aces wild texas bar rescue Bradley Braves vs. Valparaiso Beacons: How to watch NCAA Basketball online, TV channel, live stream info, start timeIsrael strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. An uneasy calm settles over Syrian city of Homs after outbreak of sectarian violence HOMS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country’s fragile peace could break down. A tense calm prevailed Thursday after checkpoints were set up throughout the country’s third-largest city, which has a mixed population of Sunni and Shia Muslims, Alawites and Christians. The security forces are controlled by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the charge that unseated former President Bashar Assad. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate change ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor signed the new law Thursday. It requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state infrastructure fund for repairs or projects that help avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill earlier this year. It's meant to make big oil and gas companies contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events or for resiliency projects. Such projects may include restoring coastal wetlands or upgrading roads, bridges and water drainage systems. Legal challenges to the new law are expected. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.

Oak Valley Bancorp Stock Hits All-Time High at $30.81

Senate Republicans derailed President-elect Donald Trump ’s first jaw-dropping pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz . But it’s unclear if they will be able to block any other controversial nominees despite skepticism from some rank-and-file Republicans. In the weeks since Trump’s dramatic election victory, the power struggle between the president-elect and independent-minded Senate Republicans has been playing out in plain view. There had been questions about whether the new Senate GOP majority would simply kowtow to Trump, the party’s most dominant figure, and toss aside its constitutional duty of advise and consent. Instead, a handful of GOP senators flexed their muscles and rejected Gaetz . Now their political resolve will be tested several more times as Trump’s frustration builds and the MAGA base demands that Republicans rally behind Trump and quickly get his team in place. Senators are getting a brief reprieve from questions about Trump’s nominees as they celebrate Thanksgiving. But when they return next week, the scrutiny will intensify and focus on a trio of Cabinet picks who are raising alarm bells on Capitol Hill and beyond: Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence ; Pete Hegseth for defense secretary ; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health and human services secretary . With the media spotlight off Gaetz, some Republican senators conceded that Trump’s other embattled picks will now be under the microscope. Hegseth, for example, is facing questions about a 2017 incident where a woman told police he took her phone and blocked her from leaving his hotel room before sexually assaulting her. Hegseth was not charged and has denied the allegations while confirming he paid the accuser in a confidential settlement, but the issue has come up in his meetings with Armed Services Committee members whose votes he will need . “Well, it’s a pretty big problem, given that we have ... a sexual assault problem in our military,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who added that he backed bipartisan legislation by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to prevent sexual assault in the military. “This is why you have background checks, this is why you have hearings, this is why you have to go through the scrutiny,” Cramer continued. “I’m not going to pre-judge him, but yeah, it’s a pretty concerning accusation.” Before Gaetz withdrew his name, Cramer had warned that the Trump transition team was at risk of spending too much “political capital” fighting for a doomed Cabinet pick before the party even begins tackling its 2025 legislative agenda. The former Florida congressman had too much baggage, Cramer and others said — stemming from a yearslong sexual misconduct ethics probe and Gaetz's successful campaign to topple GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year — to win the 51 votes needed to be confirmed as the nation’s top law enforcement official. Republicans will control 53 seats in the new Senate, meaning they can only afford three GOP defections on any vote to confirm a nominee or pass legislation with Vice President JD Vance serving as the tie-breaker. Rather than drag out the fight for several more weeks, Gaetz dropped out of contention Thursday, paving the way for Trump to name former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department . The Bondi choice was cheered by Republicans, and she is expected to have a much easier path to confirmation. How much political capital Trump is willing to burn on other picks with baggage of their own is still an open question. Some Senate Republicans who leveled some of the strongest criticism at Gaetz said they could live with Hegseth, despite the 2017 assault allegations. “He wasn’t charged. He wasn’t even kind of charged in this. There was no crime committed. The police dropped everything there. ...” