces of wood outside, wash out and reuse glass jars) to fashion them into new, thoughtful goods. Similarly, think vintage and secondhand—what items can you give a second life to by passing them along to someone who will find new meaning in them? Some of the most thoughtful gifts are small heirlooms—pieces of jewelry or a beloved ceramic dish—passed along to the next generation that will appreciate them. Green technology offers ways to reduce our carbon footprint in everyday life, and smart thermostats, solar lights, smart sprinklers, and smart plugs all make great gifts, saving people money and conserving our valuable resources. For those looking into home renovations or updating decor, try a new light fixture paired with smart blubs, or a new window treatment with smart shades. Even something as simple as a rain barrel can reduce energy use—and while the technology for that isn't very sophisticated, it certainly is, like composting, "smart." Integrated outdoor living is the ultimate gift, allowing us to bring the natural world into our homes. However, doing so sustainably takes a little more effort than simply leaving the doors to the deck open all the time. First, find eco-friendly and sustainable outdoor furniture, perhaps thrifting it or buying it used and fixing it up for a one-of-a-kind gift. If you can't go secondhand, choose furniture made of sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood, recycled plastic (great for outdoor rugs), or bamboo. For smaller gifts, consider solar lights, a water feature that recycles water, a rain barrel, or even a set of handmade wind chimes made from seashells. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on Made Trade and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Google analysts sent scrambling by startling break-up news

Eagles seek 7th straight win while Rams try to keep pace in crowded NFC West raceFOSTER CITY, Calif., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollomics Inc. APLM (the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing medicines to address difficult-to-treat cancers, today announced that on December 10, 2024, it received a notification (the "Notice") from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq") stating that the Company has regained compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share, as set forth in Nasdaq Rule 5550(a)(2) (the "Bid Price Requirement"), and Nasdaq has determined to continue the listing of the Company's Class A ordinary shares ("Class A Ordinary Shares") on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "APLM." On December 10, 2024, Nasdaq confirmed that for the ten consecutive business days from November 25, 2024 to December 9, 2024, the closing bid price of the Company's Class A Ordinary Shares was at $1.00 per share or greater. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with the Nasdaq Bid Price Requirement and the matter is closed. About Apollomics Inc. Apollomics Inc. is an innovative clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of oncology therapies with the potential to be combined with other treatment options to harness the immune system and target specific molecular pathways to inhibit cancer. Apollomics' lead program is vebreltinib (APL-101), a potent, selective c-Met inhibitor for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and other advanced tumors with c-Met alterations, which is currently in a Phase 2 multicohort clinical trial in the United States and over 10 other countries. For more information, please visit www.apollomicsinc.com . Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding the Company's strategy, prospects, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Apollomics cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the Company's ability to maintain compliance with any of the other Nasdaq continued listing requirements, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Apollomics. In addition, Apollomics cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including: (i) the impact of any current or new government regulations in the United States and China affecting Apollomics' operations and the continued listing of Apollomics' securities; (ii) the inability to achieve successful clinical results or to obtain licensing of third-party intellectual property rights for future discovery and development of Apollomics' oncology projects; (iii) the failure to commercialize product candidates and achieve market acceptance of such product candidates; (iv) the failure to protect Apollomics' intellectual property; (v) breaches in data security; (vi) the risk that Apollomics may not be able to develop and maintain effective internal controls; (vii) unfavorable changes to the regulatory environment; and (viii) those risks and uncertainties discussed in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed by Apollomics Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the heading "Risk Factors" and the other documents filed, or to be filed, by the Company with the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the reports that Apollomics has filed and will file from time to time with the SEC. These SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made by the Company. Apollomics undertakes no obligation to update publicly any of its forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. Investor Contact: Eric Ribner LifeSci Advisors, LLC (646) 751-4363 eric@lifesciadvisors.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.None

NoneKane hat trick against Augsburg hides Bayern’s concerning lack of goals

Canadian companies excited about AI but slow to adopt it: AI tech leadersSteelers WR George Pickens returns to practice, hopeful to play against Chiefs

Trump won about 2.5M more votes this year than he did in 2020. This is where he did it