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., a Trump ally and vocal Gaetz critic, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. “And so that doesn’t prevent Pete from moving forward in this.” Kennedy and Gabbard have their own past controversies that could become red flags for senators. Kennedy, whom Trump picked to be one of his top health officials, has made numerous false or misleading claims about vaccines, fluoride, raw milk and other things that would come under his purview if confirmed. As HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee 13 federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Asked about RFK Jr’s position on vaccines, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Health committee that will host Kennedy’s confirmation hearing, told reporters that “as a parent” she would continue to advocate for the “benefits of modern medicine.” ​​Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a close Trump ally, said on Fox News on Sunday he’s done an “unofficial whip count” on RFK, adding that he’s heard concerns but felt assured that the soon-to-be HHS nominee should be “confirmed quite easily.” Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman who changed parties and endorsed Trump, has faced scrutiny by Democrats — as well as some Republicans — for making positive comments about Russia and meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017 . “I think she’s compromised ... Russian-controlled media called her a Russian asset,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a decorated Iraq War veteran and Armed Services member, said on CNN Sunday. She added that she didn’t think Gabbard could pass an FBI background check. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., shot back on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” labeling Duckworth’s insults about Gabbard “a slur.” “There’s no evidence that she’s an asset of another country,” he said. In a statement, Trump communications director Steven Cheung said, “President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration.” FBI background checks are typically conducted on executive branch nominees and appointees. But the Trump team has yet to submit any of his picks for such vetting. On Sunday, Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., defended the move, saying Americans do not care about who conducts the vetting process. “I don’t think the American public cares who does the background checks. What the American public cares about is to see the mandate that they voted in delivered upon,” Hagerty, Trump’s former ambassador to Japan, said on ABC’s “This Week.” Democrats say that FBI background checks may save Trump and his team a lot of hassle and embarrassment. “He may have still decided to nominate Matt Gaetz, but if they did a thorough vetting, he may have decided not to,” Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press" on Sunday. “That vetting process, having the FBI review potential nominees, is not only to protect the public interests, it’s to protect the president-elect’s interests, to make sure that he’s not embarrassed by nominating someone like Matt Gaetz.” Gabe Gutierrez, Ryan Nobles, Julie Tsirkin, Kate Santaliz and Hallie Jackson contributed. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com . More from NBC News:LeBron James won't play for Lakers against Minnesota on FridayIconoclast: Pelosi’s Jan. 6 Narrative Collapsing Jan. 6 was not “an insurrection,” but “a protest that became a riot when a woefully insufficient security plan collapsed,” argues Jonathan Turley at The Hill . Nancy Pelosi’s “House Select Committee to investigate Jan. 6” pushed the narrative that it “ was an attempt to overthrow our democracy by Trump and his supporters,” but “fostered false accounts” and dismissed evidence that “confirmed that Trump did, in fact, offer the deployment of the National Guard in anticipation of the protest.” Now a new report “shows that it was the Defense Department that delayed the eventual deployment of National Guard in the critical hours of the riot.” “None of this means that Trump” is “without fault in this matter,” but “these reports only further highlight what we still do not know about that day.” From the right: Democrats Deaf to Voters “The first step to any recovery is admitting you have a problem,” argues The Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley . Yet Democrats “won’t admit that their policies are the cause.” From his “bubble,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom “ordered a special legislative session to ’Trump-proof’ California’s progressive policies, such as its electric-vehicles mandate.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul “revived a $9 tax on commuters driving into lower Manhattan” days after Trump’s win. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “is seeking to raise taxes on homeowners” to “pay the city’s soaring pension bills.” Those “high taxes are driving off businesses and residents.” Democrats may “recognize their political problem but their solution is to pour another shot.” Culture critic: Dems’ Disconnect on Trans Debate “In a parallel universe,” snarks The Free Press’ Peter Savodnik , “progressives would be rallying around” Rep. Seth Moulton for expressing fear that trans athletes could injure his daughters in sports. Yet “in this universe,” they “hate him.” Progressives “have called him a ‘Nazi cooperator,’ ‘transphobic,’ and ‘offensive,’ ” and demanded he resign. Tuft University’s poli-sci chairman threatened to bar students from interning in his office. Moulton just sees the “disconnect between the party’s activist base and the tens of millions of voters it counts on to win national elections,” blasting those who won’t “even tolerate debate on such issues.” “The only way forward now, Moulton said, is for the Democratic Party to reclaim its liberal soul — its appetite for arguments.” Science desk: Rx for Real Science at FDA “Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins University to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration,” notes Public’s Alex Gutentag . Makary has a “track record of standing up to the pharmaceutical industry” on opioids and other issues and was “right on key issues” during COVID, like community masking and vaccine mandates — where authorities’ errors “severely harmed trust in public health institutions.” In office, “Makary must work to depoliticize the FDA” and ensure it’s “focused on science, high-quality evidence, and thorough safety monitoring” and to end the “conflicts of interest” that are “not the exception at the FDA” but the rule, where a revolving door between the agency and big pharma operates. Only then will the FDA “function like a real regulator again.” Defense beat: NATO Unready for ‘Hybrid War’ “Russia’s hybrid-warfare model — the integration of numerous non-military means of conflict and proxy wars, backed by the threat of military force, to achieve strategic goals” — poses a huge challenge to NATO, which is organized “to deter against an invasion or nuclear attack on Europe,” warns Patrick Hess at UnHerd . Since the Ukraine war began, Moscow has employed an “escalating string” of “low-threshold, non-military and plausibly deniable tactics” against European countries. These include “sabotage and arson, GPS-signal jamming, disinformation campaigns, weaponised people-smuggling, and phone-hacking,” all “deployed to disrupt, confuse, and blur the lines between peace and wartime.” “As Europe prepares to take primary responsibility for its own security, this new order must include a coherent strategy to deal with Moscow’s hybrid threats, including how and when to respond.” — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

Syrian government forces withdraw from central city of Homs as insurgent offensive acceleratesJamiya Neal's monster game leads Creighton past UNLV

Meta faces April trial in FTC case seeking to unwind Instagram mergerManchester United teammates Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo exchanged words after the final whistle of a 2-1 victory on Thursday. And manager Ruben Amorin has no problem with it. “For me, it’s a very, very good sign,” Amorin said after his team beat Viktoria Plzen to stay unbeaten in the Europa League. Hojlund scored two goals and hoped for a centering pass from Diallo to go for a hat trick in the final minutes. The Denmark striker didn't get the pass, though. Viktoria had been pushing forward looking for an equalizer, which created space for United counters. On another break shortly afterward, Hojlund opted to keep the ball. The pair then had a heated post-game exchange. “We need to feel something,” Amorin said. “If we need to fight each other, it's like a family. When you don't care, you don't do nothing. When you care — you fight with your brother, with your mother, your father.” AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Nasdaq pulls back to stall Wall. St. rally; new report shows inflation still not tamedMembership of Britain's upstart anti-immigration Reform UK party has overtaken that of the centre-right Conservative Party for the first time, the party said Thursday, as Tories disputed the numbers. Party leader and Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage hailed the figure as a "historic moment". Immigration was a major issue at the ballot box at the UK's July general election which saw the Conservatives ousted after 14 years in power. The digital counter on the Reform website showed a membership tally ticking past the 131,680 figure declared by the main opposition Conservatives during its leadership election earlier this year. "The youngest political party in British politics has just overtaken the oldest political party in the world," wrote Farage on X. "Reform UK are now the real opposition." Party chairman Zia Yusuf said the milestone showed the long "stranglehold on the centre-right of British politics by the Tories has finally been broken". The last declared Conservative Party tally was the lowest on record and a drop on 2022, when there were around 172,000 members. New Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, however, questioned the figures, accusing Farage of "fakery". She said Reform's counter was "coded to tick up automatically". Farage responded by saying he would "gladly invite" a firm to "audit our membership numbers" if the Tories did the same. Reform won five seats in the 650-seat UK parliament in July, though it received roughly 14 percent of total votes cast. Reform maximised the damage to the Conservatives by splitting the right-wing vote and picking up former Tory supporters in key constituencies. The Labour Party won by a landslide although Prime Minister Keir Starmer has had a bumpy first five months in power. An Ipsos opinion poll this month found that 53 percent of Britons said they were "disappointed" in what the Labour government had achieved so far. British politics has been dominated by the two main parties -- Labour and the Conservatives -- for decades but commentators have warned that major parties have seen irreversible downturns in their popularity in the past. In the years after World War I, a divided Liberal Party found itself supplanted by the Labour Party as the main opposition. The party of 19th-century political giant William Gladstone and World War I leader David Lloyd George never again regained its status as a party of government. Farage, a supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, said earlier this month that he was in talks with tech billionaire Elon Musk about donating to his hard-right party. har/js