KSE-100 index surges 4.03%, gains over 4,400 pointsBy MAKIYA SEMINERA and GARY D. ROBERTSON RALEIGH — Outgoing North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation on Tuesday that would strip powers from several Democrats elected to statewide office this month, including removing the authority of Cooper’s successor to appoint the state elections board. These and other provisions, contained in a wide-ranging measure stuffed through the Republican-dominated General Assembly in less than 24 hours during a lame-duck session last week, would weaken Gov.-elect Josh Stein, as well as the next attorney general, schools superintendent and lieutenant governor — offices that are slated to be run by Democrats next year. While the bill contains additional Hurricane Helene relief provisions, critics say the amount is relatively small and most of the relief funds can’t even be spent until the General Assembly reconvenes next month. And billions of dollars more in aid may be needed in the coming months. Democrats and their allies considered disaster items thin window-dressing for a series of partisan power grabs by the GOP before its veto-proof majority potentially goes away at year’s end following the certification of the Nov. 5 General Assembly elections, where a few tight races are undergoing recounts. In his veto statement, Cooper called the bill a “sham” that doesn’t provide the necessary aid to western North Carolina and “merely shuffles money from one fund to another in Raleigh” instead. “This legislation was titled disaster relief but instead violates the constitution by taking appointments away from the next Governor for the Board of Elections, Utilities Commission and Commander of the NC Highway Patrol, letting political parties choose appellate judges and interfering with the Attorney General’s ability to advocate for lower electric bills for consumers,” Cooper said. The bill now returns to the General Assembly, where Republicans are expected to start their override attempt in Raleigh next week. They usually need all GOP House members and senators present and unified to be successful. But that could be challenging, as three House Republicans voted no on the bill this month. All three represent areas damaged by Helene’s historic flooding. One of them said he voted against the measure because it was rushed through the General Assembly. While Republicans will still control both chambers come January, Stein could become more successful blocking GOP legislation if Democratic lawmakers remain united to uphold vetoes. The 131-page bill would attempt to alter yet again how the State Board of Elections is appointed, likely leading to a GOP majority on a panel now controlled by Democrats. The governor currently makes state board appointments, and the governor’s party always holds three of the five seats. Under the latest bill, starting in May, the state auditor — who will be Republican Dave Boliek — will make appointments elected. The changes likely would mean Republican board control in the near future and filter down to county election boards, too. Other measures approved by the GOP-controlled legislature since 2016 to change the board’s makeup in the interest of bipartisanship have been blocked by courts, including a 2023 law that would move board appointment authority from the governor to the General Assembly. The vetoed bill also would move up several post-election deadlines in 2025 after Republican complaints that counties took too long this month to count provisional and absentee ballots, especially in light of an extremely close Supreme Court race. Republicans said the changes will lead to more efficient and quicker vote count releases. The legislation also would weaken the governor’s authority to fill vacancies on the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court by limiting his choice to candidates offered by the political party of the outgoing justice or judge. Stein, the current attorney general, will be succeeded by fellow Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson. The bill would limit the attorney general by barring him from taking legal positions contrary to the General Assembly in litigation challenging a law’s validity. The bill also would prevent the superintendent of public instruction — a post to be held by Democrat Mo Green — from appealing decisions by a state board that reviews charter school applications. And the legislation would repeal the Energy Policy Council, of which the lieutenant governor has been the chair. Current GOP Gov. Lt. Mark Robinson is giving way to Democrat Rachel Hunt early next year. The bill did locate an additional $252 million for Helene relief, adding to the over $900 million that lawmakers had already set aside or started spending in previous measures this fall. But most of the money earmarked in the latest bill can’t be spent until the General Assembly acts again. Cooper asked the legislature last month to consider an initial Helene spending request of $3.9 billion.