(The Center Square) — New York City has received a green light from the Biden administration to implement a retooled congestion pricing program, but the plan still faces lawsuits from opponents and anticipated pushback from incoming President-elect Donald Trump. Last Thursday, the Federal Highway Administration approved the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's plan, which Gov. Kathy Hochul resurrected earlier this month with a reduced base fare of $9 – down from the original plan of $15. The program will go into effect on Jan. 5, just days before Trump takes over the presidency. "We are pleased to have received formal approval from the Federal Highway Administration for the phase-in feature of the Central Business District Tolling Program,” Catherine Sheridan, president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels/Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, said in a statement. The controversial tolling program, which was originally set to start June 30, called for a $15 toll on drivers entering the core of Manhattan to generate about $1 billion annually for public transit system upgrades. But in June, Hochul abruptly hit the brakes on congestion pricing, announcing that she directed the MTA to "indefinitely" pause the program. She cited the impact on commuters who would be forced to pay higher tolls. To be sure, the new congestion pricing tolls will eventually increase to the original $15 by 2031, according to the Hochul administration. The MTA said the plan includes discounts for low-income drivers making less than $50,000 annually. These drivers will receive a 50% discount after hitting their 10th toll each month. Meanwhile, the plan faces an uncertain future with several lawsuits, including one filed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and another by the New York Trucking Association, challenging the higher tolling system in state and federal court. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER "While political leadership is now saying the right things about bringing down the cost of living in the state, New Yorkers should not be fooled by the rhetoric: this new congestion pricing plan is still bad for the economy, will still cause supply chain disruptions, and will still raise the price of goods upon which households across the five boroughs and its surrounding suburbs rely," Kendra Hems, the Trucking Association's president, said in a statement. Trump, a Republican and native New Yorker, has pledged to "terminate" the program when he takes over the White House in January. Trump's pick to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, former New York congressman Lee Zelden, railed against congestion pricing during his 2022 gubernatorial run.You can see her go on high alert when she hears a commercial, and as you know, animals appear in almost all commercials and many shows. It is so annoying and disruptive; we just don’t know how to stop her other than keep the TV off. We are retired, and TV is our evening entertainment. Any suggestions? — Nancy, Portage, Indiana Dear Nancy: This canine behavior is actually quite common. Dogs often perceive animals on the screen as real intruders into their territory, which can trigger protective behaviors. Some dogs even react to sports shows, like tennis and basketball games, if they love chasing balls themselves. With TVs larger and more realistic, it’s no wonder these visuals feel real to them. To help manage her barking, try desensitization and counter-conditioning. Start by turning the TV on at a very low volume and rewarding her calm behavior with treats or praise. Gradually increase the volume over time, always rewarding her for staying relaxed. When introducing these visuals, use animal shows, as they can help her acclimate to the specific triggers. Pause the TV on an animal image (so there is no sound at first), reward her for staying calm, and then slowly work up to playing the video and then with audio. There are plenty of animal videos on YouTube that you can use to practice with her. Redirecting her focus can also be helpful. Keep a favorite toy or chew item nearby that she only receives in the evening. Give it to her when you think she is about to react to one of those on-air triggers. Pair an alert with commands like “quiet” or “leave it,” and reward her when she listens with the toy or chew. Creating a cozy, quiet space away from the TV can also give her a place to retreat if she feels overstimulated. With training and consistency, she can learn to relax during your TV time. Dear Cathy: I read your column in Newsday today about giving feral cats a good home for the winter and wanted to share an idea. My mom cares for 10 ferals that are comfortable using their insulated houses, but to add to their comfort, we’ve placed heated snow-melting mats from a company called HeatTrak. These mats not only provide a cozy spot for the cats to lounge day and night but also ensure my mom, who’s 87, has a safe, snow-free path for feeding them during winter. We leave the mats on all season rather than just during snowstorms, and the electricity cost is surprisingly low. We even had a custom-sized mat made for a long, narrow walkway near the cats’ houses. While I’m not affiliated with the company, I’ve been impressed with their products. — Laura, Long Island, New York Dear Laura: Thank you for the tip. I don’t normally cover specific products in my column, but the product looks like something people in the northern part of the U.S. might use, so I want people to use the product safely around pets. First, the way you are using the product is perfectly acceptable. HeatTrak says its mats are perfectly safe for small- to medium-sized pets to lie on, and many pet owners have found them helpful in creating warm, snow-free pathways. As you say, pets probably often appreciate the added warmth. But it’s important to note that these mats are not recommended for use with large pets. Apparently, the weight of a larger animal lying on the mat could affect the internal heating elements, potentially leading to overheating or damage. Also, these mats should never be used inside a house, a doghouse or any enclosed space. HeatTrak says its mats are designed exclusively for outdoor use and must remain uncovered in the open to operate safely.

Jamiya Neal finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four blocks to lead host Creighton over UNLV 83-65 on Saturday in Omaha, Neb. Creighton was without star Pop Isaacs, who was ruled out for the season on Saturday morning after undergoing surprise hip surgery. It was a startling turn, considering Isaacs led Creighton with 27 points in Wednesday's win over No. 1 Kansas. Neal and Steven Ashworth (17 points) anchored the backcourt in Isaacs' absence, combining to make 13-of-20 shots from the field. Neal made 7 of his 10 and Ashworth 6 of 10. Isaac Traudt also stepped up, making five 3-pointers off the bench to account for all 15 of his points. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 12 points, making 4-of-5 attempts from the field, and added six rebounds. Creighton opened the second half on a 10-0 run, extending its lead to 49-27 before UNLV mustered an answer. Creighton made 10 consecutive shots early in the second half, extending its lead to a 62-41 with 12:20 remaining. Dedan Thomas Jr. paced UNLV with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, making 1 of 4 attempts from 3-point range. Jailen Bedford added a team-high 20 points for the Rebels on 8-of-15 shooting, scoring 17 points in the second half. Julian Rishwain added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, but UNLV's second leading scorer for the season, Jeremiah Cherry, was limited to just four points in 16 minutes after early foul trouble. Creighton shot a resounding 63.3 percent from the field for the game, including going 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. Creighton outscored UNLV 38-34 in the paint and outrebounded them 34-21. UNLV finished the game shooting 42.2 percent field, making 7-of-21 attempts from distance. --Field Level MediaFederal politics live: Social media ban a 'test' for Peter Dutton as backbenchers raise concerns, Labor minister says - ABC NewsLive: Social media ban labelled a 'test' for Peter Dutton as backbenchers raise concerns

Patrick Stewart's first act as Rangers chief executive could be to sack Philippe Clement By STEPHEN MCGOWAN Published: 22:00, 25 November 2024 | Updated: 22:00, 25 November 2024 e-mail View comments Following his departure from Manchester United in April, Patrick Stewart took some time to travel and recharge his batteries. After 18 seasons of overseeing legal affairs at Old Trafford, the Aberdonian travelled to Germany to support Scotland at Euro 2024. In the parlance of professional football, he spent some time with the family. Day one at Rangers could make all of that feel like a distant mirage if he is faced with the most difficult decision any football chief executive has to make. Sharing a name with a famous actor has its downside and Stewart has spent most of his adult life batting away the Star Trek humour which followed news of his return to football as the replacement for James Bisgrove. He can expect more of that if his new employers come up short against Ange Postecoglou ’s Tottenham on December 12 then lose the Premier Sports Cup final to Celtic at Hampden three days later. By the time he’d reached the top of the marble staircase, briefcase in hand, Stewart would be under pressure to go boldly where so many of the occupants of the Ibrox hotseat have gone before by dismissing a manager before lunchtime. Patrick Stewart will take over as Rangers CEO the day after their League Cup final against Celtic Clement's position as Rangers manager would become impossible if they lose at Hampden While a start date of December 16 might disassociate the new man from guilt by association with two precarious fixtures, it won’t insulate him from the toxic fall-out if results go badly. He’d be straight in at the deep end, facing calls to axe Philippe Clement with immediate effect. A 1-1 draw with Dundee United on Saturday only added to the clamour for the Belgian’s removal. Eleven points behind Celtic in the Premiership, with no evidence of a pattern of play, a tactical vision or forward momentum, supporters have seen enough now. On Sunday night, Whatsapp rumours swept Glasgow suggesting Clement and Rangers had parted company by mutual consent. They were inaccurate — they usually are — but the blaze ignited quickly because the situation is now flammable. Most now regard Clement’s exit as a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. The progress of his first season