By DAVID McHUGH The Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany’s technology and services company Bosch said Friday it planned to reduce its automotive division workforce by as many as 5,500 jobs in the next several years in another sign of the headwinds hitting the German and global auto industries. The company cited stagnating global auto sales, too much factory capacity in the auto industry compared with sales prospects and a slower than expected transition to electric-powered, software-controlled vehicles. The news comes two days after Ford Motor Co. announced plans to drop 4,000 jobs in Europe , and with Volkswagen employees threatening work stoppages over what they say management has told them are plans to close as many as three factories in Germany. Revenue at Stellantis , created through the 2021 merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, tumbled 27% in its most recent quarter that ended this fall. Auto sales have slowed this year in Europe as consumers stung by inflation hold back on spending, while automakers have sunk billions into developing electric cars only to see slower sales than expected and new competition from cheaper Chinese brands. The German government abruptly cancelled purchase incentives at the end of last year, sending electric vehicles sales in that country down by 27% over the first nine months of this year. Some 3,500 of the job reductions at Bosch would come before the end of 2027 and would hit the part of the company that develops advanced driver assistance and automated driving technologies, as well as centralized vehicle software, said Bosch, which is headquartered in Gerlingen near Stuttgart. About half those job reductions would be at locations in Germany. “The auto industry has significant overcapacities,” the company said in a statement. “In addition, the market for future technologies is not developing as originally expected ... At the moment, many projects in this business area are being put off or abandoned by automakers.” In addition, 750 jobs would be lost at a plant in Hildesheim, Germany by end 2032, 600 of those by the end of 2026. A plant in Schwaebisch Gmund would lose some 1,300 over between 2027 and 2030. The reductions are still in the planning stage and final numbers would have to be agreed with employee representatives and carried out in what the company said would be a socially responsible way. While automakers put their names on the cars they sell, most of the car is actually made by a series of suppliers Some 230,000 people work for Bosch’s mobility division, out of a global workforce of 429,000. In addition to its business as an auto industry technology supplier Bosch makes factory and building equipment and software across a range of products including industrial boilers and waste-heat recovery systems, video security systems, and power tools.December 21, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked trusted source written by researcher(s) proofread by Elisabeth Duursma, Amy Conley Wright, Helen Simpson and Natalia Kate Hanley, The Conversation Many Australians know December 21 as "Gravy Day." This is a reference to Paul Kelly's song and new film How to Make Gravy , where a prisoner named Joe writes a letter to his family four days before Christmas. In it Joe, missing his wife and relatives, asks, "Won't you kiss my kids on Christmas Day?". It's estimated half the men in Australian prisons are fathers . While they are incarcerated, maintaining contact with their children is vital, both for the dads and the kids . It allows fathers to keep contributing to their children's lives and provides important social support. It can also reduce psychological distress for children. One important way to do this is via "video visits," which were spurred on by COVID restrictions. In our recently published research , we look at how families experienced video visits in two New South Wales prisons. Our research Video visits can be challenging if there is a lack of facilities in homes and prisons or problems with technological support. But our study set out to understand how they might support father-child relationships, given their widespread use during lockdowns. We looked at one prison in an urban area and another in a regional area. A total of 27 fathers participated in interviews, of whom 11 identified as Aboriginal and four identified as culturally and linguistically diverse. We also interviewed 17 caregivers, who were mostly mothers. They looked after children ranging from infants to teenagers. Recognizing each other One way video visits support father-child relationships is allowing children to see and get to recognize their father's faces and for the father to see the growing child. As one caregiver said, "She knew and recognized over the last two years that daddy's on the phone, daddy's on the iPad [...] So, even though it was once a week she got familiar, seeing his face." Fathers valued the visual contact with their children as well, to allow them to see how their children were changing and growing: "[...] there's a huge difference, such a big difference between a phone call and a video call . The visual contact, you can't hear a smile. You can hear laughter, but you can only see someone's joy in their face by seeing them visually." Another caregiver added, "As you know, five years is a long time, especially for a little kid. So, he got to watch him grow every week." Part of family life Caregivers appreciated the flexibility of video visits and how they could integrate them into daily life. Visits could take place at children's sports activities or the beach. They could show their fathers their rooms, their art or the dance they just learned. One caregiver said they organized events like blowing out candles on a birthday cake around video visits. When organized in the home, it means video visits are happening where children are secure and familiar. As one caregiver told us: "[The child] does better on video than he does in person. On video, you know he's in his home. He's in his comfort [zone]. He can do whatever he likes. He can show [his father] his room. He can get new toys [...] his options are a lot more there." A father told us, "They're happy, they're comfortable, they're not shy, they actually want to talk to you. It's not like they have to stay here and talk to you. They can run off and come back." Another caregiver described how video visits enabled the child's fathers to observe some of his "firsts." "When [the child] first learned to crawl. I put the phone up against the lounge and I moved [the child] maybe about half a meter away from the phone and I said to [the child], 'go on, crawl to Daddy,' and [the child] crawled straight up to the phone and gave the phone a kiss." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter— daily or weekly . Better for kids? Several caregivers pointed out that the prison environment could be distressing for children. Not only did this sometimes involve hours of travel, but there were people they did not know, long waits and security processes to go through. As one caregiver said, "it's not somewhere you bring kids." Another told us: "[the child] was really quite scared at the other inmates around. And yeah, so he actually prefers the video calls." There are challenges Interviewees also described some challenges with video visits, noting younger children quickly lose interest and "run off." They also said children could be upset at the end of a visit, particularly when it ended abruptly. "You know you'd get a beep, and then it'd switch off [...] But you know there was times where that was very difficult, with [the child] in the middle of something like chatting about her day, and then, all of a sudden it will cut off, and she will get quite upset and not understand." What next? Our study strongly suggests these types of visits are important for families. Future work should focus on ways to improve the quality of visits and ask children for their views about what they want. This is not to suggest video visits should replace in-person visits but they can help fathers and their children maintain a genuine relationship. If they can't be together, at least dads can give their children a virtual kiss on Christmas Day. Provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

Hyderabad: Shaikh Raheemuddin (49), a native of Muktapur village of Nirmal rural mandal, had received serious head injuries after falling from the second floor of an under-construction building in Dubai two months ago, has been flown back and admitted at Nirmal Area Hospital a week ago. For Raheemuddin, this wasn’t the first time going to Gulf nations to work. He had worked in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for a few years, and had returned home. Due to amounting debt, he went to Dubai for work. His employer in Dubai, after treating the worker’s health condition as a long-term illness, has sent him back home so that he could receive treatment in the presence of his family members, by arranging for his travel back home. Pravasi Mitra Labour Union president Swadesh Pirikipandla and convener Mujige Shankar paid a visit to Raheemuddin at the hospital and took stock of his health condition.SAN DIEGO (AP) — With his stellar America’s Cup career behind him, Jimmy Spithill introduced his new Red Bull Italy SailGP Team on Thursday in Dubai just ahead of the opening regatta of the global league’s fifth season. Spithill, the team’s CEO and founder, pulled a major coup by hiring his old America’s Cup crewmate and fellow Australian, wing trimmer Kyle Langford, from the Australian team that dominated SailGP for the first three seasons. Italy, SailGP's 12th team, sailed its foiling 50-foot catamaran for the first time Thursday. After practice racing on Friday, the opening regatta will be Saturday and Sunday. “It’s been definitely a big push,” Spithill said in a video interview with The Associated Press. “It’s all come up really quick. We’re almost there.” Spithill left the U.S. SailGP team in November after 2 1⁄2 seasons to focus on starting the Italian team and on sailing in this year’s America’s Cup. He was co-helmsman of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, which was eliminated by INEOS Britannia in the challenger finals. Double Olympic gold medalist Ruggero Tita will helm the Italian team, while two-time bronze medalist and recent Women’s America’s Cup winner Giulia Fava will be the strategist and Italian national champion Andrea Tesei will be the flight controller. Alex Sinclair also followed Spithill, joining grinders Matteo Celon and Enrico Voltolini, who have extensive high-performance and America’s Cup experience. Spithill said his crew has “some absolute next-generation stars, from different backgrounds, Olympics, America’s Cup, and it’s just awesome having Kyle come in.” Spithill, 45, said he’ll be on the boat only if someone gets hurt or sick. “These young guys are too good at it,” he said. “The talent that’s coming through in Italy, I mean, the results do the talking.” More stars having been switching teams in SailGP, which was co-founded by tech billionaire Larry Ellison. Signing Langford is a big deal for the new team. Shortly before the 2013 America’s Cup on San Francisco Bay, Langford was promoted to Oracle’s race crew after wing trimmer Dirk de Ridder was suspended by an international jury. With Emirates Team New Zealand at match point at 8-1, Spithill skippered Oracle to eight straight wins in one of the greatest comebacks in sports to retain the Cup. “One thing that really attracted him was a chance to start out and really play a major role with the new team and especially the emerging talent,” Spithill said. “It would have been really easy for him to say, ‘You know what? I’m comfortable with the Aussies.’ But the fact that he’s stepped out of his comfort zone and he’s challenging himself as an athlete in this stage of his career is just massive.” While talented, the Italian crew will have the least experience together in the high-performance F50 catamaran. Spithill said Langford “is going to play a huge role in getting this team up to speed. I mean, the F50 is, without a doubt, probably the hardest boat to sail out there.” After sailing for Luna Rossa in three of his eight America’s Cup campaigns, Spithill has seen how passionate Italian fans are. “When you talk about an exciting market for the sport, I mean, it doesn’t get any better than Italy,” he said. “It has a huge following in Italy and they’ve got a real cultural attachment to the ocean and the sport itself.” Spithill said immediately after Luna Rossa’s loss in early October that it was time to step away from the America’s Cup. “The point is, we didn’t get the job done so I hold myself accountable for that. And I also am seeing firsthand that this next generation of talent coming through and I believe they deserve a shot, you know?” “I really think SailGP is the future of the sport. The whole regular season, the concept makes a lot of sense,” he said. Dubai is the first of 14 regattas. At season’s end, the top three crews will race in the $2 million, winner-take-all Grand Final. Also Thursday, Rolex was announced as SailGP's first title sponsor as part of a 10-year deal. Bernie Wilson has covered sailing for The Associated Press since 1991.

Steelers WR George Pickens returns to practice, hopeful to play against Chiefs