in charge is now a distant memory. Despite moments of individual quality from the likes of Vaclav Cerny and Nedim Bajrami, all that talk of improvement and progress fools no one these days. The team is now going backwards and, while the imminent arrival of a new chief executive and permanent chairman will bring more stability to the boardroom, the men in grey suits can’t put the ball in the net or stop the opposition doing the same. Malcolm Offord looks set to be named as Rangers' non-executive chairman in the weeks ahead Clement has yet to win a game against Celtic in five attempts. And defeat in the first showpiece final of the season at Hampden would render his position impossible. More so if the defeat is as convincing as the 3-0 humbling at Parkhead in September. It’s not impossible that Rangers will win at Hampden. While a long-awaited victory over Celtic would bring respite and relief, the title already looks too far gone. And, to deliver the financial equilibrium Rangers need off the pitch, Stewart really needs a manager capable of winning games and trophies on it. Champions League football is critical. He won’t be expected to do it all on his own. Malcolm Offord — Lord Offord of Garvel to give him his Sunday name — is expected to be named as the Rangers non-executive chairman in the coming weeks, replacing interim incumbent John Gilligan. Read More Rangers confirm appointment of former Man United man as chief executive officer six months after his predecessor's departure A political heavyweight with the clout to corral boardroom factions, Offord will work closely with the new CEO and, if the two men decide that Clement has to go, it’s their job to find a replacement. For that reason alone, it made sense to delay a decision on the manager until they were in the building. Like Michael Nicholson at Celtic, Stewart stems from a legal background and sees no value in being a front-of-house figure, courting journalists. Ask colleagues who cover Manchester United what they know about his background and the response is a shrug of the shoulders. Growing up in the Granite City, supporting his local team, Stewart was part of UEFA’s Champions League marketing agency for five years. He then moved to Old Trafford as the club’s first General Counsel in March 2006, the attraction of working with Sir Alex Ferguson too strong to resist. A graduate of Glasgow University, he built up the legal function from scratch. One of the first in-house lawyers at an English top-flight club, he was responsible for signing off on everything from player contracts to kit deals and liaised with the Premier League. A member of various football industry groups at the Football Association, the English Premier League and the European Club Association, Stewart also held a position at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and eventually became a Manchester United director before he was handed the job of interim CEO, overseeing the transition of power from the Glazers to Jim Ratcliffe before his departure in April. Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport Advertisement A political big hitter with a bulging contacts book will be good for a club which has spent recent years engaging in battles they couldn’t win. Rangers need figureheads capable of winning friends and influencing other clubs and both Offord and Stewart know their way around the corridors of power. While luring a man with an impressive CV drawn from Manchester United should be seen as a coup, there is an obvious drawback. Rangers are not Manchester United and, in recent times, Manchester United haven’t looked much like Manchester United either. Like Rangers, they’ve lost their way, on the field and off it. If nothing else, the appointment of a chief executive brings stability to Ibrox and, after a turbulent six months, they need that at least. Discussing Stewart’s appointment on the Jim White show on TalkSport yesterday, Mail Sport columnist Simon Jordan probably summed it up best. ‘It certainly alleviates the observations that they’re rudderless,’ said Jordan. ‘Whether he’s a good oarsman, we’ll see.’ Share or comment on this article: Patrick Stewart's first act as Rangers chief executive could be to sack Philippe Clement e-mail Add commentSt. Thomas defeats Montana 88-81 behind 22 points each from Kendall Blue and Nolan Minessale

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